Speaking of Spring...

Dear Diary,

This rather unflattering photograph of yours truly was taken in 1998.  I am wearing a hat with netting because it is also black fly season!  I was gathering the blossoms of dandelions in the side yard to make my grandmother's recipe for dandelion wine which she got from her grandmother.  I've included the recipe in her hand for those who may want to try it.  It has a very distinctive flavor and lovely golden color, like the flowers.

My grandmother was a great believer in eating in season, like enjoying spring fiddleheads.  Perhaps that is why she lived to be 98!  She would begin the spring by harvesting the young dandelion leaves to add to salads, a rich source of vitamins, and I do believe the roots can be made into a coffee of sorts but I have never tried it.

On Friday I will be traveling to Massachusetts to plant the graves in my hometown...a spring ritual I have been doing for 28 years.  This time I will have my cousin Mary along for help.  I have used this quote by Thoreau before but I do love it...

Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.