Thursday's child has far to go

Do you know this nursery rhyme?

Monday's child is fair of face,
Tuesday's child is full of grace;
Wednesday's child is full of woe,
Thursday's child has far to go;
Friday's child is loving and giving,
Saturday's child works hard for its living;
But the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay. 
 
I was born on a Thursday.  I guess you could say I did have far to go, too.  I used to be afraid to go farther than ten minutes from my house (my criteria for my university!) but somehow I ended up crossing the Atlantic.  Thursday has always been one of my favorite days of the week, too.  It's not as giddy as Friday.  But it still has the (comfortable) routine of the week with the promise of the weekend around the corner.  Even a rainy Thursday doesn't seem to bother me as much as other rainy days.  

Luckily last week we were blessed with a pleasant Thursday.  And I didn't really have "far to go" (like the nursery rhyme says) but I ended up going farther than I intended. I had a two-hour break between lessons in a company so set out to find a supermarket to buy some bread and figured I'd eat in my car.  But the signs indicating the supermarket seemed to disappear and I kept driving straight ahead.  I saw another car turn left just in front of a huge sign for a fishing ground and park.  I made a mental note to go back there another time or after the supermarket.

But ten minutes later I still hadn't found the supermarket so decided to turn around and go back to the park.  It was set back in a residential neighborhood.  The sign said cars should drive slowly into the area.  I found a well-paved parking area in between a pond and a marshy field and playgrounds and parked there.  I ate my cold salmon and rice in the warmth of my car as the March sun beat through the glass.  Then I decided to explore a bit. 

It was mild for mid-March but the wind could still pick up and blow some cold air around.  The plants still had their winter appearance but signs of spring were coming.  I was charmed by this little bridge and the happy ducks.

Yes, they're happy. Can't you tell?

They don't call this park "The Marsh" for nothing.  I did have to be careful stepping on the sometimes muddy grass.

If you look closely you'll see a daisy!

This is one of my favorite bushes because the bright red branches make a winter day less blah.  Leaves are about to spring forth.

I decided to relax a bit on this bench.  The fountain made a soothing sound.  

There are actually some industries and companies around this park.  I could also hear the sound of machines but it didn't take away from the charm of the place.

I ventured onward (cause I can't sit still for long) and saw a willow tree just starting to get its spring coat.  It's the yellowish tree in the center towards the left.

When I got closer I could see the leaves on the trailing branches.

I like the light this time of year.  Days are getting longer but the shadows still remind me a bit of winter.

And the sun glinting off the water is magical.

But I had to go on back.  I did eventually find that supermarket and got my bread, but I think my Thursday turned out better than I planned.  I may have gone a little farther, but it was worth the trip.

What day of the week were you born on? Find out here. Does the nursery rhyme fit you? What's your favorite day of the week?

It's 5 a.m. and I'm awake

Haven't been able to get back to sleep since about 4 so I finally decided to just get up. Drank some lukewarm coffee milk and looked online on how to repair my aging printer. Or at least convince the dang thing there is no paper jam despite the messages it keeps sending me. The silly thing pulled this on me when I was trying to print out my report about my internship two weeks ago and hasn't worked since. Still no look on the HP site, but I'm holding out hope.

Now it's on to some blog updating. And if I have time I'll get those pork sausage meatballs in the crock pot. I might just be turning into my mother (who gets up at 4:44 exactly, people!). I think I might be starting to understand why she coveted her morning time when we chillin's were still snug in bed...

Spent two days of my three-day weekend at the in-laws since their business is open all the time in the spring. Gave us a chance to spend a bit more time with busy Remi and me to catch up on the weed-infested garden. While Juju napped (thank heavens she still does) I weeded and was pretty much up to my eyeballs in stinging nettles and thistles. It's starting to resemble a garden again and we can actually see the real plants. I've still got lots of cleaning to do and hope to replant some more perennials that will be low-maintenance.

And took advantage of the great weather to snap some shots of Juliette (biker girl) around the greenhouse in bloom. I was astounded when I looked at the pics to see how much she resembles her papa when he was a toddler. See for yourself.

Or here:

But she is, after all, her own little person.

I'm hoping she's got a little something of me!

So I've just wrestled with the cat who was scratching at the living room door trying to wake up the rest of the house. I won the battle and he's now purring in my lap and keeping his claws nicely sheathed in. 6:08. I guess that's my cue to get moving. Good morning, everybody.

This time of year

These are the glorious days. Like Thursday when I didn't mind that much driving an hour to one of my client's because the sky was gorgeous with cottony clouds. And my favorite UB40 song, their version of Here I am Baby, set the mood for my ride back (yet another hour) as I enjoyed rolling green farmland, complete with the odd cow.

Spring does that to me. Makes my heart sing. Even though today as I write this we've got grey weather and rain clouds in the distance, I don't mind, because I know the garden will be getting some more of that much needed rain.

Speaking of the garden and all things flowery, this time of year is absolutely gorgeous in Remi's greenhouse. Everything seems to be at peak bloom and there are still enough flowers on the benches to create waves of color everywhere you look. After a while I even get blasé about how beautiful it is.

Of course, just as Remi's parents did when he was a toddler, I have to take pictures of Juliette in all this glory. Whether she likes it or not.

Marigolds on the left, Jujuflower in the middle, begonias on the right.

Petunias right behind her, geraniums in the background. Her trusty "Doudou" bunny in her hand.

Took this picture using the timer function so it took me about five tries and Juliette did NOT understand the concept of sitting still while I fiddled with the camera. Blue lobelia flowers (my all-time favorite) and bidens, I think, the yellow ones.

In the garden patch I tend to at his parents' place, things are blooming quite nicely, too. I particularly like this combination of Lychnis coronaria, Nepeta and a rose bush. I can only take the credit for planting the Lychnis myself.

Lychnis have the fuschia flowers, Nepeta light purple, then the rose bush.

The days are long this time of year. The sun doesn't set till around 10 and we're approaching summer solstice in about a week. I love being able to go out on my balcony and water at 10 at night and still see everything clearly. It's true we have more energy when the sun's out with us. I daresay I even don't mind sooo much getting up early when it's already bright. Winter is a whole different story, and I'm already dreading it.

Maybe I'm also accutely aware of how these next three weeks are my last bit of "freedom" before my training starts. I'm trying to appreciate the time I've still got to putter and walk to the park with Juliette without worrying too much about studying. My mom will be coming a week from today (yeah!), and I know we'll have a blast. Once she leaves I'll plunge into my program, but for now I'll keep focusing on enjoying every moment.