Spring is Sprung!

Crocuses before the snow fell












spring snow pretending to be flowers


spring is sprung, da grass is riz, I wonder where da boidies is. They say da boid is on da wing. But dat's absoid. Da wing is on da boid! wih many apologies to J. Durante...

First day of spring.

First: look at yesterday: crocuses blooming like mad before the robins come and rip them up to eat the pollen. then today: a snowstorm to welcome in the spring equinox, with snow flowers on the patio, and decorations on the pachysandra and red bush thing whose name escapes me, out front. The snow flowers are sedum, which I cut when dry and put out in the winter to look as if spring will in fact come again.

In this household, it's been a long time coming and not quite here yet: HP still has to have a fairly serious heart procedure next week, then more rehab if it goes smoothly, then eventually HOME. The logistics of all this are too scary and dull at the same time to recount, so I just fervently hope all that has been attended to is everything that's needed and that all the moving parts work as planned..

However, best news for last: today HP walked five, count them, five, steps unaided, holding onto parallel bars, two physios spotting him but not assisting. Spectacular progress in a short time, and they are very pumped about it. One of them, Liz, said, this is why I love this work! look, in a couple of weeks from totally helpless and frail, to feeling stronger, looking his old self, and actually making real steps. This is beyond exciting, and we pray that the heart procedure goes okay and doesn't interfere with the progress.

And great news on the art adventure front: lunch yesterday with one of those friends whose talents you keep on and on discovering, no end to her accomplishments, in addition to her professional life and pet rescue volunteer work, and literacy volunteering. I knew she's a basket-maker, because I'm the proud owner of a couple of them, but now I find she does what I want to learn: she spins! with a wheel and fleece, I mean. Carding and roving and flanging, well I made that up, because I haven't learned the terms yet, but you get it.

So she and I are going to see how to launch my spinning career this year. A logical progression from knitting to designing to making wallhangings, to spinning the raw material, yay. Too exciting for woids, and I had no idea she could open this door for me.

What a weird fabric is life -- all kinds of threads and slubs and snags and lovely passages and colors and shapes and sounds and tastes all at the same time.