reset

You can't plan out your day without allowing for the possibility of a reset. You may think life proceeds along a well laid track, but stuff happens. You have to be prepared to shift and even consider taking a different route.

Today was absolutely brilliant: beautiful to the core. So perfect! I'm thinking -- I'll tend to the garden (no, scratch that! the bugs!), shop for food (yes, definitely, we're low), pick up Snowdrop, take her to the park, shuttle her home and finish the day with a veggie seafood stir-fry at home with Ed.

First, a very quick look at the garden...

(An older day lily, with many buds...)

(A brand new day lily, with just a few...)

And I greet the little girls. Here's Tomato, looking oh so pretty these days!

And now, still early, I sit down to a breakfast with Ed, who wants to be kind and so he agrees to the porch, despite the noise of the trucks...

And then I get the phone call. Snowdrop appears to be under the weather. The school is asking for someone to come take the girl home. The parents are on it, but clearly my afternoon will now shift to a different track.

After a speedy run to stores, gas stations and the like, and ignoring the terrible sounds coming from the car's engine, I go to the little girl's home. Such a serious face!

We play. Low key stuff. Magnet dolls, books, drawing. She is hugely into the Angelina Ballerina stories (it's a British series; Angelina is a mouse and guess what -- she loves to dance) and when she draws, she does a very credible sketch of the dancing mouse. With sunshine streaming in through the window. And so Angelina has to wear sunglasses. Why not.

Sparrow is in a dozy state this afternoon (thank goodness). His sister reminds me to be quiet (as she herself smothers him with kisses).

Toward evening, the three girls in the house all have refreshing pink beverages...

(does Sparrow feel left out??)

And then the little guy's mom tires on a pair of dock siders on his wee feet, so the boy can run around on boats if he wants to...

... And Snowdrop appears to have rallied and bounced back from her bug, dancing away in the sun filled room.

And we, the captive audience smile and stretch and smile some more!

Evening. I do make the stir fry, though it's good and late before we eat. While I chop and cook and stir, Ed checks the car manual and, too, we talk about bringing down more boxelder trees.

The air outside remains brilliant: sunny, warm, breezy, perfect. We can't really linger in the garden for long (you know, the bugs), but we throw the windows wide open and take in the lovely colors and scents of summer.