But the problem, of course, is that it is the first day of spring. You’d never guess it by looking at our little house in the big woods. There is snow everywhere, and this morning my husband, Clif, took out Little Green so that he could clean the driveway before going to work. Meanwhile, I had my trusty blue shovel, cleaning the steps, both front and back, the path to the gas tank, and the end of the driveway, which had a ridge of snow left by the plow.

On the plus side: The snow was light and fluffy and easy to clean. We did not lose our power. And last night night, as the snow came down, falling softly, softly falling (I borrowed this from James Joyce), Clif and I had a candle-lit dinner in our dining room. Yesterday was the actual date of our wedding anniversary, and we weren’t about to let a little late snow dampen our spirits. Along with wine, we had a quiche made from smoked cheddar, glazed carrots, olive-oil toast made from homemade bread, and raspberry bars for dessert. On Pandora, we listened to a Bela Flecks pathway.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Soon it will melt, and spring chores, in all their busy glory, will be upon us.