Brutal weather grips much of the country. The raised bed where we traditionally plant peas on St. Patrick’s Day sits under 6 feet of snow. An upcoming trip to Boston, where brawls break out over shoveled-out parking spaces, terrifies me. Bostonians want the city declared a disaster area. Yet today I committed an Act of Optimism. I ordered seeds from Pinetree Garden Seeds out of New Gloucester, Maine. A talented gardener and friend introduced me