A Mid-May Snapshot

Friends, spring has officially arrived in New Hampshire! And while we’re nearing the start of my least favorite season (summer), I’m doing my best to soak in the little details that announce the arrival of spring. The opening picture is of our columbine blooming! These flowers always remind me of stars and are stunning. Trees are budding, the asparagus is up, and the peony plants are showing some promise.

While we’ve had to say goodbye to the hyacinth, daffodils, and tulips, the honeysuckle and lilacs have bloomed and the smell outside is spring. Birdsong greets me every morning as I try get myself out of bed before Colton or the puppy wakes up, pining for a half moment of quiet to myself. It hasn’t happened yet but is sure to come.

I’m coming to grips with the fact that we probably won’t have a garden this year, but am still hoping that I’ll be able to at least plant some flowers before too long. It’s a hard pill to swallow because I love the ritual of getting out early in the morning and soaking the roots while watching the plants grow, flower, and bear fruit. I love plucking toads out of the yard and putting them in the garden to help with unwanted bugs and to give them a nice muddy place to dig their burrows. But this summer is shaping up to be a challenge in its own right and adding anything else to it probably wouldn’t be very wise.

So I’m grateful for the perennials we’ve planted over the last 11 years and an opportunity to dream about next year’s set-up.

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We are working hard with Dawsey to get him ready to be out in the real world by focusing on distraction training and walking with good manners. Border Collie puppies are super nibblers and I have a few punctures and bruises on my arm from his teeth, so that’s been tough. But this is part of having a Border Collie puppy and a quick perusal on the Border Collie subreddit reflects that. So this is common and part of the breed and we will get through it. He’s been busy building his confidence by dashing up and down the staircase to the kids’ rooms, mastering his puzzles, and chasing ice cubes. He’s keeping us all on our toes!

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I’ve been promising a reading update and have almost finished the big post I’ve been working on, but I hate how it’s written. So I’ll probably be breaking it into smaller pieces and reworking it. One of the benefits of waiting so long to write these posts is that it gives me a little distance from the finished titles and allows me to reflect on what has really stood out to me. Books that I loved in the moment turned out to be flashes in the pan and some of the more quiet and reflective books have had more staying power. We all know that and I’m relearning it constantly. So…. I will keep working.

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And that’s it from me. This weekend will involve time at the library and basically living outside. I’m hoping to squeeze in some reading time and, if I’m extra lucky, some time with my knitting needles. Have I shared that I separated the front and back on my Lettuce Mint sweater? I can’t remember. But I’m in the process of working back and forth on the front and that feels significant.

I hope this weekend is full of exactly what you need. Take good care!