Good Friday

 

Still too early for the tulips, but at least the yard is tidy for spring. Good thing, because after a few nice dry days it's going to rain again his weekend. April showers, and all that...

I bought a small Kurobuta ham at Metropolitan Market earlier this week. Yes, that sounds pretty fancy and it is a treat. The Snake River Farms website said they are sold out of their hams, but they also sell other kinds of artisan meats from family farms. The poor piggies at Safeway sell for 99 cents a pound. No respect.

John put in a request for scalloped potatoes to go with, and of course asparagus because it's Easter. I'd like a rhubarb pie, if I can find some at the store.  Supposedly the easiest plant to grow, I've never had success with rhubarb despite multiple attempts. It doesn't like it here. On our farm it grew like a giant weed.

The girls always make the sweetest handmade cards, and Maya drew this portrait for my birthday.  At least I think it's me, although I look like rather a stern Nana. I assure you I'm a pushover.  I can't stop smiling when I'm with those girls, they crack me up. 

The problem is too much Facetime and not enough Realtime this past year. They're taking a family camping trip over spring break, but we hope to see them again very soon.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend, dear friends and family. 

Day of merriment

 

"It is easier to fool people
than it is to convince them
that they have been fooled."
Mark Twain

April Fools’ Day is linked to ancient Roman festivals such as Hilaria (Latin for joyful) and the medieval Feast of Fools. Many cultures have lighthearted celebrations this time of year, related to the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. Just call it spring fever. 

One of the top April Fool's hoaxes of all time:

"The respected BBC news show Panorama announced that thanks to a very mild winter and the virtual elimination of the dreaded spaghetti weevil, Swiss farmers were enjoying a bumper spaghetti crop. It accompanied this announcement with footage of Swiss peasants pulling strands of spaghetti down from trees. Huge numbers of viewers were taken in and called the BBC wanting to know how they could grow their own spaghetti tree. To this the BBC diplomatically replied, place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best. Even the director-general of the BBC later admitted that after seeing the show, he checked in an encyclopedia to find out if that was how spaghetti actually grew."

 OK, back in 1957 people were less sophisticated when it came to exotic food like spaghetti.  And "Swiss peasants" still existed. 

But to be honest, that story isn't any more outlandish than some of the conspiracy theories going around these days.

CLICK HERE for a list of the 100 best funny April Fool's pranks of all time.

 

The low 60's

Doesn't that sound good? Today should be the warmest day of the year in Seattle, and John plans to mow the ankle high grass just in time for Easter. I'll post some pictures later, because it always looks nice despite the moss. We're as green as Ireland here for a couple more months.  

My brother is coming for Easter lunch, so I finally have someone else to cook for. We're looking forward to it, and he has the honor of being the first guest inside our house since December 2019. How is that even possible?

Talking to my sister-in-law in Florida yesterday, we agreed in some ways it feels like 2020 never happened. The mind skips over all those uneventful months at home and everything blends together. Although looking back at the blog, I still found plenty to yak about. Ha ha.

 

Worm moon

 

Did you catch the spectacular super moon this week?  We've had a couple of clear, bright days but the tradeoff is freezing at night, without our usual blanket of clouds. 

The March moon was supposedly named by Native Americans for the worm trails that appear on thawed ground as spring begins. This is the stuff of the Old Farmer's Almanac, that still refers to all "Native Americans" as a single group.

The salvage crews in the Suez Canal pinned their hopes on this week’s full moon. Water levels rose a foot-and-a-half higher than normal high tide, finally helping to free that massive ship. It's interesting how vulnerable we are to old infrastructures and simple mechanics. All it took was some wind and a little goof to bring world shipping to its knees. 

I was looking back at the blog from last March. It looked like the month of puzzles. We rarely left home for any reason, and the bi-weekly grocery store run at 6 am was a stressful ordeal. I remember wiping groceries and disinfecting the entire kitchen when we got home. Finding wipes and toilet paper was like striking gold.

What a year it's been, both unforgettable and completely forgettable. Talking with my Uke Zoom friends yesterday, there is optimism we'll be able to gather in person before too long, but it will most certainly be outside at first. 

I think some people are too spooked (maybe the word is traumatized) to ever go back to how it was at the Senior Center, all crowded into a stuffy room, singing and playing without a care in the world. Time will tell.

La Nina Spring. Ick.

 

March came in like a lion and goes out like a lion. Yesterday it felt like winter never left. They warned us about this La Nina weather pattern: colder and wetter than usual in western Washington.

High up on the hillside at Amanda and Tom's property, the snow is retreating in the strong sun. That's Maya checking out the fall-planted garlic crop, just starting to poke up. In a few months, this barren patch will look like the Garden of Eatin' again. Everything grows like crazy up there, go figure.

Yesterday a violent storm blew through Seattle with heavy bands of rain and wind. Then it was over. Flocks of birds chattered like crazy all day in the yard, pecking and eating. The robins gobbled worms as fast as they could in the flower beds. Our lawn (mostly moss) must be a good source of insect goodies. The small pleasures of a chemical free yard. Hopefully John can do the first mow before Easter, a tradition along with cleaning the windows.

My sister said the desert southwest has also been cold and windy. Wind is the real scourge of desert living, keeping people inside. April is the nicest time of year in Las Vegas, so we're looking forward to warmer days when we visit them.

Anyway, enough boring weather talk. I think we're finally turning a corner, and they're talking about 60 degrees by the end of the week. On Saturday afternoon the sun came out for a while, quite warm, and I grilled steaks and vegetables. A change from the endless winter soups and stews and stir fries.  But like most people, I'm tired of my own cooking. No matter how good it is.

Another week passes

 

 

The girl's five hens not only survived the winter, but kept laying eggs all though that long, bitter cold weather. How resilient birds are, really. Loving attention and table scraps also helps.

"Resilience" is a word we hear often now. That being said, it's easier to muster some days than others. The weary pandemic drags on. Still we should focus on all the positive.  

Soon there will be glut of vaccine, and the challenge then becomes convincing reluctant and spoiled Americans to take it. Our country failed badly in our initial response to the virus, but perhaps we can show world leadership in another way, and help distribute these wonderful vaccines to more disadvantaged countries. This isn't over until it's over everywhere.

Speaking of the vaccine, there's a big push in Washington to vaccinate the seasonal farm workers arriving in the central part of the state.  These are the folks who labor in our orchards and factories and often live in poor and crowded conditions. 

Amanda worked with Okanogan Public Health yesterday at another drive through clinic in Pateros, where they tested and vaccinated hundreds of people who were very grateful to get the J&J shot. She said the team effort was amazing and this is the most satisfying work she's ever done. We are so proud of her. 

John and I had a nice visit with some old friends last night in their lovely, redecorated home. And now they are getting ready to spend a month in Arizona. (Yes, envy reared it's ugly head.) But Seattle should be nicer in a few weeks. All the trees are ready to burst out in bloom, we just need a touch of warmth. It's been a very chilly spring so far.

Have a good weekend.