In our family we credit good genetics for all sorts of things. For the affection for grammar, the appreciation for well-cut clothing, the love of notebooks, and the ability to spot a quality antique we thank the MacMahon side of the family. GrammaDonna's genes shone through when Dagny hit an estate sale this weekend. Knowing I had my eye out for a two-level nightstand, she was excited to find a set of two mahogany Henredon tables. Ever the bargain hunter, she waited til the end of the day and got them for half price - $25 for the pair.



There's a little ribbon in one of the drawers with a name on it - Collette Griffin. The previous owner of my tables? Did her mom or grandmother pass on an eye for finishes and hardware and construction? A desire to open things up and see how the drawer slides? To research makers and production dates? Maybe not. Luckily Dagny's Gramma did, so I get to adopt this little bit of Collette's history, and have just the spot to tuck my book at night.

That honey is SO GOOD. It's making me even more excited to taste some of the other things from our yard. So far this year we've harvested maple syrup, honey, and chives.


We have quite a lot to look forward to. Soon there will be strawberries from the hundreds of crowns Dagny and I planted this Spring and last.



Loads of garlic, of course.


And blueberries, assuming the critters will share. My plan of attack was to plant so many bushes there's no way the humans, birds, and animals competing for the berries could ever eat them all. Time will tell whether I should have bettered my odds with a BB gun, as Jon suggests.

(Do you see the ant?)

Peaches, pears, plums, apples, almonds, kiwi, asparagus, rhubarb, onions, kale, lettuce, basil, thyme, rosemary, lavender, watermelon, eggplant, summer squash, zucchini, scallions, tomatoes, jalapenos - all growing in exchange for some dirty, heavy, grateful-making work.

It's Spring, which means there's rhubarb, which means you should do this:

Chop up some rhubarb and throw it in a pot. Add a bunch of halved strawberries, a tiny amount of water, and some sugar. Cook til it's a sauce. Taste and adjust sugar as needed.

Eat with a spoon (if you're Jon) or on toast (if you're me).

The garlic I planted last fall is growing beautifully.


Not too long now til we'll be snipping snapes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Also growing beautifully are the ajuga. These grew in my parents' back yard, and when they moved a few were transplanted here. For me, a yard is not a yard without their springtime splash of purple.


Speaking of splashes - oceans, really - of purple, the violets continue to expand their territory.


This bee seemed to be taking as much enjoyment from them as I was. With each landing, her weight pulled the flower head down to the ground. Then she'd catapult off to the next blossom. I imagined her calling, "Wheeee!"