A perpetual astonishment…

Posted On March 7, 2011

 

I’m feeling spring in the air, despite the cold frosty appearance of things. There’s just something that shifts in me… maybe it’s the longer days, the more frequent appearance of the sun, the slight thaw each day that lifts the smell of earth to my nose. It’s so nice.

The girls dressing up. As cute as these children are, it’ll be so nice when I can march them all outside and just let that be that. Ah, blessed outdoors. I miss you. It always confused me, the question "Are you an outdoor person?"… if you can say "no" to that question, then I think you just aren’t outside enough. We’re animals, you know. We breathe fresh air, and drink water, and eat things that grow out of the earth. It’s crazy talk to think of the outdoors as a place to merely visit if we like- we’re part of it.

I’m starting to find that I am bound to all things "outdoors". Every time I step outside into the crisp morning air to bring fresh water to my sweet little chickens, I breathe deeply and feel centered in a way that I never do indoors.

Do you see that not-so-Little-Yellow there on the left? She’s matured so much through the winter. I’m going to have to update her little profile soon.

Tapped. We did them yesterday, as we realized that this is the perfect weather for it and we had to get a move on- with days in the high 30s and low 40s, and nights dipping under freezing. It was kind of amazing watching the first tree- Jeff drilled a hole, put in the spile, and squirt! Out came sap, just like that. We quickly hung the bucket and there it was, drip drip dripping. Oooh maple syrup here we come! Tonight Jeff has to finish making those covers for the rest of the buckets. He didn’t have enough metal, and so there are a few buckets that are just covered with cardboard. We’re expecting a lot of rain over the next few weeks, so that’s priority tonight when he gets home. Some days I really envy his ability to just go out into the shop and do stuff like that. I want to learn, but I need his help to teach me about the tools and stuff, and the kids are so small that one of us always has to stay… Perhaps this spring/summer we can have the kids play in the yard close by and he can show me a few things. Even better, perhaps we can get take-out and have a full date night out in the shop. We’d just have to get someone to sit in the house with the kids and watch a movie. Yes! Next date night, I’m pitching this idea to him. He’s gonna love it. Maybe I can make a birdhouse or something…   🙂

I can’t complain about snow today.

Today’s agenda: keeping all four of these kids alive and well until my sister comes to get them at 3:30, menu planning, cooking, cleaning, yogurt making, working on snapping more diapers, washing diapers, homework, evening walk with a lovely friend, and garden planning/reading in bed… it’s all going to happen.

Music all day long, too.

Quote of the day:

"Every spring is the only spring – a perpetual astonishment."  ~Ellis Peters