Of all the many things that have happened this year one of the most exciting, for me anyway, is...

this

Now, I know, you're probably thinking "lemons...?" 

"What's the big deal about lemons?" 

But you see I grew these lemons. Since reading the book Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes, years ago, I have wanted a lemon tree. And this spring, after we bought our house and acquired a yard, I bought one. With 3 lovely smelling blossoms. And everyday I have watched the very slow process of 2 of those blossoms (the squirrels claimed one for themselves I'm afraid) as they lost their petals and the pistils grew bigger and rounder and finally, in early December, began to blush brightest yellow.

So now, cheering the west facing window in our spare bedroom and the barren, icy landscape outside these lemons wait. Wait for me to actually go so far as to harvest them. (After such a lead-up I'm a bit reluctant...) But in the meantime, they speak to me of warm breezes, sun drenched skies and tropical locations.