Last night the freight train sounding wind blew down the front fence. Cold air came through the flap on the dog door. The rain pelted the windows. It was a remarkable night. Right now it is 37° and cloudy. The wind is still strong though not as strong as last night. The rain is gone and won’t be back.
After a drab winter, I crave color. This morning I noticed my daffodil buds right away. They are finally yellow, quite close to blooming. They are the only color brightening the garden. The hyacinths will be next. The forsythia buds still have a while to grow.
When I was a kid, I always thought Sunday was a wasted day. Its only bright spots were donuts and Sunday dinner. I had to go to church. That was a given. I had to stay around the house, no wandering. I’d read the Sunday comics, watch TV and wait for Sunday dinner, our fanciest meal of the week. It was always a roast with mashed potatoes and a vegetable or two on the side. The roast beef was always well done. The chicken was whole. Carrots were fresh, but the peas and asparagus came out of cans. I remember the asparagus tops would bend it you held a spear straight up. I always ate the peas and some carrots, but the carrots were forced on me. Desserts were cookies. I’d grab a few and go back to watch TV. Usually they were Oreos and sometimes chocolate chip cookies. Sunday meant early to bed. It was a school night.
Today is Palm Sunday. I remember getting fresh palm fronds at mass. My mother used to have some tucked behind a picture over her bed. They were last year’s fronds. They’d get so dry over the course of the year that the tips could puncture your skin if you weren’t careful. They went into the trash, carefully thrown away. The new fronds started their year long tenure behind the picture.
My dance card last week was empty. I stayed home almost the whole week. I did some cleaning, reading and a bit of napping. Uke is back with practice on Tuesday, a Wednesday lesson on Zoom and a concert Wednesday afternoon. I will be emerging from my self-imposed hibernation.
