Did you enjoy your St. Nicholas Day last Thursday? We sure hope so! we heard from many of you that you included Tasha's traditions of the first appearance of Dundee Cake at tea time on December 6th, one of our favorite traditions!
By this time of year the garden has been weeded for the last time, cleared of dried stems and brown leaves, and compost spread upon the beds. The ground will soon be frozen, and the long shadows that shield the frost on the grass for much of the day, arrive late and depart early. In between it is dark, for winter is here.
On a partly-sunny day, when the skies are heavy with impending rain, but the sun refuses to be entirely hidden, the greens around Tasha's house are stunning. The leaves offer a hundred shades of green when the sunlight teases us and catches the dew.
It is springtime in Vermont, and that is marked with many subtle and not-so-subtle shifts in routine. Four o'clock is no longer dusk, and as such, our tea times feel lighter, and more refreshing...compelling us onward into the now-light evening. Tea has taken on a distinctly spring-like feel, filled with pastel chocolates, citrusy delights, and a table laden with fresh flowers. As if a riot of daffodils in Tasha's garden, and the perfectly clear blue skies aren't lovely enough, Easter and April birthdays make the time seem even more exciting. Here are few recent scenes...
Though the snow is on the ground spring is near. The trees are budding against the full moon, and the days are longer. Yet spring in the hills of New England is relative. It is near, only in that it may be seen from afar, rather than not at all.