satisfaction

Sweet-peas blooming, very dark purple and blue. Blue, pink, red-and-white, red, and white anemones. Poppies and ‘wildflower mix’ springing up all around my fluorescent-pink roses. Tomatoes growing and onions growing and rhubarb growing (magically resurrecting rhubarb!) and beets growing and potatoes growing and brussels sprouts growing (to the chagrin of the Belgian, who thinks they’re disgusting) and cauliflower growing. In pots, seedling bok choi and radishes and onions and poppies (seeds collected from Ypres, Ghent, and Nottingham). And geraniums and basil and cilantro (which they call, all of it, not just the seeds, coriander, here). That is satisfying. And so are the cleaned beds where I have planted lilies-of-the-valley, more hydrangeas (two at the front of the house are flowering, dark electric blue and purple and bright pink), and more sweet-peas. The azalea someone left is valiantly trying to stay alive.

Above us while we ate dinner out in the yard tonight there were a dozen swallows peeping and shrilling. Une hirondelle fait pas un printemps–one swallow doesn’t make a summer. But the growing vegetables and the flowers I’ve planted, and the feeling of settling in (this is the first place I will stay for longer than a year since 2004) and the many warm and sunny days–that feels like summer.

I made a cherry cake with dark chocolate chips for an event recently.

This is happening next Thursday-Sunday. I’m proud, excited, anticipatory, a little nervous!

Feeling very lucky that one of my best friends has taken a month to come and stay with me–talking about future options and ideas, and beginning to shape a plan. Ok, I don’t know what will happen, but I have some things to think about and work towards. First on the list is finishing the PhD, which is torturous right now. Anyone up for helping? (ha!)