Time for Spring, I say!

I love California. I love how trees blossom in February, preempting Spring's grand entrance. I love that nurseries are bustling with anxious gardeners come March 1st.
Come July, I am cursing the ugly sizzling black pavement of a Sacramento summer. But for now, my infatuation for California is on a euphoric high.
Did you know that the ocean temperature at an L.A county beach in December is warmer (60 degrees) than an Oregon beach in July (59 degrees)? The baggage claim at the airport in Burbank, CA is outdoors. You can get a genuine tan 8 months out of the year, without succumbing to the rays of a bacteria-infested tanning bed or spraying UV sap on your body. These are a few of the reasons why I will probably always call California home.
Today I added a few more plants to the herb garden. I found Hibiscus at my local nursery. It was their first shipment of the year. Since Hibiscus is a tropical plant, I am safest to keep it potted for the first year or so to protect it from the frost of winter. So far, the tea garden consists of lemon thyme, stevia, lavender, hibiscus, chocolate mint, chamomile, and a few seedlings of lemongrass. They are all in pots on my patio and I seriously stare at them, thinking I will see them grow. I transferred them from the small nursery containers to larger pots, and they have since grown considerably over the last few weeks. The stevia plant tastes so sweet. I have pulled off a few leaves and enjoyed their sugary flavor. I am not the only one that has enjoyed their taste, however as I have noticed small holes in a few leaves. I obviously am not going to spray my plants, but does anyone know of a way to keep my stevia plant from being a bug's dessert?
Right now I am a woman of two very different jobs. I enjoy the change of scenery and the challenge each job presents. I especially enjoy pouring into college writers at the Warrior Writing Center. It feels like a very natural role for me to play. I can't believe I actually get paid to nag people to write better. ;)
I recently read "When Heaven and Earth Changed Places," a personal memoir of a girl who grew up in Vietnam during the "American Invasion." I found it to be an incredibly interesting and honest portrayal of the Vietnam war and the corrupt mess between so many people just fighting for what they thought was right. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about Vietnamese history, or wants to read a story of an incredible, strong woman who found in herself the power to overcome.
To balance the heaviness of that read, I found comfort by reverting to a love of my childhood. I am on a obsessive Disney kick. I think going to Disneyland last month really set me off. In the past, I have been prone to occasional outbursts of Disney fanaticism, but this time, it really is bad. Of course, with whatever I am interested in at the time, I pour myself into the research of the topic. So I guess at least I have learned a lot about the history of the company and about Walt himself. I'll post on some of this at a later point.

I officially welcome Spring, on behalf of its most beloved state in the US.