Jan and Floyd Norton’s daughter Debbie wrote this poem and I thought it would be a great way to start the column, since we just got three inches of fresh snow on the ground.

New England Winter 2015
by Debbie Norton

This winter’s been a splinter

in the backside of us all,

The freakin’ cold is getting old

I think we’ve hit the wall.

The weather’s trend is not our friend

It’s hard to watch the forecast,

Blizzards form the weekly norm

How long can it last?

I lay my head upon my bed

while dreaming of the spring

I’ve built a shrine to sweet sunshine

To this dream I will cling!

Happy birthday to all who celebrated their day this past week. Big balloons go out to Lucianne Sexil who celebrated Feb. 21; Quinn Filiault, Feb. 23; Tristan Blair, Thiago Mendes, Nahuel Munoz and Jason Welty, Feb. 24; Floyd Hershey, Feb. 25, and to Benjamin Belisle who celebrated his day Feb. 26.

I know there are a lot of trips going on this week. I have seen postings on social media. My favorite story so far is Barbara Phillips who surprised her twin granddaughters, Malory and Maddie, by taking them to Disney on Ice. They were so happy and love their Bebe for all the great things they get to do with her.

My boss Patty and I went to lunch the other day and we were talking about work and how we couldn’t wait until spring (kind of — as then it will be very busy) but she said that the ranunculus were planted. For those of you who may not know, they are a beautiful spring flower that looks very much like a rose. It is an annual and gives us a lot of hope for spring and goes so nicely with the spring bulbs. They only last through cool weather but they are gorgeous. She also said there were over 4,000 tags printed for all the perennials that are growing at the farm for spring and summer. So keep your head up, beauty and spring are on their way.

I have been watching all the videos that are posted of the ferries going through the ice. The Chappy ferry has been plowing through the ice in our harbor, and then there is the ice in Woods Hole and Vineyard Haven. When we were leaving Woods Hole on Monday, the boat was shaking and rattling and making a grinding sound. I didn’t think of the ice, but my friend got out to look and said it was the boat going through all of the ice. I started to think about the Titanic and what sounds they heard. Oh, boy, I have to stop thinking!

Just a heads up — on March 8 we turn the clocks ahead. It has already made a big difference since it is light until almost 6 p.m., so it will be great to have daylight until 7.

Have a great week and keep the home candles burning.

Send your Edgartown news to: kathleencase@comcast.net.