the teeniest tiniest zinnia

The first Zinnia flower has bloomed and I can't help but be excited!  Another bloom from my Spring seedlings.  Hopefully there are more to come, in various colors and sizes, fingers crossed!

silent noise

It's snowing...its been snowing here for hours and it's anticipated that we'll get 5-10"overnight.  Now I am not the biggest fan of winter, even though I grew up in Buffalo, NY,  practically the unofficial snow capital of the country, but I find myself much happier during the warmer months.  However, that being said, the best part of winter is the beautiful silent noise of a good snowfall. This year we have had so many snow storms it reminds me of being back home; it reminds me of being a kid, spending the entire day outside building whatever I could dream up with my endless, crisp white materials.  Every time it snows, I still can't help but make an announcement of it.  The unexpected gentle precipitation excites me as if it were the first snowfall of the season.  The feeling takes me back to elementary school, where amidst a lesson, someone would notice it snowing outside and all work would cease and attentions would be seized.  In my eyes, if we must survive, or (less dramatically) deal with months of freezing, dreary cold days we might as well have the beautiful dusting of a gentle snowfall.  


As I mentioned yesterday, it's hard to fight off those winter blues, but I have found that feeding my creative soul has helped.  I also love to treat myself to some colorful flowers to brighten the bleak, stark days of winter.  I was out and about on Sunday, when temperatures hit a record low of -1 degrees when I decided I would pick up a little bundle of cheer for myself.  I bought these beautiful, delicate little purple flowers (Campanula Get Me- Campanula portenschlagiana), all massed togather into the prettiest little clump.  I couldn't help but capture their beauty by snapping a picture, but even this photo doesn't manifest how much they can change my mood for the better.