After months of introspection, I am ready to talk again. Winter is for hibernation for many species, and I tend to hibernate mentally over the winter months. Spring is well sprung, and I am ready to emerge from a winter's sleep.

The garden is well planted already this early spring. I made a serious attempt to start my own seedlings inside this year, and it has paid off. I transplanted the broccoli outside last week, and all survived. I even have 6 extra plants to share with my neighbor. The tomatoes are growing well downstairs, along with peppers, eggplants, lavender and basil, all awaiting warmer early summer weather. In the garden outside, I have so far planted my carrots, lettuce, spinach (180 plants, OMGosh!), radishes, beets, peas and potatoes in addition to the broccoli. I've gotten serious about my gardening this year and making the most of our limited space. Successive crop growing is a must for us, and the spinach and radishes will be done just in time to clear out that bed and plant the sweet corn. I'm growing both bush peas (progress no. 9) and trellis ones (sugar snap) this year to compare yield and decide which type to continue with in future years. This is the first year for potatoes, so my expectations are very low. It seem to take a few years for me to get the hang of new veggies. I have big goals for the garden this year, and a second chest freezer to fill up with produce for the rest of the year. I really hope to grow enough broccoli, spinach, carrots, beans, beets, tomatoes and grapes (for jelly and juice) to put away enough to last us most of a year.

The dwarf fruit trees are going in this year too. I'm definately getting two for pie cherries, and then either two apple or two pear. Maybe both apple and pear. I haven't decided that yet, but need to in the next month.

We are doing pretty well otherwise. Abigail is 7 now, a reading fiend, music nut and goofy girl. Isabella is 5, with a gap in her smile now that she has lost two teeth. She's still an interesting one to parent, a combination of spunk and caution, outgoing and introvert. She's so totally me, oh bother. Vincent is two and a half. He is totally Luis as a child, which is unbelieveably frustrating sometimes. He's so smart and stubborn, a good problem solver, and totally impish. We've been debating speech therapy for him, as he is definately delayed in his expressive speech, but undecided at this point. His speech is improving, and he has gained a larger number of new words in the last few weeks. He's really improved in the last month, and we are thinking he's probably just a "late talker", rather than in need of actual therapy.

So, I'm back and hopefully will be posting here much more regualarly again.