Swing out
To Lake Nostalgia
Route 5 to Laughing Pines
Get off at Funway West
Drive into Springtime
Drive into Springtime

That’s the chorus of the song that’s been stuck in my head all week:  Springtime by Donald Fagan, from his album Kamakiriad.  It’s a regular seasonal song since 1993.

Still killing time waiting for a sustained show of warmer weather, on Monday I drove over to Southern Illinois (a very different beast than Northern Illinois) to visit with a couple of oldsters that I love.

Uncle Jr. is doing great the nursing home–even received the “Resident of the Month” award!

A new stop on the tour is Mt. Carmel, where a wonderful lady who was one of my mom’s best friends has been ensconced in an assisted living apartment for about a year now.  I “lost” her for a while last winter when she had a couple of bouts of pneumonia that resulted in her move.  She is happy enough in her new digs and as beautiful as ever at 90-years-young…

It was a decent day for a drive, but I had just started in with a bout of cold?allergies?  We’ll just call it an influx of Snot.  I had to cancel my dental appointment for Tuesday and am living on Allegra now with no end in sight.  >sigh<

I’ve been haunting my local plant markets, especially Ronnie’s (Variety Village), despairing that they would never return.  Thursday a.m. I arrived as they were unloading the trucks!!!   In addition to visiting with my seasonal friends, I bought up herbs, some perennials, and seeds.  I got 7 kinds of basil! some I’ve never heard of!

Friday morning we shopped at Hillside Gardens, where I prefer to get my veggies, and picked up some great-looking tomatoes and peppers to babysit.  Puh-leeze, I know I can’t plant them for a month, but I keep them on the porch and talk to them until the time arrives.  I can, however, plant some peas, and am ready…

Casey moved around and re-organized our “shed” (it’s the old 1931 garage-without-a-driveway) so that I could have a sunny, new spot for my gardening supplies… (windows still need to be washed)

Even though I feel like hell, I’ve got a much better Attitude of Gratitude for the blooms and buds that pay no attention to the weatherman, greeting me as I walk into the woods.  Wearing my workboots is thrilling!

The temps have plunged again, and we’re still keeping the fire going in the fireplace.  We’ll meet up with the Jrs at Denny’s and come back here to play this afternoon.

This week I’m going to get those peas planted, and those roses moved, and the daisies, and bring in the new soil for the garden beds so I can get the spinach and lettuce and beets and on and on.

For now, I just keep “Springtime” rolling through my mind…

Peace