How Bright My Tulips Shine

My tulips, planted ridiculously late, are blooming! 

At last!  The peas are surfacing.  The favas are finally showing face as well.  I really lost hope and still must see how they do actually producing after being planted so late.

The last few days have been marvelous!  I have somehow (possibly from the ardently shining sun) found myself with enough energy to clean the pond we inherited with the property.  It has not been cleaned since we moved in because, well, we were both kind of scared of it.  I drained most of the water (used much of it to water my roses and herbs), scrubbed the plastic lining, installed a pump to keep the water moving (to reduce the mosquito population) and managed to save quite a few minuscule tadpoles and clusters of gelatinous frog's eggs beforehand so that we would have a new crop of baby frogs this year.

The pond is now pleasantly tinkling away (it has a little waterfall arrangement) and has fulfilled my long-time desire for the sound of water in my garden. 

Philip and I tamed the huge clusters of Arum by ripping them out ruthlessly- freeing the climbing rose and peony that overlook the little pond. 

I also managed to get some herbs planted, and yesterday...yesterday!!!  My house has not been cleaned all in a go in a very long time.  While I didn't manage to get the mopping done nor clean the bathrooms, I did everything else.  Five hours of putting so many piles of crap away and implementing little organizational schemes I've had in my mind for months.  I vacuumed, dusted, swept floors, washed and folded (AND PUT AWAY) at least 6 loads of laundry, put fresh sheets on all the beds, and put away the last of the Christmas and Easter decorations.

The weather is gorgeous!  It is miraculously already almost too hot for me: remember that any temperature over 70 degrees is too warm for my taste.  But the sunshine is wonderful and is making everything burst out with enthusiasm, plants, people, animals...everyone who's been in hibernation is suddenly outside with smiles and shovels and sweat and I could smell all the BBQs being fired up on Sunday.

I have, actually, some things I really want to write that will take more care and time than I have at present.  Sunday was one of those incredible days that many families enjoy frequently but that we experience rarely- where the kid is happily engaged in playing with his friends all day and when they became bored I directed their attention to the list of activities I wrote up of things that Max can do with his friends.

On that list were two items that they actually took up: work/play in the fort, and practice writing secret codes.  They got Philip to help them work on the fort and for almost two hours the three kids and Philip were in the sunshine building, playing with power tools, naming the "club" and learning to write their names in dragon-script.

When the other kids had gone and I finished my shift of work (which I'm doing in the afternoons now) we all sat down on the porch for reading time.  And to listen to the frogs.  Max sat in my lap and snuggled in while Philip read to us.  It was amazing.  Just the most perfect day ever. 

This morning I was returned from my fantasy of normal family life with all the drama I am used to trying to damp down in the morning time with Max suddenly hating the taste of ALL food and refusing breakfast, then having obnoxious lumps in his socks and Philip being impatient of the whole thing.  Max was also dreading school since today he is expected to finish the final draft of a fairytale he was supposed to be writing.  He hates writing and finds it takes him much longer than anyone will allow him to do it in which causes him to insult himself and become angry at everyone else as well.

But right now I must run because I am re-reading one of my favorite Georgette Heyer books "Sylvester" (also published, I believe, under the title "The Wicked Uncle") even though I've read it at least two or three times already I am in a great hurry to get back to it.  Do you know how rare it is for me to have the house to myself, all serene, clean, and with no overtly strenuous chores ahead of me besides the need to make some food and plant a few seeds?  I work at my job this afternoon so I want to go enjoy this delicious quiet and dive into my book.

A pasttime I really thought lost to me.

It is the best thing in the world on a warm day- to seek a cool quiet spot where no one can find you and dive into a book and forget yourself, everyone else, and be drawn into improbable stories.  Especially ones with happy endings.

I think some broody posts are percolating (I can feel them before they surface) so anyone who is feeling let down by all this happy-peaceful-light-flowery-crapola may feel reassured that if I have two days together of complete euphoria, it is inevitable that several dark days will follow.

Until then I invite everyone to sit quietly for an hour or two with no conversation, no computer, and devour a book in a delicious fit of slowing down the universe to enjoy yourself.