See the Beauty in the Ordinary

A Kansas Country Garden: Freeze Scare

After the freeze, the crabapple still blooms.

An erratic spring continues. A warm day, and the buds swell on the blooming trees and bushes. But the next day its cold and snow coats the green grass. Predictions are for a hard freeze that night. If only there was a way to stop it. The crabapples, the red bud trees, the Bradford pears, the flowering almond, the lilacs--all are vulnerable. A hard freeze would mean we'd have no blooms until next year. Not a happy thought.

Who can look at a daffodil and not smile? They are just so darn cheerful. And why not? Spring is here. It must be. I think the daffodils are smiling, too.

Hyacinths have a lovely, but sometimes overpowering scent.

A Kansas Country Garden: Farewell to Winter

All of a sudden it becomes clear. Winter will not last forever. No, we do not live in the land where it is "always winter and never Christmas." The first sign of this are the crocus. They did not wait for the snow to melt before making an appearance. That was last week. Now they are in their full glory, a patchwork quilt of color. Welcome, spring.

Our crocus tend to come in various shades of yellow and purple. There will be white ones as well.

A warm, savory Garlic Cheese Biscuit is a delicious addition to any meal whether elegant or casual. Some people have to go to a certain restaurant to get them, but you don't. You can make them with just a few basic ingredients and a few minutes (but only if you already have the Quick Mix on hand). Since these are drop biscuits, there's no rolling out involved. You simply spoon them onto a baking sheet and tuck them into a hot oven. You probably already know how good they taste.

Somewhere a tropical breeze is blowing through palm trees and waves are lapping on a sandy beach. Someone is reclining there, basking in the warmth; no doubt snacking on fresh pineapple or another tropical fruit before wading in the surf.

That someone isn't me. Is it you?