It’s that time of year again, when I get to sit under the dogwood tree and soak up the garden. I am amazed by how much is already happening out here from perennials we planted last year. They are thriving after having a year to get established, and many things are flowering that didn’t flower last … Continue reading Garden infusion
The time of year has finally come: time to change the blankets. We replaced our thick down comforter this weekend with a lighter weight one. It is spring. Already the days lengthen. A week ago, when I sat by the window at 6:20AM writing, the world outside glowed moon blue. This morning at that same … Continue reading The true indicator of spring
The drenching has finally subsided. For three days it rained. Maybe four. The kids’ school was cancelled Monday due to flooding. Yesterday our grass was shin high and thick. It looked too dense to push a mower through. During the rains, I watched the garden from the window. So much green against the darkness! The knee-high yarrow … Continue reading Germination
Clear, liquid gold. Scent of hot peanut oil. Spatter as beer-battered fish strips are dropped in. An eruption of oily froth with each addition, then a settling into furious bubbling around each strip, like caterpillar feet on hot sand. We rarely fry food at home. The kids wanted fish sticks the other night. I moaned. … Continue reading Fried food in my forties
When we lived in the D.C. Metro area, we subscribed to The Washington Post. It landed on our stoop with a thunk before dawn. Reading the paper was part of my morning ritual: make coffee, unfold the newspaper, open it up, and read while I sipped coffee. The paper rattled as I turned pages or folded … Continue reading Sensory deprivation
Book blurb for Andrea Reads America, due out sometime in the very far future: From the Alabama bayou to the Alaska tundra, from the Texas desert to the Washington rain forest, Andrea Reads America explores the United States: in books. Curious about the American landscape and seeking the perspectives of men, women, and authors of … Continue reading Daydreaming
Butterfly Mind 