Thursday - 356th

A little bit cold, a little bit cautious, a little bit social, a little bit more of family. With plenty of sunshine to wrap this day in a cheerful blanket of delight.

I am up early. We both are. Ed is strategizing a potential sailing trip, I'm bouncing around ideas on how to do this efficiently and in a fun way, and before you know it, the day is up and running.

As are the animals -- they are buoyant when the day is sunny and (almost) springlike.

(Well, the little chicks are more suspicious than buoyant, but still, I force them out for an adventure: there is a wider world outside your box, little girls!)

My breakfast thoughts are with Primrose in Chicago. I got this baby primrose plant and it so reminds me of these delicate spring flowers blooming in the Luxembourg Gardens on the day she was born...

And then I get the house ready for the afternoon. (With a pause to do a Zoom checkin with my friends in Poland: when you get too wrapped up in the pandemic stories of this country, it's good to take a step back and consider what's going on elsewhere in this world.)

 On this day, we are resuming contact with my older daughter's family. We've done this following the recommendations of docs: the young family is still isolating but for Snowdrop's school attendance, and I've spaced my visits so that I wont bring anything from Chicago into the Madison household. And so, beginning today, I can help once more, beginning with Snowdrop school pick ups on the days she has inclass instruction.

It's surreal. I had picked this girl up from school every day since she began attending the Montessori preschool at the age of 1. And now here she is, coming out in full winter and pandemic gear at her new school, bursting out with a heavy dose of that Snowdrop enthusiasm.

Once again she is at the farmhouse.

Reaching for all her favorites: books, dolls, foods, legos, dress up clothes.

And chicks. Again and again, she comes back to the chicks.

As I drive her home in the evening and listen to her soft voice -- so soft that I can hardly hear it, even in this brand new quiet car -- I think how hard it has been on all grandparents who have lost so much family time this past year. And the cups of coffee not sipped with friends, the glass of wine not enjoyed with a big meal of close ones. So tough. So very tough.

I drop off Snowdrop and her school gear, I greet Sparrow, whom I'll see more of tomorrow, and I make my way home.

And to make my day almost too good, I have a dinner FaceTime with Primrose.

Families, friends, waiting. To see each other, to play together, to enjoy that sip of coffee or wine in the company of others. Oh, but it will be good news indeed to learn (soon, we hope) that this is okay now. That we can go back and enjoy all those hours together. With love...