And, no, I didn’t go outside to take that picture. I took it right through the window, screen and all, from my cozy perch in the scrapbook room on the second floor. Outside looks rather uninviting to me!

So I stay indoors, enjoy my homemade toasted roll topped with last year’s summer berries and my freshly ground coffee and wait for spring.

Because I know it’s out there. Somewhere. And I can wait.

~~Rhonda

The first crocus last year was found in our yard on March 3. You can’t imagine how we scour the yard for these little guys…the first one up is a reason to celebrate!

This picture was taken March 10 of last year. Looks so good…

Ditto, March 10.

And again, March 10.

March 10…

March 16.

I love March.

I want to smell daffodils.

And look for tiny blue flowers in the lawn.

And stand under a sky filled with apricot blossoms.

It’s good to know March is out there, under the grays and the browns, waiting for the perfect day to show itself. All in God’s good timing, right? I’m trying to be patient. But it’s hard.

~~Rhonda

DD measured one cup of heavy whipping cream.

We whipped it until it held soft peaks, adding two teaspoons of vanilla and 1/4 cup of powdered sugar.

The blue bowl holds one gallon of snow, and we used all of it for this recipe (a lot more than the recipe called for). The snow was folded into the whipped cream, a large spoonful or two at a time.

Almost done…

Ice cream!

Now, doesn’t that look good?

And even better with chocolate…

Then I added coffee crystals to my bowl…instant frozen mocha latte (my favorite Dairy Queen treat)!

We don’t get enough snow at one time every winter to make snow ice cream, so seized our opportunity. It was fun to make and was a great end-of-the-snowy-day treat.

~~Rhonda

This AM she went sledding with her dad. Then he pulled her behind his bike on her sled. And we have the obligatory snow angels around the yard, as well.

The cold temps are supposed to last for a few days, so this stuff isn’t going anywhere for a while.

But do you know what’s hiding under all that stuff? I promise…it’s there…waiting for late February or early March…

~~Rhonda ::trying to wait patiently::

A year ago today.

Many stores have these bulbs on clearance right now, as they had been stocked for the holidays. Check them out. Open the box before you buy. If the stalk is long and curled, pass it up. It may not mature properly. Check the bulb. If it is mushy or smells rotten, pass it by. It’s fine if the stalk has started to push its way out of the bulb. And it may be white rather than green depending on how much light has been available. Don’t let that concern you. It will green up just fine once it is planted.

When we pot amaryllis, we discard the light-weight plastic pots most come with and replace it them with heavy ceramic ones. The stalk will grow quite tall and it can become top heavy when the flowers bloom. A heavier pot will keep the entire thing from falling over. Plant the bulb in the medium included with the bulb. Leave the top third of the bulb above the dirt. Water and wait. You will be well rewarded!

A year ago today…we were preparing for Melissa’s wedding.

~~Rhonda

We got home in time for winter. On the thirteenth…sleet. DH and DD had a ball.

Four days ago, I was glad to see the sun shining and the daffs coming up.

Now we’re shivering under sleet.

And expecting 1-3 inches more tomorrow.

That means postponing our trip to NC to visit the grandbabies. ::sigh::

~~Rhonda

They did this for a while, then came home to get me to come over to take pictures.

So much fun! I stayed in the car…

They had a great time! The conditions were perfect.

Coming into the driveway.

After this, I managed to get the car stuck on the sleet. DH had to dig it out. Now they are on their way to church to sled down the hill in the parking lot. I’m staying home.

~~Rhonda

Next to the forsythia is the last of our amaryllis blooms. They were at their best while we were in New Orleans last week. Eight huge red blooms. Only two left, but still beautiful.

What’s not to love?

Sweet spring.

My mother liked to force forsythia in late winter, and I’ve done the same. It’s a delight to see those bright canary yellow blossoms on a grey winter day!

It’s easy to force forsythia blooms. I looked at several sites with directions to see what they had to say. Most are overly complicated in my opinion. We cut the branches, put them in fresh tepid water, and wait, changing the water every four or five days. Voila! In 10-14 days, blooms!

You can’t be sure if the branches you cut will produce flowers or just green leaves, but the spring green is as welcome as the yellow. I hope you’ll give it a try.

~~Rhonda

Last night, DD talked DH into going outside around 7:00 and DH pulled her all around the driveway and yard on the sled behind one of his bikes.

Doesn’t sound like a lot of fun to me, but they enjoyed it. Again, I stayed inside where it was warm and cozy… ~~Rhonda