Tag: springtime

Poems by heart

On By Jo Mayne CaseyIn Spring at Sonnystone, Weekly Wrap-UpLeave a comment

Happy Spring to you! Today is the Equinox, when the daylight is equal to the night. Having planted peas, beets, radishes, carrots, and spinach three days ago, I’m ready for this week’s predicted rain, though I dread the gloom.

This time of year always reminds me of a poem, one that I know by heart. I’m not even googling this, so it may be off. I must have memorized it more than 50 years ago, possibly closer to 60!

The year’s at the Spring,the day’s at the morn.

The morning’s at seven, the hillside’s dew-pearled.

The lark’s on the wing, the snail’s on the thorn.

God’s in his Heaven, All’s right with the World!

Robert Browning…

Over the years I’ve often quoted that “God’s in his Heaven” line whenever I am immersed in Nature’s Beauty. The All’s right with the World, is encouraging and I look to the perennial changing of the seasons to reassure me. Just like Life, Spring is not lived in just one day, but in a succession of days spent seeking sunlight and warmth; it is a process of steady renewal that culminates in verdant color that All God’s creatures enjoy!

cardinal on the lamp

It was a busy week here at the Acres and I have acutely missed the hour we lost. I read an article that said Napping is a sign of creeping dementia, so I’ve forced myself to pull All-Dayers this entire week. Well, dozing in front of the TV doesn’t count, does it?

We’re getting our countertop put in this Wednesday, but Casey has to pull out the old one and the countertop people will pick it up and use it for a template to cut the new. This means I won’t have a kitchen sink or workplace for 2-3 days. I’m down with that and looking forward to eating out!

Olivia and Samantha aka Nova and Unicorn, will be here Thursday for a sleepover to celebrate their Spring Break Week! Last year we were at Disney with them, so we can’t top that, but we’re going to have Two Days of Fun and Feasting, an event that may become a tradition — one never knows…

One really does never know, does one? Who knew that the poems we memorized as kids would bring us such comfort and joy in our old-ish age? I believe I always knew how precious Springtime is, though we try to hurry it along when it insists on staying cloudy or cool or rains incessantly.

magnolia tree buds

Despite its whimsical nature, Spring always brings to me the desire to refresh and renew, to try again: This time my seeds will grow; this time I’ll really quit; this time I’ll really begin, this time I’ll get it right. There is Hope as the trees and shrubs bloom and we watch the birds mate and feather their nests and it seems appropriate, even necessary, to remember the poems of our past.

There is another Spring poem, or verse of it, anyway, that I quote to myself often, though it has only been lodged in the old brain for about 30 years:

sweet spring is my time, is your time, is our time, for springtime is Love time and viva sweet love…

e.e.cummings

Peace

Learning Patience…or trying to…

On By Jo Mayne CaseyIn 2020, Spring at Sonnystone, Weekly Wrap-Up1 Comment

Last week seems like a year…

I didn’t realize that the Jose’ fam had been out to see Riverdance on the 13th just before they shut Broadway down.  I asked that Melissa delay her visit until they had been isolated for 2 weeks.  She readily agreed, expressing her concerns for me.  I was wracked with guilt that I had to disappoint her kids, who you know I love beyond words, but I felt it was best for all.

Here in Eville, my daughter-in-law’s trip was cancelled, but I went ahead and had the Jr. girls over to play.  I was thinking that the risk from Evansville was not as great.  It’s true that we’ve not had any tests here until a couple of days ago when there was one person who tested positive, but that’s because we didn’t get any tests until last week.  We are now under Strict quarantine, refusing to let the Jr girls visit, either, but I don’t think that’s making anybody feel better.

The New Yorkers are under SuperStress right now.  Both Melissa and Eric are immunocompromised and Melissa’s job is at risk.  There is no bailout for them, yet the bills have to be paid.  All I can do is continue to send Love and Peace her way and not add to the tension she must be feeling.

My trip to England, scheduled for the Queen’s Birthday celebration in June, will undoubtedly be cancelled.  I’m pretty sure the airline will waive change fees and let me reschedule eventually, but it’s a major disappointment.  Royal Ascot sent my tickets out with a message that they will promptly refund if the meet is called off.  Britain has been super-slow responding to this pandemic so I have just written off the trip until next year…if there is one.  God Save the Queen!  I’d sure like to see her before she checks out.

How dare I whine like this! I feel so guilty about my constant anxiety.  Unfortunately, worry is not rational and many of us who are just fine are still waking up with fear.   Stay Strong, Friends.

To Those of you working essential jobs:  You are the salt of the Earth–Bless you!

We’re all in this together…We are All One…

Peace

P.S. The Garden Blog has been revived.

 

 

Outside

On By Jo Mayne CaseyIn 2019, growing every season, Spring at Sonnystone, Weekly Wrap-Up1 Comment

We’ve thrown ourselves into the Garden work–my Favorite time of Year!  We’ve cleaned all of the garden beds, the garden shed, and the back porch.  Casey added 4 feet of space to my squash bed and made another 2’x4′ bed to connect two rows…

Ronnie’s Fruit Stand, aka Variety Village, has started their weekly truck deliveries of plants.  The ladies who work there are like old friends and we’re always so happy to be seeing each other again.  I brought home some liatris, garden phlox, echinacea, marigolds, pinks…  I just had to buy Something!

We put a lot of time into our Outside Space and it’s a joy, but it is beyond joy–it’s veritable Awe!– when I walk down toward the Thoughtful Spot and marvel at Mother Nature’s Garden…

I’ll be posting weekly over at Growing Every Season now.  In addition to our usual gardens, we have Big Plans for a garden using only native plants that nourish our bird friends (not the Turkeys, though).  I hope you’ll visit when you can!

Peace

 

 

Settling into Spring

On By Jo Mayne CaseyIn 2019, Spring at Sonnystone, Weekly Wrap-Up1 Comment

There’s a definite mental lag going on since we arrived back to Sonnystone Acres.  It’s always a Jump from the Magic that is Disney to Real Life, hence my whining all the way home that we should have stayed longer.

 

Then there’s the inevitable inner dialogue “Last Monday we were at Magic Kingdom, Last Tuesday we were at Epcot” all week long as I wash clothes and clean out the Rolling Sonnystone…   I’ve made a half-movie, downloaded all the Memory Pass photos for the other half.  I still have to organize my pins.  I bought new frames and have this year’s collection on display…  (after a frenzy of dusting)

Bright Yellow Forsythias greeted us as we pulled into the driveway…our yard is covered with meadow flowers and many of our daffodils are in bloom.

As soon as I could, I brought the surviving plants out of the shed.

I’m full of garden plans, looking forward to resurrecting my garden blog…  This week I will return to the Ancestry blog with plans to crank out a half-dozen or so posts.

Ya’ll know about my Uncle Junior dying while I was gone.  Sadly, my good friend Nu-Nu also died, buried the same day as Junior.  They were central to my “old folks tour” when I would take a day and drive over to Grayville and up to Albion and spend time with them.  When Nu-Nu moved to a nursing home in Mt. Carmel it took me a bit to “find” her, but I managed to get over there a couple of times, too.  I had tried to call her at Christmas, but got no answer; sent her a birthday card 2/24.  I don’t know any details of her passing, but she was 92 years old with bad lungs since childhood.   I will miss our visits.

I guess I need to find some new old people to befriend…

Peace

 

Sprung

On By Jo Mayne CaseyIn 2018, growing every season, Spring at Sonnystone1 Comment

Spring is here!!  I’ve been outside—OUTSIDE!!!  For so long I have sat by the fire, imagining what all I would do as soon as it warmed up…  I was almost overwhelmed, wanting to do everything!!  But I have calmed down…

I planted seeds:  peas, carrots, beets, radishes, lettuce, spinach, and mustard.  My zucchini and yellow squash have been set out.  Cilantro has been planted.  Casey planted the asparagus.

We had to move the 4 leftover rose bushes out of the veggie garden where they had spent the winter.   I moved around some daisies in the north garden to make room,  and it’s rather full now.

 The lawn was a sea of flowers, but the dandelions were all puff-balls, so we managed to mow just before the rains.

 

My containers are ready, and I’m going to fill them with lavender, rosemary, basil, and whatever I come up with, while it rains the next couple of days.  (it’s a Warm Rain, not even Snain, nowhere close to snow)

I’m just giddy… Welcome, glad Spring!

 

Peace

 

 

 

Driving into Springtime

On By Jo Mayne CaseyIn 2018, Spring at Sonnystone, Weekly Wrap-Up1 Comment

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