one of the perks to having folks come visit from up north is the bagels. they always bring fresh bagels. real bagels. bagels that go particularly well with a sizable smear of butter and a cup of hot rooibos chai.
and knitting, too. this is a scarf for her. a little cotton spring-ish scarf. we've already decided it'll be her 'wild violet' scarf, after the little purple and white beauties that no doubt will start popping up in the yard soon. she will smile over them, and pick them, and eat them. she loves those violets.
also, it's time to start thinking about, looking through, and even planting seeds. today we got started and seeded three varieties of onions, some leeks, and shallots. we'll start some others in a week or two. greens, kohlrabi, some broccoli rabe if I can find it, and plant the peas in mid-March. but for now, it's alliums, alliums. the past two years we've had grow lights set up down in our basement, but this year we're setting up shop in the classroom/office. a little less space, but a lot more opportunity for watching the magic and helping those babies along.
oh, and there's this. I checked it out from the library yesterday (it was nearly 65 degrees and Claire and I took the bike to town- and oh that made me ready for the change in weather. I can't wait to put that bike to good use!), after having been on the wait list for several weeks. I know I'll have just the two weeks to get it back because that list is long. so I dove right in, putting aside The Joy Luck Club (which I am loving) since I don't have to return that one. This sucker is 771 pages long and I'm already swept in around about page 120. (I was in way before that, though).
We have planted some of our seeds already, we do a lot in raised beds and pots.
ReplyDeleteI always feel like this time of year sneaks up on me, much like the changing of leaves in fall. most of ours will go into raised beds as well once there are big enough and the frosts have passed.
DeleteMy seeds will be in the ground soon and I am so ready.
ReplyDeleteI love that your little miss eats violets, me too.
I would love to hear what you think of The Goldfinch when you are finished reading it. Have you read The Secret History? It's another Donna Tartt that is worth reading.
yay! you are on the coast, right? I bet you've got good sandy, loamy soil to work with. she adores the violets (though she did just tell me she does NOT want to call her scarf that anymore- the fickle four year old) I'm really, really enjoying it and trying not to let my mind wander around the reviews I've heard about people feeling left cold at the end...... I'll definitely share what I think of it. this is the first of her books that I've read.
DeleteThat book is on my want to read list, love bagels and now I'm gonna go out and buy some, because of you! Have a great weekend :)
ReplyDeletemmmmmm bagels. they just don't do them quite as well down here, so we're always thrilled when people show up with a big brown bag full of them. you too, karen!
DeleteMy seeds are ordered and I'll likely start them next week. I can't believe it's time for that already! We're still very much under a good blanket of snow here.
ReplyDeletesuch a refreshing time of year~ I didn't order any this year as I placed a large order last year. I get ours mostly from Fedco and a local company called Sow True Seeds. I still need to pick up some broccoli rabe and strawflower seeds. Our snow melted in a few days and we're left now with just little piles of it hiding in the shady spots.
Deletelove love love. you are so neat and tidy with your little seed plantings. I have toilet paper rolls all over. ; ) But my seedlings are sprouting! Of course, I just did a little of this and a little of that and didn't mark them. Whoops.
ReplyDeleteit is one of the areas that I am able to keep organized (unlike the piles of clothes and papers taking over the horizontal surfaces of our home) and it gives me a silly (and false, of course) sense of being somewhat in control of my surroundings- seeing them all labeled and tidy like that. I love the toilet paper rolls for seedlings. or egg cartons... we also sometimes use our soil blocker and then you don't even need a container. but we've got these (falling apart, really) seed trays that I'll use until they truly bite it. I've seen the pictures of them sprouting! SUCH exciting stuff, seed starting. few things give me the same sense of accomplishment and happiness as does getting the seeds going and the garden planned. even though the accomplishment isn't really mine, but the soil, sun, water, and seed's.
Deletesweetness! now, that's some good hands-on education for the school room!! we've been sprinkling seeds in the yard. We've got stray sunflowers from last year poking up in all sorts of places but mostly near the mulch pit (hooray)!
ReplyDeleteI read about your little pocket sized prairie- I love that!
DeleteI want to plant lots of sunflowers this year. and strawflowers- I want to try those, too.
xo
oh... spring prep work.... your getting me all excited :) i'd love to hear what you think about the goldfinch... i have been tossing around the idea of reading it as well... but i haven't read the snow child.... and with all of your love for it... i think that is next on my list :)
ReplyDeleteit's an exciting time! well now I'm about 300 pages in and still really, really liking it. I'll let you know.
Deleteoh gosh- that book. LOVE it. (you know this)
;)