Miss Rumphius

"Lupines," said Miss Rumphius with satisfaction.  "I have always loved lupines the best."

This weekend we became the Lupine Ladies that Miss Rumphius always wanted us to become. The weather has settled and we sowed our seeds.  Here is to beautiful things in store.

The Umbrella Queen

High in the hills of Thailand is where I want to be. And not just because The Bachelor went there to woo his ladies, and it was beautiful. But because Noot lives there. In this story a little girl joins in the tradition of painting umbrellas. One day she brings a new perspective. I love this book. I picked it up off the shelf and it surprised me. A plot unlike any other. I am trying to remember the words of my mother at the moment. "Don't be a puddleglum." And besides it is not everyday your daughter's best friend turns five. A reason to celebrate indeed. Of course we are giving her Little House in the Big Woods. Accompanied by garden fairy watercolors. Question. Do you give paperback books as gifts? This might be my first and I am feeling a little ashamed.

Spring is near. A shelf of good tidings makes me happy.

Yesterday, Alvin Ho was adopted into our family for good. A delightful boy is he.

Humblebee Hunter

Sunday night, we escaped the downed power lines and raging seas to hide in the city with family.  We huddled, and talked, and drank really strong coffee. We entered soot smudged and tired, and left warm and refreshed, with our bags packed with these treasures.

Outside Your Window

Over here in Scituate, mud season has come early. We went from frigid, snowy temperatures to a muggy, sweaty sixty degrees. This does not do good things for New England. The lovely homemade ice rinks are now giant puddles, and everything is brown.  The smells are not great either. Myles came home with mud season feet. What happens is you wear your thickest wool socks on one of these days, and you know where I am going with this.

But then, you pick up a book with beautiful paintings, and you are wooed by the words that spring is just a moon or two away.  Winter is a slow, low time where everything is hiding.  I love a season where you are commissioned to hide!  My sister's lovely neighbor gave Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature to my niece on her second birthday.  It is an exquisite book of seasons, that I can't wait to read every time I come to visit.  We are almost ready to come out of our dens. But now I will turn from the mud and think only of red foxes tenderly walking through the woods.