life is happening NOW

I’ve been wanting to write something in my blog lately, but life has been busy.  In fact, even now, I should be working because...God knows...

But no, it’s after 10 and I’m going to blow off the rest of the evening with something that is not playing mindless games on my iPad.  Damn that iPad.  It sucks hours of my life away and I love it.  What a wonderful horrible invention. 

So, Miss Sarah got herself married on April 7th.  It was a beautiful wedding.  Everything seemed to go smoothly (at least from my perspective).  The church where the wedding was held is one of the most beautiful churches I’ve ever stepped foot in.  We don’t make churches like that anymore – beautiful gigantic stained-glass windows, lots of ornate wood with architectural accents like arches and pillars and statues.  It’s exciting to think that now I have a son-in-law...which makes me a mother-in-law.  I don’t want to be a bad one.  I have friends with bad mother-in-laws.  I’ve had two mother-in-laws and both are wonderful people.  I’m grateful. 

Sarah, Emily, and Erin.  My lovelies.

I’m also grateful that winter seems to have finally given up.  It’s not really warm yet, but at least we’ve not seen any snow flurries for a few weeks.  Yesterday, I planted cabbage and broccoli in the big garden, and Brussels sprouts in my raised bed.  As soon as I get things caught up with University #2, I’m going to plant lettuce, carrots, and radishes in my raised bed, and peppers and tomatoes in the big garden.  Someone and I got into a bit of an argument about the big garden.  It’s a long story...not for tonight.  Let’s just say Someone and I have very different thought processes.  His are bewildering to me sometimes.   

I have in mind to build a rustic trellis and plant sweet peas around it.  In my imagination, the trellis is covered with beautiful vines of delightfully-scented pink,white, and lavender flowers...just as they are shown (and promised) in the seed catalogs.  Here is what I have constructed so far. 

Imagination is needed (lots of it)

I would call it about 2% complete.  Less than 2% if you also account for preparing a site for it and whatever that entails.  In my imagination, we have a level sunny spot with all the sod removed and some sort of stone boundary around it...with at least 40 lily of the valley planted underneath as ground cover...it works in my imagination, trust me.  The sweet peas are annuals and won’t start sprouting until mid-May.  The lily of the valley will bloom mid-May, then just be leaves (maybe 10 inches tall or so) for the rest of the year – ground cover – a place for snakes to lay around.  Lilies of the valley will keep weeds and grass from growing under the trellis.  It will be good...if it works...if I actually finish it.  

The violets this year are magnificent.  I’ve been picking small bouquets of them every few days.  When I was a kid, I’d pick huge bouquets of them.  I wonder how anyone has the patience for that?  They wilt quickly, unfortunately.  I LOVE violets, and lily of the valley, and spring.

Welcome spring violets

Parting is such sweet sorrow.  University #1 is winding down.  This is our last week of classes and next week is final exams.  This is the time of year when I really enjoy my students.  By this time, I know their names and more about them.  We aren’t strangers anymore.  They are friendlier to me by now and we have more fun in the classroom as compared to the beginning of the semester.  And just when things get really good, it’s time to say good-bye.  Nothing good lasts forever, it seems.