Vanishing Spring

The spring went by so quickly this year - though, it could just seem that way to me because I was sick for most of it…

I missed all my spring planting, though one third-generation heirloom tomato came up by itself - and only gave one tomato (but it was a really good tomato!). The lemon balm and mint have overwhelmed the lettuce bed, the squash we bought months ago still languishes in its little black pot, and the entire right side of the yard has gone insanely wild from the near daily rain showers. 

And it's hot. 

We may be used to temperatures in the mid 90s, and 60% humidity, but that doesn't mean we like it!  

Thank God for air conditioning. 

I miss the cool spring breezes, and all the bright new green leaves and pretty flowers, but it's fun having all the family home for the summer. And when we can brave the heat (and the swarms of Mosquitoes…), we are taming the garden bit by bit. 

Hopefully we can get in a fall crop of tomatoes, and make up for the missed spring :) 

The Year of Mortality

 It has been a hard year so far. Not bad, just hard. And filled with lots of changes. I have been, rather morbidly, calling it the Year of Mortality.

More funerals and emergency room visits, hospital waiting rooms and doctors appointments then we usually have in a year, all squeezed into a few months.

There seems to be a shadow of melancholy over our world, even though in some ways there is more happiness and contentment in my family - everything seems to be falling into place.

And life is actually quite peaceful right now.

I'm remembering that a few simple happinesses make any day beautiful.

I am carrying a drop spindle in my purse again, finding new old folksongs and singing all day long. I am reading because I enjoy it, and walking barefoot in the garden to count the monarch caterpillars and bring the turtles strawberry tops.

It's almost as if all the bad has shocked us into realizing all the good.

And right now?
Life's good.

Quite Day

Today was dark and cloudy, always just on the verge of raining. The perfect day for reading with a cup
of tea, though not the type of day that makes you want to do anything else.
It was just cool enough to leave the door open, so I brought my mess of crafting supplies that had exploded all over my bedroom out to the living room and put on Bach's Saint Matthew's Passion. I felt like I did not get much done, but when I was putting everything away, suddenly my room looked much better! No, I don't have before and after pictures. You'll just have to take my word for it that it was a true explosion that I'd be embarrassed to show anyone anyway :)

We are hearing so much about the snow up north, but that type of cold is such an alien concept down here. The little oak in the front is already budding out, and we are carefully guarding our potted lemon tree from any hint of cold or wind. It is covered in bosoms, and must have thirty little green lemons already formed! Last year some unexpected weather caused the poor little tree to drop all it's flowers, and all but three little lemons. We are crossing our fingers for this year…

The First Post

The amount of time I have spent agonizing over this first blog post is frankly ridicules. I just could not get myself to make the plunge into the blogosphere. 
'I can't have my first post today' I'd think to my self. 
'It's Thursday. Who ever started a blog on a Thursday? Wait until Monday.'

Then Monday would come around and I would forget, or be too busy or too tired and 'I wouldn't be able to write a coherent sentence, let alone anything like the magnitude of a First Blog Post.'

See, utterly ridicules. 

And it's been going like this since January.

I guess you could say Who's ever heard of a blog starting on Ash Wednesday? but if you are thinking this, please, please keep your mouth shut. I have finally gathered my bravery around me,  and I am going to cling tightly to it until this post is finished!

You want to know the odd thing? 
For some reason all it took was an unusually productive day on three hours of sleep for me to gather my bravery around me an finally sit down to type. 
This is even more odd when you consider that from 8:00 to 12:00 today I was taking care of a crying, teething, not quite toddler… 

Maybe after that I feel like I can do anything? 

'What do you like to do?' is one of those slightly awkward conversation starters, and it always causes my mind to go completely blank. The last time someone asked me I laughed and said "I like to knit."

I was sitting and knitting on a sock as we talked, and it was the first thing I could think of - but it is true. 

I always have knitting in my purse, along with at least one book, a notebook, and sometimes some sewing. Sometimes I feel like Mary Poppins with my magical bag of everything. 

Need hair pins? I've got three sizes.

Snack? Take your pick. 

Bandade? Got that too.

You're cold? There's probably a sweater and a pair of socks somewhere near the bottom...

Well, this is it
.

I've joined everyone and their brother in starting a blog.
Lets see where this adventure takes us, shall we? 

I am so happy that you have found my little nest!
Love, 
Lucie Marcella