Spring Day

We had a warm sunny day. I sat on the patio this afternoon working on a crossword puzzle and gazing at my crocus. It looks like I may end up enjoying about half of what I planted. The deer were coming each night and munching the developing plants and buds. For awhile, I covered one little clump with a bucket each night, but now I have too many. My husband put a long board across the flowers on prop boards. So far, that has worked. I can see the flowers underneath though, so I would imagine so can the deer. Whether they will be bold enough to knock the board over remains to be seen as this is only the third night of this arrangement.

The pear and maple trees have buds. The hostas and lilies and irises are sending up shoots. In my neighborhood I have now seen two small clumps of blooming daffodils. I bought an Easter lily for indoors this morning at the grocery store. Easter is forecasted to be around 60 degrees, though we will be in the 40’s for 2 or 3 days next week.

As I sat on the patio, I could hear birds all around me. This morning a chubby rabbit ate grass in the backyard and this afternoon a squirrel sat under the pine tree. It feels like spring alright.

I haven’t done much reading. I have a bad cold and between blowing my nose and getting through coughing spells, I feel wiped out. I did read the Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards. This is a pretty sad novel. Without giving away too much of the tale, the “daughter” has Down’s syndrome. The story starts out in 1964. One of the foundations of the book is the question whether to institutionalize such a child. It brings back vague memories of 1957 when my cousin was born with this syndrome. My aunt decided to keep her child in her home, but it is true that many doctors recommended institutionalizing. Another lesson of the book is that unilaterally making a difficult decision that affects others and keeping it from one’s spouse and children builds walls and sometimes guilt that destroys the family. As I said, a sad book.

In the spirit of my year words (“letting go”), I am trying not to fret about whether I will be able to sing with my choir on Good Friday. Because I have asthma, it often takes me a long time to get over respiratory illness. God knows my heart’s desire, but I have to believe He also knows best. I’m trying to focus not on being sick, but on the signs of awakening spring around me.