Catching the Spring

Nettie and Me.  Off on a golf cart ride, picking flowers from the grounds of Shady Acres Farm.  We inspect the bird houses.  One has the beginnings of a nest.  One has spiders and things that no self respecting bird would think of having in their home.  And one!  Ah, one!  has a finished bluebird nest and one egg already there.  Hope in a box with twigs and leaves.

Nettie has had a tough week.  Vague complaints of phantom pains in her stomach, legs, back, and frantic cries of “all over my body tingling.”  And then a brief psychotic episode that had me worried.  Lots of conversation.  Extra attention.  Time and Time and Time.  She is doing so much better, but still so fragile.

Certain Man took our trusty golf cart to the repair shop yesterday and got it fixed.  New batteries and a general all over check up.  It rides sweet and smooth.  He probably wouldn’t have done it, but he made promises to (grandsons) Simon, Liam and Frankie when we were in Ohio two weeks ago and it was too cold to take their beloved wagon rides with Grampa.

“Grampa is going to take the golf cart and get it fixed and when you come the weekend after Easter, we will go for a ride then!”

How Grammy’s heart sang to hear this.  That old golf cart, bought second handed for a good price, has saved many a step on the farm, and it is especially nice when the day has been long and yet another chicken house alarm is screaming for attention.  It’s been great for toting kids around, too.  When he brought it home yesterday, all fixed and smooth running, I was like one of the grandsons in my delight.  I could hardly wait for an excuse to take a ride.

Late yesterday afternoon, quite by accident, I found out that Nettie loves to ride the golf cart, too.

“Do you wanna’ go for a ride with me, Nettie?” I asked her on impulse. She was sitting in her room, her Saturday chores all done.   “I’m going out to see what Daniel is doing.”

“I’d like that,” she said in one of her rare decisive moments.

She got her shoes. We went out around the old manure shed, around the west end of the chicken houses and spotted Daniel spraying along his chicken houses.  We made a circle around the back pasture and then came up to the barn to find that two of the littlest calves had escaped their enclosure and were running free.  Daniel found one, picked it up and carried it back to safety.  We went after the other one with the golf cart, Nettie enjoying every minute, and when he wouldn’t stay put on the back of it, we helped Daniel herd him back to the barn and his fellow fence mates.  And then we returned to the house and Saturday chores for me and evening television for Nettie.

This afternoon, with Certain Man and Middle Daughter at a concert and Cecilia safely ensconced on a recliner in the sun room, Nettie and I set forth again.  She chatted amiably and made astute observations.  We checked on the asparagus (three more shoots peeking) and then did a circle of the yard, picking flowers and smelling smells of spring.  She carried the flowers, and brought them in and laid them carefully on the counter.  I found a vase for them and they are brightening a spot on the dining room table.

Winter is so hard for some of us who sometimes struggle for equilibrium in dark days.  But these days!  These gloriously gorgeous, perfectly beautiful days speak hope and future and GOD to the sadness.

And my heart gives grateful praise.