Did you ever want to buy and eat local, but just didn't know how? Were you too busy or too intimidated to ask? I'm not sure what I expected to find when I drove to south-side Oklahoma City for the Oklahoma Food Co-op's annual meeting. They were having an open house, and all members and the public were invited. Together, we shared food and fellowship, and it felt as though the years of the world wide web were far, far away. You can join the co-op for $35.00 a year, a small price to pay to reach at least eighty different made-in-Oklahoma producers. Nearly everything you could want is offered from soap (lavender and/or goat's milk), meat (lamb, beef, bison and goat), poultry (chicken, turkey and eggs), dairy (butter, buttermilk, cheese, etc.) I've ordered two months now, and everything I received was of the best quality. It was a joy...

His voice was low and sweet. Not the chip-chip of Mr. Cardinal calling to his mate, this was a long and beautiful melody celebrating the warmer weather. "Watch out, birdie," I thought, "Winter isn't over yet." I couldn't see him as he flit from tree to tree, but his voice never left me as I walked about the property. As my feet pounded the red dirt, I was filled with emotion. Excited at the idea spring is only a couple of months away. Gratitude for the weather which turned fair this week, although we have snow and ice again in the forecast. Yesterday and today are a respite from the cloudy skies which seem to close in day after day. The birdsong was like a clarion call saying "It's time." Time to plan the vegetable garden. Which seeds will you need? I bought and planted spinach seed in the fall....

Over on the Lowe's Garden Grow Along blog, I share about the type of greenhouse I'd like to have. Go on over and have a look see. They are still working on the comments section so if you comment there, I may not see it for a day or two. Comment anyway if you'd like. I'll get it eventually, and I'll write back as soon as I do. If you'd like to comment here, that's great too. Let me know about your dreams for a greenhouse. It's good to dream.

Over the weekend, Bill and I drove to Oklahoma City to see the Home and Garden show. Bill likes me to go, and each time I do, I wonder why. The show filled five buildings at the state fairgrounds, but you could have stuck the gardening displays into one quarter of one building, and that's if you added the Made in Oklahoma food products. The poor Master Gardeners had a tiny booth next to Bustani Plant Farm, but at least they were a bit of green spot next to the roofing displays. Landscapers were out in full force and one, Tony's Tree Plantation, had a large space for his display and for some of his trees. Tony did some work for me once on my front garden, and his guys were great help getting those gigantic boulders in place. TLC Nursery had a booth as did Marcum's, but I was...