“At first Bambi was delighted with the snow. The air was calm and mild while the white snow-stars whirled down and the world looked completely different. It had grown lighter, gayer, Bambi thought, and whenever the sun came out for a little while everything shone and the white covering flashed and sparkled so brightly that it blinded you. But Bambi soon stopped being pleased with the snow . . .
Winter dragged on. Sometimes it was warmer, but then the snow would fall again and lie deeper and deeper, so that it became impossible to scrape it away. It was worst when the thaws came and the melted snow water froze again in the night. Then there was a thin slippery film of ice. A heavy frost had set in several days before. The air was purer and rarer than it had ever been, and full of energy. It began to hum in a very high tone. It hummed with the cold.”
Felix Salten, Bambi
Well friends, call me Bambi. My enchantment with those early snows has long been buried away. We —all of us up here in our house in the little woods— have taken to shunning winter as of late and longing for Miss Spring still tucked many feet below her heavy duvet. A grumbling feeling comes over me as bitter as the wind chill now when I step out into our clearing and see the yearling fruit trees and lonely garden barely breathing above the drifts, no melt in sight. The microgreens in the basement have helped me limp along since the turn of the new year but even they seem to be drooping lately under the relentless weight of winter.
Below-zero temperatures are currently holding us hostage as I write this . . . for the third full week this long winter. And to be frank as frost, it’s been one week too many. Our family has thoroughly enjoyed our winter wonderland but we’re ready to move on now. So, we decided it was time to Dream Spring this past weekend, regardless of whether the weather outside our window agrees. After all, it’s the climate in your soul that matters most. Sunshine is only ever a daydream away.
So, we had a little spring fling together!
The Captain got out his colored pencils and sketched some seeds . . .
Goldilocks and her family of bunnies “planted seeds for spring” while mean Mr. Chickadee tried to sabotage the whole seedy affair . . .
Papa began sketching out project plans for the warm season in his new “Grow-Your-Green-Thumb” Journal . . .
(Get this journal from Epic Gardening with our exclusive affiliate link:https://lets.growepic.co/818 🙂 and don’t forget our discount code: HOLISTICHOMESTEAD)
And me?
I stoked the fire, sharpened pencils, sipped tea, and watched my budding beauties bring spring to life before my eyes.
Ready to DREAM SPRING with us? Here’s 7 Ways to Start!
#1. Feed your NEED to SEED
Let’s get sowing! Ahhh, can’t you just smell that damp seedling soil now?
Ok, stop squirming! And whatever you do, don’t try to worm your way out of this activity! It’s fast, easy, so much fun, and I promise it really isn’t gross at all!
To me, reading to children is really no different than planting seeds in a garden. I invite you this week to join me in sowing seeds of inspiration, hope, and beauty in the minds, hearts, and souls of our children . . . for both their sake and the earth they will inherit.
*In a few weeks we will have a seed planting party, but we are still a few weeks out for that here in Big Sky country.
#6. Order those CHICKS!
Earlier today at the grocery store, I stood staring at the refrigerated shelves of eggs. My senses were under attack by a mosaic of colorful packaging, each carton with it’s own carefully designed billboard of competing labels. Organic! Free-Range! Pasture-Raised! Non-GMO feed! Humanely Raised! Above each stack were neon yellow price tags with shocking numbers on them like $7.99, plus stressful red notices tacked on top that read “Due to egg shortages, customers will be limited to two cartons per checkout.”
I sensed a fellow gaper behind me. Turning around I saw an elderly lady in an electric cart scanning the rows in bewilderment.
A Day on the Farm, Little Golden Book
“Oh, I’m sorry, am I in your way?” I asked uncertain of how long she had been waiting behind me.
“No, not at all” she answered carelessly. “I’m just trying to decide if I’m going to get eggs or not here.”
“Yeah,” I chuckled. “My family and I were just at the feed store looking at chickens, cause this just isn’t sustainable.”
“No! No it’s not!” she laughed and hobbled out of her cart to select a humble, undecorated carton.
On the way home, I held two dozen eggs in my lap costing about fourteen dollars. Not for long, I thought to myself. Not for long.
Comment below if you’re getting girls this spring! What breed did you choose? 😀
Your ~Spring Peek~ for what’s coming to the blog in March!
The March of the MushROOM!
Yup, there’s fungus among us, and it’s fruiting in our basement! Stay tuned for a tour of our MushROOM coming up this month!
Meet your new best friend: “The Messy Box”
This is my new favorite way to use a cardboard box! If you are a parent and your children are humans who occasionally (or constantly) leave things lying around, you will not want to miss this post.
Our 3-Year Blogaversary Special!
Later this month, check out our 3-Year Blogaversary Special, ranking the top ten favorite posts on our blog this past year as chosen by YOU!
HAPPY SPRING, if only in our dreams! Thanks for reading, friends!
