Janet's Blog

Here it is, the middle of February already. Most years, I would be gritting my teeth and wishing for this month to end, because March should certainly bring some signs of spring. At least, I could hope. But this year is different. This year, I haven't been longing for winter's end because it feels like winter has hardly begun. Except for a couple of weeks--one in December, and the other in January--we've had no snow and no sub-freezing daily high temperatures. We've had more cloudy days than usual, and some horrific windy days that we could all do without, but most days have boasted highs in the fifties or sixties. It's been so warm that the squirrels have been skittering around outside for weeks, scurrying across the street in front of my car and scrambling up and down trees and fences. Instead of hibernating, it seems like they've been taking cat naps this year. The weather has been so mild that Millie's puppies have been able to play and poop outside near...

  It's tulip time! It's arguably my favorite time of year, when the weather starts to warm up--at least sometimes. The grass turns green and the spring flowers begin to show off their magical colors and alluring aromas. The birds are beginning to sing again. Finally, after months of freezing temperatures and monochrome landscapes, God is showing us again, right on schedule, that he has the power to awaken the slumbering earth and bring forth new life.  I remember the first time I ever noticed the tulips on the farm, when I was about three years old. Mom had planted spring bulbs along the house yard fence. When the flowers began to bloom, she made sure I knew their names. I loved the yellow daffodils, which were the first to bloom, but the red and yellow tulips were absolutely gorgeous! That particular combination of tulips is still my favorite.   I've had some tulips in my front flower bed, right next to the house, for many years. They usually bloom beautifully, although ...

Monday afternoon, as I walked into the house from the garage, Levi met me at the door. "I have a late Mother's Day present for you," he said. I wondered if he had brought me something he had baked at school in his Foods class. I didn't have to wonder for long. I followed him into the kitchen, where he pointed to the flowers on the table. He had picked two flowering crabapple sprigs from the trees that surround his school, just a short block from our house, and had carefully placed them in a small vase of water. Levi has always had a knack for picking just the right gift for each person. He is invariably thoughtful, and careful to choose something that he knows his intended recipient will appreciate. As we were riding in the car last week, I had pointed out the gorgeous crabapple trees lining the street, and I commented that my dad had often scouted out the abandoned farmsteads surrounding the town, so he could bring armloads of crabapple and lilac branches for my mom ...