signs of life

I'm happy to tell you that Lil' Scrappy and I have gone almost a week without any spotting. Let's hope that last week's incident was just the last gasp of the first trimester. Even better - I can actually feel the Scrapper moving around when I'm quietly sitting on the couch, eating doublestuff Ore.os and watching Goss.ip Girl. (You can tell I'm a classy lady, huh?) It's so cool.

There's all kinds of new life busting out around here. Pictured here are the red tulips in front of our house. Most tulips peter out after a few years, but this variety (Red Ri.ding Hood) is one of those perennial types that actually spreads over the years. My neighbors may have a few little mousy pink or yellow tulips, but we have this big splash of fire engine red! Our cherry tree is also blooming. We put this tree in when we buried our dearly departed pooch, Ignatius. Every summer I harvest some Iggy-berries and bake a pie. Yummy!

I should also thank my blog readers for sending positive energy in the direction of my two dead-looking clematis vines. I've planted several different clematis along our back fence over the years, in hopes that they would shield us from the alley. Two dead clematis would have set me back in my slow quest for privacy. Happily, the vines in question have shown new growth and now I'm taking extra-good care of them.

But wait.. there's more! I'm also starting a few new perennials from seed this year. I like the wintersowing method of starting seeds - this is where you put the soil & seeds in containers that you just plunk outside in the middle of winter and let nature take its course. You can read more about wintersowing here. This method is low-maintenance compared with starting seeds indoors under lights, but you also have more control over the situation than if you just scattered seeds on the ground. I don't have too many sprouts yet, but the blanket flower (photo below), cardinal flower and mullein have started popping out. C'mon seedlings! Life is good.