Is it Spring yet?

There is nothing like a vase filled with fresh daffodils on a cold March day. Today is a beautiful sunny day, and the blue sky and chirping birds are hinting at Spring to come in less than three weeks, but the daffodils always remind me that we're almost there.

It's much too early for daffodils in my Maryland neighborhood, but Trader Joe's has of course come to my rescue. This week I found bunches of daffodils, imported from England, for $1.49 per bunch. Now, how can you beat that. Certainly cheaper than my Starbucks latte and the blooms, not to mention the good feeling they give me, last much longer.

The house I grew up in had a long sidewalk from the front steps that was lined with  hundreds of daffodils on both sides, along with a circular planting of daffodils where the sidewalk wrapped around to the side of the house. Every year we hoped that the daffodils would bloom to coincide with Easter. Of course, our parents loved taking pictures of my sister and me, sporting very proper, matching Easter dresses and bonnets (and often matching dusters) among the daffodils.  Always a favorite flower!

Rites of Spring

Washington in Spring: the joy of the unemployed

One of the true joys of not being in an office or cubicle at this time of year is the opportunity to get outside and explore the many gardens and beautiful scenery of our historic area. Yes, there are often tourists everywhere at this time of year, but wander off the Mall and into the neighborhoods and there are quiet, lovely places in bloom throughout the area.

I recently took a couple of afternoons to wander downtown for the annual walk of the Cherry Blossoms (call me crazy for doing this on a Friday afternoon at the peak of the tourist season) and to see the Spring blooms at the lovely Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland. Sometimes just being immersed in the beauty of nature can calm one's soul and sense of anxiety about what lies ahead in life.  Just wanted to share these beautiful places with you. And for my unemployed friends, these gardens are free... 

Beautiful Brookside Gardens

Quiet and beautiful, tucked away in a residential neighborhood in Wheaton, Maryland. The trees, flowers and shrubs change throughout the year, so there is always something interesting in bloom.

Wandering the Tidal Basin to experience the Cherry Blossoms

Yes, just like every tourist to Washington..