Spring Fever . . .

 

The old tree has bloomed again.

In the sunlight and the rain . . .

it stands once more, a lovely thing . . .

in the bridal white of Spring . . .

Year by year, it's leaves are shed

and every year we think it dead . . .

 but in the roots beneath the clay . . .

 life remains and May by May . . .

 the gnarled old branches flower and spread . . .

a dome of blossom overhead.

~Patience Strong

The month of May always reminds me of the apple blossoms back home, which will soon be bursting out into bloom, decorating the rolling hills and fields from the Valley I come from with beautiful blossom, a tender sea of pink froth, which delights both the eyes and the nose.  I wonder if I shall ever see the Valley at Apple Blossom time again . . .  one never knows do they.  Life has a way of surprising one with it's unexpected twists and turns.

 

Every year in the Valley they have an Apple Blossom Festival, which has always been a really big deal, with parades and pageants, the picking of an Apple Blossom Queen and all sorts of activities, culminating in a grande ball at the end of it.  Apple Blossom Weekend is the best part of the whole celebrations as that is when most people are off work and that is when they have the big ball.

My eldest son was born on Apple Blossom Weekend . . . my Doctor was the Mayor of Wolfville at the time, which was the town we were living in and the town which was hosting the Apple Blossom Parade that year.  It also happened to be the day of the big ball, so my son's arrival was a bit of an inconvenience for my Doctor.  I can remember him being very impatient with me and curt and brusque . . . not very nice actually, after all this was my first baby and I was quite naive and totally in-experienced in such things.  In those days the father's were not allowed in the delivery room, and so I was also quite, quite alone . . . I try not to dwell on the negative of that experience however, and rejoice in the fact that my son, who has always been a bit of a dramatist . . . picked the most important day of the most important festival of the most beautiful place to be born on!  This year he turns 44 . . . hard to believe that so many years have passed since then, but it's true and that darn mirror in our bathroom reminds me of it every morning! ha ha

 

Down South where we lived for a time one of the local villages had an abundance of cherry trees which would be in bloom right about now.  They sat outside the local Post Office and Tea Room and were so very beautiful.  A welcome sight each year . . . across from there sat the Village Green and Duck Pond . . . it's banks flanked by scores and scores of Daffodils . . . the resident mama duck and her ducklings graced it's water's each year and brought delight to the local families, as did a pair Canadian Geese which returned each year to nest and raise their goslings in situe.  We loved to go and feed them.  They were quite unafraid of people and would rush up to you looking for a treat as soon as they saw you . . . delightful when the goslings were babies . . . but a bit intimidating as they got older!

 

Our friend Doreen has a beautiful big cherry tree outside her bungalow.  Right now it is a sea of beautiful deep pink blossom.  It is not the kind of cherry tree which gives cherries though . . . just blossom, but it is so very gorgeous this time of year to glance upon, we forgive it it's failure to present us with fruit!

May, too makes me think of May Poles and Dancing and the Musical Camelot.  I think we may dig it out and watch it this weekend.  I love that part where Guenivere is frolicking through the countryside with her handmaidens and it is the first of May . . . and they sing that song about May. 

Camelot is Todd's favourite musical and indeed the legend of King Arthur is one that spell binds the both of us.  In fact, when we first met each other on the computer we were each reading (independently) the same novel in a series of novels about Guenivere!  How is that for a co-incidence??  Meant to be!  Meant to be!   Funny how things like that go.

 

Mitzie appears to be feeling a lot better this morning.  She wasn't sick all day yesterday but did spend a lot of time sleeping. We walked down to the end of the garden together a few times.  Then later in the day I gave her some boiled egg white.  She ate a tiny bit of that.  I then poached a chicken breast and she had some of that with some rice.  This morning no vomit anywhere, and so I have given her a bit more chicken breast with some rice and now she is sleeping on the sofa.  Finger's crossed it continues!  (Her feeling better, not the sleeping!) 

You had asked about my article.  He doesn't seem to have put it up yet for some reason.  He did say Tuesday, but here we are, it's Wednesday and no article.  Sure it will be up at some point.  I am working on my second one now, based on paring knives. 

And with that I will leave you with a thought for the day  . . .

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *"It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. 
And when you've got it, you want - 
oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, 
but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!"
 ~Mark Twain  •。★★ 。* 。•。★★ 。* 。 

 

Cooking in The English Kitchen today, a Turkey Club Platter with a coleslaw vinaigrette and some homefries. I over-estimated our ability to eat such a huge sandwich!  Neither one of us could finish it!  Next time its the half platter for us! 

Have a wonderful Wednesday.  Don't forget! 

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And I do too!