And now it really is a beautiful, sunny day here, in the Upper Midwest! Spring at her finest. Blossom weather. Buds push to open up for the season weather. Happy weather.
It is, unfortunately, my last morning with Primrose, my Chicago granddaughter. Well fine -- let's enjoy it!
Breakfast: first hers!
Then a sort of mini breakfast for my daughter and me.
My grownup girl goes about her morning routines, but everything is relaxed now. No rush to work, no real schedule to keep except for the one we make up for ourselves.
Primrose, of course, is everywhere...
... enjoying mom's lap when an occasion presents itself, reaching for mom's bowl of fruits because, you know, we starve the poor little one.
Because Primrose has had the sniffles this past week, her nights have been more wakeful than usual. This does not interfere with her daytime mood. She is playful and spirited.
("want to see what I do with the Polish painted eggs, grandma?")
One last timed release!
And now we're off for a brunch at Hot Chocolate. Primrose is thrilled that she gets to drink her milk from a cup with a straw. A milk mustache and beard appear instantly. She does not mind.
She is skipping her morning nap so that we can eat and I can catch my early afternoon bus. And still, she is all smiles and cuddles. Oh, I'm going to miss that girl!
Daughter and granddaughter walk grandma to the L train and then we part ways. That's never fun of course, but it's much easier to do it in spring. Back and forth trips become more numerous. There is the excitement of looming vacations and long weekends and evenings on the porch. Of flowers. So many flowers!
Indeed, as my bus pulls into Madison, I call Ed and tell him that I've cancelled the dinner he and I were to eat tonight at one of our favorite spots. Birthday meals can take place anytime. But a day with this much sunshine and warmth deserves respect!
As I throw down my travel stuff in the farmhouse, I hear him pulling up on his motorcycle. Clearly he's been running errands!
And there's time today to do our grand annual errand -- to pick out blooms for the flower pots and to select a couple of hanging baskets for the porch. We visit two nurseries that we adore -- both just a handful of miles from the farmette.The smaller one -- Natalie's -- just opened yesterday. It's splendid to be here again this year!
The significantly larger one, Kopke's, is in its third day of the new season. Here's where I pick out most of the plants for the tubs outside. Their selection is just incredible. (The photo below is of geraniums, because right now, that's where the color is and we are really, really starved for color.)
It's a grand day to be flower shopping. I'm thinking Primrose will love seeing the flowers when next she visits. And Sparrow will learn to love them too. Snowdrop and I will show him how incredibly beautiful they can be.
It is, unfortunately, my last morning with Primrose, my Chicago granddaughter. Well fine -- let's enjoy it!
Breakfast: first hers!
Then a sort of mini breakfast for my daughter and me.
My grownup girl goes about her morning routines, but everything is relaxed now. No rush to work, no real schedule to keep except for the one we make up for ourselves.
Primrose, of course, is everywhere...
... enjoying mom's lap when an occasion presents itself, reaching for mom's bowl of fruits because, you know, we starve the poor little one.
Because Primrose has had the sniffles this past week, her nights have been more wakeful than usual. This does not interfere with her daytime mood. She is playful and spirited.
("want to see what I do with the Polish painted eggs, grandma?")
One last timed release!
And now we're off for a brunch at Hot Chocolate. Primrose is thrilled that she gets to drink her milk from a cup with a straw. A milk mustache and beard appear instantly. She does not mind.
She is skipping her morning nap so that we can eat and I can catch my early afternoon bus. And still, she is all smiles and cuddles. Oh, I'm going to miss that girl!
Daughter and granddaughter walk grandma to the L train and then we part ways. That's never fun of course, but it's much easier to do it in spring. Back and forth trips become more numerous. There is the excitement of looming vacations and long weekends and evenings on the porch. Of flowers. So many flowers!
Indeed, as my bus pulls into Madison, I call Ed and tell him that I've cancelled the dinner he and I were to eat tonight at one of our favorite spots. Birthday meals can take place anytime. But a day with this much sunshine and warmth deserves respect!
As I throw down my travel stuff in the farmhouse, I hear him pulling up on his motorcycle. Clearly he's been running errands!
And there's time today to do our grand annual errand -- to pick out blooms for the flower pots and to select a couple of hanging baskets for the porch. We visit two nurseries that we adore -- both just a handful of miles from the farmette.The smaller one -- Natalie's -- just opened yesterday. It's splendid to be here again this year!
The significantly larger one, Kopke's, is in its third day of the new season. Here's where I pick out most of the plants for the tubs outside. Their selection is just incredible. (The photo below is of geraniums, because right now, that's where the color is and we are really, really starved for color.)
It's a grand day to be flower shopping. I'm thinking Primrose will love seeing the flowers when next she visits. And Sparrow will learn to love them too. Snowdrop and I will show him how incredibly beautiful they can be.
