Sad timing

Of course I am thrilled to head to Italy, but I am somewhat saddened by the timing in that my first tulip opened today and that means the rest will soon follow. All the daffodils are buds-about-to-burst, and the azaleas are near. It is going to be such a beautiful time in my yard, and I will surely miss it. Just look at this bounty! Friends welcome to come and pick! The greens too!

My garden

We must have gotten a sprinkling of rain last night or perhaps the morning dew is simply more pronounced than usual, but on my stroll through the garden, the new growth seemed highlighted, as if it were proud of its succession through winter. Everything looks healthy, full of grace and promise and strength. The Japanese maple my Dad brought from his posse of seedlings, the collection of irises my mom has brought me over the years, Sedum, resurgent peonies (thank you to the garden center lady who told me the don't like their root balls too deeply covered), sedum, hyacinths and so on. I love the way the tulip bud looks like a ballerina resting her head on her extended arm, the ways that leaves hold on to water droplets, knowing its importance and relishing it accordingly, the way new leaves unfurl. This is a selection taken in the early-morning light, overcast yet not dreary. By clicking on any one picture, you'll get a larger shot with much more detail.

Scones are done!

I've successfully completed scone-fest over here. 16 to Ol's class, 60 for a St. Patty's day party, and another dozen+ for the freezer. Because of the amount, I was able to use my new tower cooling rack which saved tons of room and helped things feel organized. This is but a part of the ones for the catering gig, and once all are cool, I'll wrap them up and send them on their way. Delightful! I'm also excited to say that I believe my pale green thumb is darkening in hue; having almost given up on the zucchini plants I started from seed a couple weeks ago, I found three beautiful little seedlings peeking out of the soil, stretching toward the sun this morning. I transplanted each into the garden as today is supposed to be another super warm and sunny one. Those cowpot seed-trays I ordered are a nice product. They're made from cleaned and processed cow manure and, thusly, are biodegradable. Each tray is a six-pack of pots and it's simple to break them off as individuals which makes transplanting much easier and less stressful re: worrying about damaging the fragile roots.

Game Change is a must-see if you want to feel grateful about McCain-Palin NOT winning in '08. I am a pretty well-informed gal, but I had no idea about the extent of Palin's utter lack of knowledge about the world and even our own country. Not vetted at all, she thought Queen Elizabeth ran Great Britain and was our direct political contact there. She did not know what the Fed was- thought the moniker referred to the federal government and had to learn what the Federal Reserve is. And on, and on. Truly terrifying, and it is beyond my comprehension to imagine what a terrible state the country would be in right now had they won. McCain deserved to lose his rep over that utterly irresponsible, silly choice. Wow!