Choses J'adore

Choses J'adore sounds so much more refined and learned than the English translation... things I adore. Not to be sneaky about it -- I used an online translation tool for this! I do NOT have a gift for learning additional languages. In fact, as a youngster, I even boycotted Sesame Street when it went bilingual!!! Since then, I have set my language-snobbery ways aside, and have (through sheer force of the public school system) studied German and also (totally voluntarily, which makes ALL the difference) dabbled in Greek.

However, this just sounds so lovely, I could almost consider studying french ;).

Anyway. Choses J'adore.

This summer is the first in many many that I've actually paid any attention whatsoever to my gardens. Well, that's not entirely true either. Every year I have planted flowers and veggies. Every year I have enjoyed, to some degree, the fruits of both. However, due to the delightful absence of post-partum blues, a remarkably enjoyable lack of anxiety resulting from child-related doctor appointments, and time around the home (when I worked full time away from home - because now I work more than full time AT home ;) - our holidays were always spent traveling. Three weeks. On the road. With only a tent and a sunfire-sized trunk full of supplies. Ohhhhh the stories we could tell!!!) I'd say this is the first year I've actually truly enjoyed the work of gardening.

1. The first step was to purge the gimpy soaker hoses that were not at all doing a good job. What was meant to save time and energy, as well as conserve water, ended up to be a colossal waste of money. WOULD have been a colossal waste of money, however my financially super-smart husband saved all receipts and we were able to return the gimpy, useless hoses for a full refund. (Note to self: go to Canadian Tire website and make sure you write appropriately negative reviews for faulty products. Of which we have tried several. All of which. Gimpy.) I whipped out a sprinkler, and really, aside from running out every 30 minutes (which, let's face it, is good exercise and gets you outdoors, right :P?) is no extra work.
Choses J'adore list - add plenty of SUNSHINE, nicely watered gardens. And yes, exercise. Because THAT has not been a regular priority since Wee One's arrival last summer!!

2. The next step was to evaluate the rock-hard-baked ground that our gardens had become. A quick email fired off to my garden-loving friends revealed to quick, easy, and CHEAP solutions.
 - Peat moss. A whole brick. Used in one flower garden. I will do it again next year because the lovely soil is soooo worth it!!
 - Sheep poop. We do not fertilize with chemicals, typically (though we do use weed killer). And I'm working on composting, but ahem, my dedication to that lately has been about as faithful as exercise!!! But SHEEP POOP is cheap cheap cheap, easy to spread and oh my goodness. Abundance of greenness. Weeds included.
Choses J'adore list - add quick and easy gardening solutions that yield such noticeable results AND cheap sheep poop.


3. A few fun things that I've added - a $30 bistro set, which some day I will sit at, enjoy a cup of tea, while watching the kids play (now I'm busy keeping little hands from pulling things out of the garden, teaching young ones to stay away from the road, keeping gravel out of little mouths and actually weeding and tending the flowers themselves ;P); a few pots (Jon says I have to keep these pots ALIVE for at least one season before I can even CONTEMPLATE buying new, prettier pots :)...) and a wind chime that I can hear almost every day.
Choses J'adore list - add little things that make life fun - a great deal on a table set, flowers that were purchased on a family outing trip to a local greenhouse, most selected by moi, but some specifically and lovingly chosen by both Jon AND the kids, and the sound of music, whether it is a breeze, a tinkling wind chime, the crickets or a song.


Choses J'adore list - in pictures....

Thorns, Blooms and Grace

I was strolling through the gardens a few nights ago, and noticed something peculiar in my raspberry patch....

Now, as far as I know, lilies are not carried about by seeds.
Maybe they are, I don't know.
However, I do know that I have no idea how this lily bulb got transplanted smack in the middle of my prickly berry patch!

But there it was, blooming away as bright as could be.

And I thought about grace, and how even in life's prickly moments, full of thorns and weeds (you should see my raspberry patch, it has an abundant weed life!!), God's rich grace digs in deep and yields something so beautiful.
Even more breath-taking because of the pain surrounding it.

There have been seasons of life that I'd gladly have side-stepped - altogether uncomfortable and quite difficult. And yet, right in the middle of those pain-filled moments, God stepped in, and in His rich mercy, forged something even more wonderful than I could've imagined.

I am still tempted, sometimes, when I see the storm clouds gathering on life's horizon, to pray for an escape route from the coming storm. And yet, there is a knowing too, that the One who holds me is stronger than the winds that blow.

Rock of Ages, cleft for me
I will hide myself in Thee
Till the storms of life have passed...
And I'm safely home at last.
Rock of Ages, cleft for me
I will hide myself in Thee

Vitamin D therapy!

Ah. Finally. The rainy clouds have passed and the sun is out once again. In the words of Little M, spoken as we were leaving for school this morning, able to enjoy a gorgeous walk in the spring air, "Mom, I just LOVE spring days like this."

Me too, honey. Me too.

We've spent much of the past few days outdoors. Some playing. Some working. My flower beds were a sore sight after some a lot of neglect last summer :). But as I dug out the weeds, and rediscovered the hidden gems beneath, I decluttered heart and soul and mind in the process.

Even as I drifted off to sleep, I saw pictures of discarded weeds dancing behind my eyelids. Ah. Satisfaction!

In between tending to this, that and the other thing for the little ones dashing here and there, slowly clarity comes, in both the garden and heart. Things that can seem so complicated can become quite simple. Not always easy, but simple. It was sheer joy to head outdoors last night after the little ones were squeaky clean and tucked under the covers. Ipod in hand, there was space to dig, pray, yank, sing, think. AND THERE WERE NO BUGS!!!

As I absorbed the last of the sun for the day, I was thankful for the new life starting to grow. To enjoy the blooms already showing and to rejoice over the return of my rose bush and hydrangea. For the chance to dig out the weeds and start again. 

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, 
   for his compassions never fail. 
They are new every morning; 
   great is your faithfulness. 

Lamentations 3:22-23

Welcome Our Newest Addition!

No, we haven't quickly gone off and had another baby.

I am fairly confident that we are finished with that season of life.

So confident I am stating it publicly.

We are not going to run off and have another baby.

There. 

Got that off my chest.

Anyway.

Prior to leaving for Florida (and by prior I mean the day before leaving as we are madly scrambling to pack and sort and pack some more) our fish of many years (five, I think) just up and died.

Just like that. Belly up.

This fish had been a part of our family for a long time - and had probably been the most affected "family member" as we started having babies. The babies take first priority. Then the dog. Then what? We have a fish? It still needs clean water and food?

Yes, he was a bit neglected.

I had to clean his (his? her? how can one really tell!?) tank prior to leaving. I had made "fish sitting" arrangements with my sister. Everything was lined up to go. Suddenly I hear HOWLING coming from the kitchen area. Folks, it is the end of the day. I was tired a long LONG time ago. In typical sensitive Leah fashion I holler out - OH FOR GOODNESS SAKE WHAT IS IT NOW!?!?

The fish. Is dead. Like Little M finding it floating on the top of the water dead. (It was in a container on the counter while I cleaned the tank.)

Oh. Sorry 'bout that. So we have a little conversation about life and death and the finite nature of it all. Which is exactly what you want to be talking about right before bed time. Right :P? Little M recovered pretty quickly and soon we had a conversation about the excitement of picking out NEW FISH for our aquarium.

Here it is: my cute little bubble gum aquarium:

What you cannot see are the three teeny tiny neon tetras we purchased for this NON HEATED tank. They warned us, oh yes they did, that the fish might not live long without heated water. But they were so pretty we went with them rather than your average orange comet fish. Truthfully, I love having fish and I had many when I was a teenager. In a non heated tank (this non heated tank, actually!) and I do not recall having to flush them away very often! Well, these fish never really ... adapted ... that well, and one night all three of them up and died. Just like that. Belly up.

So, we ended up having ANOTHER conversation about life and death. But Little M had been forewarned. Presently the tank is clean, but empty. And waiting for some hardier comet fish. To continue buying lovely little neon tetras every week would be costly (and rather unkind to the fish, too!).

SO. We're moving on to plant life.
Somewhere around Little M's first birthday I chucked all my indoor plants. They were straggly, ugly; very ugly. I couldn't stand them any more. Adjusting to life with children,  I neglected plants and fish.

But now I'm turning over a new leaf (pardon the pun) and am ready to try again!

TADA. A new hibiscus plant. It's in a sunny spot and I've been told it likes frequent waterings (that could be an issue!).
I am hoping that it will thrive.
I hope I've learned something in these last five parenting years - nurturing is an important skill.
Practice often.

And just this week I ordered seeds for my garden. Spring is on the horizon (or so I'm told by the farmers almanac) and I can't wait to dig in and get started. This year I'll have an extra helper (but it might be much easier than trying to garden while 8 3/4 months pregnant. That was an adventure.) but I am sure she'll be out of morning naps by then and we'll have mornings outside together.

Nothing fancy grows in my garden. And I'm trying to develop the maturity that tackles HARVEST with the same zest and enthusiasm as PLANTING (why do I run out of steam when all that preserving work needs to be done :P?). But that is another post for a different day!

I swore to myself I wouldn't, but I caved :)....

I said I wouldn't.

How could I, with a baby on the way and all :)?

After all, planting season will coincide with due date, and let's just face it, gardening at 9 months pregnant is less fun than weeding for 10 hours straight!!! Not to mention that it might bring on labor, which I'm hoping will be a slower-and-steadier experience than the last sprint!!!

But I was looking for something mindless to read, and my latest seed catalogue was lying there, just begging to be read!!!

And now, instead of visions of sugar-plums dancing in my head, I have big dreams of fresh veggies, sweet fruits and big blooms. Sigh. 

I even caved in and made a "seed wish list." I haven't ordered anything yet. Yet. But I know I will. What's summer without a garden!?!

Allow me to clarify :) - I am not a hard-core gardener. I'm not detailed, nor a perfectionist, and I prefer to live by the philosophy of live-and-let-live, meaning that once it's been planted and somewhat established, I don't tend to do a lot of fussing. :). This also applies to weeds, which can get pretty big, but they add color, don't they :)? Ever since Jon lovingly installed a network of soaker hoses, and I have not had the burden joy of lugging around a sprinkler that never put water in the right place (usually all over me or my freshly cleaned windows, leaving them all spotty and gross!!), our plants have gotten significantly more moisture than usual :). And last year, since the sun rarely actually shone, it wasn't really a concern!

But I enjoy the dreaming. I LOVE looking at all the pictures, figuring out what to order, drawing up a little "plan" and seeing where it'll go. I love stickin' things here and there and wonderin' what'll happen next. I'm slowly starting to figure out what I like, what I don't, what works, what doesn't. And it's fun. And it's an excuse to get outside. And it's fun to show the kids. And hey, loads of fresh veggies that are just off the deck are well worth it!!

And these days, with my perennials and my little garden pots under 7 feet of snow, it's easy to wonder if it'll ever come. But it will. And when it does :), somehow or other I guess I'm getting out there and sticking a few seeds in the ground!!

Of course, I could be entirely sleep-deprived by the time that will come, and plant everything in all the wrong spots, and it could be quite the conversation piece :)!! Guess we'll have to wait and see!

YUM MMMEEEE!

Ever since I was a kid, RASPBERRIES have been one of my ultimate, all-time, can't-beat-it summertime favorite treats. Better than ice cream, chocolate and maybe even peanut butter all rolled into one. (Ties with air-popped popcorn, though!! Let's not get carried away here :)! )

So, it was NO SURPRISE when J & I settled into our first home that I transplanted some of these lovely wonders to the west side of our home, where there was a stretch of turf just ready and waiting to be tilled up and used wisely :).

It's taken a few years, but they've really established well. This year we are enjoying an ABUNDANT HARVEST of these yummy-lish-ious treats :). The whole family gets into it too. After supper, we grab a plastic container, and we all truck out to the raspberry patch to see how many we can sneak off the bush before they actually make it to the container! Even the family pooch mooches the low ones off the bush for his own little snack.

Some of my favorite raspberry-enhanced memories - watching Little M take charge of the raspberry picking extravaganza; picking raspberries with Little M in the rain; sun-warmed berries; going back there ALL BY MYSELF and feeling like I'm indulging in some sneaky guilty pleasure - stealing both a quiet moment and some coveted berries for myself!!

However, be warned. Too much of a good thing is NOT a good thing!!! (Ohhhh the tummy aches :)!!!)

Caution: Gardening with Kids!

   

   

Kids should come with a warning label.

Such as - warning - we will say all sorts  of interesting things at all sorts of times. Loud enough for the neighbors to hear. In church. During prayer time. We will also repeat all sorts of things out of context. 

Since they don't come with the label attached, I've decided to try to remain... flexible.

Wednesday was a glorious sunshiney morning around here. The birds were singing. The breeze was just a breeze and not a prairie gale-force wind. All was well with the world. Insert song: Louis Armstrong's What A Wonderful World.

A kind friend had borrowed me her tiller and the girls and I had all sorts of fun prepping the garden for our veggies. 

And then, as I am yanking a few large weeds from the garden bed and tossing them aside I hear THIS from across the back yard...

Little M says (with a great amount of concern AND authority)...

Mommy. Your b.u.m. is bigger than the tiller!!

Well. 

Sigh.

Stop the music. Stop the birds.

Such is gardening with kids!

I swear they're gonna give me a complex yet!!!

O You, Mighty Little Earthworm!

With all the squeals of delight around here, you'd think it's Christmas ... or Birthday ... or someone bringing loads of candy. Or something.

Nope. Around here, all this excitement comes from the discovery of the ever-lovely EARTH WORM.

Ewww. Is all I can say.

I've been asked all sorts of questions about these squirmy little creations. Like...

Do earth worms have teeth?

What do earth worms eat?

Where do they live?

Why are they all brown and crunchy on our garage floor?

Uh. Biology and dissection seems like a reallllly long time ago (which is a good thing, I am thinking!) so here I am, online, seeking out real answers for my 3-year-old who not only asks good questions, but also has a fabulous memory (and I am motivated by the shudder of the thought of misinforming her, and then her sharing that misinformation with a classroom of kids 5-6 years down the line, and then all of them laughing hysterically over her less-than-educated mother!).

IN FACT, earth worms don't have teeth. Which is a GOOD THING TO KNOW if you are picking up an earth worm with your bare hands (which I d.o.  n.o.t.). It munches its food by sucking it in like a vacuum cleaner (great, so I may not get bit, but I might get a little hickey mark on my hand!).

What does it eat? Wellll, these are efficient little critters, eating - well, pretty much anything they can suck in! Not just dirt (which I told Little M), but garbage, poop and the like. Tasty. They eat pretty much non-stop too. Lovely.

Earth worms live in dirt (mostly!). They are found all over the world, and in a variety of habitats (soil, obviously, but also logs and bogs).

As for death and the cause of the dry crunchy worm, we've saved those conversations for another day, and I just say that the worm ran out of water so he's pretty dried up.

Also good to note (for when you realllly want to impress your youngsters!!) 

 - Earth worms have no lungs. They absorb oxygen through their system.

 - Earth worms produce their very own antifreeze. They curl up in a knot, produce their own antifreeze and voila! They sleep through winter!

 - They can make enough poop in one day to be the equivalent of their body weight!

 - Don't even get into the reproductive conversation. It's a little ... ewww. 

There you have it. Another example of  God's might fine creation at work. Fascinating, providing hours of endless entertainment, and something I don't dare touch without gloves. Or a lonnnnnng stick.

Thanks to Worm Watch for the abundant source of information!!

So excited!

Well, this morning I began the annual chore of scraping rocks off the lawn :). While it's not the most delightful springtime activity, it reminded me of the gardening possibilities to come!

This year one of my goals (other than making sure I water the plants properly, which I have an issue with :)...) is to plant proper flower baskets. So, imagine my excitement when I found a "recipe" for a cute deck planter...

Earthy reds

Container: Brown metal with flared top, embossed with acanthus leaves
Dimensions: 45 x 18 cm, 15 cm deep
Plants: 3 ‘Wizard Pastel' coleus, 2 red Million Bells (Calibrachoa), 1 leatherleaf sedge (Carex buchananii)
Notes: Sun to part shade. Calibrachoa was trimmed back every few weeks to let the box show through. Best in front of a light-coloured wall or window for contrast.

I've even bought the "ingredients" for it through a school fundraiser. Except, of course, true to form :), I've decided to swap the million bells for dalias and the sedge for an pansies, I think. So, it's kinda like this, but might not look anything like it at all. 

Sigh. No wonder my gardening is such an ... adventure :).

I'll let you know how it goes!

Let the games begin!

Half (or maybe more than half, I have not yet decided!) of the fun of gardening for me is the dreaming. Hmmm. That is the part that involves no cost, no labor, no sweat - but can consume hours of imaginative time! Right about now, I switch from surfing Christmas craft websites (and book-marking all those fun projects that I'll never get around to!) and start hunting through a few garden favorites. Most ideas will remain dreams (unless a free landscaper comes my way!), but you never know which ones will take root and manifest themselves in some small (or large!) way with your own personal flair.

Here are a few gems....
 - Who could resist the ever-popular Better Homes & Gardens! I have so many ideas stored up in my folder that I wouldn't know where to start! And, really, some of this wouldn't even apply to my zone 3 turf! But it doesn't hurt to browse .
 - I subscribed to the Canadian Gardening magazine for a few years. Chock-full of fun, color, ideas, tips, etc. A pleasant read!
 - My 8x16 vegetable plot, and my few flower beds, make it more important to think of small-scale gardening. I've read a few good books or browsed a few websites that provided some helpful tips: wildaboutgardening.org or gardeninglife.ca

Happy dreaming!

I've decided to call her Katie

I've never been a huge fan of garden ... "additives." Gnomes, trolls, flamingos, dried out "sculptures" - they just really didn't do anything for me.

But this year, in early anticipation of the upcoming gardening year, I purchased a lovely little garden angel. She's a beauty alright. 

I've decided to call her Katie to keep my gardening connected with my family roots. My dear Grandmother, who cared for us kids on many a farming day, was affectionately known as Katie. My mom's mom, who delights us still with her painting, funky stories and sense of humor, goes by the full name Katherine. My self and my own daughter also bear this name. And so, to me it is fitting.

Katie she is and Katie she will be :).

ps - that is the picture from the box she still lives in. We have not have a recent bout of warm weather that would leave us with grass or pretty flowers. That fun is still to come!

Why do you garden?

Why Do You Garden?

Really, why does one feel the need to dig in the dirt, spend endless hours weeding, watch things wither without a clue as to why...

Honestly, I garden from a bag of mixed motives! I'd like to say it's all about nurturing and appreciation for nature, but - alas - my intentions are not quite that simple!

1) I garden because it brings me back to my roots. My Grandma Katherine has been known to win awards for her yard. She had glorious tomatoes, apple trees and lovely flowers (pre-condo days ). My Grandma Katie (who died when I was in grade 5, and I still miss her!) grew flowers like you wouldn't believe (us kids used to pretend that her gardens were Buchart Gardens from Vancouver Island!) and canned like she was still feeding a family of five. My mother has diligently hauled gallons and gallons of water - by wagon - to the end of their acreage, just to make sure the blooms in their rock garden were getting what they needed. When J and I married, I received a family of gardeners as well. His parents both love the great outdoors, and spend endless hours shaping, tending and adding color to our world.

2) I garden because I love to plan. Plain and simple. I love to order seeds. Get everything organized, lined up, plans drawn (and folks, my vegetable garden is only 8'x16'!!), books read, and so on. I love to bring out my little garden map (of course I NEVER measure anything out, though, so details are not a strong point!) and plant everything in its proper place. Not necessarily properly spaced, by somehow, we get by .

3) I garden because I enjoy saying "this year, in my garden...".  

4) I garden because I enjoy looking out my bedroom window and seeing my leafy green vegetable garden. I find it inspiring.

5) I garden because I feel proud when I get to scrape dirt from under my nails, my tan-lines are a little more earned, I get down on my hands and knees and dig dig dig. There is a huge sense of satisfaction in well-tilled soil.

5) I garden because it reminds me that growth is a process, that it is affected by seasons, that God is a Master Creator, and thateven the smallest efforts can come alive.

I am not a great designer, so flower beds are constantly under renovation! I am not a diligent waterer or weeder (though I start off well and J has kindly installed soaker hoses in the majority of our beds, so I am getting better!). I get overwhelmed and neglectful, but somehow, it's still worth it. Every year I wade through the same process. And every year I wonder why on earth I do this. And every fall, as I pile things into the compost bins or burn the dry stuff, or carry in the last load of treats, I am grateful for the opportunity.

Thinking outside the box

Hmmm. Not sure why, exactly - but every so often something strikes me, and I think - now why didn't I try THIS before!?

There is nothing profound that will follow, I can assure you - but this winter I started asking myself Why have I never tried growing YELLOW beans instead of the standard GREEN? 

See, I told you it wasn't profound!

Well, maybe it is, at some level. Because I tend to do things because they've always been done that way. Change isn't avoided, just - well, feels weird. So, instead of trying to grow some un-native-to-my-prairie-soil plant, whose seed has to be flown in from who-knows-where-ville, I decided to liven things up by going yellow instead of green.

I think the yellow ones may be more tender. And I'm wondering if my toddler will eat them . She has mightily declared she doesn't like beans . So, we'll see.

My Little Piece of Earth: Tomatoes

Beefsteak -- Hybrids -- Romas -- Reds -- Yellows -- Better Boy -- Early Girl

Any of these names sound familiar ? Well, if you've gone tomato-plant shopping recently, you'll know what I mean. More options than a Payless store full of shoes!!! In our present deep freeze, I can only DREAM of the warm spring evenings when I will browse the nurseries, select stocky looking plants, and come home and nestle them root-deep in warming soil.

And until then, I intend to do a little research .

I always get overwhelmed when I go plant shopping, because there are a bazillion options (well, narrow that by about a million because of our zone 2/3 area!) and I don't know what to look for so I just randomly pick something that looks --  well -- tomato-y, and call it wonderful.

This year, I swear I'll do it differently . I'll let you know how it goes....

Until then, here are a few pointers to help the selection process:

Beefsteak/Supersteak - great slicers for sandwiches and those great bbq burgers! Big Beef is a great new hybrid
Early Girl/First Lady - juicy, tangy, compact fruit; available varieties provide a range of plant sizes
Better Boy - Larger fruit than the Early Girl
Hybrids - can blend the "best of both worlds" - large, meaty tomatoes with more disease resistance and/or earlier yield
Yellows - lower acid taste; novelty
Romas - less seedy, firmer, fruit; great for canning, sauces and salads

Staking vs. Bush - Bush are more compact and require less support than the staking variety; however, that certain special tomato might be worth the extra staking effort!

Great questions to ask - what do I want to use these tomatoes for? Do I prefer bush or staking? Can I get a hybrid with the qualities I want in a tomato with the added benefits of scientific adjustments ?

More info can be found in the T&T Seeds Online Catalogue

Oh yum. I can't WAIT until that first sun-ripened tomato sandwich!

ode to summer time

these days, with the wind chill clockin' in at balmy -30-something (hey, and that's warm compared to the -48!!! they are forecasting tomorrow!!), it is imperative that we remember - summer is a'comin'!! i feel funny writing about this, considering i just posted about how much i love snow and winter and sparkles and yada yada. but every gal has their limits. when words freeze before they leave your mouth - you know it's just too plain cold out there! 

so. today at lunchtime, little M & I had a conversation that revolved around all the dreams we have cooked up for those warm summer days. sweet K finds herself along for the ride!! here are a few mirages on the horizon that keep us going....

 - the beach. nothing like cleaning warm, gritty sand out of a diaper.  but there's nothing like that sun-kissed feeling either. vitamin a (or c or d or whatever it is that we're supposed to absorb from the sun!) therapy. slathered in coconut-smelling sunscreen. 
 - going for walks. right now, our little pooch is outside for a grand sum of 5 min. every day. he's very efficient when it comes to having to get out and go to the washroom when it's so cold that snot freezes. he even walks on two legs!! (the front ones!) i am soooo looking forward to wagon rides and stroller walks, but even MORE SO, strappin' on the ipod and taking Diggy for a walk!
 - camping. last year we invested in a mondo-tent. it's huge. thank you canadian tire! our girls love it! and, sweet K will be walking by that time (hopefully!!) and it will be fun to be outside (and easier to set her down on her feet instead of her bum!). 
 - heading to the park. okay. i'm not sure WHERE they get it from, but it's a well-known fact that KIDS have ENERGY! nothing like an hour on the jungle jim to make the bedtimes a little easier. and hey, where other moms gather, and snacks and juices flow aplenty, there is ADULT CONVERSATION! 
 - gardening. veggies - i can't wait to plant a little container garden for each of the girls. cherry tomatoes (of course), peas and maybe some carrots, just for fun . we'll have plenty of garden produce, and i want to plant some of these mini pumpkins for the girls and i to craft with in the fall. AND raspberries and strawberries, and FLOWERS OF COURSE!
 
there is so much to look forward to, and the dreaming also sweetens this day. a cozy home day, with hot tea, quiet time and a great novel. who could ask for anything more!?