Monday

Sunrise in Madison right now is just before 5:30 a.m. and this, in fact, is the time that Ed comes upstairs and tells me -- it's a good time to plant tomatoes. I'll sleep later in the day. I'm in between sleep cycles and I think a little about our yard work for the day and I ask him -- should we also begin clearing the weeds from in front of the the house?? Should I create some sort of a shade garden there? I am again surprised that he is enthusiastic about the project. Normally he doesn't much mind if things are looking a tad disheveled out there. Indeed, it took him a long decade to decide to move ahead with rebuilding the front entrance to the farmhouse (which no one ever uses). He now gives me the thumbs up on a shade garden, which in turn wakes me up totally as I search the nurseries (online) to see what I can find there besides the usual hostas. There will be hostas, but they should be the backbone rather than the centerpiece of the shady spot.

In the meantime, what's blooming here? The garden is in its green and white phase!

With the one rare (for spring) splash of orange.

Eventually we come together for a breakfast outside and a review of where we are at with all our projects. 

I've put together some planting ideas, but before we can start in on that, there is a lot of clearing and digging that must be done. And I do have to water the tubs. And pull out some weeds elsewher. And go to my PT, which, thankfully is now moving to a once a week schedule. The appointments are good, but such a time suck!

David, my PT guy, is impressed with my walking, less impressed with my unwillingness to stay in a supine position with the leg elevated, and just a tiny but concerned that I may have over bent the knee, leading the incision to kind of look like one side wants to part company with the other side.

Go easy on the bending for a week or so -- he tells me, which is totally unfair since they all had been nudging me to go as far as I want with improving my angle. On the upside, he teaches me how to go down stairs, using now both legs. I told him this was a tough one for me back at the farmhouse and he had this advice -- dont go down slowly! Go quickly! It's a lot easier on your knees!

The things you learn in PT!!

We discuss, too, the PT schedule going forward and I tell him that I'll be away vacation at the beginning of July.

Will you be walking a lot? -- he asks.

Yep.

Good. On level ground or climbing mountains? (hahaha! really, David!)

Level. Mostly city stuff.

But maybe on cobblestones? (the guy's a mind reader!)

Maybe...

That's a different kind of surface. You should practice walking on that before you go. Different muscles.

Oh, come on! Where can I practice cobblestone walking in south-central Wisconsin?! Will a county park suffice?

It will.

I'll put that on my to-do list.

In the afternoon, Snowdrop is here. 

We do spend a few minutes outside, but she is ready for a more restful afternoon -- indoors, with snacks, continuing with a new book about middle school angst!

Toward evening Ed and I return to our newest front-of-the-house project. We work hard! The light is beautiful and the warm air is cooling down now, which is a good thing when you're digging away through clay soil and breaking up weed roots. By the end of the day, the newest bed, one targeting shade plants, is ready for the arrival of hostas and pulmonarias and toad lilies. I figure I'll have all three seasons covered (pulmonarias for spring, hostas for summer, and toad lilies for early fall). 

Tired, so tired! We are grateful for the leftovers in the fridge -- it makes for an easy supper. And grateful for such a full and stunning day!