Tuesday

Well, I'm cheerful. Try to knock me down for it! Go ahead, just try.

See? it didn't work. I remain cheerful.

You could say it's the sunshine effect.






I don't dispute that sunshine in the winter is like mac and cheese on an empty stomach. Still, there's more:

We're getting closer and closer to spring. You don't yet feel it in your bones, but the days are indeed longer (sunset today: 4:55 pm) and the time to start looking at flower nursery stockpiles is upon us. Just one or two more day lilies! Just one or two! Take, for example, this one: avante garde. Don't you think it has "farmette" written all over it? Expensive, to be sure, but maybe just one?

But we don't talk about flowers just yet. Breakfast...





... is reserved today for discussing the details of my mom's move. I had a very depressing set of hours over the weekend researching available assisted living options for her. Most places weren't willing to consider her. I had visions of being left with nothing more than a room in a one star rated house at the edge of a forest in northern Wisconsin as an option. My mother is not an "edge of a forest" type of person.

Still, one place in Verona (a suburb of Madison) didn't exactly say no. I mean, they sort of said no, but nonetheless, they were happy to meet with me to discuss her case. To listen to my description of her interests and disposition. To show me what might be available. Maybe.

And so this morning, after breakfast, I drive out to Verona. Alright, it's not central Madison, but since my mother has reduced mobility at the moment, does that matter? I felt trepidation. You know how it is to be on the housing market: you set out full of energy and optimism and then you walk into someone else's cluttered space and you wish the design was a tiny bit different, well, a lot different, and the carpet has dog stains, and the living room window looks out on a ten lane highway, and your heart sinks because there just isn't anything better in your price range? I was thinking that my hunt for my mom would follow this pattern, even as we need a place for her and we need it pretty quickly.

And lo! Honestly, in my opinion, the place is just lovely (meaning their marketing team presents the place well).

All this is a tiny bit premature in that I still haven't heard about her eligibility for this next step. But I'm doing my homework and the first visit was a good one!

I suppose there is a bit of a let down: the place comes completely unfurnished. This means that Ed and I have to lug dressers, tables, chairs and bookshelves out of her current place, into a truck, then into the storage unit, only to move it yet again once a place is identified. There's a lot of lifting and moving before us.

Still, there is hope for a good outcome!

To celebrate my bouncy mood, I suggest Ed and I take a quick walk in the county park just up the road.






And now it's time to pick up the kids.

(Sparrow, want to take your cap off??)






(Snowdrop, currently in love with these chips...)






(Playing with letters: Sparrow, can you say the letter "O"?)






(Snowdrop: that's pretty funny!)






Toward evening, I take the kids back to their house, pause for a few minutes to check in with my daughter, then proceed to meet up with my former colleagues for a quick dinner at a small Indian restaurant we like.


So it's a full day once again. But a kind day! A sweet day, with a continuous sprinkle of good events. And a reminder that spring is not long in coming.