lilacs blooming on the hill
crabapple blossoms, for just a quick few days before they shower the lawn with pink petals.
forget-me-nots, planted here in vermont to remind me of our first, sweet neighborhood in chicagoland.
lily of the valley along the stonewall. i used to read books in my grammies lowry’s patch of lily of the valley, under her lilac hedge when i was a kid. those two scents will forever remind me of spring in a magical childhood place. and of her dear presence in my life story.
The scents!
Lily of the valley. Lilac. Freshly cut grass. Cotton sheets dried out on the clothesline. Freshly spread manure. The garden beds after a soft spring rain.
The sounds!
So many plants abuzz with bees. The spring peepers as dusk falls. The coyotes out in the meadow at night. The birdsong, especially the swallows as they stake out their nesting spots. Tractors tilling neighboring fields. Chainsaws clearing trees downed over the winter.
The wildflowers!
Trillium. Columbine. Soloman’s seal. Marshmallows. Trout lilies. Primroses. And all the tiny violets and other sweet things in the lawn.
Eating!
+++Fiddleheads! We tried fiddlehead soup this year. (Be sure to research harvesting and cooking fiddleheads before you try anything! There are safety precautions to be aware of!)
+++Rhubarb! Stewed to eat with homemade yogurt (using Deborah Madison’s recipe.) Or baked into this delicious recipe!
+++Fresh chèvre! Our dear neighbors down the road made a new batch of chèvre and rolled it in the first dandelion petals of the season. They delivered the goat cheese with freshly baked sourdough ciabatta bread. SO GOOD! My gram used to dig the first dandelion greens of the season, steam them and eat them with a pat of butter and splash of cider vinegar. There are so many “spring tonics” we have lost track of over the years. It’s so fun to see some of them coming back. Here in Vermont it’s traditional to plant your potatoes when the first dandelions bloom. :-)
+++The farmer’s markets have been full of delightful treats. It’s been so fun to wander their stalls, basket in hand, renewing acquaintances and bringing home things fresh from the earth.
birch catkins, picked up off the lawn and brought in to the first dye pot of the season. vintage linens went in, i’ll share the results next week.
Recreating!
Once in a while Batman and I try to keep a day or two free of volunteer responsibilities and take a bit of time to do “retirement” things. Last week, we went down to South Royalton to check out a new-to-us food truck, Carlita’s Cocina. It was amazing, including some of Batman’s favorite carbonated beverages from his days of growing up in Latin America. After lunch, Batman cast a few under the bridge into the First Branch of the White River. I sat in the sunshine on the rocks and read a book. It really was blissful. I would like to do this more often. (If you are a vegetarian, you may want to skip this part…) On the way home we stopped at Roma’s Butchery, a woman owned and operated butchery, selling local meats. What a treat to have access to meat that is grazed on pasture and raised humanely and harvested compassionately.
we thought of you, kristen and gary. xo
Reading!
My goodness, I have been on an Amor Towles binge! I started with A Gentleman in Moscow (his second book), went on to The Lincoln Highway (his third book) and ended with Rules of Civility (his first book). I love Towles’ writing and each book is very different from the others. My Fave? Hands down, A Gentleman in Moscow. But don’t let me sway you. Please let me know if you have read any of them and what you thought of them!
I also read Pauper Auction written by fairly local author, Mary Kronenwetter, which I found to be fascinating. The author did some major research into old New England ways that I was not aware of. Always learning.
Now I’ve got my nose into Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Gathering Moss, another gem.
I found most of these titles via our public library, and am glad that we can wander in its quiet space once again. (I still wear a mask whenever I go inside anyplace.) It was lovely to sit and read Cook’s Illustrated in the squishy leather chairs after such a long absence.
Thinking about!
Holy smokes, friends, if you are still reading, do I have something for you to ponder!!!!
I had the most wonderful massage the other day (such a luxury!). As I described the horrible kink in my neck, Missy and I spoke a little bit about how stressful the world is, and of how the 24/7 news feed can be overwhelming. I do try to limit my exposure to the news, especially because it doesn’t seem like “news” to me anymore. How many more wars and mass shootings and inappropriate behaviors can be called “news”?
Missy stopped me in my tracks when she told me she checks the news once a week.
I am still thinking about that. And wondering if maybe I want to be like Missy.
If I can reduce the frustration, anger, anxiety and grief I experience while consuming “the news” might that provide more energy, hope and clear thinking for the small bits of good work I try to do in the world?
How about you friends? What do you think?
xo
P.S. Just saw the “news” . Thank you Sen. Chris Murphy (D) Connecticut for asking, “What are we doing?” Indeed, WHAT ARE WE DOING?