Monday Ramblings

I was checking the weather forecast this morning while planning my week.  Seems I might as well just tuck an umbrella under my arm and go out to do what needs to be done.  Cool and damp are the common words in the forecast.  No sense in complaining.  Other parts of the country are experiencing drought conditions, while here everything is turning green.  There is a small tree outside my front windows.  Tiny leaves are forming and soon it will be lush and green again, giving shade for me while I sit on the front steps enjoying the fresh air with Jessie Jane and Lily.  We like to sit there from time to time, watching the world go by.  Although there isn't much to watch during the daylight hours, when the streets are fairly quiet.  Sometimes the owners of the bicycle shop in my building will come out to chat and give Lily a pet or Jessie Jane an ear scratch.  There are some nice things about living in a town.

Although fall is my favorite time of year, spring runs a close second.  The bitter cold and the drifts of snow are but a bad memory.  The lilac bushes in the next block are starting to form buds.  The lady who owns them lets me cut as many of the flowered branches as I want to bring home.  Lilacs are one of my favorite flowers, and for the short time they are in bloom, I have mason jars full all over my apartment.  I think that nearly every farmhouse in the state has lilac bushes.  They remind me of the ones by the old farmhouse where I grew up.  Those ranged in color from white to deep purple, and a huge bouquet always sat on the dining room table in the spring, giving the house a wonderful scent.

I think it may be the sounds of the birds I like most.  During the winter, most have the common sense to flee south when the first snowflakes hit the ground, and those who aren't quite as smart spend the winter huddled in whatever shelters they can find.  But come springtime, they are all out and about and in full voice.  Some days when my windows are open, the sound of birdsong nearly fills my apartment.  This confounds Lily, who can't decide if the birds are friend or foe.  Fortunately, Kizzie the cat is way too lazy to be bothered with scaring them off.  I don't need any radio music going when I can listen to the birds sing.

I have rambled on long enough.  Time to get a few odds and ends done this afternoon, for tomorrow it is back to my quest to restock my pantry shelves.  There is a good sale this week on celery and on mushrooms, both of which I like to dehydrate.  Whole chickens are on sale, too, and I like to have a few in my freezer.  Roast chicken is a favorite meal, and there is so much I can do with the leftovers.  One chicken can feed me suppers for several days.  I've almost given up on finding hamburger, or any beef, at a reasonable price.  I may just have to pay the price to get as much canned as I will need for the next year.  I just don't see prices falling any time soon - or at all, for that matter.

I guess all we can do is continue on and do the best we can with what we have to work with.