Claire's Rose

Winter in Tennessee is often hard on me. It is grey and cold and rainy for what seems like forever! At least it feels that way after a while. Within just a few weeks I crave the sunshine and warmth, I start to feel really down and blue after all those days of cold, wet, grey yuckiness. Usually, during the winter, I get outside no matter how pale and weak the sunlight, and no matter how bitterly cold it is just to absorb some of that good vitamin D!

But this year was different. Claire was born at the beginning of the winter, just a few weeks before Christmas time. I’ve had post-partum depression after one of my children. Thank God, I didn’t have it again this time! That was something so horrible; I never want to go through it again! But still with a brand new baby I couldn’t very well take her outside into below freezing winds! And I didn’t feel comfortable ever leaving her in the house while I went outside with the boys to play for a while. My husband never arrived home before dark during the winter months when the sun sets so much earlier. So for half of December, and all of January, February, and even part of March, Claire and I stayed inside. I was still basking in the glow of my “babymoon” during that time which helped some, but I was so happy to see the return of warmth and sunshine!!!

Now Claire and I go outside every single day to play. We walk around our yard and garden. I let her smell the flowers and pet the chickens. She laughs at her brothers’ antics and so do I. We are having fun!

My brother gave me this rose bush two years ago. This spring it is absolutely covered in blossoms! They smell heavenly. I have no idea what type of rose it is, but it is one of the best smelling roses I’ve ever had! Claire agrees!

She thinks it tastes pretty yummy too!