Happy Monday: Coming out of our cocoon!

Hello Everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. My daffodils are so vibrant and yellow just makes me smile every time I see it. With these warm temperatures arriving and our deck prepped, I feel like we are finally coming out of our winter cocoon! Spring is in the air or should I say summer is in the air over here. This past weekend we had great temps and tomorrow through the end of this week we are going to have seasonably high temps in the upper 70s, low 80s!! Since I knew this week would be warm, Leao and I took the time to clean out our garage and de-winterize our deck. It’s a three-season deck and in the winter we put a tarp on the sides to keep some of the blowing snow out and then we move all of the furniture and grill to the side and throw tarps over it.  So we spent all-day Saturday cleaning up the deck and re-installing all of the blinds.  I didn’t put the seat cushions out because I knew today would be rainy. But tomorrow, I will and will spend my work day on my deck. So from this point until early winter, I spend much of my time on our deck, working, reading, sleeping, eating and playing games with my family. So I am in such a happy mood because I look forward to being outside after a long and hard winter.

We hired our new landscaper to do a spring clean up and grass fertilization for our property and I have to say that it was truly money well spent. This time a year, I usually clean up the yard in phases. I do one side at a time and I have to say, I have never seen it this tidy when I have done it in the past. But my back is definitely so grateful that we hired help.  So now I can start planning my garden. I don’t think I am going to do any seeds in the house this year, I will direct sow some but will only work with plants for the rest of my garden. So the fun begins!! No planting yet, just planning as a “New Englander” I know you can’t quite rely on the sudden heat. We could have a frost any moment so I err on the side of caution and patiently wait to begin planting.

A major milestone occurred this weekend, Apollo surprised me and rode his bike for the first time on Saturday. Each year, I tried to encourage my boys to learn to ride and they try and then quickly lose interest after a fall. But on Saturday, when Apollo saw his bike in the garage while I was cleaning something just clicked for him. Then he sat on it and found his helmet (which surprisingly fit!) and said he would like to ride it. So as Leao and I were moving stuff out to toss in the trash, he zoomed by us on his bike. A little wobbly but all on his own. Wow! the moment you always dream about right before our eyes. It never gets old. Since I am one for not forcing them to do things that they express that they don’t want, there are some things they can not do just yet and bike riding is one. So this turn of events produced the biggest joy in my heart.  Leao took his bike to our rear driveway (where we don’t have to worry about cars) and let him try again and he did it! I am so happy for him because I remember how I felt when I learned to ride my bike. It was that new independence that came with it that made it so sweet. So bike trails are in our future. Yay! Well, I am off for now.

Have a blessed day!

Belinda

Fun Photos Friday #21: Outdoor Reading

Hello, happy Friday!

I think every year we welcome spring with open arms. The winters seem to be becoming more brutal and down right freezing.  So it makes the yearning for spring strong.  We have as you may have seen in older posts, a screened in deck.  During the winter we move things to our garage and throw a tarp over the table and chairs.  When we think it’s time, we will clean off everything and out will come all my pillows and decor and that becomes our sanctuary.

funphotofriday23

While it is still not quite warm enough, there is still another little place that is one of my favorite reading nooks that I can enjoy even before we can pull out the deck stuff. It’s on the stairs on the side that leads up to the deck.  It always gets really sunny and warm here. So on decent days recently I have come to spend my lunch hour reading and eating there.  Yesterday two beautiful Crocuses greeted me while I sat to read.  They are the first bloomers in my yard and they are sure sign of the warmth to come. Wahoo!!

I thought my book would look nice next to the flowers for the photo and help represent one of my favorite things to do – reading in nature. I am listening to one book club book on audio and reading a book from the library for another book club.  This one is an African American Historical fiction.  I will be sure to put a review up when I complete both.

Well I hope you all get to find some time with nature even a few minutes. After this long winter, I welcome every opportunity.

Have a blessed weekend!

Belinda

Spring – New Year’s for Nature

Don't you just love bulbs? Work once and years of beauty

Don’t you just love bulbs? Work once and years of beauty

Spring is such a special time of year. It’s like New Year’s for nature. What do I mean by that you say? Well it’s the time all the perennials get another opportunity to grow and bloom.  So as soon as I can, I walk around like the garden detective and look for signs of growth.

 

My mini deck garden is coming along nicely.

My mini deck garden is coming along nicely.

I hold my breath when I go to locations where some of my prized plants are to come like my peonies.  I start to envision what I want for the upcoming season. What colors speak to me this year, what new plants I want to try.

Cute finches happy that I put some food out for them.

Cute finches happy that I put some food out for them.

Watching the birds and the bees at work in my yard is always a fun thing and I am trying to expose the boys to these joys in hopes that they will have a spring ritual with nature when they have a home of their own. Whether it be to tend a garden or simply to observe the wildlife in their space.  It’s all very magical to witness.

The sound of birds singing in our yard is so sweet and the two times a day we hear the Canadian geese heading to the lake and then heading home is also a favorite time for me.  They have their own commuting schedule – to the lake in the morning and home in the afternoon.

I am late to plan my veggie garden but choosing to ease up this year and not fuss as much so that I can enjoy it more.  So I will head to the garden center to purchase some veggies later this week.

I hope you are having a nice spring and taking time to notice the little things in nature that really add beauty to our lives.

Have a blessed day!

Belinda

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