Sounds of Spring

"Spring is the time of plans and projects." Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

Finally the cold days of winter seem to be a thing of the past.  I always love the first few days of spring with their sense of promise and renewal.  It makes me want to clean my house and my heart and start everything fresh.  It always makes my heart dance with joy.  This weekend was finally an early spring weekend.  We've been cold and icy for so long.  It felt wonderful to spend time outside to dig in the dirt and clean the yard.  (Yep it even felt good to be outside cleaning up after our big beastie dog.)

Spring is also the time I start dreaming of gardens and seeds.  This year our biggest project is going to be creating two butterfly garden areas.  D has a subscription to Ranger Rick and this month had an article about the Monarch Butterfly.  Did you know their population has decreased by 90% due to pollution and agricultural run off?  Neither did we - but now that we do - D ever my little crusader is set to save the monarchs one garden at a time.  Actually Ranger Rick has a pretty cool thing going on right now.  If you take a picture of your child or yourself or your family making the American Sign Language sign for butterfly and post it to the National Wildlife Federation website and pledge to plant a butterfly garden and not use harmful fertilizers and sprays, they will send you a butterfly hero kit complete with seeds to attract butterflies.  

 Just click on this link and you can read all about it and sign up to be Butterfly Heroes

My little crusader in front of our future butterfly garden

It was so nice out today we decided to have dinner on the front porch.  It was wonderful to be outside and see the neighbors shaking off winter and venturing outside.  Our goal this spring and summer is to meet more of the people on our block.  I have this ridiculously outdated dream of living in the kind of neighborhood where everybody knows everybody and lends a hand where needed.  The kind of place where the kids run amuck in sprinklers and racing their bikes down the sidewalk and you know their safe.  I've spent the winter thinking about how I wish our neighborhood was more like that and I've decided that I can sit around a wish all day.  It's not going to change unless someone takes the first step - so I'm jumping in.  Just haven't decided how yet.  

The love of my life enjoying his collard greens. (blegh! It must be love if I make him that, right?)