23 days until spring

And before us 
was the dream of spring.

It is always safe 
to dream of spring.
For it is sure to come;
and if it be not 
just as we pictured it, 
it will be infinitely sweeter.

-the final paragraph of
The Story Girl by L. M. Montgomery

My daughter and I finished The Story Girl this afternoon, and when we read this final paragraph I knew I would add it to this post. What an apt description of longing for the sweet season of spring. In the book the children are just entering the Winter season, and although we are just ending it, we need just as much perspective, especially with snow flurries this afternoon!

Today it was time to trim a few, small branches from the Forsythia bush with the hope that our warm home and steady supply of water will force those bright yellow blooms open; a sure sign of the Spring to come.