Monday

What would a grand farmhouse day have, for a little girl Snowdrop's age? It's not hard to figure this out:

It would have a rested grandma -- one who ate a hearty breakfast (with grandpa Ed), to keep those energies flowing...






Grandma would have checked the garden before the girl's arrival...






... and done some spot weeding, so she'd have more time for the little one when she arrived.






It would be a sunny day, but not to warm. The kind of day that makes you just want to sit in the grass, underneath the crab apple and take in breaths of fresh air! Oh, and it would be cool if grandma had some bread for the chickens so they wouldn't be shy about coming near.






There would be plenty of time for play inside too...






Time for a close inspection of favorite toys...






And grandma should be in a dancing mood...






And grandpa should be in a warm and huggy mood...






And when grandma marvels how the little one is dressed in the colors of the kitchen flowers, and the little one clasps a sprig of flowers and topples the whole thing over, creating puddles the size of an ocean, everyone should laugh and laugh, because it really is quite funny!






Other things? Oh, cooking of course. A little girl Snowdrop's age would be fascinated by the roasting and then mashing of coriander seeds. Even slicing onions is a curiosity -- especially to a wee one who seems to love all kitchen activity.

Of course, grandma can't neglect feeding the girl herself. For today, let's put away thoughts of spinach and peas and go back to fruits: how about peaches and mango?






The day spins by so fast!

In the late afternoon, Snowdrop and I go back to her home. It's such a perfect day for a walk around the little lake. Well, we go half way round the lake, then turn around and come back. So it's the same distance, but we stick to the shade of the neighborhood.

Oh! Welcome back, ms. serious face!







Oh, well, never mind.






(I catch us in the shop window... grandma, granddaughter...)






And then it's evening and I'm home, making a complicated but delicious farro and roasted cauliflower salad. With that ground coriander. And onion. And golden raisins soaked in carrot juice. Oh, and lemon. And rind. And mint and parsley. And pistachio nuts. And garlic. Rare is the dish that passes through here that doesn't have garlic in it.





 A fried cheeper egg on top and you've got yourself supper!


We put away the cheepers together. Ed says -- here, let me gather them. I'll show you how it's done. And he gathers them and Scotch flies out of his reach and I laugh and laugh. (She then walks haughtily by herself into the coop.)