Sunday Contours

Today has been a good end and beginning of the week.  Our UU Houlton congregation had quite a lovely, open-hearted and deeply touching "coffee hour" together.   As Sue said, we are getting better at this, and I do believe that that is true.  We all come as we are and Rev Dave leads us loosely and then off we go.  I started going to services at the Houlton Unitarian Universalist Church last fall.  I am so glad that I found this sweet group of practitioners, a very diverse and deeply welcoming crew.  So seeing them on my zoom screen and having a little time where we come together is both anchoring and freeing.    A good way to start and end the week.

Next I put away a few things that have been sitting on my screen porch.  I will have the winterizing taken off the porch within the next few weeks.  The porch looks tired,  untended and cluttered.  Today I made several trips to the "auxiliary kitchen storage" and got things off the porch and into their appropriate place.  

Then a skype call with my friend Serafina,  she turns 82 tomorrow.  I have turned into her travel agent, sorting out how she will travel once she arrives from Sicily next month.  We discussed travel and then as is our pattern dove deeply into sharing about what really matters to us both, a friendship that is decades old and still continues to deepen.  

I had a delightful nap this afternoon.  It does seem that my body and probably more so my mind needs a rest.  Corona time is not the way life was before we were staying at home and sheltering in place.   I have essentially been home bound since March 13th, first in Arizona with friends and then since March 28th here in Patten.   Resting is good,  a sleep deeply and dream well.  

Once awake,  I tackled the kitchen,  I was wanting to make some soup and needed a kitchen that was clean and ready for the next round of cooking and cleaning!   I have done a good job of eating the fruits and vegetables that come in my Misfits Market box, and I had two big leeks sitting in the refrigerator calling out to be used.  

I found a wonderful recipe and cleaned and chopped the leeks,  smashed the garlic and diced the potatoes.  I finished eating a bowl just before I started this blog tonight.  I kept part out and put the rest in the freezer.  A good way to end and begin the week.

Today marked the first day that Maine has over 1000 official cases of the virus.  An inevitable milestone.  The curve is flattened and it continues.  

I have plans for this week coming.  I hope that I am not deflated by the snow that is due to arrive tonight and into the morning.  April will end this week.  May will begin.  I am thinking of my favorite midwestern spring treats ramps, aspargus, fiddleheads.   I look forward to spring exploring in the woods.  For tonight I am snuggled in at home,  the house is warm, and i think I will make a bowl of popcorn!  

It is the last Sunday in April.  Hope of Spring grows brighter with each day.