Spring is on the way!

I can tell spring is on the way because the driveway is muddy and the road is slippery mud and BIG potholes. Actually the road in front of our house is still thick with ice, due to the shade of the trees that line that stretch of road.

I can tell spring is on the way because this week's weather forecast doesn't call for a "Winter Weather Advisory" and has 2 digit numbers that start with a 5.

I can tell spring is on the way because the boys' extra curricular activities are starting to come to a busy end. One more week until the Odyssesy of the Mind competition!

I can tell spring is on the way because we are approaching the 1 year anniversary of our move to the country.

Speaking of the anniversary, I decided to think back on all that we've done over the past year in preparing our country home. Other that the obvious house-building:

• Created a vegetable garden
• Planted blueberry bushes
• Planted red raspberry bushes
• Planted apple and peach trees
• Located a major source of blackberries out back
• Located a source of black raspberries
• Build shelves and organized a storage room
• Finished an unfinished basement
• Prepared for minor emergencies such as power outages

Soon I will have time to plan the next steps. Here are a few things I would like to do this spring and summer:

• Tile my kitchen backsplash (already started!)
• Plant the garden again with a few modifications (Can you say fewer cucumbers?)
• Plant more blueberry bushes
• Do some landscaping around the house
• Train the dogs to listen better when off leash in the yard
• Get some more gravel for the drive way and in the pole barn
• Quilt a placemat type quilt to put on the top of the washer and dryer in the laundry room
• Dehydrate fruits and veggies with my new dehydrator
• Maybe get a pressure canner for my birthday to preserve my harvest!

I think I can do all this--we'll see what else comes up! It sure is fun living in the country!