one of my passions

We had one nice day last week. ONE. And it got me all excited to get dirt under my fingernails again. No, I didn't rush out and buy my seeds, no I didn't start tilling up my garden, but I did go outside and walk around my new garden plot. And I did get down and peer at my tulip beds looking for signs of early sprouts. Nothing yet!

I can't help but think of my garden back in Illinois. It was just getting established. Our asparagus and strawberries would be producing GREAT this year. As well as the raspberries and rhubarb. Oh, and I had planted roses last year that were doing wonderful for their first year. (It's sad to think that no one is taking care of my garden...no one has moved into our old house yet.) I will have to start all of these all over again...I'm thinking about our sunflowers that were 12 feet tall, and the endless rows of peas and green beans. I'm remembering the countless trips I would take from the garden to the kitchen with the days produce in a basket. How fun it was to fill my freezer with the summers goodness, to line up the pickles on the shelf to be used all year round. The salsa, the spaghetti sauce, etc. I'm excited to do that here in our new Iowa home!

The one thing I could never grow no matter how hard I tried was sweet corn. And that is a bummer because I love to EAT sweet corn. I think I know where I went wrong, but am I willing to use up garden space to try and fail again?

I miss the black Illinois dirt, but there is a freshness here that I am excited about. I can arrange my garden(s) better than before because now I have more experience and better ideas. Plus, I have so many more options here for flowers! I have flower beds and landscaping! I have been picturing all the splashes of color since we moved in last August! It will be a fresh new start! Mmmm....just thinking about it is making me excited to get going. Too bad it's only 30 some degrees today and the rest of the week. It's amazing what ONE day in the 60's will do for me.

I'm okay with it still being winter, but I am looking forward to spring, the smell of warm dirt, tiny sprouts reaching for the sun, and colorful flowers to brighten up rainy days. Now, where did I put that seed catalog??