February - the "hope for spring" month

We're getting close to halfway through February with Valentine's Day tomorrow, which makes me happy.  Yesterday we received a cute valentine from grandson Ben.  He has learned to use Adobe Illustrator to create his artwork and has designed greeting cards.  His Valentine's card includes his drawing of a pig(his favorite animal) and his version of a proton pack -  from Ghostbusters(one of his favorite movies).  Such a talented young man!

Most of the snow has melted away in Hope, but at our elevation we still have the dirty snow.  There are bare spots showing up in the lawn, but not enough.  Miss Lady doesn't seem to mind and spends a lot of time playing fetch with her assorted toy collection outside.  She has figured out how to toss the ball so that it will roll down the hill and then she can retrieve it.  It's her favorite thing to do.

We aren't at the mud stage yet, but we're close.  Then it will be bath time and another new experience for her.  I hope I survive it.

We have been watching the Gonzaga games and of course, the Super Bowl.  It was an exciting game this year with the teams being evenly matched.   We didn't get too carried away with the football snacks, but we did have chicken wings with a glaze of peach-pepper jelly and a bit of soy sauce.  

Last week I made a Mardi Gras wreath for my friend Julie Bishop.  The snow still had a hard crust which made walking on it easier so I could cut some boughs. 

For many years I made her a Christmas wreath but this year I was recovering from RSV and didn't have a chance to get outside before the temperatures dropped to below zero.  "Laissez les bon temps rouler, Julie!"

This year Fat Tuesday is Feb. 21st.  That will be the last day for feasting and to party down before Ash Wednesday.   I am not Catholic so I don't have to give up anything for lent, but don't count me out on the feasting part. 

I have been enjoying eating popcorn again since I found out after allergy testing that corn(and corn products) no longer disagree with me.  It has been two years since I ate popcorn, which was one of my favorite snacks.

I now have a new popcorn popper and it works great!   It was also a great snack to eat while watching the games. 

After the game was over Jon and I spent about an hour putting together a new set of shelves so that I have a place to start my seeds for the garden.  I used to set everything up in the bay window, but that spot has been taken over by Lady.  It's one of her favorite places for a nap, besides my lap.   It's also a great place to be on the lookout for varmints invading her space.  

It seemed like it would be an easy project but was frustrating as some of the "clips" to hold the metal shelves in place kept slipping.  We did finally get it together and now I can begin to set up the lights.    It's time to plant the Red Robin tomato seeds, my favorite patio tomato for many years.   

Monday Night in New Orleans.