My next door neighbor's granddaughters have adopted me as their second grandmother.  We spent the last couple of days putting a 500 hundred piece puzzle together.  I have one of those large round coffee tables that rotates on a swivel, so it made a perfect place to dump the pieces out.  Problem was, I had to sit on the floor--and although they would rotate the table for me--when I was looking for a piece--every now and then I had to get up and get something to drink.  And my getter upper doesn't work like it used to.  We probably should have used a card table.

They helped me plant azaleas last year.  Three out of four of them died.  So we are going to plant some more.  "Hope springs eternal in the human breast."  I blame the loss on the horrible lack of rain we had this year.  Our area went months without noticeable rain.

I never let dying plants stop me from trying again.

I'm really excited that it is halfway through March.  Time for me to get my work gloves on, get a shovel and do some digging.  Tomatoes and parsley and green peppers.  I bought over 25 asparagus plants to get in the ground.  It takes three years for  them to be mature enough to pick.  Optimism.  I plan on being around to pick it.  I don't eat it very often, I just give it away.

The tulip tree I planted last year is budding and getting ready to bloom.  I am really excited.  I have always wanted one, so last year I tried again, bought it and put it in the ground.  In this area, having something live is exciting.  The ground is clay and you have to augment it.

Since my birthday is in 11 days, I know the redbud trees will start to bloom soon.  They always bloom on my birthday.

Spring.  I just love it.  It is God's birthday gift to me year after year.