O Christmas Tree

We put up our Christmas tree a few weekends ago. Arabella had a lot of fun decorating the tree. She is so surprised when she finds another beautiful ornament in the box and loves to hang them on the tree. She is pretty gentle, I think we only lost one this year! Our tree is on the smaller side this year, but I still think it looks beautiful. Arabella loves to have the lights on and I enjoy sitting next to the tree in the evening with just the lights on and I can smell the pine. As much as the needles that fall can sometimes make a mess, there is nothing like a real tree for Christmas!

Welcome Back Spring

Today the weather is beautiful! But I am stuck inside catching up on some school work. I do however have my office window open so I can get some fresh air and hear the birds chirping. It is such a welcome change! Before we left Boston last week, my brother gave me a few magazines to read in the car that my grandmother had sent to him. It is called Birds & Blooms, much different than the fashion, parenting, health and dare I say, gossip magazines that I read. It was nice to read something different and it gave me some great ideas for things to do in the yard and to plant with Arabella when the weather warms up more. One thing that stuck me was a poem that was written by Barbara Stanley of Blairsville, Georgia and was published on the back cover of the February/March 2011 issue. It is a beautiful poem and so inspirational for this time of year. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Awakening

Crocus ladies awake to sing,

"Get up, get up, it's time for spring."

The daffodils have just begun to feel the early warmth of sun.

The robin arrives to hunt the worm,

Scratching around on yonder berm,

While redbirds fly and look for twigs,

A nest to build in the tree of figs.

"Awake, awake," the early blooms sing to all the sleeping signs of spring.

"Get out of bed now and grow anew; let colors burst and leaves renew."

In Like A Lion

The old saying that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb has been true around here. We have had a melange of weather lately - last week there was snow, some sun but cold and windy, some more snow flurries, then a very rainy and raw Saturday which turned into a icy and snowy Sunday and now it is a very, very snowy and windy Monday!

Yesterday, Arabella, Jay and Auntie Lori ventured out to enjoy the snow while I had some time at home to catch up on a few things and start some of my school work. It was nice to have a silent house and I was very productive while they were out playing. They had fun playing and exploring at the park!






The snow ended Sunday afternoon and just when we thought we would see the sun, we woke up to this:


and it is still snowing. Once again our front steps has disappeared and are no where in sight and I love how Arabella's snowman that she made weeks ago is still standing and now looks like a ghost!


As much as I want the snow to melt and Spring to snow her sunny face, we still have 13 more days of Winter so I am sure Mother Nature is going to make sure we get our fill!