Tuesday

It's more as it should be: a mix of clouds and sun, a high of 53F (almost 12C).

But here, at the farmhouse, it's a bit nutty. When Ed comes upstairs (just before dawn), he leaves the door open and thus ushers in a cat into the bedroom. I am not a fan of cats in the bedroom, at least when I am still sleeping, or thinking I should be sleeping. I groan. He's repentant. Take you out to breakfast?

I don't think this was intentional, but I tell him he's inviting me out on a morning he knows (or should remember) I have a date out with a friend. How about going out to breakfast on my birthday instead? You do remember when that is, right?

Like I said, when it comes to birthdays, I lead him through the motions of a good, sweet observer, and he follows. I have long noted that he lacks initiative in celebratory matters, but he is delightfully compliant when I give him prompts and indeed, downright specifics of what should take place. I detail the plan for this year's celebrations. Sounds nice! -- he tells me, somewhat sheepishly, given that he is still feeling guilty about the noisy meowing bouncy cat inside.

The weather is cool but gloriously bright. Yes, some daffodils are down, but that makes for a fuller jar on the kitchen table!

And there's a lot of color left behind.

Moreover, many of the fruit trees are ready to bloom. So early this year!

All delightful! The best weeks of the season are right before us!

And then I have breakfast with a friend whom I see way too little. We used to have offices next to each other and that was such a perfect way of keeping close watch over the daily details of our lives. Since we both retired, we've been lost in our worlds of (for me) family, writing, travel, (and for her) books, plays, music. 

I resolve to do better at stepping out of my shell of activities! This morning's morning meetup at Madison Sourdough was just grand!

Back at the farmhouse, I take stock. There is so much that I could do in the garden before my surgery! I attack one item on the list today: mowing (nearly everything!) with the tractor-mower. 

On the one hand, I hate this task because the land is rugged and full of bouncy hills and I am always made to feel sick by the end of an hour of riding that piece of machinery. But on the other hand, it's a glorious way to survey the farmette lands in all their detail! This is when I see the emerging blooms in the new orchard!

And this is when I clear the large prairie-like fields out back where we planted the 60 nut and maple trees. And this is when I imagine all that will bloom in the meadows, too.

By the time I'm done, it's time to pick up Snowdrop. This is the day when I am tempted to just keep her outside for a while. To show her the blooms, to cavort with her in the freshly cut fields. But, it's the one day when we have to hustle to get ready. It's her busiest day -- ballet, then scouts. Nonetheless, I cannot resist. And she is such a willing partner in crime! Today, she is happy as a clam scaling trees! (I'm including some half a dozen pictures of her exploring the newly mowed path to the new orchard because she is such a good kid about letting me show off the farmette landscape here for you, always made better by a person, or an animal passing through it!)

Toward evening, I am home again and Ed and I are so carefree and unburdened, having both finished the tax load yesterday. Yep, I love all aspects of spring, but it is particularly satisfying to note that the finest days of this joyous season are just before us.

Leafing through my accumulated email, I find one from Maxy Awards. I had devoted exactly one day back in October to promoting my book, Like a Swallow: I sent it to a couple of places to be considered for an award (for best indie memoir for 2023). I clicked on their email tonight and eventually clicked on their link and I found this! In other words, Like a Swallow has been selected as a finalist. (Winners to be announced in May, but let's not be greedy!) And that makes me so happy.

with love...