Take a Mental Vacation from Winter

It's freezing cold, with snow and ice burying a good bit of the country in misery. Here in north Georgia, the forecast is calling for temps in the low teens later this week. (Yikes!) Winter's grip can get us all depressed: it can seem like gray skies and bone chilling cold will never go away.

So I thought I'd offer a little something to remind us all that winter won't be with us forever. These are photos Hubs and I have taken both in our travels and right here at home. I hope they lift your spirits by prompting anticipation of warmer days ahead -- when the fragrance of blossoms perfumes the air and the world outside our doors is lush and green again.

Could there be anything more lovely than this Charleston window box?

The winding path invites visitors to linger in a small urban garden

A home in Charleston's Historic District features an eclectic entry garden

This pocket garden lay just outside our door at a B&B in Eureka Springs, AR. At the end of the path is a tiny pond and waterfall.

Perennial coneflowers and black eyed susans offer rustic beauty

A pop of magenta and a blue ceramic bird bath brighten a shady spot near our deck

Carolina jessamine glows in the morning sun

For cheer all summer long, plant a pink geranium!

Nothing tastes better than home grown tomatoes

  This exquisite creature is a luna moth. To see one is a rare treat.

I hope looking at these pictures has lifted your spirits just a little. Beneath all the ice and snow, Spring is preparing to push through the frozen soil and unfurl itself. It will happen right on time just as it has for millions of years, guaranteed. So let's hang in there, dear readers. Let's treat ourselves to a long, long novel (something on the order of War and Peace -- never a quick read). Let's lay in ample supplies of herbal tea or cocoa mix, and snuggle on the sofa under a throw. Let's look to those warmer days ahead as we watch the snowflakes fall. We can get through this dreary season. It's simply a waiting game.

Text and images ©2015 Lynn Edwards