Crocuses, Croci, and My Fifth Blogaversary

Spring has come to my backyard.  Honest it has, despite Tuesday's snow.

Yesterday, I promised to show you what was blooming, since I couldn't do it in time for April 15, Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.  But I didn't want to talk about plants - seems like I've done too much of that recently. (Do I hear a big groan from my audience?) 

My crocuses (croci?) had decided to go ahead and bloom without me. Only one was left - the others had their flowers sprawled out on my lawn, all finished, possibly worn out from the exercise of figuring out what their plural form was. (If you are wondering, dear reader, both crocuses and croci are correct, and it's a fascinating story because "crocus" is not derived from Latin.)

Yesterday, I dug my lenten rose plant out of a pile of frozen leaves that had settled around it.  I was wondering why it wasn't blooming, and it turns out it was, hidden under the frosty pile.  I hope this plant finds it in its heart to forgive me for negligent gardening.

My bloodroot also had to be rescued from the same leaves.

Yesterday, I was too busy to rake all the leaves away, including the ones covering my hyacinth and daffodils, and today isn't looking too good, either.  It's food preparation time, as we are doing much of the cooking for Easter dinner, which my mother in law (who is in her mid 80's and only recently was battling cancer) will be hosting.  And I have to prewrite three blog posts.  I like to pretend that there are a couple of people in my life who look forward to reading my daily posts, and, if this is true, I don't want to disappoint them.

Which brings me to the lost blogaversary.  On April 10, 2009 I wrote my first blog post. (It's a grim one, but if you want to click into my archives at the bottom of my blog, and check it out, you are more than welcome.) Because of my vacation, I forgot all about my fifth blogaversary.  So here I am, wallowing in virtual embarrassment.

Bloggers like to celebrate these types of anniversaries with special giveaways.  Well, I don't even know how to insert a rafflecopter (the software commonly used for this).

And I don't even know what to give away.

Winter?

Seriously, I really do have to give this, and the next year of my blog, some thought.  Up to now, I've had a ramblin' type of blog. But I feel like my blog has become somewhat stagnant, and I really don't know where I want to take it. Do you enjoy the lack of focus? Would you want to see more nature/gardening/local food stuff? Or more about life in upstate New York? More about my brother in law with autism, who, somehow, I don't write about enough?  Long distance caregiving and my mother in law (who is doing much, much, better after her battle with cancer)? Chocolate, which has been totally neglected recently?

What would you like to see as a fifth blogaversary celebration?  And what do you think would be a cool giveaway?  (no chocolate - weather is getting too warm).

Let's see what my readers say: and to each and everyone of you: THANK YOU FOR READING MY BLOG!

Without you, my readers, blogging would be boring, and I would have quit it a long time ago.