My Happy List

This morning, without meaning to, I made a mental list of what I was feeling happy about. Here's what made the list and what got added as the day went on:

--A Lazuli Bunting came to the bird feeder yesterday and today. This is the Western counterpart of the Indigo Bunting that visited last week. It was the first time I ever saw a Lazuli Bunting. I should have been more convinced last week when Bryant, Andrew, and Joey told me they saw one. That'll teach me. Chalk up one more advantage of living in central USA. Both eastern and western species overlap here. I doubt that one particular section of Irish Creek has ever before been as heavily birded as my three nephews are doing this year. It's been very rewarding for them, and I love hearing reports on what they're seeing--from the tiny Yellowthroat to the bigger Yellow-breasted Chat to the large Long-eared owlet that was on the ground and close enough to touch. White-faced Ibis and Northern Phalarope are new for them this year, as is the Black and White Warbler they saw at LaVerne's placethe other day.

--The tall bearded irises are blooming in all their extravagance right now. I love the pink Georgia Romance, and the periwinkle Skywalker, and the frilly yellow and white one that Freddie Nisly Mary got from her daughter to give me.

--The Miller Meltdown is underway. This is a group of my siblings, offspring, inlaws, and nieces on an 8-week girth diminishing mission. It's a fun group to be part of. Heidi thinks it sounds like fun; Shane thinks it sounds like torture. I think it sounds like encouragement.

--Daughter-in-law Dorcas was here this weekend from Colorado. She drove the 7 1/2 hours by herself to get here--for Rosene's farewell, and to get Hans to fix her computer so she can continue to do the occasional job for Golden Rule Communications, along with her Choice Books volunteer job.

--The Farmer's Market season began yesterday, and Hiromi and I were able to get a season reservation for the stall we had our sights set on. We sold a bunch of plants, although I think it was a little difficult for people to get into a gardening mood because of the bone-chilling, windy, cloudy weather. (My tall vase of irises only blew over once, but the signs blew off/down repeatedly, and the man across the aisle with the cleverly painted penguin gourds had a few casualties among his flock.)
After a one-year absence from the market, it was great to be back and to see how the market is growing. As a former market board member, I know how much behind-the-scenes work goes into making the market a success, and I appreciate what others are doing. I have never seen such a big crowd of vendors and customers on opening day as we had yesterday--or such an opening hoopla, complete with speeches by local dignitaries, live music, and a flag day ceremony by a group of army staff people to kick things off. As the retiring market manager, my dad received a certificate of recognition. The market bought a PA system with grant money, and last summer a local artist painted a colorful mural at the restroom-and-office end of the open-sided market shelter. The other end has new bead board covering the darkened wood studs and siding that made that place dingier-looking than necessary. So we're all set for making the market a destination--as Downtown Development loves to call it.

--We finally finished planting nearly all of our produce and flower garden plants and seeds on Saturday afternoon. Some of it was done while the ground was too wet. Act in haste, repent at leisure probably will apply all summer long here, but we finally decided that would be the lesser of two evils, the other evil being a very late start on having saleable products.

--The copier at church works again, sort of. At least I could hand out the papers I routinely prepare for my Sunday School class, and I could copy the announcements for stuffing the mailboxes of people older than 80 and assorted other qualifying individuals. (BTW, I heard recently that our church has 22? people who are 80 or older.)

--The lettuce in the garden is picture-perfect, as are the cole crops. I especially love the variety in the leaf lettuce mix I planted--freckled green and red and ruby red and blushing red, and dark green and pale green, pointy-leafed, lobed-leafed, and frilly-leafed, buttery and crispy. We've escaped most of the disfiguring hail damage that has plagued some gardens, and the insects haven't started munching on these crops. So every carefully-spaced lettuce plant is arguably as pretty as a giant rose.

--We're eating fresh asparagus. It's especially good salted, sprinkled with flour, and fried in butter.

--The Roundup I sprayed on some of my weeds worked. (Note to Monsanto: Don't say I never did anything for you. That stuff is expensive.)

--Max doesn't jump up on me and soil my going-away clothes. He is full of vices, but mercifully is not guilty of this one. He also does not venture into the veggie garden. I think his one tangle with the electric fence around it must have been convincing and memorable. Another thing to be happy about.

--Today was another good church service. I so love being part of this brotherhood. I like the interaction with my Sunday School girls too.

--The weather today was perfect--Sunny, a light breeze, and a high of 68.