Last year I totally missed the boat for planting pansies. That previous autumn’s ‘mums had somehow survived the winter in the front porch urns and I just didn’t have the heart to cruelly uproot them or the desire to bother transplanting them. This year’s record-breaking Canadian winter (Polar Vortex?!?-WTF?)  made short work of those long-lived, intrepid  ‘mums, so with a light heart, filled with early spring promise, I bought pansies along with my groceries.

It’s such a beautiful day today.  Working outside on my sunny porch wearing only a t-shirt and yoga pants — no parka, scarf, gloves, boots or Russian faux fur Ushanka hat — is beyond awesome. Snowdrops have already been out for a couple of weeks, completely living up to their name by co-existing peacefully with our swiftly melting snowbanks, and I just discovered crocuses today as I cleaned up all the garbage that had blown onto the front garden over the winter. Also seeing the beginnings of tulips – that is always a happy day.

This time spent outside is a much-needed tonic after a winter that felt like it was going to turn into The Day After Tomorrow more often than not!