Spring is springing out all over

I know the ticker on my page says we have 4 more days until Spring, but I have to differ.

These daffodils are ready to BURST FORTH in my yard. Ahhhhh, and the short sleeves that I am wearing and the shorts that I was wearing yesterday tell me that the warmth I am feeling is SPRING!

I LOVE PARIS IN THE SPRINGTIME......

It may not be Paris (and believe me I am glad about that, I've been to Paris, I prefer Frostburg) but it's just as lovely outside here.

Yay! Warm Weather.

Just a reminder from the past....

Before you say that the research supports eating of animals, let's remember this:

And let's not forget this one:

(Ads courtesy of:
http://www.crazy-picsblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/12-health-lies-cool-cigarette-ads.html
and
http://medtechinsider.com/archives/1189)

Warm Weather

Yesterday was very nice. It was warm, in the high 50's or maybe even low 60's. Today the wind is blowing, I do not know the temperature right now, but Mrs. Doyle went out without having to be chased around the library and grabbed, meowing, and tossed out the door. So that means something! LOL. She loves it outside, she just likes it to be her idea. (Oh, Mrs. Doyle is a cat by the way, I am not chasing my mother-in-law or someone like that around my library!)
Ripley loves to go out. (other cat) She lives outside. She begs to go out late at night, even when it's FREEZING!
I want it to get warm now. I know I have the COUNTDOWN TO SPRING on this page, currently reading 10 days. But I want it NOW!!!!
I don't think this is an impatience thing, it's more of a NEED TO CYCLE thing.
I haven't been on my bike since the end of November (or maybe it was just the beginning of December.) I miss it! This winter has been really mild, I think I have only shoveled snow twice, or possibly thrice, since the cold hit.
I think that makes it harder to deal with the 30 degree days of March. When you have been able to wear a light jacket in February you want to get moving with SIGNS OF SPRING.
As my best friend, Linda, showed us on her Facebook page, Spring has Sprung in the Baltimore area. (She posted a pic of crocuses)
I saw my daffodils peeking through the grass yesterday. I see the buds but they aren't open yet. Steve keeps a sharp eye on his fruit trees as of late in case he needs to wrap the floating row cover around them.
I have a large job ahead of me in the garden, clearing out the overgrown side of the veg area.
I have a feeling I am going to look like one of those Amazonian explorers hacking my way through the hostile vegetation. Maybe I should get a Panama hat for it. LOL.
I am looking forward to it however, so I can plant LOADS more veggies this year. I want to plant my own lettuces as I LOVE salads but don't trust the store bought kind not to give me E-Coli. Ugh.
I will post pics of the work as it goes along. It should be amusing, at the least! hahah.
Well, here's to dreaming of warmer days, in the VERY near future!

Yumminess!

This recipe is not my own. I actually haven't tried it yet, but JUST LOOKING AT IT made my mouth water.
It's from Surf Haven in Bali. You may recognize that name if you are a House Hunters International watcher like me, they were showcased on that show recently. It is a place I WANT TO VISIT very badly, but since it's on the other side of my world, I will have to wait a while.
However, you don't have to wait to try this recipe.
Coconut and Almond Bliss ball:
1 cup of raw almonds
1/2 cup of sunflower kernels
A small handful of sultanas
A small handful of pitted dates
2 – 4 tablespoons of honey
Roll in desiccated coconut
Mix all ingredients together, roll into balls about the size of a small apricot and chill well before serving so as the ingredients bind. These little morsels will keep in the fridge up to 7 days.

America the Beautiful and land of the Citizens, new and old.

So, besides the fact that Steve and I are going to live a whole lot longer than we were going to recently since we no longer eat animals and animal products but now we get to live, BOTH OF US, as Americans. Steve was granted his Citizenship yesterday! YAY!
So now we are plant based diet Americans! WOOOOOO!!!
It has been a long road to get to here with all the paperwork and the meetings and filing forms and then filing more forms, not to mention the costs of filing. (Oh I mentioned it.)
HOWEVER! It's all paid off! We thought we were going down to Baltimore (Bawlmer) for a simple last interview and when that was over, Steve being the silly bugger that he is, came out of the interview room, whilst I was sitting in the waiting area with LOADS of others waiting to become Americans, and he had a face like thunder! He did one of those annoyed twitches of his head that meant LET'S GO! and I got up, followed him and said as soon as we were out of the door, WHAT HAPPENED????? He says, We have to come back! WHAT??? WHY???? I say, then he says, At 2 o'clock to become an American citizen!
(Bastard! Tricking me! I could have gone off on one!)
YAY! I said instead!
So we did what any two Americans do when they have a few hours to kill, we went shopping! Whole Foods is in the city very close to where we were so we picked up the things that we can't get at home. (Nutritional yeast! WOOO! Going to make that recipe from Engine 2!)
Then we went over to The Avenue at White Marsh to eat our lunch (that we brought with us, since I have to be super cautious about food consumption due to the casein allergy.)
So Steve got a coffee and we ate our pasties. Then we went back to the Government building and Steve got to sing the Star Spangled Banner and then recited the Oath of Allegience to the United States of America!
Then POOF! (haha) Steve was an American!
(Yes, I was crying - but that is me! LOL)
It was AWESOME!