Surprises and Expectations

As Easter weekends go, it was shaping up to be a beautiful, albeit pretty quiet one. Warm temps, not a cloud in the sky, daffodils in bloom...


My plan was, of necessity, to work all day, bake a cake for dessert, and let John handle the cooking - er, grilling. The house was a mess, but oh well - no one was coming over anyway.

Then the dogs ran to the front door and began barking. LOUD. LOUD and frantic...

"Who could that be on Easter Sunday?"

"Ugh, I don't know, but the house is a disaster, I'm covered in paint and I don't feel like dealing with neighbors just now."

"Eh. Just ignore it."

Then the barking got louder. And LOUDER...and the jumping against the window began.

"Better go look", *sigh*....

"Someone was trying to get in the front door. They're coming up the side of the house now!"

"WHAT??!!"

And I looked up to see our daughter Courtney at the back window, who at the last minute, took the train out here from Philly and showed up at the door bearing a pot of yellow tulips. Made. My. Day. :)

She didn't stay long, having made plans with a friend who was on her own for Easter, but it was still so good to see her.

After she left, it was back to the painting. I actually managed to finish this one, inspired by the herb garden that Is To Be...

Just a few weeks now! We plant most of these herbs and more - lemon thyme, pineapple sage, oregano, chamomile, rosemary, marjoram, tarragon, cilantro and LOTS of basil (not only for summer pasta, but also for making pesto to freeze for the winter)...and usually a couple of tomato and pepper plants too.

I can't tell you how much I love my herb garden. There's always such a sense of anticipation and expectation as the last frost date approaches, and planting can safely begin. It's such a blessing to step outside with a pair of scissors and cut whatever fresh herbs we'll need for dinner that night, or for a salad dressing, or pitcher of iced tea. Can't recommend it highly enough! And the best thing about herbs is, you don't need a yard - they can be grown in containers. :)

It's almost time to sink some new pond plants too. The fish have awakened from their winter slumber (they go dormant at the bottom of the pond through the winter) and we've begun feeding them again...

The water irises are back, but we're fearing the harsh winter was too much for the lilies, so they'll need to be replaced. Every year, John grumbles about what a pain (and expense) the pond is, but I so love the sound of the waterfall, and sight of it from the studio window. It's very....zen or something. ;)

That's about it for today...I'll be out of town tomorrow, attending a funeral Mass for the Father of my oldest and dearest friend. I'd love to be able to say something wise and thoughtful about the circle of life and all that, but loss is still loss, and I feel so heartbroken for those who endure it, as we all eventually do.

I'll be back very soon with new work to share. In the meantime, think about planting something. It's good for the soul. :)

♥ Carolee