Warm weather has finally taken hold. The vegetable seeds I started in March have long since germinated into healthy seedlings.It is time to plant.Tomatoes, peppers, pea pods, bush beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and various herbs are all on this year's menu.
Not swine flu, but a virus that will keep Arianna out of school for the entire week. It is a peculiar bug. It strikes a particular location of the body. So, yesterday it was sinuses. On Monday, it was aches and pains. And on Sunday . . . well, let's just say the commode was frequently in use. Who's next?
Rode the train into Chicago to attend a software vendor's roadshow. Impressions from the seat of a Metra rail car invariably result in questions. For instance, how a tree can grow in a field of gravel is a mystery. Or, why is it possible for a child to quit the small, three-corner "park" at Wabansia and Hamilton and pedal his or her bike onto the Milwaukee Road Western Line.The walk from Union Station to the Intercontinental Hotel on Michigan Avenue was invigorating. To be out and about in the city -- while not having to actually contend with it -- is a feast for the senses. -- Not all of which are savory, but which cannot help but impress how fortunate we are to have the Three Quarter Acre Wood as our home and refuge.It goes without saying that the main event of the day was in fact work. But, since it ended at 4 o'clock and my train back to suburbia did not leave until 4:50 pm, a colleague and I walked south on Michigan Avenue to Millennium Park, where we took in the sites: the Bean, Lurie Park, and a view of the new Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago. My friend decided to take advantage of the free admission offered throughout the week and I turned west toward Union Station.I drowsed on the ride back home, recollecting the years spent in town -- eeking out a living, exploring the sights and sounds of neighborhoods, and coming to terms with how large and varied the world is.
Arianna made us dinner this evening. She made the family two homemade pizza's. And boy were they good!I'm not exactly sure what prompted this, but she insisted on cutting the vegetables, pressing the garlic, grating the cheese, and spreading the sauce all by herself. Of course, Mommy operated the oven. And we were available for consultation. --In fact, Arianna flagged me down while I was still mowing the lawn to ask what 'minced garlic cloves' meant. She was a bit put off by having to rely on a cookbook, but we assured her that lots of folks use a cookbook.To celebrate the special dinner, we ate in the dining room. And as I said, everything was wonderful. Well, almost everything . . . the dandelion leaves she collected from the backyard and added to the salad were a bit too bitter. But other than that . . . .
A relatively quiet and uneventful Mother's Day. After Arianna and I returned home from Mass, I made breakfast for Sharon. Later, after a failed attempt to get hold of Oma on the telephone, Arianna presented Sharon with a few gifts. After an afternoon picnic snack, we went to the Weber Grill restaurant. Sharon opened the rest of her gifts after supper.
Alex K., a colleague at the office praised the BBC / PBS Masterpiece Classics presentation of Little Dorrit so much that I had to investigate the possibility of watching online. Although a bit cramped, Sharon and I are nevertheless pleased with the ability to watch this on demand.As for the production, it is directed by the same chap -- may I say, "chap"? -- who directed the most recent BBC production of Bleak House. A bit helter-skelter in the narrative approach, but nevertheless enjoyable and engaging. --Although it is most definitely odd to be watching via China. Red China or Formosa? Hmm?
Planting has begun in the Rock Wall Garden. (Note to self, post photos of space last year vs. this year.) Although I'd planned on taking a mental health day this coming Friday, the weather forecast is for rain. Consequently, I took today off work and spent six hours planting Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea), Beard tongue (Penstemon digitalis), and Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa var. clay), all of which a new introductions to the Three Quarter Acre Wood.A physical day, but one spent at peace with one's surroundings.I am grateful for having an employer who provides me with 25 days of vacation.
