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I did start the back panel of the pillow today. It is going to end up being 63 rows of single crochet. I got through 11 of them, so a good start. Before sitting down to work on it, I did something I have never, ever done before. I put some plants in the ground before the frost date for my region. A small rebellion, but there is was.

Growing up, we always had a backyard garden. I think my mom hoped if we helped grow the vegetables, we would eat them. It did not always work. We also had a flower garden which I seemed to like much better. That frost date was ingrained in me from before I can remember.  Each year, I have seen the plants show up in nurseries at least a month early, and watched people loading flats into their cars and held off. That voice in my head repeating the frost date always won out.

I don’t know what happened this year, but I wanted to put some flowers into the ground. And I wanted to do it today, a good many weeks early.  So off to the store I went.  I came home with not too much in case we do get a freezing night again: a couple of red geraniums, two small sets of marigolds in yellow and orange and some herbs jumped into the cart too. I have a small herb garden right outside of my back door, and really miss being able to pop outside to snip some when I am making dinner. I can’t grown them inside during the winter because I have cats who must eat any and every plant that enters out house and I haven’t found a way to wall mount a planter indoors yet.

I put the flowers in the back-corner garden where I will be able to see them every time I look out into our back yard, or leave the house.  And some basil, oregano, tarragon and rosemary are tucked in along the back of the house.

I’ll admit, I did check the 10-day weather forecast to see what overnight temperatures are predicted, and the rest of the seeds and plants will not be purchased until it really is safe, but boy, did it feel good to get dirt under my fingernails.

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