wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

It's been a quiet week. I did manage to get in a few walks in between the rainy days: a couple quick walks around the neighborhood, one to the cemetery to say hi to Mom and Dad, and one at the nearby MetroPark. There's a spot at the park where a sea of cheery yellow winter aconite greets hikers after a walk up the big hill. It's like they're saying, "Yay, you made it!" All around the neighborhood, the spring flowers are poking through the ground and the mostly yellow blooms herald the beginning of spring. Yellow flowers - the promise of sunshine.

Of course a couple trips to the grocery store to buy a few things, mainly for dinner. Back in the day of cooking for six people, I spent Sunday afternoon planning meals for the week and made my grocery list according to the meal plan. Monday morning I would go shopping. Those days are long gone. Most times I have an idea of what dinner will be but on those days where the inspiration doesn't hit until the later afternoon, that's when I go to the store. I parked by this car and the license plate gave me a smile. Also, the store has added loss protection sensors to the carts. In the past when driving home, I'd see grocery carts two and three blocks away from the store and wondered why sensors weren't on the carts. Guess someone got tired of walking around retrieving the carts.

When we babysat our grandson during his baby sister's birth, I kept a few M&Ms in my coat pocket to encourage and reward good behavior. A very busy, inquisitive, almost 3-year old needs an incentive not to stand up in the grocery cart or to hold Didi's hand when walking in a parking lot. The other day, I reached into my pocket and found one of Owen's M&Ms. I wish I could send it to him. He's having a bit of a time getting used to the fact that baby sister is here to stay.

My dear friend had a bicycle accident. She hit an uneven piece of pavement which caused her to fly off her bike. She injured her right shoulder, sprained her left wrist, and her whole body hurt as a result of the impact. Thank heavens she was wearing her helmet. Before her injuries, she was making tabouli and had prepared the bulgur wheat. 

The day after her accident we were talking and she almost pleaded, "Can you come over and cut up the tomatoes and chop the parsley for my tabouli?" She couldn't lift her arm or move her wrist.

"Of course but I've signed up for a yoga class and I'll be there after that." On my way to her house, I stopped by a tea/coffee shop run by a British couple and bought a cup of chamomile tea with extra honey in it for her. It's her favorite. It's such a charming place - a little bit of England in Ohio.