We had more than what seemed like a fair amount of snow in Middlebury this year. More than once I had to kick and push my way out my kitchen door and dive through drifts to shovel snow and chip away at ice, clearing a path for the Jennings boys to head out into the world. Even more frequently, I sent them through and over snow and ice, because not having to brave the outdoors when it’s -10 is one of the reasons telecommuting seems like a great idea in Vermont.

I channeled my frustration about the endless white winter into concern over a lilac we planted eight years ago when we moved to South Street. She’s a Miss Kim, an especially fragrant variety, and she’s fat, happy, and strategically located right outside our kitchen window. June smells like a garden downstairs at our house. I’m sorry to say that this year: Miss Kim got slammed. She went from knee deep to completely covered by snow, which turned to heavy, oppressive ice, and when it started to melt all we could see were bent and broken twigs far closer to the ground than they should have been. We weren’t sure she was going to make it, and I felt her pain. Spring can be a very long time coming up here.

Skip forward just a few weeks and once again, the smell of lilac is filling the house. It turns out Miss Kim bounced back and has even added a few inches since last year. Now it’s the weight of the blooms that has her bending a bit but she shows no serious signs of wear and tear. She made it through another winter, and so did I. Here’s to a long, hot summer!