Tuesday, March 31, 2009

one year later

Gee, it's been one whole year since I moved out of the city. Last March I said goodbye to my lovely downtown Toronto apartment to live in Meaford with D and JP, then after a spring of house-hunting, D & I moved into our beautiful farm here in Fenelon in July. What a difference a year makes...

Spent last weekend and a couple extra days in cities, playing shows with the band. My walk to work on Friday wafted pig smells of the abattoirs below King street. I saw a cop fresh on the scene of a break-in at the LCBO on Queen St... he was dusting for finger prints. (I actually loved seeing him do that - so into that stuff when I was a kid. I remember dusting my bedroom door knob with an old makeup brush and baby powder, comparing my finds to ink prints I'd taken of my brothers' little hands). A couple construction workers were unloading fresh tar out of the back of a truck into a wheelbarrow, then carting and dumping it onto the road, shouting at each other all the while. Men were unloading huge keg barrels into the basements of bars, a hot-dog stand went by on the back of a trailer, on its way to work. Then I got on a streetcar to rattle me the rest of the way north, to sit in front of a computer 7 stories up. Had my friend's apartment to crash at while he's at a gaming conference in San Fran.

The shows were good (Friday night was packed beyond capacity!), and it was good to see friends. La belle province is a long enough drive tho, and they're still allowed to smoke in some venues! But the kids were singing along, and C-lo made an amazing breakfast. Returned to Toronto tired, full of timbits, ready to head home.
Bags packed, on the streetcar, I meet Olive. She's 82 and on her way to a senior's fitness class, then an art class after that. I ask her how she does it and she's all "how do YOU do it!" Should've given her my number. She and her husband used to rent a boathouse up here in the summers.

This morning before 7, tea steeping, my love almost out the door, the pets being cute, the bath almost full, I think "so love life here"... I really really really do.

First flower this morning: a yellow crocus.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

seeing green

Spent a solid bunch of minutes sitting on the porch last night and was restored with a feeling or rightness and wellness. Red-wing blackbirds are starting to sing and visit the feeders - I love them. Robins are picking around the fields too. The smell of soil and water and wind are all coming back full-force, and it fills me. Our first long winter in the country (since childhood) - we made it through warm-ish, dry, and happy.

Seed starting is starting to really get going. This weekend/next week, 8 weeks before the no frost date, I'll start the tomatoes and brassicas. Food-wise, peppers are starting to come up, eggplants still waiting, onions and chives are up, strawberries, rosemary, parsley.... Lots of flowers up too: pansies and lamb's ear (above photo), petunias, tansy, pink, russian sage, hyssop, catnip. So much more to come!

Nice things:
1. new ipod touch
2. how much i love D
3. peach tea
4. a good job
5. SPRING!!

Monday, March 16, 2009

in with the new

Tolerating the tail end of a cold that has had me worn out and coughing for the past two weeks. Taking it with stride tho, my first sickness of the winter, it was due. A little reminder as to how precious good health is... and how welcome spring will be. Finally, the snow is melting, the kindling is getting low, and the dog's happy to be out all day. Scarves more accessory than necessity. Can hear the ice cracking from the porch.

The extra hour ahead means I get to drive in twilight when going into the city, much preferred. It's a dreamy time of day-to-evening that adds quiet sparkle to my already cinematic drives through the countryside.

Have been working a lot - two projects to finish this month for work and lots of ideas for side-projects of my own. The latest and greatest thoughts have influenced the purchase of an ipod touch. Should be here this afternoon! What I'll use it for I'm not exactly sure, but for right now... research. Ahem. Funny because am fully aware of how much time I already spend on the computer (10hrs a day-ish), so adding another that lets me compute while not in front of the computer? Oh dear.

Nice things:
1. a box full of new seeds
2. halls cough drops
3. d's blueberry scones
4. visits with family
5. watching mo watch birds