Confessions of a Grandma

Malletts Bay on Lake Champlain My garden is suddenly in bloom. Wild flowers are out, too. Bristol Pond

The view out my back door this morning, April 16.  At least the sun in out.  It won't last.  Hard to believe it was up to 80 degrees on Monday though.  Between the mountain snow melt in the warm temperatures and the heavy rains yesterday, there will be flooding down hill of us for sure.  I opened up some windows on Monday.  The winds that were ushering in the cold front also blew in a great deal of pollen.  I sneezed about twenty times in a row before I thought to close the windows again.  At least all the rain and snow settled the pollen for a bit. Spring means spring cleaning. I emptied out my closet and gave it a scrub. I did some purging, although not enough.  Anyway, a trip to the Salvation Army is in my future. We did some baking this past weekend.  My loaf of bread is on the left and my son's loaf of bread is on the right.  I follow a recipe and he throws ingredients together from memory.  I bake ...

Crab Apple Tree Lily of the Valley Lilacs Snowball Viburnum I took my walk yesterday morning and the air was so filled with the fragrance of lilacs--I could barely take a step without sneezing. The pollen counts have been very high.  My windows are all firmly closed.  I will have to take Arkansas Patti's recommendation and check out Quercetin. Spring is worth it though!

Yes, I have to give credit where credit is due. Mike made a commitment to himself and has stuck to it.  He has made several adjustments in diet habits and it really seems to be paying off.  His feet and ankles are no longer swollen and he has lost a bit of weight.  He had a check-up at the cardiologist today.  His blood pressure was 120/76, lowest reading in a medical setting since I have known him.  One medication was swapped for another and three were dropped entirely.  Of course, he did have a number of tests done today--and he has to see his regular physician for a possible bladder infection.  We will have to wait for those results, but today was good news. Oh, and my jeans fit again after the shock of travel bloat.  It has turned cold, so the jeans came back out along with a couple of sweaters.  Winter jacket, hats, and mittens are put away for the season though.  I'm just firm about that.  So that was good news for ...

As soon as I walked out my front door I noticed that all the tickling of the dirt has started to pay off. The astible popped right up over night.             There are definitely good signs that spring is here.   Buds are popping out on the trees. Neighbors are getting out their mowers. It was clear enough to see all the way to the Adirondack Mountains across Lake Champlain.     Daffodils are showing their exuberant yellow faces.    Forsythia is blooming and the pussy willows have gone by. A magnolia in bloom!     A magnolia in bloom in Jericho, Vermont.  What more proof of global warming does one need??   Marsh marigolds by the brook. It wouldn't be spring without dandelions  or violets in Vermont lawns. And mine is not the only garden under preparation: What a beautiful day for a walk.