Easter Sunday

The Easter Bunny came to the house last night, and even though he didn't deliver a golden egg, Selim was happy with the chocolate. 

Around 7:45 Nedim said that he had some guys coming to help him with the boat.  I flipped out, thinking that we would do house things together.  Then I acted very mature by pulling on my running clothes and exiting the house with a door slam, stalling his departure.  I was so mad, that I ran three miles without really thinking about it.  It wasn't until my final lap of the neighborhood before I realized that I had put on my pants inside out in my haste to get out the door.

When I got back, I grabbed a beach towell and went out to the backyard with Selim.  He wanted another chance with the loppers.  He worked on top of the pile, cutting off some of the smaller branches.  I did my sit ups, push ups and stretches.  Thanks to karate, I am more limber now than I have been in a while.

Throughout the day,  I have been tuning into the Master's.  To start the day, Phil was one shot back.  He hasn't had the best day.  I took time away from the TV to make a Turkish dinner.  I made potato and feta borek, pilaf and white beans in tomato sauce.  Surprisingly, Selim liked it and cleaned his plate, after an appetizer of a bowl of pesto noodles.  I guess he was hungry.

Right after dinner, the neighbor kids were riding their bikes so Selim rushed out to do the same.  We have had a bigger bike in the shed and he wanted to try it.  It is still a little big for him, but he did have success riding for a bit.

And to finish off the sporting news of the day, Bubba Watson wins the Master's.  If Phil hadn't had a tripple bogey on the 4th hole, he might be the one putting on the green jacket tonight.

Thinking of gardening and golf

I had a great karate class today.  The pee-wee group had their test day, so Mr. Hebert had the three red belts lead us after the warm up.  I was in the white and yellow group, Selim with the other orange belts and then there were the green belts.  In my group, we worked on two forms.  I know the move sequences pretty well by now, so for me it was a chance to focus on each stance in a meditative way.  Because our red belt had to help the newer students, those of us who knew what we were doing had to hold our stances for long periods of time.  That gave me a chance to concentrate, feel the muscles working, and strive for perfection. 

Selim was invited to a birthday party today on very short notice.  Nedim came home yesterday and showed me a text message from the dad inviting Selim to come to the party where they would be tie-dying shirts.  Selim was on the fence about going, but with a little encouragement, he decided to go.  I'm very glad I looked up the address because I was totally wrong on the street location.  We drove and drove in an area of town that was new to me.  Selim thought we were lost.  I knew we weren't lost exactly, but I was happy when we came to their street.  I walked into the house with him and he happily disappeared before I had a chance to get a hug goodbye.  I went back three hours later and he hadn't realized that I had left.  He asked me why I hadn't come outside to do the shirts.  I told him that I had left to do some errands and be home for a while and he said, "You did?  Why didn't you tell me you were going to go?"

A goal of mine today was yard work.  I went to Agway and bought bigger loppers, seeds, and new started trays today.  A few weeks ago, Nedim had trimmed some branches that overhang our garden and were still strewn about the yard.  I decided that today was the day that would be addressed.  With new loppers and a saw, Selim and I dragged, cut and stacked the branches so that we can now walk to the compost pile without tripping and the lawn can be mowed safely.  We worked for forty minutes and finished the task.  I pruned the dead raspberry growth and cleaned out the raised beds as well. 

This year, I want to try growing kale and spinach.  I've been drinking both those veggies in my post work out green drinks.  It would be great to be able to pick both of them fresh.  I also bought carrot, cuke, parsley, basil, and Swiss chard seeds.  We won't start the carrots indoors, but the rest we should plant inside in the next week or so.  If we can get most of the plants started six weeks before transplanting outside, we will be in good shape.

And while I plan my garden, part of my attention is on the golf.  Fred Couples was a co-leader at the Master's going into today's round and Phil was three shots back.  Unfortunately, Fred has had a tough day, but Phil has been playing the back nine, lights out.  He is now tied for the lead at -7.  He has hit amazing shots.  I love watching the golf.  The enjoyment factor is increased due to the minimum commercial interruptions.  I think they have five minutes out of each hour for the commercial sponsors.  And the Cialis/Viagra ads are not in play. 

But I have a love/hate relationship going with this tournament.  While the golf is great, I hate the deification of this course that discriminates against women.  The do not allow women to be members.  Yet the announcers speak as if this tournament and this course deserve reverence and whispers.  Please, it is a golf course!  It isn't God.  And the actions of the members are not God-like.  Augusta National has always invited the President of IBM to be a member.  Now the head of IBM is a woman.  What to do?  Because of their privacy policy, Augusta won't comment on if they have offered the new President a membership or not and she hasn't offered any comment. 

I went to a women's college.  I understand the desire of a private institution to have the right to invite who they want to be at their place.  But to treat this tournament and course as if it is the best in all the world and never mention the fact that it has an institutional policy of discrimination is wrong.  This course does not deserve the reverence that people bestow upon it.  It makes me mad.  I loved watching the US Open when they played at Torrey Pines.  I've played that course.  I love it when the PGA is at Pebble Beach.  That is a beautiful course and if I had the $500 (or whatever the cost is) to drop on a round of golf, I could go there (providing I had made the reservation a year in advance).  But the laws governing Augusta National are different and they make me mad.

Tomorrow is Easter.  Selim has written a note to the Easter Bunny and is ready to see what he brings.  He will be disappointed when the egg shaped chap stick and golden eggs are not in the basket tomorrow.  But what can be done.  The Easter Bunny didn't find the desired objects and will have to make due with the chocolate that was bought already.

3 miles and 5 pounds

When I got home on Sunday from working a few hours of OT, Selim was dressed in camo and ready to play catch.  He is getting really good with the glove.  He hid in the tree across the street to see if I could spot him.  Uh, yes.

I played hooky today.  Not in the literal sense by going AWOL from work because I put in a leave slip yesterday, but because I decided to take a day to be all by myself and not feel guilty over it.  Nedim went up to Maine yesterday for some Turkish meeting so I was going to be home later than usual to get Selim up, fed, dressed and on the school bus.  Also, I had to have blood drawn in advance of my physical next week.  So I decided to stay home all day and not go in for a 1/2 day and feel rushed all morning.  What a great decision I made.

Selim and I had a great morning.  He is so cozy first thing and it was very sweet for me to be the one getting him ready and nagging him to eat his breakfast. I got on the scale and saw a number that was encouraging.  I've lost five pounds since I started running mid-February.  Both of us were happy as the morning went along and I got him out the door on time, which can be a challenge.  Then I went to the lab for my blood work.

When I got home, I made a big cup of tea in my special swan pattern china cup from Fortnum and Mason.  I fully enjoyed not talking, listening to NPR and being on the computer without constant interruptions.  When I finished being restful, I got sewing.  I switched off the radio because I didn't want to hear any more about the Trayvon Martin shooting.  The "Stand Your Ground" law in Florida seems over the top to me and so shocking that it is acceptable in our society to shoot first with deadly consequences and not have to answer questions later.  So I put on Lion Richie's Tuskegee and sang instead.  I'm embarrassed to say how much I have been enjoying that album.  I sewed the border on a baby quilt and cut out the fabric for some place mats and a table runner.

I love working with color and patterns.  I can gaze at fabric for long stretches of time.  I think the baby quilt top came out really well.  I have a slot in with a woman who has a big quilting frame next month and she will quilt it for me.  I think I can finish off the place mats myself.  I might see if I can find a different presser foot for my machine that will make turning and free form sewing easier.

All day in the back of my mind, I had been contemplating taking a longer run today, for about 3 miles.  My best effort had been last Tuesday when I went 2.4.  For a while I was wavering and thinking that I would stay inside and keep on with the fabric.  But at 2:00 I gave myself a pet talk, got on the running gear and went out.  Today felt different.  Easier.  Stronger.  I was able to breathe better.  At every lap I was faster than yesterday.  I took 30 seconds off my time at the 4 lap mark from last week.  And then I started on my fifth lap.  I told myself that I could walk at any time, that today was just the baseline for three miles.  I ran the whole way!  After as I walked a bit to cool down, there was a landscaping truck with a trailer trying to back into a driveway.  He motioned me on and told me to go because, "I'm having difficulty."  Since I was walking at a snail pace, I replied, "So am I."  We both laughed.

This day has been just what I needed.  Tomorrow will be back to regular, and that is just fine.  And my daffodils are blooming.  Yeah!

Victory!

I ran four times around the big block tonight, a 2.4 mile run.  I think it was my longest, non-walking distance, ever.  I know a couple of years ago I got up to 2 miles, but I don't think I got beyond that without stopping to walk for a bit.  Selim rode his bike on the first lap, but it was so windy that he got too cold.  The temperature has been dropping all day and it must by in the 30's this evening.  I feel victorious.  I didn't set any speed record, but I didn't stop.  Now I have a base line and I can only get better from here.

In other news, I cajoled a reluctant Selim to try our luck and bird watching yesterday afternoon.  There had been sighting of white sand cranes in a field by UNH that Robert told us about.  So we went, and saw tons of seagulls, but no cranes.  That was too bad, but I'm happy that we made the effort. 

We stopped by the Jackson Landing play ground after and we walked down to the water when it started raining.  Since we hadn't seen any cranes, I was hoping that we might see a heron.  But no, just boats.

And that is what I know.

Spring flowers

I've been so angry at the whole Rush Limbaugh thing and the intense focus on women's health care and the desire to revisit contraception (i.e. limit access and funding), that I haven't been able to write anything.  Every time I start a new blog post, I keep ranting and I am going around in circles.  So,  thank you, Eugene Robinson for writing eloquently on Rush.  The one thing that I wish I seen in the coverage of his tirade is the lack of attention paid to Viagra --if that isn't the definition of men getting paid to have sex, then I'm Snow White.  Should all women be asking for Rush's sex tapes?  Oh wait, but that's porn and not right-wing Christian conservative viewing material.  But I digress.

OK, on to my flowers.  We had the snow storm of the year on March 1 and then on March 11, the crocuses started blooming.  Most days I would take pictures, noticing that every day a new bud would open.  By the end of last week, they were finished and the hyacinths and daffodils blooming.

I love white flowers.  And the cherry blossoms opened yesterday or today.  The heat wave is over, so it will be interesting to see how quickly the rest of the bulbs flower.

Last weekend Selim and I braved the mile of mud that was Osgood Road and spent the weekend at the Ashram.  Mom turned 70 on Friday.  Happily, Selim didn't have school that day and I took annual leave so that we could leave early in the day.  We made it to the shop five minutes before she did and had brought chocolate cupcakes with raspberry frosting for the folks at her work to enjoy.

Friday night I set the table nicely and made pesto noodles, zucchini gratin and salad for dinner.  I had bought three little tete-a-tetes in Portsmouth that I turned into the centerpiece.  Selim wrapped his present and put it by her plate.  The table looked lovely and the dinner was delicious.

Saturday I invited the Ashramites and others over for tea.  I made two big pots of chai, two cheesecakes (using mascarpone instead of regular cream cheese, yum!), and three batches of cupcakes -- chocolate, ginger and vanilla with either raspberry or peach frosting.  There was enough food and drink for everyone.  People stayed for three hours.  It was so sweet to talk and be convivial with friends, most of whom we have known for 30+ years.  I was so involved in the food and the event that I didn't take pictures.  Sigh.  But I did get one of Selim getting a lift to bed, as he had fallen asleep in my lap on the couch.

The weekend was just great.  Mom was happy and that made me feel good.  I didn't want it to be sad.  When we left on Sunday, the road was a little bit better, but still, very muddy.  Nedim and Selim got out the hose at home and washed the jeep later that afternoon.

We have had a week of summer weather.  I had to dig around in my summer stuff to find sandals.  I felt like I was finding old friends -- the sandals that made walking around in DC and London possible.  We set record highs for at least four days.  This has been the winter of no snow, no low temps and now summer in March.

I've been on a quest to try to run.  I started last month and it took my 19 minutes to go 1.2 miles and I couldn't run the whole time.  By last week I had shaved 4 minutes off that time.  That is still really slow, I know, but I am improving.  Now I am going for longer distances and not so worried about the time.  On Friday I ran 2 out of the 2.4 miles that I tried.  I think I will do better now that it isn't 80 degrees out.  My goal is to be able to run a 5K this summer. 

Snow!

Last night, as Selim drifted off to sleep, he murmured, "Tomorrow, I will see joy."  As in snow.  And he was right.  Snow fell all day long.  He had three long outside sessions.  I found the shovelling hard because the snow stuck to the shovel and it took a lot of energy to get it off.  But he had a great time.

The person in our house not seeing his joy while snow blowing, Nedim. 

Yesterday, we got out and about, knowing that the storm was coming.  We went to Portsmouth so that Selim could get a haircut at the place I like.   And then we did the usual round of stores -- stickers, pesto flat bakery, toy, and chocolate.  We got home just as the light snow turned more serious.  I took out the camera and imagined that I was taking pictures of exotic fences and statuary.  Our garden bunnies are pretty cute.

The past two days could be titled the joy of motherhood.  Selim and I have had great days.  We haven't had too many head butting moments.  We have mixed in chores with play.  And I've taken a few moments to sew.  I finished the quilt squares this afternoon.  I have to decide if I am going to sew them together, or put in little lattice strips in between.  I need a big space to arrange the squares and once I get them all organized, I think I will be able to figure out what to do next.

And, in other fun news, Selim has decided that he likes to take a shower, provided he can put on his robe afterwards.  And do karate in it as well.