I am laughing at us all now, y'all. Look at how much time we are spending discussing tomatoes. It is almost like we might be addicted and, since we cannot be eating them nonstop at this time of the year, we discuss them endlessly. At least talking about growing them reminds us that fresh tomatoes are just a few months away.

Let's not forget that there are many other vegetables that we can and should grow in our gardens (as long as they remember their proper place and don't try to crowd out our precious tomatoes). What other fresh veggies are you craving now? I miss having fresh, home-grown potatoes and snap beans for sure. Oh, and fresh pink eye purple hull peas. And fresh melons......and home-grown lettuce and kale. We still have onions from our garden, though some are starting to sprout, so they likely won't last all that much longer.

Today I'm going to check Wal-mart, TSC, Atwood's and Home Depot to see what sort of gardening supplies they have in the stores. If I see something I like and want, I'll buy it. I'm not expecting much---last week they all still were immensely crowded with tons and tons of unsold Christmas decor clogging up the garden center areas where they usually begin stocking gardening supplies in January. Hopefully they'll look better today.

We have wind today, and the likelihood of some rainfall today and tonight. I'm not crazy about the stronger winds, but it is getting to be that time of the year.

This week's weather is such a mixed bag, but at least we'll have a couple more warm days before the next blast of bone-chilling cold arrives. January is the hardest month for gardeners, I think. At least by February we can start planting onions and such, and February is getting closer and closer every day. Of course, the February weather has to cooperate in order for us to plant the onions at the right time, but it usually does cooperate at least that much.

My indoor garden consists of two poinsettia plants that still look reasonably good and one double white-flowered amaryllis with six blooms open on it. It probably is peaking now and will go downhill quickly, but it has been so lovely to enjoy its blooms over the last week.

Jet's new kidney medication is working so well that he slept all night long instead of having to go outside every hour or two, so that means we slept all night too. I cannot believe what a difference one good night's sleep can make. In fact, Jet slept so well that Tim and I were afraid he was dead when we woke up and he wasn't stirring at all, but he was just sleeping really hard and he did finally wake himself up and go outdoors, if somewhat grudgingly. Now he is curled up on his blanket on the sofa, watching the world go by.

Have a great week everyone. I'll be back later to report if there's any signs of spring in the stores.

Dawn