Keeping Safe at Home
Hello Folks, Aunt Eunice here and sending a special greeting out hoping you are all doing well. I am a member of the “older” demographic that is especially susceptible to this new-fangled germ that is currently in our midst. I will begin working from home after today. I will be sad not to be on the farm regularly to see spring coming and watch the baby animals being born. I live in a lovely area though and will enjoy the signs of spring there. Pussy willows have already been out for a few weeks. My grandchildren and I picked a few branches to keep inside in a vase so we can touch the soft catkins from which the plant gets its common name. The word ‘catkin’ is derived from the Dutch word for kitten. In spring, these catkins certainly look like kittens’ paws or tails.
Forsythia Flowers Emerge
A true harbinger of spring, forsythia bursts into a vibrant display of golden blooms before any leaf foliage emerges. This can create stunning golden mounds throughout landscapes, breaking up the drab snow-covered ground with a promise of what’s to come. With newer varieties growing in smaller, more manageable sizes, every landscape should have a forsythia to break out of the late winter blues. More about forsythia from bhg.com
A member of the olive family, they are a reminder to me of my mother’s home that at one time had numerous forsythia bushes all around the property. They always make me smile as I remember with fondness my children mangling the pronunciation of the word forsythia. Along with their Aunt M, they decided my daughter Cynthia should be called Forcynthia. Whatever you call them and however you pronounce it, they are a yellow harbinger of the warm sun we eagerly await as winter slowly loosens its grip.
Aconite Flowers & Snow Drops
Another splash of early yellow comes from winter aconite flowers. According to the folks at Flowerexpert.com winter aconites appear almost overnight, providing a very welcome splash of color in January, often flowering with snowdrops. They have an underground corm, from which the yellow wild flowers and characteristic “frill” of leaves emerge, sometimes as early as Christmas. These wild flowers are related to buttercups. At Quiet Valley they just popped out in the last week or two along with the ever pretty and delicate snowdrops. No snow for them to push through this year.
Practice Safety Precautions – New Virus
I am hoping this latest virus will pass by quickly. I am keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers. Remember don’t shake hands, stay home if it’s feasible, cough into a tissue, wash your hands constantly and for 20 seconds each time. Be careful of knobs, handles, etc. I got tired of singing Happy Birthday while I wash my hands so have expanded my selection to “John Jacob Jingle Heimer Schmidt”, the ABCs which I sing with the grandkids, “The Old Grey Mare” and “God Bless America” which I think is longer than 20 seconds. Try to keep your spirits up and be patient and kind to others in need of help, supplies, etc.
That’s all for now. Take care and I will be talking to you soon. Aunt Eunice