Let's Hear It For Getting Your Spring Groove Back

Happy First Day of Spring!  I'm a four season loving girl, but this area of Texas doesn't stand on ceremony when it comes to seasons.  January temperatures soar into the 70's and the snow holds off until March.  I do my best not to let it annoy me that the windows may be open to let in lovely cool breezes even though the Christmas decorations are up, or that the spring decor is out but it's sleeting outside.  Today it's rainy and cold, and I'm longing for spring flowers and sunshine.  

 (image source)

The season change from winter to spring is my least favorite.  I put the Christmas decor away and leave the winter decor up until March, because this:

Actually I was glad that the winter decor was still up while there was snow on the ground, because otherwise, it just feels all wrong.  The snow melted, then the rains came (which we must not begrudge) and the ground was too wet to fetch all the spring boxes from the shed.  Everything just feels in between.

I love the excitement of New Years with it's Auld Lang Syne and ball dropping and ringing in the new year, and I totally geek out on resolutions and goals and planning.  I love cold weather and a fire in the fireplace, but come the end of February, I'm just ready for the grey part of the year to be done.  My heart lags a little bit.  I keep on keeping on, but inside I just feel stuck, like I can't get anything done.  Do you ever feel that way?

This week I read Meg Duerkson's blog post Trail Mix, a Playlist and Crazy Strong Abs.  Do you follow Meg?  If you love rainbow colors, beautiful photography, family life, creativity and a genuine heart, you'll love her.  She shared her workout playlist and I snagged a couple of great workout songs, headed to my ITunes library, and assembled a workout playlist of my own.  I've loved walking these past several months, but I could use an infusion of something new besides watching for snakes newly out from winter hiding - GAH. 

May I Present The 'Get Your Groove Back' Workout Playlist:

These songs were chosen specifically for the kind of tempo that makes it impossible to keep still.  I've talked before }here{ about how I feel about lyrics of popular music today - no need to be alarmed: my morals are firmly intact!  When my walk with this list playing in my ear was done, the winter blues were nowhere in sight.  It was a little bit like this:

except not nearly as cute and Kevin Bacon didn't make an appearance.

I braved the drive across marshy ground to the shed and loaded the truck up with boxes full of spring.  The winter stuff couldn't be put away fast enough, and the house is a blank palette.

Thinking about filling things out with the soft tones of spring makes me happy.  And if the tempo starts to lag, I'm ready with my secret weapon blues-banishing playlist.

What about you?  Are there times of the year that make you feel stuck?  What's on your get your groove back playlist?

HAPPY SPRING!

Afternoon at Luscombe Farm

Across the street from Martha's Iris Garden, in Anna, Texas,

is Luscombe Farm,

a wonderfully rustic and quaint-in-the-best-possible-way family operation,

offering specialty foods, gourmet gift baskets, and event hosting.

We were fortunate enough to catch Leslie Luscombe onsite,

 and she gave us a quick tour of the commercial kitchen and dining room, 

and a brief history of the family farm.

Luscombe Farm offers a variety of their own award winning pepper jellies,

available in local stores across the country and also by order from their website }here{

The farm's Gourmet Store is open by appointment January through October,

and officially open to the public November and December.  

Scheduled events include Martha's Annual Iris show ( you can see our lovely visit }here{ )

and coming on June 5, Luscombe Farm Cooking School - Farm to Table, 

with Chef Robert Lyford from Patina Green.
click }here{ for information on the cooking school

Treasures from yesteryear are scattered over the grounds, 

and the green grass and big trees and rolling vistas are the perfect setting for a leisurely afternoon.

Exploring the barn and looking at the old farm implements 

made me wish my Dad were along to give first hand details about how things used to be.

 

It's no small wonder that Luscombe Farm was chosen 

as the fifth most popular place to have photographs taken in Collin County.

Everywhere you look is a vignette waiting to happen.

And for brides- and grooms-to-be looking for a wedding venue that offers elegant country charm, 

Luscombe Farm is a dream location.

Click }here{ for information on the event venue and
to see a gorgeous bridal portrait featuring a rustic barn on the property ...
the possibilities are stunning.

Luscombe Farm Specialty Foods

is open by appointment January through October

and always available for any size order

http://www.luscombefarm.com

8649 Luscombe Farm Drive

Anna, Texas 75409

(214) 212-0814

For photographer's price listing, click }here{

 (it's best to call in advance to reserve your time for use of the grounds)

Thanks for coming along on this delightful venture with us!

Garden Party

If winter was far too long for you,
and you still haven't gotten enough springtime to make you forget, 

have I got a treat for you.

A little north of the Dallas metroplex ... 

just outside of McKinney ...

near the town of Anna ...

on top of a hill ...

is a private iris garden that will melt all the ice
from your over-wintered, ready for spring heart.

 The garden is the labor of love of Martha McDowell, 

whose family has owned the property for over 100 years.

She'll meet you on her four-wheeler for a chat when you arrive, 

and encourage you to sign her guest book before you leave.

The iris garden is Mrs. Martha's yard ... and you're genuinely welcomed to meander all over it.

She's happy to just let you wander,
or tell you about her home and her garden,
and offer her wisdom about the beautiful things she grows here.

She's truly delighted to share her little piece of lovely with you.

When I thanked her for sharing her garden with us,
she mentioned that someone said to her recently,
 "You should charge admission for this!"

And her reply reflects her generous heart, "oh, no ... that would take all the joy out of it."

I asked her if she had a favorite iris, and it was clearly an impossible question to answer.

So many varieties and colors ... it's probably best just to love them all.

When my sister invited us to accompany her,
I counted this a field trip and brought the kids along, 

not sure if they would really appreciate it or if it would be one of those,
"Moooooooom, when are we leeeeeeeeaving?" experiences.

But even they were completely charmed by the garden,
and by Mrs. Martha herself and her joy in sharing her place.

We enjoyed the creative names for all the different iris varieties.  

But our favorite name was ...

I watched Nathan intent on photographing something ...

it was a bunny - with a garden address better than Peter Rabbit.

The view from the back of the property is beautiful -
you can see for miles over the rolling hills.

We love our bluebonnets in Texas, and they're in full bloom everywhere.

But the show stoppers in this garden are the irises ...

I tried to pretend I was an iris judge,
and pick the prettiest one.

  

This feat is not for the faint of heart.

Because each variety has its own special charm.

And you fall in love again with each one.

We spent about two hours just making our way
from beautiful flower to beautiful flower.

I loved this one, with its delicate coloring ...

But my personal favorite was called Beat the Heat;

it's drop dead gorgeous.

I wonder if irises are easy to grow?
Mrs. Martha sure makes it look easy.
If you'd like to visit Martha's Iris Garden at Luscombe Farm,
you're invited!
They'll be open for the 2014 season through April 29,
with over 750 varieties of iris in bloom.

The address is
1400 County Road 366
Anna, Texas

Martha's Iris Garden isn't the only thing on this hilltop -
across the road is Luscombe Farm Specialty Foods,
offering event hosting, gourmet gift baskets,
and delicious lunches by reservation.
We'll head over there next - it's a gorgeous event venue!

Find the Luscombe Farm Specialty Foods page on Facebook }here{