Marching Toward Spring, In Snow Boots

Welcome, March.
The month that will bring us the first day of Spring.

In keeping with the Old Wives' Tales, March 2015

in the Northeast USA is indeed coming in, roaring like a Lion.

More snow today, piling onto the accumulated snow

that's been whiting us out all Winter.  

I am not sad to see this February pass into memory.

It had its moments.  Valentine's Day, for instance.

The regular visits of our Cardinal pair to our window bird feeder.

Isn't Mr. C. adorable?  

He leaves the feeder each time, and flies up to the driveway,

where he perches on the side mirror of my minivan, and regurgitates food to give to the

handsome Cardinal he sees in that mirror.  Yes, it's a bird thing.

The term "bird brain" suddenly makes perfect sense.

February had its beautiful, quiet moments.

Our yard received its PhD.

(Piled Higher and Deeper.)

Out on the East End of Long Island, the family beach house

was battered by a late January blizzard, and snows that followed.

One after another after another.  A rough winter for sure.

Still, there is a frozen beauty that is quite spectacular.

The snow gave our two dogs chances to look adorable.

Gilda, our Redhead, loves awful weather, the rougher the better.

She eats snow, rolls in it, wears it, lies down in it ...

she only comes back in the house if lured with a tasty cookie.

Her coat has grown so thick and weatherproof this winter,

that she's beginning to resemble a small one of these:

A glamorous Highland Cow.

As for Dylan, he is missing his romps in the yard, but is

managing to find his own fun indoors.  He is creative.

All in all, February held 2 family birthdays for us, and some other revelry.
However, I bid it goodbye, gleefully, with a smile and a jaunty wave.

Spring will come.

I don't really want to know what will be revealed when all the snow
in our yard is finally melted from those areas we have not been able to get to.

If you, too, have dogs you understand.

But I am looking forward to March

skipping away like a sweet little Lamb.  

Goodbye, Old Man Winter.

Don't let the screen door hit you

in the (euphemistic term here) on the way out.

What have you, my blogging friends, been doing to get through this Winter?

19 days, ladies and gents.  19 days.  Spring!

First one in the northern USA to spot a blooming crocus, wins. -- Cass

And special thanks to Karen, the Graphics Fairy, for the vintage images!

A Getaway Plan

So it is hot today.
Temperatures in northern New Jersey are predicted
to sizzle up into the high 80s by afternoon.

What up with that, Mother Nature?

Our tulips and bleeding hearts other spring blooms are surprised.

They think they are at a spa.

Shvitzing.

 Thank you, Howard, for the early morning pictures along the stone wall behind That Old House.

Weather like this makes me want to be here.

At the beach house, on one of the decks, feet up, soaking in the views.

I conveniently forget that, once there, I'll be faced with the painting projects I didn't finish in November. 

But we have a plan.

On Friday morning of this week, Dion and I are going to toss a few essentials in the red minivan,

and hit the road.  Eastern Long Island, we are on our way.  We'll be there well before lunchtime,

and can take sandwiches and coffee to the beach.  Dion loves sandwiches and coffee . . . .

Howard will join us after work on Friday night, courtesy of The Hampton Jitney,

which conveniently picks you up someplace like this in New York City:

And drops you off about 2 hours later, someplace like this:

And it's cheaper than the Long Island Railroad.

But I have to earn my weekend away.  I've got some furniture painting to do here, and a whole

mess o'cleaning (what else is new?), and a couple of field trips to tuck into the next 4 days as well.

Ladies and gentleman, can That Old Gal do it?

Can she clean the house, and paint a couple of old tables, and go gallivanting

through antiques shops, all in time to escape New Jersey for the weekend?

Check with your bookie before placing bets.

Enjoy your Monday, wherever you find it!  -- Cass

Thanks to The Graphics Fairy for the vintage image of the little beach girl.

And thanks to Mary at Little Red House for hosting Mosaic Monday.

You are always welcome at That Old House!

Spring Bling

Guess what I saw this morning?

One of these little scamps:

It's beginning to look a lot like Spring here at That Old House.

The Bleeding Hearts -- white and pink flowered -- are pushing through the dirt.

Hahahaha!  Camera strap!  What a doofus.  Me, not the camera strap which was just minding its own business.

The Iris rhizomes are busy making spectacles of themselves;

I think they may be violating the local laws regarding indecent exposure.

And -- ta da! -- the first crocuses.

White and spindly, but there they be, at the side of the house.

 I've been wondering when they'd show up.  Everybody else seems to have gardens bursting with crocuses,

tulips, daffodils after our mild winter.  Our spring blooms are a little ahead of schedule, but not much.

Inside, time to put some fake creamy-white flowers in a pottery vase:

That's a hyacinth popping up in the little pot to the right.  A real hyacinth. 

The fake flowers were a bargain buy at A. C. Moore last year.

I bought enough to pop some into the Parlor:

  

Look, Ma!

I can do Pottery Barn colors, too!

And winter's reds get retired.

Goodbye, part fake wreath.  See you in the Fall.

Or, since I like you, maybe in the Summer.  We'll negotiate the terms of your contract at a later date.

Disclaimer, or Confession, or Whatever:

Most of these pictures were taken a year ago.  Yes, I am a lazy slug.
In my defense, today's nascent spring plants look exactly the same as they did last year.
I checked.  But I am still a lazy slug.

I'm not sure how often I'll have computer access for the next day or two or five; I'm abandoning

That Old House for a road trip with my daughter Anne.  See you below the Mason-Dixon Line!  -- Cass

Spring and Snow From Long Ago

Two years ago, on Thursday, March 4, 2010,
we had snow on the ground.  A lot.  And more to come.
Spring Fever hits hard when you have endured a rough winter -- as we learned in both 2010 and 2011 --
but this winter has been so mild that Spring Fever is almost just a dim memory.

I'm reviving that memory, with a re-run of a two-year-old post.

************************************

Welcome to a Springtime Table at That Old House . . . 

with colors and shapes right out of Mr. McGregor's Garden.

(from Thursday, March 4, 2010)

The setting: the old oak table in the conservatory, with a sheer tablecloth,

a vintage gift from my mother-in-law, folded over and tossed on to give a light and gauzy covering.

In the center, a gathering of Spring . . . .

Place settings of Mikasa Ribbon Pink china, an Ebay find that belongs to my daughter Anne.
But who brings such pretty china to grad school? Mama is keeping it safe at home.

Is Mrs. Bunny staring at me?

A stomach's eye view -- dinner and soup plates, old Irish linen napkin,
old Georgian silverplate flatware (1912).

Irish crystal stemware.

In the center of the table, an asparagus tureen.
From Tuesday Morning shop, two summers ago. I had looked at it on several trips,
and finally one day my daughter Anne went into the store, came out to the car carrying a box,
handed it to me and said, "Here it is. You know you want it. You owe me $15."

A hurricane candle, a gift from my very dear friend Betsy.
I love the etched cranberry glass shade, and the swirled pewter base.

Roses! A soft and creamy pink, and nestled in an asparagus pitcher
from a now-defunct store named Bradlee's,
back in the Year One when my girls still rode in the shopping cart while I browsed.

My favorite bunny, a sweet crackle-glazed matron who stays out all year,
because Easter is just not long enough for me to enjoy Mrs. Bunny. She is so matronly and comforting.
Especially when she has black jelly beans in her basket! Today, it's just healthy grapes.

A cut crystal fairy lamp, Gorham, a gift from my mother-in-law. (Who gives me the sweetest things.)

Our place settings. What shall we put on those plates?

I'm still checking Ebay occasionally for more pieces of this pretty china.

Mikasa Ribbon Pink ... let me know if you spot any!

Ebay again . . . old linen runner, hand embroidered and edged in hand crocheted lace.
Can you resist old hand made linens? I can't.

Outside, it is snowing.

Inside, it is warm and dry, and we light the candles as night draws in,
as people have done for centuries when darkness falls.

Pull up a chair, watch the snow,
then take heart that the season for bunnies and asparagus is almost here! -- Cass