My little nook is even cozier since Lynda sent me this beautiful lap blanket she crocheted. Lynda lives in Australia by a river. I love the tagline on her blog: "Live simply, expect little, give much. Live your life with love..."  She certainly does that; I am blessed by her generous spirit . ♥

Even though it's cold and there is snow in the forecast, the lengthening daylight has me dreaming of spring. I have the urge to get outside in the winter sunshine and romp around with my pug. And, I'm beginning to think obsessively about my garden. I want to add another raised bed for veggies, grow my tomatoes in pots on the deck, find a way to maximize my growing space and plant more greens. To that end, I'm sketching and diagramming and researching which plants are good companions. My all-time favorite backyard gardening book is now out-of-print: The Postage Stamp Garden Book: Grow Tons of Vegetables in Small Spaces, by Duane and Karen Newcomb However, the authors maintain a very helpful website that has a lot of the same information that is in the book, including: planning your garden, preparing your soil, watering, container gardening, themed gardens, troubleshooting, dealing with plant diseases, seed sources, and lots of other good stuff.