memories of her

I debated writing this post on Shadow Pearls instead of here since it certainly would be fitting as I recorded those days on that blog when I had full care of her. Those days of grace, those days of hard places, those days that while they were lingeringly long, yet were not long enough.

First thing this morning I sat down with my coffee and wrote the date and the memory of her opened a door wide, it was just as if I had stepped into the "land of OZ". It bursted of color that only a mother can give, her voice was clearly spoken in my ear, and I saw myself as one looking at a photograph book going back years from my childhood right up to that time thirteen years ago. Truthfully, it then occurred to me why she had been so prevalent in my thoughts all week.

     But that tug of missing her grabbed deep too. There is no wonder that I was able to convince my husband to take a drive to a local nursery where the purchase of a lilac bush made the most sense. She died during the days of blooming lilacs so in my way of thinking I should have a blooming lilac in my yard. Isn't it beautiful?

It will be a long time before I am able to forget my mother as she is this summer, and remember her as she used to be.

The Summer of the Great-Grandmother

Madeleine L'Engle

on this day of April 13

     One place suits one person, another

     place suits another person. For my

     part I prefer to live in the country

     like Timmy Willie.

         Beatrix Potter    

        The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse

A person can stay delightfully busy doing things about the home and garden whether one lives in the country or the city. Every day I wake up with anticipation nudging me as I slip downstairs to fix the morning's coffee. 

     This day a dough was stirred up with my sourdough starter in preparation to bake a batch of cinnamon rolls. These will be carried along to share with the ladies in Bible Study tomorrow. Even though the temperatures have warmed up, still my house remains chillier than outside, so I set it on the porch to rise.

        

Sun Tea brewing on the front side walk.

If you have never made your own baking powder I will share this recipe so you may make your own if you so wish. It is easy and works beautifully in all baking recipes.

1/4 cup cream of tartar

2 tablespoons of baking soda.

Sift three times in sieve and put in air tight jar. This will last for several months with no problem.

I am no longer taking my forest walks now that the snakes, ticks and chiggers have awakened from their winter hibernations. I have returned to the wonderful driveways and country paths, traipsing them several times to get a nice allotted walk. The cottage property across the street gives me even more paths to walk and this is a view that greeted me today. I also was able to dig up some Lily of the Valley plants to transplant to my front yard.

Pollen is very heavy here and will be around for several more weeks, but I just had to come outside on the screened porch and attempt to remove some of it for now. No serious cleaning yet, just some vacuuming and scrubbing a few tables.

We eat most suppers on the screened porch while the weather is balmy, and because last night was so pleasant we dined on the brick patio.

I sit outside here until dusk and read The Wind in The Willows by Kenneth Grahame. The older I get the more I am enjoying children's books. This is a reread from the days I first read it to my children. Enchanting.