happy spring

Yesterday Joel came home with a potted cherry tomato plant that grows and produces indoors (or on a deck in warmer weather). It is lush, it is green, and it has that summery smell of tomato plants that always reminds me of the garden we had when I was a kid.

I am thrilled with it, because we are now entering our sixth (yes, sixth!) month of snowy, cold winteryness, and this tomato plant reminds me that one day, with any luck, it will be warm and green and sunny again. I love it. I keep closing my eyes and smelling it, and pretending that I have transported to a warmer climate.

It has slowly been getting a little more spring-like, day by day, although it is by far the longest, snowiest, coldest winter/spring of my life. Maybe it was just because of the tomato plant, but today I actually woke up and felt like it was spring. I took Penny out this morning and it was gray and kind of gloomy out, but something about how the birds were singing made me feel like there is hope for the future. Plus, it was the first day I've walked to work since early November without wearing boots, a hat and a scarf. I felt light and free. And still a little cold. But I was light and free enough (and the walk was short enough) that it didn't really matter.

Dare I say it? At risk of jinxing it all and bringing on a huge snow storm...Happy Spring!