Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle ...
a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to the light, a bud straining to unfurl.
And the anticipation nurtures our dream.
- Barbara Winkler

And so do the puddles in the driveway, and the ice which has coated the road, now in the process of decay.

And the faint fragrance of a promised spring that lends a bit of bouyancy to the step and a smile to the face.

Winter is wonderful, but when it outstays its welcome a little frantic depression sets in, as when one longs for company to leave: company that at first was cherished and entertaining, but after a while becomes wearisome and eye glazing.

From December to March, there are for many of
us three gardens -
the garden outdoors,
the garden of pots and bowls in the house,
and the garden of the mind's eye.
- Katherine S. White

Today I rescued the garden book from where it had been abandoned in November, and tried to envision the back yard, transformed from a tarp covered pile of practical treaures that will soon find a home in the new garage to an inviting spot to nourish the birds, please the eye and look nice and neat and tidy!!!

I know that our efforts must be minimal, considering the limited energy we have to expend, but I can see a wonderful array of sunflowers and grasses - simple but strikingly cheerful.

Ah dreams and fragile plans - they are the substance of our lives and we strive to bring them to fruition.

In the meantime, - while we wait for spring - the struggle continues to balance the treadles and lamms and shafts to accommodate this elegant but skinny warp I have put on the loom with such anticipation. Husband is advising tipping the loom to make it easier to reach the treadles, and be more precise about the tie-ups. I view this with some trepidation, but see the advantages to not lying on the floor reaching under the loom and blindly counting the number of loops in the tex solv before I insert an arrow pin. And besides, Husband has proven over the many years that we have existed together to be most often right! This adds to my security, but it is also a little irritating, if you know what I mean!!!