No, it isn’t the winter solstice, when the days presumably start getting longer.    

For me, the first sign of spring is the flurry of seed catalogs that start showing up in my mailbox, it seems to me, around December 26.  I haven’t even achieved novice status as a gardener, but I have a penchant for growing things, and when those catalogs begin to turn up, I pour over them, drinking in the plush roses, the gorgeous peonies, the dramatic dahlias, the multi-colored ears of corn, the shiny purple eggplants, and I dream of summer, when my yard comes alive with

As much as I love and enjoy the holidays, I’m always glad to get back to my regular life.    I really missed all of you; I get lonely when I don’t blog.  I’d think of about 10,000 things I wanted to tell you, but the timing always seemed wrong.  Real life is forever getting in the way, it seems.

First order of business, we’re back to our weekly contest as of today.  Two winners, chosen at random, will be notified and announced here on the blog next Monday morning.  All you have to do is comment, and you’re entered.  Each