shoots of green

We had a lovely sunshiny day yesterday (today promises rain). A little laundry, a matinee of Sherlock Holmes, and a run/walk on the canal path. My chest and throat hurt afterwards due to the cold air but it was glorious all the same. I am definitely not a cold weather person and so any hint of spring is welcome to me.

I surveyed my garden yesterday afternoon and spotted some shoots of green - promises of irises and hyacinths to come. The forsythia has little buds forming. And the hellebores have something happening, although I'm not sure what the plants look like before blooming so don't know whether to get my hopes up or not. Plus, an amaryllis bulb I'd chalked up for dead has decided to sprout. A good sign, I think.

On the agenda today? Soup. I think two varieties - a butternut squash and apple soup I've made before and maybe a lentil or bean soup (need to look through my new cookbooks for ideas). Also a perusal of a new seed catalog that recently arrived in the mail: Southern Exposure, which specializes in Virginia/Southeastern seeds. Ah, the promise of spring...