Pleasant Days

Lately, the days have been characterized by a lightening perhaps, or a slowing. Things have eased up and there is some margin around the edges of my comings and goings. It has been sweet to have 4 of the 5 children home for a brief time-to see their relationships now, as older siblings, and notice that, for the most part, they are good friends. Well, when they're not driving each other nuts of course. On top of all those good things, we've had days in a row of warm, spring weather that just can't help but lift the spirits. 

                                      

I'm getting to the end of my class at HCC and I am ticking off the number of images I have to have developed, printed and mounted by next Tuesday with a little bit of end-of-semester angst,  but even that work has been pleasanter than it was when everything was happening at once. I've made some new friends in the class and that helps me to look forward to those long hours in  the darkroom making print after print after print. It will get done, and maybe I'll have a few images worthy of showing off in this space. 

The concession stand at the high school is all but done for the season. I'll start to move things and get rid of the expired stuff and shut everything up for the summer, but that can be on my own time. This volunteer job has been a good learning experience, but I have to say it was it more than I bargained for, for poor pete's sake. I've told them I can't hold this particular position again next year, but hopefully I'll be able to help in some way, because I do like having my kids see me at the school, being involved in the community. This just took SO MUCH TIME-sometimes 10-12 hours a week, and that just felt like too much with Eric serving as Bishop and me taking classes. I really did like meeting new people and working hard, but I just need to not be in charge I think. I did do my best, though, and think I did a pretty good job, so that ends it on a very good note. 

My garden is off to a great start this year, thanks mostly to the fact that my pal without a garden is going to be my veggie-growing partner this year and what a difference it makes to have someone actually excited to do this work in the dirt! I tell my kids that the lettuce has sprouted and they glaze over just a bit, nice as they are. I tell her and she responds with genuine joy and excitement! So far, in addition to the lettuce, we have snow peas, zucchini, spinach and summer squash up and growing. This weekend I'll pick up some tomato plants at the Sheep and Wool Festival, and maybe a pepper or two, plant some cucumbers, and we'll be nearly set for now. We've already got parsley (self-sown from last year) and thyme (pretty much a perennial for me) up and ready to harvest, and the cilantro and dill self-sowed again last year and I've got tons of each.  These may not look like much now, but we planted them with our very own hands and it really is a kind of thrill to see them reach for the sun and want so very much to grow. 

Lettuce

Peas

Zucchini

Spinach