home again

At night, I tossed in thoughts and dreams between Chicago and home. Good images, ones that, were I awake, would have made me smile. And it's not that I am in love with grandmotherhood. I am, but what really makes me happy is when I think of the two young families and the way they go about the business of life. This is what I thought about inbetween cycles of sleep last night.

I wake to a message from a very longtime Ocean reader and by now -- friend. He's responsible for directing me to the song I quoted in the comments to yesterday's post. Today, he pointed me to another song. I love music -- classical, folk, jazz -- pretty much anything that has good melodies and heartfelt lyrics. This one has both and it's as if it was written to give voice to my nighttime images. Listen to it as you read along.

 ("Song For a Child" by John Fullbright)

Early in the morning, I check to see if anything is blooming. Yes, the first daffodils! (The cheepers follow me everywhere.)






Breakfast. Of course. Did you think otherwise?






And then I hurry to meet up with my older daughter and Snowdrop at the downtown Farmers Market. It's a cool day (all of my spring days have been pretty cool thus far!), but it's beautifully sunny. Energizing!

Our Wisconsin badger mascot and marching band are setting the mood!






But my mood needs no boost! I mean, one wee babe back in Chicago and now this exuberant little girl back in Madison!






In her beloved pink.

Are there brighter, bolder colors to be seen?






Oh, my world of daughters and granddaughters!






How full of magic you are!






And yes, we are fully immersed in this season of beautiful growth.






Is it a surprise that a smile comes so naturally to a little one?







In the afternoon, Ed and I work outside. It's all about preparation, restoration and repair. I'm not planting yet. We're to get a mild freeze tonight.

Perhaps you're wondering about the baby chicks. Not such babies anymore! We keep them outside in the toddler enclosure and bring them in for the night.

But today, I test the waters of integration. How will the little ones fare with the big girls?

I take out Pepper. She is our medium little girl. Cupcake is huge, Tomato is teeny. Pepper, I can catch. And so I let her loose to forage with the big girls.





She is excited! She runs to Peach, thinking perhaps that it's her long lost mommy! She looks like she wants to snuggle into her big feathered fold.

Peach does what a chicken is wired to do: she gives the little twirp a big peck to send her flying. Pepper cries a mournful disappointed cry and runs back to the toddler fence, begging to go back inside.

I would like to kick Peach and send her flying, but, I've learned from past chicken encounters that the best strategy is to leave the girls to work out their own pecking order. We're not talking about middle school bullying. We're talking about chickens.

Evening. How beautiful the sunset! How gentle and quiet the night that follows.