It's all happening, and I want to pay attention, truly I do. Something new and pretty happens outside every day!
My oregano plant came back, which astounds me because I thought it was an annual. I hope that I am gaining gardening skills every year, but man: I don't seem to make much progress overall. The profusion of spring, green everywhere! all the pink flowers! weeds sneaking everywhere! It's just a little overwhelming. I signed up to get a red oak tree for our backyard, but I don't exactly know where and how I will plant it.
We are finally getting our soil tested after eating food from it for years - city soil can be laced with heavy metals, oh dear. But I have a serious vision of a grape arbor, so I'm checking the mail every day for our test results. My raspberries, both black and red, are growing by leaps and bounds; I pruned off old canes (I think) and got some nasty old thorns stuck in my skin. I have started wearing my gardening gloves more faithfully.
Some days, I can only manage to grab at a weed as I take a break from writing and editing projects, or hang up and take down the endless laundry that my people require. We bought a badminton set, which the children love, and which caused my neighbor to look wistfully at their leaping and shrieking and tell me about her spring badminton matches with her four older siblings.
All of this eases my heart a little: my dear uncle died on Palm Sunday morning. He was full of juice and fun and nothing about spring or any season, actually, was wasted on him. He paid attention, and he made everything into an adventure. I cannot really believe that I will never see that adventurous gleam in his eyes on this earth again. So my heart is a little broken, but I have vowed to Uncle Ron, wherever he is with God, that I will take inspiration from his approach to life. See? Spring is so lush and vigorous, and I am looking.
11 comments:
I'm so sorry for your loss.
With regards to your soil, I've read that lead doesn't make it into tree fruit so perhaps grapes would also be ok? Fingers crossed for the results. Raised beds could be a solution if the results are bad?
Hazel, thank you. We do have some raised beds, but I also want to put stuff straight into the flower beds - the grape arbor would be in lieu of a fence. So we'll see!
This blog post such a good look at what can be. We may be ill but we can do things toward getting better. We may have suffered past abuse but we can recover. Look around find things to enjoy and enjoy them.. these things are everywhere but whenever we can we take a weekend to drive out for a ice cream cone, enjoy watching people. Stop and buy a flower or give or be given one by a neighbor. Sort out a drawer and toss or give to a Mission what we do not need. Life is still good. We just need to look! : ). Thank you for this post.
Condolences on your loss.
I love spring - I've snapped so many photos over the years, that when someone says to me they think something is blooming early this year, I pull up images of years past to back up my response, like the dogwoods were not early this year. My husband aspires for a grape arbor, so I keep telling him if he builds me more raised beds, we can do that.
I have been soaking up the spring, too, and also feeling so sad with a couple of untimely illnesses and deaths. And a badminton set --- what a wonderful idea! Looking into buying one ASAP!
Hi Margo,
What is in the bowl with the fried egg? It looks yummy and I need to make it.
Also, we love asparagus but I don't know what to do with it other than roast it with olive oil and salt. What do you do with yours? Do you have recipes you use it in?
Thanks so much and Happy Spring!
~Anissa
Anissa, that's a plate of pasta with a runny egg, roasted asparagus, Parmesan, and black pepper. SO GOOD. Blogged here:
http://thriftathome.blogspot.com/2012/05/mr-thrifts-special-asparagus-dish.html
I also make asparagus orange pasta salad: http://thriftathome.blogspot.com/2012/04/nasturtiums.html
and
a white pizza with lemony greens:
http://thriftathome.blogspot.com/2011/04/first-asparagus-into-pizza.html
and
an oven pancake:
http://thriftathome.blogspot.com/2010/05/something-like-crepe.html
We mostly eat asparagus just as you described because it's so delicious and simple! Good luck.
I'm so sorry for the loss of your Uncle. But, it sounds like you have taken in an important aspect of his being and are making it your own. He must be smiling about that.
Spring is well under way here in the Pacific Northwest. So gorgeous, so lush, so incredibly floral! And, yes, the weeds are thriving. I pull some every day but simply can't keep up...
So very sorry for your loss. I had a cousin I adored, like my brother that I lost.
Good having your soul tested, you never know!
I served asparagus just the other day and wanted to fancy it up for a change. In my old Betty Crocker cookbook there was a quick hollandaise-sort of sauce I made, and it wasn't bad, in a pinch. Into a small saucepan, put a tablespoon of dried minced onion and a quarter cup of white wine. Whisk in a tablespoon of lemon juice and three quarter cups of mayo. Bring to a boil, and simmer a bit to get rid of some of the alcohol. They called it Sunshine Sauce, and it also contained chopped hard-boiled egg, which I left out. I'm very sorry about your beloved uncle.
I'm so sorry about your Uncle. Wonderful people always leave big holes in our hearts when they go on before us. Enjoy Spring as you cherish the memories and crying is okay too when you see it's glory.
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