Periwinkle, Shampoo, Outdoors

1. Periwinkle covers the ground of the graveyard out back. I decided to sit there a while, in the sun, and enjoy the quiet.
2. I bought a new shampoo and the fragrance is captivating! I can't place where I've smelled it before, but it is reminiscent of something from childhood.
3. I enjoyed working out in the garden today. It was my first spring walk around the outer edge of the property and it felt good to take stock of things. The composted manure pile was especially exciting.

Papaw, Young at Heart, New Potatoes

1. There is a nice little man who lives down the road and he likes to sit in his car on sunny days.
2. I've seen this same man (grandpa in age) on the grass, legs in the air, work boots pointing to the sky, happily wrestling with a puppy.
3. Roasted chicken with balsamic vinegar and sage served with new potatoes boiled in their skins. Audrey exclaims about the cute little potatoes as she comes to the table.

Clouds, Mockingbrid, Gershwin

1. Huge, white, billowy clouds roll over the blue sky. A stark contrast to the previous four days of gray.
2. The mockingbird sings it's heart out from up on the roof. He has a large repertoire.
3. An afternoon of timeless Gershwin performed by Leon Bates, pianist.

I'm Nobody by Emily Dickenson

I'm nobody! Who are you?
Are you nobody, too?
Then there's a pair of us — don't tell!
They'd advertise — you know!

How dreary to be somebody!
How public like a frog
To tell one's name the livelong day
To an admiring bog!

I can't help but want to insert blog in place of bog.
This is a photo of the perpetual fog we seem to have up here.

Opals, Pie for Dinner, Plans

1. She wants fabric that looks like opals.
2. Little individual apple pies, each in their own tin. We decide to eat them for dinner. Mine with Vermont cheddar, theirs with vanilla ice cream.
3. All of this rain, drizzle and fog leaves so much time for planning the garden.

Greetings, Music, Sun?

1. My morning cup of coffee was especially good. And with my second half cup, yes...a piece of chocolate cake.
2. I observed the piano teacher with her students. A suggestion here, a fortissimo there, pencil mark, pencil mark, and out comes beautiful music. An entire foreign language is written on that page and yet everyone who hears it can understand it.
3. Another four days of rain is forecast. But at dusk, the sun filters through the fog and casts a yellow-green light for a few brief moments.

Rainy Day, Chocolate Cake, Busy

1. A damp and rainy day, perfect to stay in, keep warm and finish that book I've been reading.
2. The grandmother in the story bakes chocolate cake for the grandchildren. I am now craving the chocolate cake, so I bake one. I find the perfect recipes for the cake and the frosting and I am very pleased to have turned out the cake to suit my imagination.
3. When the afternoon starts to stretch out and turn long, I get out the ironing.

Flowers, Wagon Ride, Dirt

1. I catch the scent of daffodils now and then as I work in the kitchen.
2. Tess and I ride the little red wagon down the hill. I love having Tess as my gardening companion.
3. Our local nursery is expanding! We stop to buy dirt and get to choose our custom mix. One scoop of this and one scoop of that. Just like ordering an ice cream cone!

1. Bunny, Warmth, Blossoms

1. Napped with a bunny today. She is the sweetest thing! She closed her eyes and napped with me.
2. I felt lazy and chilly in the house so I went outside to sit in the sun, hoping to warm up. It was warm enough to shed the sweater. The rest of the family joined me and we sat outdoors in the sun visiting for a long while.
3. The blossoms on the flowering plum tree we planted last spring smell wonderful.

In the Kitchen, Elaine, Shadow Play

1. A full day baking and cooking. Strawberry rhubarb pie, Boston Creme pie and Stout and Beef Stew. Barbara and John came over to enjoy the meal with us.
2. Chelsea and Chad drove in tonight. They brought their new little baby rabbit which is the cutest thing!
3. Henri chases his shadow. He looks so goofy when he does this. Then he plops down, exhausted, on the rug.

Breakfast Out, A Nice Chat, Chores

1. Breakfast out with friends!
2. A nice, lazy chat with Mom on the phone. We say things to cheer each other.
3. I drive the pickup, Tess rides in the back, Steve opens the gate for us to pass through.

I Wondered, Errands, Fried Chicken

1. I used to notice a couple, who live down the road, out in their garden together, bending over this or that, carefully tending the flowers . At Christmas, they would decorate with lights. But last year the garden went unattended, there were no lights and I never saw the couple outside anymore. I was sad to think something had happened to one of them. And now here they are bending over a plant together!
2. I persisted until all the errands were done.
3. Buttermilk fried chicken. The family eagerly came to the dinner table.

Spring, A New Bed, Hairstyles

1. Spring overwhelms me this morning! No longer just a hint of spring, but full-blown spring in all its glory. The birds sing a variety of songs, the ground is supple under foot and the air feels cold from beneath yet warm from above. And the smells! Damp earth, sweetness in every direction, the air is flooded with scents. Green is the predominant color, glowing in vivid emeralds. What ever did I do to deserve this? Nothing, and yet here I am.
2. A good morning's work outside. Tess and I dig a new flower bed. I worry about stressed muscles, but I'm having too much fun to let up. I admit to myself that this may be the last ground I break in my gardening "career". I don't think I mind this realization too much.
3. As we toss clumps of sod into a pile, Tess starts trimming the long grass on them with scissors. She's giving the clumps hairstyles and we laugh at the one she gives a Mohawk.

Fog, Visitors, Sunshine

1. Another foggy morning and I love walking in it. The fog brings a peace and calm that is comforting.
2. A whirlwind visit from Lea, Cicely and Madalyn makes lunchtime festive.
3. The sun shines after several days of downpour!

Wisdom, Love, Happiness

1. A visit from Barbara over coffee! Made plans on how to approach the next half-century (with gusto). We are old and wise now and a little mischievous.
2. Calls and well wishes from everyone I love.
3. Henri surprised me when he snuffled and sniffed my ear as only a cute little dog can do.

Smells, Buds, Book Discussion

1.The damp earth gave off so many scents while I walked today. I caught a strong scent of cotton candy and later, cinnamon. I can't imagine where it came from, out in the middle of the field like that. Maybe my nose is playing tricks on me?
2. All of a sudden, trees and bushes are budding with flowers. The forsythia, flowering plum and my favorite, the flowering almond. I can't wait until the sun comes out and then see what happens!
3. Lively and interesting discussion in small group on the book we're reading, "The Language of God". We've been studying it for a while and I never tire of stretching my brain and wondering about things...

Misty, Hair, Ouch

1. I walked Henri at first light this morning. It was so very still and quiet with the rain in a fine mist. A light fog had settled and we had the whole world to ourselves.
2. What a great hair day! My hair likes the damp air and I didn't have to fuss with it at all. I know I'm so vain, but we all like a good hair day.
3. Poor Steve always injures himself on a project. He didn't need me, but I was glad to be home when he hurt his finger to fetch band-aids, a glass of water and fuss for a few minutes. I think there was a movie titled, "There Will Be Blood". That is the slogan for building our house.

Robins, Rennaissance, A Cold Cheek

1. The roundest, chubbiest robin I have ever seen!
2. Listened to one of my new old albums, Rennaissance and Annie Haslam while baking on a damp and dreary day.
3. A kiss on Tess' cheek which was cold from being outside.

1. I set the day aside to catch up on the housework. I enjoy keeping house. It gives me great pleasure to sit back and admire the dust free furniture and swept floors.
2. I am trying hard to believe that I actually found someone to replace my mother's roof. We are in a bind and it looks like a knight in shining armor has come to save the day. My search began on the internet, since she lives in another state. I typed, "homeowner, Rensselaer County, HELP" and there it was, a legitimate county organization designed to help!
3. I enjoyed walking Henri in the mild weather more today because I know it will end for a spell. I tried to capture all I could of it to last me a few days.

Dawn, Beautiful Scenery, Richmond

1. Started out driving at dawn and had a pretty sunrise of pinks and deep purples to greet us.
2. A sign read, "Breathtaking scenery in every direction". I think that would make a good brochure advertisement for life.
3. A pleasant afternoon with Chelsea and Chad, out to lunch and browsed a store with record albums for $1. We found a couple of good ones to purchase.

A Different Day

A pleasurable start to the day. The windows were open this morning, the air smelled fresh and I heard the birds starting in on their spring "thing".
But of course, we all have bad days and today was one of those. So I ended up just being plain thankful for two things.
1. Steve still has a job. This is a big deal in these turbulent times.
2. When the horse returned, bloodied with no rider, our fears were quickly relieved. Horse and rider were O.K.

White Legs, Sawdust, Smells Good

1. Passing through town today, I noticed people were out on their door steps and sitting on front porches wearing shorts and bare feet. Such pale legs after their long winter's sleep. It was almost as if people had stepped outside for the first time and were taking stock of the world.
2. Sawdust everywhere, but that means a project is underway!
3. Taking clean laundry to the girls' rooms, I notice how nice the rooms smell. Bubble gum, perfume and all good, sweet, girl smells.

Spring Morning by A.A. Milne

Where am I going? I don't quite know.
Down to the stream where the king-cups grow-
Up on the hill where the pine-trees blow-
Anywhere, anywhere. I don't know.

Where am I going? The clouds sail by,
Little ones, baby ones, over the sky.
Where am I going? The shadows pass,
Little ones, baby ones, over the grass.

If you were a cloud, and sailed up there,
You'd sail on water as blue as air,
And you'd see me here in the fields and say:
"Doesn't the sky look green today?"

Where am I going? The high rooks call:
"It's awful fun to be born at all."
Where am I going? The ring-doves coo:
"We do have beautiful things to do."

If you were a bird, and lived on high,
You'd lean on the wind when the wind came by,
You'd say to the wind when it took you away:
"That's where I wanted to go today!"

Where am I going? I don't quite know.
What does it matter where people go?
Down to the wood where the blue-bells grow-
Anywhere, anywhere. I don't know.

Digging, Green, Evergreen Dress

1. Outside at 7:30a.m. ready to dig! The first shovelfuls of spring dirt and a damp brow to wipe.
2. The load of composted manure the man dumped last fall has left green patches wherever it touched.
3. I glanced out the window at the potted Christmas tree I planted and saw the breeze ruffling its branches like a dress.

A Dog, Cake, Bell Jar

1. An old dog, graying in the face, behaving like a puppy.
2. The frosting spread so nicely on Audrey's cake. The recipe made a good amount and I could really swirl all the chocolateness to my heart's content.
3. A bell jar.

1. As I ran into the store, I made a mental note of a friend I needed to phone from the car. Turning the corner, I ran into that very person.
2. Coffee and a nice pile of catalogs to browse through after dinner.
3. The day of boiled over maple syrup will go down in infamy.

Comfy Bed, Green Pots, Success

1. After a difficult night, I lingered in bed later than usual this morning and the blankets were so soft and extra- inviting.
2. Found two wonderful, green pots out shopping today. During my typical decorating-panic, a clerk suggested the most perfect, round boxwood to fit right in the pot! Barbara strongly suggested I should splurge on it.
3. Admired above mentioned pot and boxwood during dinner.

Spring is Coming ...Promise!

A Nap, Sledding, Henri

1. An afternoon nap, much appreciated.
2. Sledding down the hill, Tess in front, me in back.
3. Taking Henri out in the snow, he high-steps and becomes very alert. He snuffles in the snow and comes up with a white beard.

A Favorite Childhood Poem

FIRST SNOW
by Marie Louise Allen

Snow makes whiteness where it falls
The bushes look like popcorn balls
And places where I always play
Look like someplace else today.

Rabbit Prints

Oats, Rabbit Prints, Snowy Walk

1. I bought a tin of Irish oats in N.Y. and cooked it for breakfast today. A yummy taste and textural experience.
2. We woke to a pretty March snowfall and Audrey pointed out rabbit prints. We followed them all around the house.
3. Took a solitary walk in the woods while the snow fell. I could hear children's voices off in the distance, sledding on a hill.