The morning is lovely, chilly though, in the low 40’s. Last night was downright cold, in the 30’s. We seem to be limping into spring. The shoots in the front garden are taller but have no buds yet. 

I stood on the deck for a while watching the dogs. I could hear the birds and saw more at the feeders than I have in a while. Yesterday I bought some more seed, sunflower and thistle. The gold finches are here every day, five of them this morning. They are starting to get more color. 

The house behind me used to keep the outside light on every night, but I noticed a few days ago it had gone dark. Another house had lights on, inside lights, all night. That too is dark. The houses on each side of mine are empty. Across the street, beside each other, are two houses with people, but their shades are down so I don’t see their lights. Unless there is a bright moon, darkness envelopes my neighborhood, except for my yard. I still have Christmas lights shining outside every night. When I was last out and about, I was surprised that several houses are still lit with either white or colored lights. We are all trying to keep the darkness at bay.

When I was a kid, a street light was on the sidewalk below the small grassy hill in front of our house. It wasn’t just a light. It was a clock sending us inside when its light came on. In the winter, when it snowed, the light shined on the flakes and highlighted their shapes. I’d watch from the picture window in our living room. I’d watch a long time.

When I was young, my family often had parties. My mother’s Aunty Clara, my grandfather’s sister, was the oldest of everybody. My grandparents, my mother’s parents were there. My mother and some of her siblings were there, Uncle Jack, Uncle Joe, Aunt Bunny and Aunt Barbara. I was the oldest grandchild and was usually there with some of my cousins. Singing was always a part of every party. I remember everyone gathered around the kitchen table at my parents’ house drinks in hand and voices raised. St. Patrick’s Day was one of my favorite parties. They sang all the Irish songs. It was the best time. 

My dance card has one more event, another concert this afternoon. 

This entry was posted on March 13, 2025 at 11:51 am and is filed under Musings. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. Both comments and pings are currently closed.