Monday, 12:25 pm.

Spring is here, I think! Despite one snowy day last week, we're seeing more buds and green. And, last week, I went digging wild leeks (ramps) with my new friends Beth and Erin, and their kiddos. It was cool. About 30 minutes from home, on state land...they were carpeting a wide-open maple forest. I, stupidly, had left my camera at home, because I wasn't sure how much walking/packing/digging we were going to have to do. Turns out we just parked on the side of the dirt road, crossed the ditch, and started digging. The minute I got out of the car, I smelled the ramps...a combo of onion and garlic. It was like a forager's fantasy; green leek tops as far as you could see in every direction. Here and there were granite boulders perfect for perching on to rest or nurse, or to put your leek basket out of reach of Henry's grabby hands.
Here's some of the bounty:


Henry's really been enjoying playing outside. I am so looking forward to our new, fenced back yard...he likes to just wander around looking at stuff and playing with whatever strikes his fancy. I've been letting him play with water a bit, on warm days. He has this birch branch that he loves...he just carries it around like a javelin and uses it to pound and poke things. Sadly, he's also interested in dog poop, so we're being hyper-vigilant about picking it up daily. He actually picked up a turd the other day; thankfully, Paul was right there to knock it back to the ground. GROSS!



Henry's also getting more attached to Grandma, and she to him, which is nice to see. He loves to bring stuff to her while she sits in her chair. He also unties or unfastens her shoes and takes them off...like for 30 minutes at a time this will keep him busy! She is doing well with him, and seems more patient and happy. We were listening to some of Grandpa's music on the stereo on Saturday after supper, and she sang along to Henry. It was really sweet. She doesn't spontaneously listen to music, ever. So, I'll try to do that more often, because she seemed to enjoy it.

I've been thinking a lot about what it will be like for Grandma once we move out. She'll probably enjoy getting back to peace and quiet. But, I'm wondering if she'll be sad. She doesn't get much company...a phone call here and there, and occasional visits from my aunts and uncles. She goes to see her sister in law in the nursing home once in a while, but Dorothy is usually asleep. Yesterday, she went, and Dorothy didn't wake up the whole time. So, Grandma went to the cemetery to check on Grandpa's grave (they will share a plot, and their son, John, is there too). It made me feel lonely when she told me about that...visiting a sleeping woman in a nursing home, then visiting your husband's grave. Sigh...I think I'm just overly sensitive sometimes, but stuff like that just feels sad to me. I hope that she'll want to visit with us at our new house and come over for supper sometimes. I invited her to go out to lunch and yarn shopping on Friday; she seemed happy and looking forward to it but her back started bothering her and she didn't want to go when it was time to go. We'll try again this week, I suppose. I know she likes to go out for lunch, but we just don't have money for meals out too much, and so I don't want to invite her unless I can pay. Maybe as the weather warms, she'll be up for picnic lunches from home. She seems to feel cold most always, so a 60 degree day that seems warm and lovely to me seems chilly to her. It's been a lot longer for all of us to get used to each other than we thought it would.