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Spring with delusions of summer
Apr. 20th, 2012 06:23 pmTook a walk with Oka, our 11 yo German Shepherd Dog. It was like strolling through perfume. Everywhere I looked, something was in bloom. The apple trees still have plenty of blossoms, the lilac and wisteria have exploded into fragrant pastel glory, the dogwoods are unbroken masses of pink or white. Everyone's irises have gone mad.
Winter is truly over. It's time to put away the long-sleeved shirts and sweaters and break out the shorts. Well, maybe opt for lighter-weight jeans for a bit, as it will undoubtedly relapse into overcast and not-so-warm. We'll get real summer come July. But for now... ah!
Winter is truly over. It's time to put away the long-sleeved shirts and sweaters and break out the shorts. Well, maybe opt for lighter-weight jeans for a bit, as it will undoubtedly relapse into overcast and not-so-warm. We'll get real summer come July. But for now... ah!
Spring passages
May. 10th, 2011 09:58 amSeasonally, I change a bunch of things:
I rotate my wardrobe, such as it is, in this case putting away corduroy pants, wool sweaters, and heavy cotton turtlenecks and taking out T-shirts and jeans (shorts will emerge in a couple of months). I just take out the cardboard boxes, empty and re-fill, stick back in the closet. It always feels as if I've gotten a whole new set of clothes, although most are years and years old. (I used to do this switch-and-hide maneuver with the kids' toys, so they played with only half at a time and they loved getting "new" toys.)
I switch from dryer clothes drying to line drying outside. This can be tricky because I have to guess when the rains are over (usually in May). I scrub the plastic-coated lines and take out my clothes pins. The first load always takes longer to hang up because I'm putting up the pins at the same time. The smell of sun-dried clothing is wonderful!
I change our sheets from winter flannel to summer weight cotton.
I glance around the house, mutter something about spring cleaning, and go back to writing.
So what's your spring routine?
I rotate my wardrobe, such as it is, in this case putting away corduroy pants, wool sweaters, and heavy cotton turtlenecks and taking out T-shirts and jeans (shorts will emerge in a couple of months). I just take out the cardboard boxes, empty and re-fill, stick back in the closet. It always feels as if I've gotten a whole new set of clothes, although most are years and years old. (I used to do this switch-and-hide maneuver with the kids' toys, so they played with only half at a time and they loved getting "new" toys.)
I switch from dryer clothes drying to line drying outside. This can be tricky because I have to guess when the rains are over (usually in May). I scrub the plastic-coated lines and take out my clothes pins. The first load always takes longer to hang up because I'm putting up the pins at the same time. The smell of sun-dried clothing is wonderful!
I change our sheets from winter flannel to summer weight cotton.
I glance around the house, mutter something about spring cleaning, and go back to writing.
So what's your spring routine?
Spring salad part 2 and piano update
Mar. 13th, 2011 08:56 amThe second round spring salad did not contain baby arugula. Nature had other ideas. Dave found 4 wee fennel bulbs, so I chopped one up with the rest of the miner's lettuce and fresh orange sections. Dressed with raspberry vinaigrette. Amazing.
I just passed the 6 year mark of piano study. Here's what I'm working on:
Clementi Sonatina Op. 36, No. 1 (I think it's obligatory at a certain stage, but I'm having fun with it)
Chopin Prelude Op. 28, No 4 (e minor)
Exercises from Hanon and Czerny (the Czerny is kind of fun, if maniacal)
Brahms Waltz (A flat)
Vangelis Hymne
plus repertoire pieces, which vary with mood, time, memorization (meaning that if I have a chance to sit down at a strange piano, I'll run through everything I can play without music)
I just passed the 6 year mark of piano study. Here's what I'm working on:
Clementi Sonatina Op. 36, No. 1 (I think it's obligatory at a certain stage, but I'm having fun with it)
Chopin Prelude Op. 28, No 4 (e minor)
Exercises from Hanon and Czerny (the Czerny is kind of fun, if maniacal)
Brahms Waltz (A flat)
Vangelis Hymne
plus repertoire pieces, which vary with mood, time, memorization (meaning that if I have a chance to sit down at a strange piano, I'll run through everything I can play without music)
Anticipations of spring...
Mar. 9th, 2011 07:38 pmThe calendar may not know it, but the miner's lettuce sure thinks it's spring! We use it as a wild cover crop, and it has erupted everywhere. Some of the leaves are well over 2" in diameter. I gathered a bunch, washed and dried it, and served it dressed with raspberry vinaigrette and topped with defrosted blackberries from last summer. Whatever endorphins are released by fresh greens after months of winter slog are currently flooding my system.
Dave says there's some baby arugula, too. It's naturalized in our garden, so it's everywhere, but I have to pick it when it's small and tender, so as to be not-too-bitter. Spring salad, part 2, coming up!
Dave says there's some baby arugula, too. It's naturalized in our garden, so it's everywhere, but I have to pick it when it's small and tender, so as to be not-too-bitter. Spring salad, part 2, coming up!
