Lately I've had a lot in common with my tulips. I've been hunkering down close to the house, covered with a soft white blanket, peeking out every once in a while to see if it's safe to leave my comfort zon

e. And just when I thought it was safe to come out, Mother Nature strikes again and it's just too much work to bloom. Could this weekend finally be our shining moment?

With a forecast heralding 70-plus degrees, I'm almost giddy about what the weekend holds. Here are the top spring-weather priorities in my house; let's hear yours:

Fresh air. Eager to rid the house of the stale winter smells (special thanks to our dog, Stella), I start cracking the windows in my house as soon as the weather hits 40 degrees. Come Friday, everything will be wide open which will probably lead to ...

Cleaning windows. Last year I took advantage of my kids having a bonus day off of school because they didn't use all their snow days. This year I'm not so lucky. But that won't stop me. I'll be armed with window cleaner, soapy buckets of water and old toothbrushes to wash away the last of winter's charm. With spring finally here, I want to be able to see it.

Airing our dirty laundry: Or at least our bed linens. One of the first things I did when we moved in almost 14 years ago was put in a clothesline. It's like an old friend: we've both seen better days, and even though we go months without seeing each other, once spring comes it's like we were never apart. Plus, is there anything better than crawling into bed under covers that have spent the morning basking in the sun?

Assessing the damage: How did everything fare over the winter? Do my trees all have buds on them? Are the lilacs that we had so much hope finally going to look like something besides a bunch of twigs? What shrubs will we have to replace? Will our yard always look like one of the 10,000 lakes? Will my sump pump EVER stop running?

Prioritizing the priorities: I've been wanting to move my garden for years, but I've also been wanting to plant shrubs along our property line to add privacy. Edging needs to be replaced, dirt needs to be brought in to fill around the house. Do we want to replace the rock with mulch? And what about my front door? Will I finally find time to paint it, and the trim around it? (Again, special thanks to Stella for making that necessary.) So many decisions, so little time, and even less money.

The great clean-up: Thank goodness my town still does spring clean-up, so this weekend will be spent kicking things to the curb, literally. Fair warning to the basement, garage and my children: judgment day has arrived. But then, at the end of the day, it's ...

Patio season opener: Time to sweep off the patio, wipe down the chairs and replace the legs on the table. The grill will be out, and so will the spring and summer menus. Good bye, pot roast; hello, grilled steaks. Who's with me?

What are your top priorities this spring, besides just basking in the fact that it's finally here?