Where Are You Spring?

With Christmas over I begin to look out my window to see if Spring has come yet. With it still months away, I sigh deeply and open my gardening books. Looking, searching and planning. It's probably a good thing that I live in a 'usually' warm part of California. I become impatient when the Christmas tree is put away and 'winter' cleaning is taking place in our home. I can only think of one thing--my garden. At one time I literally had to stop gardening for a month because I realized it had become an obsession--it was all I thought about. Where would I plant the new flowers I bought? Where would I find the unique rose I read about? And where oh where would I get all this money to re-landscape my large back-yard? Flowers, roses and the garden bring me feelings of calmness. Every year I am very predictable...
Down with the enormous Christmas tree in the middle of our wonderfully small cottage; clean, wipe, scrub and dust. This all takes place a little before my hubby is ready. The children want to know why I'm putting Christmas away so soon and "it's not fair". (I'm really not a mean Mommy..I just think it's tradition to put it all away before New Year's Day).
On the eve of New Year's eve, my hubby, me and the six little gardeners 'winterized' the gardens. I call it 'winterize' because we strip away sickly leaves, prune, clean under flowers & roses and at the end of the day my garden looks like it's dormant for the winter. While gardening with my hands and body, in my mind I'm trying to concoct a plan to save money to buy the large loot of roses and flowers that I want, but have no room to plant. After I think I'm so very smart, I share my witty idea with my husband and he always smiles. Why? Because he knows that on New Year's eve we're all going to be packed in the car heading to my favorite nursery spending my Christmas money on all those flowers I was going to save up and buy in Spring. I'm so predictable. I'm so impatient and long for Spring. Warmth, flowers,roses and the sound of birds. Until then, I will continue to look out my windows searching for Spring.