February 1

February 1. This is it. The nadir of winter. The lowest point, the point at which all hope of spring dies. Every year I manage to forget how incredibly long the winter lasts. I forget the fact that my feet never quite feel warm. Somehow I forget how much I hate snow and ice, hate to drive in it, hate to walk in it, hate to scrape it from my car. I forget the darkness and the silence of winter.

Spring will come, and when it does it will bring...

The smell of warm earth
Sunburn on my nose and cheeks
Birdsong at dawn
Fat robins
Peonies peeking out with their bright red stems
A breeze through open windows
Asparagus and strawberries
National "Boys Play Outside Day" (my very own invention)
And best of all, most exciting of all, the awakening of my garden! Each little plant taking its turn to poke up through the earth or sprout tiny buds, returning like an old friend.

In the meantime, we are forced to drown our collective sorrow in Valentine chocolate and Superbowl Frenzy. Such is life.