Wintery March

The window tree view from my office

March is a hard time. It doesn't help that Kansas is super tricky. Last year at this time my spring garden was already in the ground. I planted peas and spinach on March 1st. Today is March 24th and I woke  up to a fresh layer of snow on the ground. Sigh. 

Too bad this didn't happen tonight though because I am pretty sure we would've had a snow day today. (It was super windy on my drive home last night (post-Wichita State's major upset last night!) Blowing and drifting!) 

I am hoping this is a good thing. Okay, yes, we are in a drought so I need to stop complaining about getting moisture, even if it is the snow variety. But I am hoping it is a good thing because maybe, just maybe, it is a sign that summer will not be so hot this year as previous years. I can barely handle cabin fever once a year, let alone twice (because I get it in July here too). In my mind, this makes sense. If it hasn't warmed up as much as it had already last year, then maybe summer will take it's sweet ole time this year. I clearly have no idea what I am talking about but that is the hope. Because right now all I want to do is curl up under my blankets and have someone bring me soup. Unfortunately, none of things happen. So let's move on from this. 

I did, however, plant some spinach already. (My peas are still waiting in the wings). I just planted on Wednesday (mostly because I didn't believe this snow would come). I know spinach is pretty hardy, so I am hoping it's just sleeping under the soil right now and didn't freeze to death last night. I need to call my Dad and ask. Why don't I know anything about gardening?

It's supposed to warm back up by midweek, so hopefully the soil will dry out sometime soon so I can get the rest of my spring veggies in the ground.  I get so impatient this time of year. Obviously I am ready for it to be warm, but since it is so dreadfully hot and dry here in the summer, I feel there is only a small window of time to grow things in this state. There is the fear that I am going to miss out on it. Oh well, I cannot control the weather.

Since it is still winter and I cannot garden, I have been enjoying one of my favorite wintery activities this week: eating soup. That's been a major plus.

Leah and I went to Wichita to run some errands, but first we stopped at our favorite Wichita eatery: Tanya's Soup Kitchen. I had this tomato curry with jasmine rice soup that was out-of-control good. It unfair how good it was. I've still been thinking about it all weekend. (The sandwich featured with it was a "Cindy the boy," which was a turkey, havarti and apple chutney panini. so good).

Yesterday, my housemates, Jill and I went to Wichita again to catch a afternoon showing of Tina Fey's new movie Admissions. It was a good movie, but it made us all feel very melancholy at the end. Maybe it was just the weather. So afterwards we headed to Little Saigon, a Vietnamese restaurant near Old Town. (Although maybe "Asian fusion is a more appropriate description because they did have some Chinese and Thai cuisine as well). I ordered the Pork Wanton Soup, (which came in a bowl the size of my head). It was just what I needed on that gloomy, cold, sad day. I think Vietnamese food is quickly becoming a favorite. 

My plate of soup toppers...

...although the soup came with a ton of toppers already

And who knows, maybe all this winter weather and soup is just what I need right now. If it was warm outside, I would be putting all this pressure on myself to be outside and to garden and do a ridiculous amount of yard work. So I guess it's kind of a win to bury myself under blankets and to wait for spring to finally arrive. Well, that and watch March Madness basketball.

Still, hopefully next time I post there will be more sunshine to talk about.