For Cynthia

Oh, my. I have not written since December. The first quarter of the new year has already passed by me!

Lately, I have been thinking of my youth. The strange thing is it focuses on the nature which surrounded me.

It is Spring time here. Truly amazing how everything is brown or gray and then, literally overnight, trees are budding, deer no longer camouflaged and flower bulbs pushing their way from the earth like newborns out of a birthing canal. Just like that.

I was sitting on my back patio at 5:30am this Saturday morning. All I can hear are the birds beginning their busy day.

Spring time is remarkable. I am making a conscious effort to appreciate the rows of daffodils in town. And everything else that demonstrates the imminent arrival of the season.

But what I remember from decades ago is my own backyard and neighborhood. It’s all I knew. You’ve heard the phrase, “All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten.” For me, everything I really needed to know was in my own backyard and neighborhood block.

There were forsythia bushes in the back of our house. I thought they were “For Cynthia” bushes. That’s me. Always putting a random consonant in where it just doesn’t belong. Started that nonsense at a very young age.

These bright yellow shrubs were one of the first signs of revival. Along with the delicate purple crocuses. It was the starting gun of more daylight. Warmth. Extraordinary play.

I’d grab the Hosta flower heads before they bloomed. Sort of like going crazy with bubble wrap. Play under the white flowering bush that seemed to be snowing when the small petals hit the ground. Feeling the soft down of the Pussy Willow branches. The scent of the Lilac bushes permeating the area. The neighbor’s Weeping Willow tree that turned into a sheltering fort. And sometimes its branches used as a lashing weapon for protection.

Lessons learned from my childhood backyard?

The importance of touching. Smelling. Seeing. Feeling. Hearing. Everything has a season. Fresh air is a wonderful gift. Playing outside and contorting yourself-the likes of which no gym will ever provide-does your body good. Being physical can work wonders for the mind. We can shed the clothes of the past season. Playing nicely with others is always a positive thing. There is a life cycle. A well tended garden can bring abundant joy. Natural surroundings are magical. Appreciation for new life. Utter sadness during fallow periods. And most importantly, the awareness that we have absolutely NO control over any season.

Today I am going to do my best to enjoy each day this Spring season is offering me. This is something I can actually control.

I wish you the same.

Do it for Cynthia.

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Wonder Of It All

I was doing some gardening a few days ago. That’s my go to place for exercise and peace of mind. Just turning over soil and trying to hurry Spring along. Starting to see buds on trees and bushes. Green leaves from the many bulbs planted last Fall.

As I was working around one of the hydrangea bushes something caught my eye. Near its base. Wait, is that an egg? It was a good size and it was an oval shape. Yes, I decided. It was definitely an egg. And what a great spot for a little nest of one! Awwwwww! Another sign of Spring. Life happens no matter what else is going on in the world. I then began to wonder what type of bird it was. My imagination was soon soaring!

Why just one egg? Where was Mom? Where was Dad? How long was it there? Although I didn’t want to disturb anything in progress (read: didn’t want Mama poking my eyes out for messing with her nest) I did want a closer look. Sadly, it looked like it might have been cracked. 😦 I then noticed the coffee grinds above and around it.

Wait, what? It’s starting to look an awful lot like breakfast out here.

Didn’t take me long to solve the puzzle. I compost food scraps in a big bin by the side of the house. But my coffee grinds go directly into my gardens. Especially near the hydrangeas-I am changing the colors of the blooms with acidity in the soil. Anyway, I soon determined that an egg shell must have been in my kitchen pail with the coffee grounds. And I dumped it on the hydrangea.

So my excitement was tamped down pretty quickly. But it had been there. A surge of wonder. Curiosity. Thinking about something pleasant. Getting my mind off the uncertainty this virus is thrusting upon us. It was just nice to be outside and enjoy nature.

I would encourage everyone to get out and explore(not near anyone!)during these troubling times. Even in your own backyard. Keep your eyes peeled for a past breakfast, signs of life, promise and renewal.

Just enjoy the wonder of it all.

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Changes

Greetings all!

Hard to believe the seasons are sailing past us. I know there is no magic wand to slow it all down. Nor should there be. Because then I’d just be playing God with the seasons.

Swish of the wand.

Spring. Sure, stick around, temps are good. Green buds everywhere. Life.

Summer, you too, are welcome to just laze. No one rushing you.

Autumn, I know I said I always loved you.

Attractive boots. Sweaters. Apples. Cider. Colors everywhere. Rah rah from nearby stadiums. Wool suits. Burning leaves in the backyard.

So many people proclaim, “I love the Fall.” And I agree with them smiling. Say things like, “Me, too.” Now I say, “Me, too, but it’s the transition thing that’s tough for me.”

This year wasn’t too bad. Because the youngest returned to school early for three weeks of training. So it wasn’t like September 1st rolled around and my kid was gone again. It was still warm and summer when I helped unpack her at university.

But I ride my bike down the East Bay path and the beach is empty. The cacophony of the park and recreation area, normally present in the summer, has been stilled now that all of the little day campers have gone. No more thwonks of tennis balls hitting the courts. Only the honks of the Canadian geese, befouling/befowling the area, are heard.

Traffic patterns changed. Tourists and summer folks left while the school buses returned. The ones you’ll do anything not to be stuck behind when they pick up or discharge their precious cargo. God bless them. But still. We all have things to do, right?

It’s dark. The clocks have been changed. Halloween, Thanksgiving and Xmas shopping.

I have not been sitting here moping. Been a busy woman. Did some community service in town. Organized a team for an Alzheimer’s Walk. Visited youngest up in Vermont. Sat in on a couple of her university classes. Am ahead of my reading challenge (100 by end of year) by one book! Had Lasik procedure on my eyes. Felt blessed that my mom turned 80 years old last month. Delved into African-American authors. Enjoyed visitors up until last week. Currently doing my civic duty and loving it.

But still. Haven’t packed up the entire patio. Or transferred garden ornaments into the garage.

Maybe this weekend.

Here is a poem by Langston Hughes. Recently finished a book of his. So enjoyed it. And I am not a “sit under a leafy tree and blow on dandelions while making wishes/reading poetry type of girl.” He was good.

I mean, that’s it in a nutshell, isn’t it? Autumn. And then Winter.

With that being said, I do enjoy the change of seasons. I pined for it while living out of New England. Even more so when we moved overseas.

I enjoy the change. Not the transition.

 

 

 

 

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#16

The best news ever! The ospreys have returned! I spotted a male and female this past weekend. Close to their man-made, lofted perch of last year.

So, I guess, it’s official. Spring has sprung. Mating rituals will be performed all over the place. Offspring will be popping up every where. Birds, deer, mink, opossum, foxes and coyotes will all be expanding their families. Yay!

We will still have some seasonal rain (how could we have May flowers without it?) and there will be days when we will be housebound.

Here’s #16 on the “Almost There” list.

Buy a bouquet of cheery flowers. Nothing that requires too much labor. Just a vase and some water.

My “go-to flower” for a little bit of sunshine is the yellow tulip. I know it’s hard for people to believe but I will always prefer a bundle of yellow tulips over a bouquet of red roses. Always.

Speaking of tulips. I need to give a long overdue shout out to C&R Mercantile in Bristol, Rhode Island. Last Spring my friend and I were out exploring and happened upon it. A little spot with super curb appeal. The bright and cheerful display, just outside the entry, beckoned to us.

So charming!

Need supplies for a picnic or a sail? Go no further. This is your place.

The shop was brimming with locally sourced items. Plus all sorts of lovely “must haves.” It’s not huge but it’s worthy. Owned by a woman.

Have a look here.

I know you are thinking, “What does this have to do with tulips???”

It was here that I spied a beautiful bunch of yellow tulips. Totally went home with me. And this particular batch seemed to last forever. Looking fresh and good for more than two weeks! They hung out so long that I was starting to think I’d need to open another college savings account.

So stop and pay the shop a visit if you are ever in the area. You’ll be glad you did.

Fresh cut flowers (wherever you are in the world) will always brighten a home. Especially if you are waiting for sunny days of Spring!

Almost there.

 

 

 

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#14

Just back from a busy couple of weeks.

Spring has sort of sprung around these parts. Ah, the longer days are most welcome!

But I will give you one more tip for surviving until the temps climb a bit higher.

Cleaning was mentioned in a past posting. I promise this one does not require any cleaning. At all.

Just organizing.

Pick one thing. You know it’s out there. Something that you’ve been avoiding. Doesn’t even have to be a big project. It could be your purse! Or a junk drawer! Or files/piles of paper. It’s all about bringing a little bit of calm or joy to a person when the task is completed.

I am working on a couple of projects at the moment.

Here is my recent coup.

Organizing the closet.

Was I really only wearing the same old clothes because I chunked up and couldn’t fit into any of the old ones? Or was it because closets appear to eat up all the other clothes when one is not paying close attention? Lost in the mess?

I read an article some time ago. It mentioned, when conquering the closet, using matching hangers. So that all of the clothes hang at the same level and looks organized.

Hmmm. I thought I could do this.

There were a few other tips that I followed.

One was determining real estate. Stuff a person never wears shouldn’t be taking up prime space.

Another was categorizing by sleeve length.

Then color code. Use the rainbow as your guide for color coordination. White clothes first.

I wanted our closet to not just be easy on the eyes. I wanted the closet to be easy.

So I bought all new hangers. Black, slim, felt hangers at a local discount store. Heaved all mismatched plastic and wire hangers. Sayonara!

It’s not perfect but it’s better. I found that using just one type of hanger makes items so much easier to see and find.

These are just a few photos. The new hangers weren’t strong enough for my husband’s suits so I continued using the wooden hangers. Just made sure they all matched!

That’s my latest suggestion for passing the time while waiting for warmer days.

Happy Spring!

 

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#13

Lucky 13.

It’s now the first of March and winter is still with us. Here in the Northeast we have some of the white stuff on the ground and more in the predicted forecast.

So my list of ways to cope with the long winter continues.

Clean something.

Not just organize. That’s another posting.

But give something a real good going over with a bit of elbow grease. You’ll end up organizing in the process.

I chose my fridge.

Oh, I forgot to mention. Only you will take joy in this completed task. No one else will notice. No one else will care. Ever. At all. But you will. You will notice and you will care.

Back to me. I chose the fridge because it was time. Way past time. After the holidays. After the kids have returned to university. After ignoring it. After giving it a swipe here and there.

A refrigerator is a big to do. The big guns needed. Taking out drawers and such. Scrubbing the fossilized lettuce on the clear plastic bin. Gosh, I think it’s lettuce. But who can really be sure.

It’s a place of hope. For that half used something or other. The promise of what could be.

With just one more recipe. In the near future.

It’s like I imagine the would be thoughts of jalopies resting in a junkyard. “Maybe someone out there will need a used part and come get me. So I’m not a has been.”

That promise never happens. At least in our house.

But what does happen, and I will admit it makes me sad and happy at the same time, is this. Sometimes those hard choices about promises are just taken out of our hands. Decisions made for us. Not by us.

At first glance it looks to me like one of those fabulous aerial views showing us beautiful little islands and possible volcanoes in the middle of a Habanero salsa.

Or dead field mice.

Oh my gosh! A picture can tell a thousand stories. Like a Rorschach test.

For the record. I have a ton of glass containers so I am not even sure how that can even made it into the fridge. Please don’t judge me. But it did and happily resided there for awhile. A quiet and unassuming neighbor pushed into the background. Not needing any attention. Until it was time to spruce up the neighborhood.

Then it had to go.

I cleaned that fridge until it looked shiny and new. Every drawer pulled out and washed. Dried up puddles from old vegetable goop all gone. I sniffed containers of sour cream and eyeballed the cream cheese packages. If anything looked like it could be a candidate for the next new antibiotic I heaved it.

I will leave off for now.

Secure in the knowledge that you will wisely choose a smaller cleaning project. That you will never accept an invitation to eat at my home. That you wont ever crave my pumpkin pie.

Have a lovely weekend! If it’s snowing be careful on the roads. If it’s not snowing be careful on the roads.

Spring is almost here.

 

 

 

 

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#9 Cheerful Reminder

Here is number nine on the “Is it April yet?” list.

Find something to serve as a cheerful reminder that sunny days are just around the corner.

I have a few items scattered around my house for this very reason. I really love these guys.

They were a gift so I can’t take any credit for finding them. My daughter, Norah, bought them for my birthday last October.

I love everything about them.

Recycled/renewed. Unique. Useful.

I’m  even happy that I received them after the herb season ended.

Because that gives me just one more thing to look forward to this Spring.

They are displayed on a trunk right by the back door. Ready and waiting!

Find a cheerful reminder. Sunny days are just around the corner.

 

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Use Sense

Here is another item for the “Is It Spring Yet?” list. Guess we can put this down as #4.

Using, waking up and actually enjoying our senses while we embrace each season.

Here is one simple way to do it. Without breaking the old bank.

Take this Rosemary plant. First of all, it looks better in person. But I bought the plant and pot this past summer at a local discount store called “Ocean State Job Lot.” Might have even picked up the small strand of fairy lights there.

Why not enjoy it inside the home?

It’s got the combo vibe.

The ceramic pot provides a splash of color. Fairy lights add a touch of ambiance. Run fingers along its spiky leaves to release the scent for a bit of aromatherapy when needed. Also comes in handy when a recipe calls for a sprig to season a dish!

An interesting little fact about this herb. Rosemary might help with memory. I actually forgot where I read that. But I did read it. 🙂

This is a small, inexpensive way of using, waking up and enjoying the senses.

Embrace it all! Senses and the seasons!

 

 

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The Osprey Left

I have said it more than once.

Autumn came so quickly.

Seemed like I was just sitting on the shore, drink in hand and watching the evening sunset.

Then this. Wham! My youngest was heading back to university.

Once the kid left it seemed there were changes every place I looked. Of course, I found some sadness in this. It was like a scorecard I was keeping. Yup, check off one more not-so-happy thing.

Keep in mind, I was also experiencing a New England autumn after being away twenty-four years during this very season. Lot of transitioning. On many different levels.

Leaves on the trees turned glorious, riotous shades and then fluttered to the ground. Skeletons in their wake.

The ice cream shops were now sporting signs like “Closed For The Season” and “See You In The Spring!”

Del’s, an extremely popular Rhode Island frozen lemonade business, shuttered their stands and trucks instantly went into hibernation.

The birds, who were annoyingly loud outside our bedroom window in the wee hours of the morning, silenced overnight.

All of the neat little nests dotting our yard and stuffed under the eaves had “vacancy” signs on them.

No more pleasure boats zipping down the bay. Now they are white, shrink wrapped objects perched on steel stands and peppering boatyards all over the state.

The sun setting just minutes after my afternoon tea. Okay, I don’t have an afternoon tea but it sounded so good. My point is the sunset was no longer an evening thing.

Even our compost bin eventually went quiet. Crickets. Anyone who composts food and plant scraps knows you practically need a pair of goggles or a gas mask when you open the lid in the summer. Especially if it wasn’t recently turned. Smells and a million, billion fruit flies make a fruit-line to your face. No activity, at all, once temperatures drop.

But there was one thing that really made me realize the wonderful summer season came to an end and it sort of made me sad. Not as sad as the youngest leaving or as sad as losing and missing our loved ones. But still. Like it was the last and final straw of summer.

The osprey left.

Ospreys are magnificent birds of prey. Huge raptors. Looks like a big hawk or eagle. Moonlight as fishermen. Has a few young ones in the Spring. And then once autumn arrives it quickly flies off in the direction of South America. The ginormous nests, a convenient five minute walk from our house, are in the marshland and built on tall wooden roosts. Now totally empty.

When I saw the empty nest my eyes filled up. Silly really. Because I know they are coming back in the Spring. I also realize it was some type of temporary Mommy transference phenomenon.

Summer was truly gone.

So, what to do?

The only thing is to shake it off and approach autumn with gusto. Enjoy every minute. Be glad of the different seasons because it is a continual promise. When one ends another beautiful season begins.

Sometimes that is easier said than done. Especially when the afternoon sky is dark and it gets cold. Autumn quickly becomes winter.

In the coming days I will share things that have enhanced and cheered my autumn and winter. I’m normally a happy sort and have been enjoying it. It does not have to be gloomy. It’s all up to me. It’s all up to you.

While we sit and wait for the osprey’s return.

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