Spring Snow

You may have seen the picture of my snow-covered lilacs on my niece's blog, Auntie Cake's.  My son gave me a ride in his newest car for Mother's Day, and going through the woods I was surprised by how many trees had fallen due to the weight of the snow.  We only got about four inches, but it was wet and heavy -- and gone within 24 hours.

Did you know a spring snow like that is called poor man's fertilizer?  Partly because the moisture helps things "green up," and partly because it really does add nutrients like nitrogen to the soil.  I was so pleased to hear this because...

...we're supposed to get more on Tuesday!!!

Awhile / A While

Another short one today, starting with a confession.  This one took me the longest time to learn, and I'm not sure why.  It's really fairly simple!

Awhile means "for a while."

A while is two words, usually used after the word for.

So, if you say for awhile, you're really saying for for a while --  which is just wrong.

I'm going to stay at my sister's house for a while.
--OR--
I'm going to stay at my sister's house awhile.

I'll be leaving in a while.

Remember, if I left in awhile, that would be the same as saying I'm leaving in for a while.

The trick I finally came up with to get it right is to remember to use either one word (awhile) or three words (for a while) -- no two words about it.

Hope you all are enjoying better weather than we are in northern Minnesota, where it snowed all day.  My tulips are done, my rhubarb is trying to go to seed, and my lilacs are ready to pop open...and it's snowing like crazy.  There's something wrong here!