anchor for the corner of the deck

A brilliant blue sky and blazing sun drew me out of bed early - not 5am early, but early for me - the swing was calling its siren song, luring me with the promise of a gentle rock to start my day. With a steaming cup of coffee in hand I sat back and let the birdsong brush the last of the cobwebs from my brain. I was groggy from a bad night's sleep but there was no turning back from the joy of a pre-summer day.

There wasn’t much on the agenda today except to assemble an extraordinarily heavy bench for the back deck. We’ve had 2 of the same ones sitting out there for years, and had purchased a third one but never got around to putting it together. A bit of blood, sweat, and tears and the darn thing is anchoring a corner of the deck. We have lots of seating now, too bad we won’t be able to have any company for months :-(

Once we were done that Carm headed out in the car for a few curbside pickups - I thought I’d play music and enjoy the deck but ended up half asleep on the sofa. A sure side-effect of getting up so early!

We zoomed with the family to celebrate Freya’s birthday tonight - it seems that most of the family has their birthday during the lockdown.

Headline tonight:  1,187,288 cases with 68,568 deaths in the US. There are a total of 59,474 (56,714 yesterday) cases of Covid-19 in Canada today, with 3,682 (3,566 yesterday) deaths to date.

“One of the strange things about living in the world is that it is only now and then one is quite sure one is going to live forever and ever and ever. 

One knows it sometimes when one gets up at the tender solemn dawn-time and goes out and stands alone and throws one’s head far back and looks up and up and watches the pale sky slowly changing and flushing and marvelous unknown things happening until the East almost makes one cry out and one’s heart stands still at the strange unchanging majesty of the rising of the sun—which has been happening every morning for thousands and thousands and thousands of years. 

One knows it then for a moment or so. 

And one knows it sometimes when one stands by oneself in a wood at sunset and the mysterious deep gold stillness slanting through and under the branches seems to be saying slowly again and again something one cannot quite hear, however much one tries. 

Then sometimes the immense quiet of the dark blue at night with millions of stars waiting and watching makes one sure; and sometimes a sound of far-off music makes it true; and sometimes a look in some one’s eyes.”

~Secret Garden

its song was so full of joy

One final heft and the swing was hooked to its frame, an icon of summer in place. Later, after a few other tasks were completed, I sunk down and took a deep breath. Birdsong serenaded me and a ‘peaceful, easy feeling’ washed over me. All was well with my world, at least for now. I turned my head to look at Grace and I could tell by the look on her face that she felt the same way. 

It was a glorious day… the first to reach summertime temperatures. My toes were happy to be freed from their cocoon of wool.

We cheated a bit in the afternoon and had a social distance visit with Trudie & Leo. We are keeping at least 10’ away and are careful to disinfect everything we touch. The social contact makes life seem normal.

I waffle with the idea that we are going to get it sooner or later so maybe now is good and then we’d be a buffer around Mom and Dad. I wish I knew how sick we’d get… I heard the other day that a woman I knew from work spent 10 days in hospital with Covid-19… she’s younger than me and as far as I know has no underlying conditions. So… maybe I want to hold out for a vaccine.

Today Carm and I celebrate the 33rd anniversary of our first real date - so many years ago! I was only 24, Carm was 33 so this anniversary means he’s been with me for half his life. And a good half it is! It was a good excuse to play dressup and bring out the good dishes.

Headline tonight:  1,159,430 cases with 67,391 deaths in the US. There are a total of 56,714 (55,061 yesterday) cases of Covid-19 in Canada today, with 3,566 (3,391 yesterday) deaths to date.

“A lark began to sing in the tree above her. Dortchen opened her eyes and looked up. It was such a small, plain, grey thing, yet its song was so full of joy. She could see its breast swell, its thin throat tremble. It lifted its wings, as if seeking to draw more air into its lungs. Song-notes were flung into the air, like golden coins thrown by a generous hand. All the lark's strength was poured into its music, all its joy.

Dortchen took a deep breath, so deep that she felt her lungs expand and the muscles of her chest crack. She wanted to live like the lark did, filled with rapture. She stood up, looking up at the bird through the sunlit leaves. It flung its wings wide and soared away into the sky. She wanted to fly with it.”

Kate Forsyth

Greensleeves was my delight

Suddenly this afternoon a cloak of green lay upon the ground and stretched tendrils onto the shrubs near the house. When I look out the window the green shimmers with the promise of summer. 

It wasn’t particularly nice this morning with racing clouds and high wind but I was drawn outside and motivated to start getting a few things ready for summer. My spirits had definitely risen. Once inside we decided to get busy in the basement and put together a shelf unit that we’d purchased a few months ago. It was great to get a bunch of stuff off the floor and to get my pantry better organized. 

I’m a bit worried that the reality tv hoarding people will descend on the house so no photos of our great work!

Our afternoon cookie was well earned today!

Yesterday we ordered 4 adirondack chairs from Canadian Tire but their curb-side pickup is backed up so we are unlikely to get them in time for this weekend’s warm days. I can’t wait to set them out on the grass :-)

Headline tonight:  1,129,060 cases with 65,724 deaths in the US. There are a total of 55,061 (53,021 yesterday) cases of Covid-19 in Canada today, with 3,391 (3,180 yesterday) deaths to date.

“Greensleeves was my delight,

Greensleeves my heart of gold

Greensleeves was my heart of joy

And who but my lady Greensleeves.”