The days grow longer, so even though we are ‘enjoying’ a week of zero temperatures – and below – we can feel the shifting of seasons. The paperwhites that Brent and Becky sent along with my order as a bonus to cheer those of us who lived through Superstorm Sandy are indeed encouraging.

I potted up my paperwhites in late November and kept them out in our bright unheated Great Room until January 6. Unlike most daffodils they do not need chilling in order to bloom but I wanted that bloom when the excitement of Christmas was over and when I was facing what I consider the longest month of the year, February.

Days grow longer and my lasitude begins to shift, but still the days grow colder which keeps me tethered to the house and as many hours near the woodstove as I can manage. This year I am not complaining about the cold. It is my understanding that one of the reasons for the increase in the number of ticks and terrible invasive insects like the emerald ash borer and the Asian longhorn beetle is the mildness of our recent winters. We need the winter cold to rid ourselves of these destructive insects. The city of Worcester, not far from us, has lost many of its trees due to a serious invasion of the asian longhorn beetle.

The days grow longer. What cheers you?