Sunday 9 January 2011

A Flash of Spring



19 Days into Winter and hey, today a Flash of Spring. Hooray.

I've just tidied my garden after the snow and the ice. Leaves from the park mulched the new plantings very well. I had feared that the old hydrangea in deep shade by the garage was a goner. I've been loathe to go near it until today...

You see, I kind of bonded with that hydrangea when I moved in here almost two years ago. It was a cheery and spirited little fellow I thought, with only one flower-head - struggling in poor soil - I top dressed it, staked it, watered it often, chatted to it... As you do... And it took off tremendously. Lush dark leaves and a bloom on every stem.

After the snow I looked at it and it looked at me. Curtains I sniffed. But no! Today up close and personal I see a mass of fat buds on every stem. Nature triumphs.

Soon it'll probably snow once more! But - a day like today will keep me going for some time yet.

I'm resting up till I start working again. Enjoying being a home parent for the kids. Redecorating and taking time to let this last year settle and a New Year begin. I miss Rob constantly. That won't change. But my sense of purpose already has. Life is right here, right now...


Also, on a less serious note. My feet have shrunk. In all respects. I can only put this down to my continued accelerated ageing. To, shiver, what the dentist calls - bone loss - ulp. It became apparent when wearing Christmas present socks (thanks Mum!) - and I looked at these new thin flippers on the end of my normal-sized legs and thought - hello, what happened here? Whose feet are those?...
It's Nature again I guess :-)

20 comments:

Maggie May said...

I love your pictures, especially the squirrel.

I'm sure that hydrangea will make it. It sounds quite a fighter.

Never heard of feet shrinking. I'm a lot older than you and no way are my plates of meat getting any smaller!

Hoping this year will be kinder to you. I think you have the right attitude to getting on with life. That seems to work for me too.

Thanks for the useful comment on my blog! I have walked a lot this weekend.
Maggie X

Nuts in May

Electro-Kevin said...

Great !

Happy New Year if I haven't said so already.

merry weather said...

Hi Maggie :-)

Well that's good news about the feet thing... It dawns on me that I probably really do need to go to Specsavers - it could be an optical illusion! I dunno.

I'm glad things are well for you. Really glad!
Kate X

Sandi McBride said...

I'm so happy about your Hydrangea sweetie! I know how you can get close to a plant, lol. With me it's my Gardenia. I was afraid it would never grow and someone told me to drive a piece of ribar down beside it because it might lack iron. What do you know, it loved it!!! We've just had over 10 inches of snow which would be well and good but we don't normally get much snow! Right now, we're a sheet of ice, lol...don't know if it will work but for pics and news of this event go to http://www.wsoctv.com/index.html

which is our Charlotte North Carolina station!

I'll bet your feet have never looked better, now you go buy yourself sone nice sandals or strappy heels to show them off! Think about you lots, wish we were nearer!
hugs
Sandi

Ellee Seymour said...

I need to do the same work in my garden too, a much enjoyed haven away from the computer and anything electronic.

Mean Mom said...

I'm so sorry about Rob and everything that you have been/are going through. Such a tragic loss.

I hope that things continue to improve for you and your family.

It seemed every so slightly spring like to me, today, as I walked back from the shops. It's definitely a bit warmer. I don't usually enjoy January, but I do feel that the one good thing about it is that some things begin to flower. It's a small reminder of better things to come.

Enjoy your hydrangea in the summer!

I hope you remember me. It's been a long time! I wish you all the best.

UBERMOUTH said...

What an uplifting post, Kate. You're a tonic, you are!

My Mum used to feed the wisteria tree tomato feed and that thing was like Popeye after his spinach.

I am missing the UK awfully. Enjoy the spring like weather for me too. :)

merry weather said...

Same to you E-K :-)

merry weather said...

I looked Sandi, it worked fine. Sheets of ice. Yikes. I'm thinking of you going out on your birthday stroll and guessing you must have had good boots on. Me, I fall over on ice, in the blink of an eye!

Big hug!

merry weather said...

I know Ellee, there's nothing quite so revitalising!

merry weather said...

Hello MM - lovely to see you again! I looked at your blog a few times but you were resting.
Hope all's well?

How could I forget your cyber parties? Unforgettable...

Best wishes and coming over soon...

(Will there be cakes?) X

merry weather said...

I will be the tonic to your gin dear Uber. Oh, or something like that!

I love Wisteria. I had to restrain myself from buying one in the nursery sale. Fragrance, abundance, beauty - but where would I put it? :-)

Are you coming back to blighty? Hope so. X

UBERMOUTH said...

I will be returning soon. And hope to see you when I do xo.

Buy the Wisteria-you'll find a place for it. :)

merry weather said...

Uber - Ah! Good. I will.

It's a deal :-)

X

UBERMOUTH said...

* knock,knock

** peers in window


Kate,Kate, where are you?????

merry weather said...

*Brushes sleep out of eyes, assumes wide-awake face, reads calling-card, grins, dons hat, sets out...*

Mean Mom said...

Thanks so much for your comment at mine. I don't tune in much these days, as you've probably guessed. I'm so glad that you haven't forgotten me. I had some real fun during our days of more frequent blogging and I am sad that so many of my favourite bloggers have given up. I hope that you are in good spirits, or as good as possible in the circumstances, anyway. I became a grandmother last Thursday. It calls for a post really, doesn't it? ;0)

merry weather said...

Ah, congratulations MM! What wonderful news.

Yes, I agree, a post (if not one of your legendary cyberparties.. sigh) is certainly in order.

It is a shame when buddies give up, but they might come back one day - I come and go all the time! - Blogging for me is about a) friends and b) making a permanent record of my days - important somehow. Please write a post...

Penny Pincher said...

What a surpise to find a blog post - popped in to email don't want to open up email prog as I can't sleep and don't want to be woken up even more by 100s of messages.
Have reduced Twitter account to private access only not sure how it works from your end you may have to requestaccess. Funny things happening with bots.So feel safer this way.

Glad about the hydrangea

merry weather said...

Your Twitter page works fine LT. I've seen your new profile and bluebell wood picture just now - joyful! Good for you.

I've cut my Twitter follows right down too, information overload! Breaking news seemed a good idea but after 75 tweets overnight - I just couldn't keep up - and I felt all "bothered" about the news too!

Hope you're OK... All will be well with your loved ones. It will. X