Porch weather

Sunday evening on the porch, my favorite place to be.  After two humid days it’s a little cooler and dryer and a robin is singing its evening song in the tree out front.  Very peaceful.

I worked on organizing a bit today.  There is a built-in china hutch in my dining room.  Daughter Madeline had tidied up part of one of the cupboards that she was using to store crafts, so I tidied up the rest of it and then tackled the drawer above it.  It’s a bit of a catch-all and there were some interesting findings, including many old photos, including: my mother’s portrait taken when she graduated from nursing school; a photo of my great-uncle Max’s wedding; random photos of the kids at various ages; pictures of the children of friends and relatives from Christmas cards over the years; and a set of photos from a trip to Colorado the ex and I took back in 1988.  (I resisted the urge to sit down and go through all of them, thus avoiding that time-trap.)  In addition I found 4 obsolete cell-phones and a Sony Walkman (remember those?) along with various chargers, including a battery charger, the batteries for which have been missing for years.  I will have to look up where to safely dispose of these.

I talked to an old friend today.  G and I were real good friends years ago when we both had little kids together.  She is a single mom, and I lived far from family, so we were very much each others’ support system back then.  But she moved away, and we drifted apart, and for a while it seemed she only called when she needed money.  I guess I got a little tired of that, and a little tired about hearing about problems that often seemed of her own making.  Last summer, she called to say she was going to try to make it to Wisconsin.  Around the time she thought she’d be here she called my cell, and I didn’t pick up the phone and I didn’t call her back.  I was super busy and I had my own problems and worries and just didn’t feel like meeting up with her.

Well, I found out today she did not come up to Wisconsin last summer.  She didn’t come because she suffered a bad injury while working– she lost the tip of one finger and almost lost half of another, on her dominant hand.  So she was off work and going through surgery to reattach one finger and then plenty of physical therapy.  That’s what she had been calling to tell me last year.

I’m happy to say she’s recovered and is doing fine, and is back pursuing her dream of a nursing degree.  But I feel like a jerk.  It occurs to me that it isn’t the first time I haven’t been there for a friend.  I often let my own cares and worries keep my from being there, from reaching out.  I know I have a right to place limits on what people expect of me, and that I sometimes need to take care of myself, and all that.  But at that point in time, all she needed was someone to listen, and I didn’t do it.  I wasn’t there for her, because I didn’t feel like dealing with it at that particular time.  And rather than just listen to her, and find out what the situation was, and do what I could or was capable of, I just ignored her.  I am ashamed of that, especially because she would never have done that to me.  She’s a much better friend than I am.

Rites of Passage

It’s May, a month of sunshine and flowers and birds, and also a month of endings and beginnings.

Daughter Madeline had two rites of passage this weekend.  Yesterday at church we had the May crowning, as we always do on Mother’s Day.  May is a month when Catholics remember and honor Mary, the mother of Jesus, in a special way.  It’s customary to have the children process with flowers to place before a statue of Mary, and then one of the older girls (usually one who is a senior in high school) places a circlet of flowers on the head of the statue.  This year my daughter was the one to do it.  It’s a lovely thing, to see all the little ones march in with their flowers, and I was proud to see my daughter place the flowers on the statue.  She’d watched the older girls do it over the years and was excited to take her turn.

She also had her last piano recital.  She played the original version of Beethoven’s “Fur Elise” and did a beautiful job.  Her piano teacher always honors graduating seniors with a talk called “This is your piano life” and it is always fun to hear what she has to say.  She really gets to know her student and it’s obvious that she really enjoys her job.  I liked hearing what she had to say about Madeline, it’s good as a parent to hear another person’s perspective.

So, I think she has 3 more weeks of her class at the public school, and that will be done.  More changes are coming in her life, but she is ready for them and it’s a beautiful thing.

Cold Again

March is always a fickle month; the proof of this is the weather today, 34 degrees when I woke up.  It’s been cool, cloudy and windy all day. Maybe the cooler weather will keep the grass from growing so fast– I already need to mow my lawn!  I’m putting it off, because once I start, I’ll be mowing until October.  But if I don’t do it in the next day or two, it will be too long for my reel mower…

Right now I’m sitting at the box office at the theatre guild, and sales are not quite non-existent.  Hopefully they will pick up later this week; our little group needs the money from this show badly . Anticipating slow sales, I hauled along my laptop, and I’ve had some uninterrupted time to work on things.  I’ve written my little essay for my scholarship application, which I hope to mail off tomorrow and be done with.  I’ve also worked on my lesson plans and modified Seder for class Wednesday evening, so that’s almost done. I’m working to keep the focus on how the Seder relates to our own Eucharistic Liturgy, while hopefully giving the kids a taste of how the New Covenant proceeds from the Old.  All this while not running too long or boring them.

Rather than the usual pizza snack, I’m having them munch on our little Passover meal while we talk about it.  I spent some time searching for recipes for unleavened bread.  3 years ago, when I first did my much-too-complicated Seder, I found a really nice, tasty recipe for unleavened bread.   I actually used it for the Last Supper scene in Godspell, which our theatre guild was doing at the time.  It’s possible I wrote it down somewhere, but so far I have not been able to find it, though I’ve found a few that look similar.  I also need to get apples and nuts for charoseth, and of course hard-boiled eggs, and grape juice.   Maybe celery for the bitter herbs.  I won’t do the horseradish, last time I did and the kids did NOT like it.  Too hot!

Since I spent so much time on Sunday reading, I was feeling a little stressed and rather behind on things, so having this time to work on stuff has been very nice.  Still, I wouldn’t mind doing a few sales…

My eyes are tired

My eyes are tired because I finally finished reading The Robe, covering the last 200 or so pages in the last 24 hours.  I just couldn’t put it down.  It’s an amazing book and provided lots of food for thought.  I haven’t really processed it all yet.  In one review I read, the reviewer said the book had made him or her feel more confident about speaking out and practicing  the Christian faith.  It is definitely a book that does that, it makes me want to be more open about my own faith. I feel I practice my faith well, but I do not share it with people– I am reluctant to speak about my faith.  This book really challenged me to speak up!  I may write more later– or I may not.

I had asked a former teacher to write a letter of recommendation for me recently and hadn’t heard back.  It was depressing me, because she had always been very encouraging to me as a teacher.  I finally heard back– she had been busy, but would be glad to write the letter– whew!  This is for a scholarship, and they really want an instructor’s letter, and she was really my only option.   I am not only grateful because I need it, I am also grateful because I truly value this woman’s opinion.

Madeline and I took a bike ride this afternoon– it was a beautiful spring day today.  There was an intensely blue sky with white puffy clouds overhead, the grass was so incredibly, impossibly green.  Lots of trees are starting to bloom, and the daffodils and hyacinth and tulips are blooming and beautiful.  The violets ae coming up too, and I see rhubarb growing as I walk around the neighborhood.

Speaking of blooming plants– a little over a month ago I started taking a spoonful of locally produced honey everyday.  This is supposed to help with allergies– my parents do this and find it helpful.  I am not symptom-free, but I am much better than usual.   So I’m convinced.

Also– I am glad I set my goal to write everyday.  I wouldn’t have written tonight otherwise.

I missed a day of blogging again but for a good reason.  Yesterday was just plain busy.  I had work and then Faith Formation in the evening.  I had today off, which was lovely.  I managed to get some errands done,and I put the screens in the windows.  It’s been quite warm for a few weeks and the house has been quite stuffy, but I’ve help back from putting the screens in, mostly because I’ve been busy but also because it just seemed too early.  Plus the screens are new ones to go with the new windows, and I had to get them out of their boxes and haul out the ladder… it was a bit of a job!  But they are in now and the windows are open and the fresh air is coming in.

Faith Formation went well last night.  We had a decent turnout, only one of our regulars missed.  I’d hoped to see some of our not-so-regulars there but no luck.  I really need to find a way to reach out to them and encourage them to come.  Anyway, we talked about Holy Week, starting with Palm Sunday and the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem touching on the cleansing of the Temple, and finishing with the Last Supper and the garden of Gethsemane.  Then we actually showed a few scenes from “Jesus Christ, Superstar”.  I think the kids liked it, we hoped it would bring the Gospel stories alive for the kids.  Next week we will do avery modified Passover Seder/Last Supper.

I did this once before with another class about 3 years ago.  I’d worked long and hard, researched extensively, made all the food, brought nice candlesticks & table linens, the whole nine yards.  It was interesting and fun but I definitely got a bit carried away and it was a little too much.  I love this kind of stuff so it is easy for me to overdo it.  Years ago I went to a Seder presentation by Jews for Jesus at a friend’s church.  It was a Bible church, and I found it curious that many of the people at the church weren’t particularly aware that the Last Supper was a Seder.  I had always been aware of it, since in the Catholic Liturgy the readings for Holy Thursday’s Mass of the Lord’s Supper includes the story of the first Passover from the Book of Exodus.  The Seder and accompanying explanation from the representative for Js for J was very interesting, and I was so fascinated to realize how directly the Eucharistic Liturgy draws from it. This spurred a curiosity that has had me delving deeper into Catholicism, something I have enjoyed very much.   Hopefully I can come up with something by next week that will educate the kids without overwhelming them!

I was able to get to church early enough to participate in Stations of the Cross and Benediction, along with about 10 other people.  The Stations are a lovely devotional activity for Lent.  It makes me really think about my behavior, and I was forced to admit that I’d not been really doing well in some areas.  We’ll do reconciliation for our class during Holy Week and I know I’m in need of it.

 

Equinox

It’s the first day of spring, but it felt more like summer– temperature in the upper 70′s and sunny.  In spite of having to work I got to enjoy the weather.  I dropped the car off this morning for an oil change so had a longer walk to work than usual.  Then after work I had a long walk to pick it back up.   After I got home I shoved a lamb roast in the oven, got the day’s dishes done (Madeline doesn’t have a lot of time to do them, especially on Tuesdays), then headed outside and spent the better part of an hour on yard work.  I raked enough leaves to fill three big lawn & leaf bags and did some more weeding.  I’ve got at least one bed cleared out, it looks muchbetter.  I’m on my porch now writing.  I love sitting on the porch, especially in the late afternoon/early evening.  It’s my favorite place to unwind after a long day.

One day last week a semi-regular customer came in– he lives out-of-town and comes whenever he’s in town.   He was reading a book and I peaked at the title.  I always do this, or ask right out, it’s fun to see what people are reading and I’ve gotten some suggestions.  He was reading a book called The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas.  He said it was his Lenten reading. I looked it up and it sounded intriguing, so I downloaded it to my Nook.  It has sucked me right in, I quite like it so far.   Next time he comes in I will have to thank him.

I’ve stayed strong with my Lenten fast from sweets, I’ve only broken it twice, once when I had part of a crisp I made for Madeline, and this Sunday when I had a piece of Jacob’s birthday pie– I kept it to one serving each time, which is pretty good for me!  I also have tasted a dessert once or twice at work, mostly because they were new ones and I needed to describe them well to customers.  Other than that, I’m doing well.  Today was torture, though.  The dessert case was empty and the 3 resident bakers were hard at work all morning to fill it. Pies: Lime meringue, chocolate cream, peach, peanut butter; a raspberry cobbler, two kinds of galettes, pavlova– it was incredible and oh, so tempting.  I’m proud to say I stayed strong, except for one small taste of cobbler– it was a new recipe.  Only a few more weeks to go!  I’ve made it this far, and I intend to stay strong.  It has been very, very good for me.

Early spring

I’m rather tired this evening.  I went to bed too late last night, and after work today I went over to the theatre guild to sell tickets for our upcoming show.   I would rather have been home– after a rainy morning it had cleared up and it was a lovely afternoon and evening.

Jacob headed back to school after sunset yesterday.  He heads west so it’s easier on the eyes to wait until the sun sets, at least for him since he sees well in the dark.  If it were me I’d want to be there before dark.  Madeline and I had a nice evening together, but she’s been a little quiet since she got back from her trip.  She had a good time, although she is a little worried about her grandma.  Grandma had back surgery about 9 or so years ago, it was a very long operation and she hasn’t been quite the same since, there were definitely some cognitive losses.  M. really noticed it this trip.  I don’t know if it’s really worse or if M. just is noticing it for the first time.  I haven’t seen her grandma for more than a few minutes at a time since 2005 so I couldn’t say.  In 2005, after our divorce, the grandparents were anxious to see the kids and the ex (their son) wouldn’t take them down for a visit, so I did.  I actually got along better than I had when I was still married to their son.  Not sure why, maybe because I no longer felt I needed to prove anything to them?  Their dad did not accompany them on this trip, and Madeline said she wished I had come!  I do not think it would have worked– since the ex re-married his parents have been noticeably cooler to me.  Maybe they think it would be disloyal?  It would probably annoy the new wife… She doesn’t much care for me.

I walked to and from work and then to and from the theatre guild, so at lease I got some outdoor time in that way.  On the way home from the guild, there was a flock of blackbirds in the trees, chirping and creaking (I don’t know what else to call the sound they make!) and making quite a racket. I’ve heard them quite few times in the last week or so, so it was fun to see them.

A lovely evening, the weather continues to be warm. The trees are budding and some are  leafing out, I see leaves on the black raspberry canes that have started up near the garage, my crocuses have bloomed and the daffodils are starting to bloom.  I even saw some violets blooming on my way home.  Yesterday on our bike ride we passed to forsythia bushes in glorious bloom. This morning on the way to work I saw some rhubarb starting to peak up out of the ground.   Spring officially starts tomorrow, but around here it is well underway.

A Lovely Sunday

On Friday as I walked home from work, the tree branches caught my eye.  I thought I had seen a touch of green or something, out of the corner of my eye, but when I looked closer they seemed as bare as ever.  Yesterday I didn’t really look or notice anything.  But today, the trees are all budding!  Our flowering cherry already has leaves, the silly thing.  It’s too early, of course, but I can’t blame the trees, we’ve had a good week or more of warm, lovely weather.  Even the nights have been warm. it’s so strange (but wonderful) to sleep with the windows wide open.

The kids returned last night from their trip to visit their grandparents (their dad’s parents).  They had a nice time in Florida and enjoyed themselves.   I enjoyed having some time to myself this past week, but it was good to have them home.  Today we had a wonderful family day. with waffles for breakfast.  Then we sat around and talked and caught each other up on things.  For lunch we actually cooked burgers on the grill,  followed by strawberry glacee pie for Jacob’s belated birthday.  This afternoon Madeline and I took a bike ride and Jacob joined us on his push-scooter.  We all felt out of shape (first bike ride of the year!) but we enjoyed ourselves.

In a little while Jacob heads back to college and we probably won’t see him until Easter.  Madeline and I head back to our busy regular lives.  I wish we’d had a little more time together but we certainly made the most of what we had.

Time change

Daylight Savings Time.  Love it that it will be light later in the evening, hate losing an hour.  It was a tough weekend to do it.  The kids left this morning for a visit to Florida to see their paternal grandparents.  They had to be on the road by 6:30 to make it to the bus station in Rockford in time for their bus to O’Hare.  Since we were up late and fairly wound up before we went to bed, losing an hour seemed especially hard.  But they got up, got on their way and are now in Florida, enjoying the warm weather I hope!

It’s actually a nice day here in Wisconsin, currently just over 60 degrees.  This afternoon I went out to look at the yard and the garden beds.  Crocuses, tulips and daffodils are poking up through the ground. I turned the compost pile, emptied my compost bucket and the small bin of compost I keep on the back porch for when it is too snowy or yucky to get to the pile. I raked a bit, and pulled some weeds– I have a few pernicious weeds that I have trouble getting rid of, so thought it best to start right in.  I’m not even sure what they are, but I am determined to eradicate them this year.  I think I’ve finally defeated the garlic mustard– that was an epic battle.  The seeds arrive in our yard via the dog– he must have gotten them on his fur at the dog park here in town, there is plenty there.  It first appeared in an area he liked to hang out in so I blame him. I keep on it, and every year there is a little less.  Last year I really got at it right away, and so far I don’t see it.  Probably wishful thinking– it’s very persistent.

It was pleasant to be outside and working in the garden.  Church was lovely this morning.  One of our parish families was baptizing their 9th child after Mass, it was lovely to see all 9 kids there.  The Gospel reading was the Woman at the Well from the Gospel of John, I always like it.  Instead of Fr. David preaching a sermon we listened to a recorded homily from the Bishop for our Annual Catholic Appeal.  It’s an important thing, the appeal, since much of the money the Diocese needs for its work is collected through it, but they take a rather heavy-handed approach to it, I don’t think people like it.  I guess it must work, they’ve been doing it this way for several years now.  Still, I can’t help but wonder if another method would work.

Sort-of spring

It’s an absolutely beautiful day here in southern Wisconsin, it was probably 60 degrees when I walked home from work.  If my feet weren’t so tired I would have taken a walk– although I will probably walk up to my meeting at the theatre guild tonight.  The warm weather is supposed to continue for a week at least.  The snow is gone from the yard, except for the bigger piles from shoveling.  The back yard looks pretty muddy, and very untidy– I did not rake up the last of the leaves last fall.

Is there a word for these kinds of days?  We have Indian Summer for those warm fall days in late autumn, is there a name for these spring-like days in late winter? Weather like this is a nice treat, especially when it’s been a hard winter, which this winter has not been.  But this weather is also deceptive– like a tease for true spring.  It gets my hopes up, and I start getting into that “spring” mode, ready to put away the winter clothes and boots, ready to be outside.  But winter ain’t over yet, and we will surely have more cold weather and probably a snowstorm or two.  Even though we’re near the end, and I know any cold spell won’t last long, it’s hard to go back to winter.