And for any other readers from northern climes in need of a reminder that spring is coming:
This shot is from two weeks ago, over by the ice skating rink, just before the snow storm.
This morning on the way to and from the dentist I saw hyacinths starting to show their flowers and the first of the magnolia blooms. The daffs and the croci are in full bloom all over town.
Sorry for the confusion of yesterday’s post. It wasn’t actually a bad day. It’s just that the Monday after Daylight Savings Time kicks in is awfully rough for non-morning people when they have to get up to go to work. Since I was on vacation, my day started off in a lovely, relaxing way.
In fact, I was able to:
Today I was a little tired, but it wasn’t as bad as I’d feared. The great news for today is that Rich Wilson, the American sailor I’ve been following as part of my job, has finished his solo sail around the world in just over four months. He became only the second American ever to finish the grueling Vendée Globe race, so we couldn’t be more pleased for him, particularly given this year’s high attrition rate amongst his competitors.
In his honor, I offer you this Beach Boys classic, even though Rich has been sailing an Open 60 yacht and not a sloop:
Monday Morning Music will return on Tuesday, which will be Monday for me.
I’ve had a lovely weekend and am enjoying day three, aka The Worst Monday of the Year. (ETA: It’s only the Worst Monday when you have to get up for work an hour earlier than you did before Daylight Savings Time kicked in. Since I did not, my Monday was absolutely lovely.)
Saturday we had sun in the morning and comfortable temperatures. Mum baked a delicious cake for Gramma’s birthday. I bought two handfuls of seed packets from the store, remembering that I had difficulty finding them in the District last year. I’ll give you the run-down of the potential garden plants later in the week.
Yesterday, Karen and I met up in the Quiet Corner of Connecticut for lunch. She is looking lovely at the end of her second trimester, and it was so nice to be able to spend the entire afternoon together. When we both lived in Connecticut we’d get together several times a month, so our get-togethers are something I really miss. We decided to switch our meeting spot this time and I think that Pomfret might be a good future spot to meet, since they have lots of hiking trails and a nice restaurant with outdoor seating. It felt so nice to eat lunch outside in the sun without coats being necessary. Last night my folks surprised me with chocolate-dipped strawberries and some lovely birthday presents. We followed a late dinner with an episode of the original Mickey Mouse Club and some music from the Johnny Cash Show.
This morning I slept late before getting up so I could block Gramma’s quilt (her Christmas present, belatedly finished). It’s upstairs drying on our bed. What a luxury doors to keep cats away from blocking pins are! You never appreciate a bedroom so much as when you don’t have one! Now I’m sitting at the computer, with music playing in the background, lunch preparation noises coming from the kitchen, and snow falling outside. The birds at the feeder disappeared for a while when the precipitation was switching from rain to sleet, but once it turned back to snow, they returned. A red-capped woodpecker stopped by to visit with the smaller birds and a small red squirrel shimmied his way up the metal pole holding the feeders to ensconce himself at the feeder. Boy was he surprised when Mum popped out to shoo him away! The pines out the window behind the computer are starting to show a white icing and the large flakes have nearly covered the ground. I know my family is tired of snow, but I think it’s really sweet of the weather gods to give us such a nice show before we head back to the warm climes down south.
Talk to you tomorrow from D.C.!
Gramma turns 88 today. We’re happy to be home to help her celebrate.
Here are two songs that really embody my feeling about Gramma:
I couldn’t find Richard Shindell performing this song, but I thought this guy does a good version covering “Hazel’s House.”
And this link just sends you out to NPR, but it’s the best I could find:
There Were No Mirrors in My Nana’s House by Sweet Honey in the Rock
Three beautiful things from the past week:
1. Our brilliant friend Michael found out this week that he was one of the winners of the Emerging Voices Playwright Competition. His scene “Maybe,” part of his larger The Quick Brown Fox Jumped over the Lazy Dogs, deals with all that two words can — and can’t — say. While this was not the best staging I’ve seen of his work, the Lincoln Theater was a posh setting for it, and Michael well deserved the honor.
2. As I was hoofing it up to U Street this evening, I passed some elementary school kids getting out of their afterschool program. The eldest was probably in sixth grade, but the youngest was a bitsy little thing, possibly pre-K aged. When the kids decided to race from one end of the block to the other, the older kids had the best advantage, of course. The tiny girl gave it her all, though, dragging her pink Elmo rolly bag behind her, her stripey hat’s huge pompom bopping with each step.
3. Dark tree branches underline the snow as if to remind us, this is what’s important. This is what’s important. This is what’s important!
After giving myself a bye for the first two days this week from writing a post for the work blog, I told myself that I was just going to have to sit at my desk until I came up with something.
At 9:30, I finally hit the publish button. Blech.