As is often the case on weekends, I’m at the competition pool. The roads are sheets of gray sleet, tree branches and the black iron railing outside the aquatic center are topped with a line of white snow, and the aqua pool below is splashing with kids warming up.

We weren’t sure if the meet would happen today because of the winter storm, but plows are out in force — we passed about six vehicles on the highway, four or five of which were plows — and here we are. I’m timing today, and I didn’t think to bring anything to entertain myself during warmups. So as is often the case in winter, I’m daydreaming about the garden.

We have a family budget meeting later this month, so I’m sitting in the bleachers, switching between the Pinterest and Trello apps on my phone, putting together a garden while kids swim butterfly in the blue lanes below me.

My gardening blog has been a huge help with timing of when different plants started showing up at the nursery last year. I had no idea it would be so useful. I’ll have to make sure to keep it up again this year.

Now I just need it to be April.