HAPPY SPRING
said my neighbor Nina, handing me this box of pansies and tissue paper. A jolt of spring color straight to the optic nerve! And they smell great too.

SOOTHING WITH PASTA
Henry got into a bad mood yesterday and it took some time to get him out of it. Very unusual! I think this week off from school, with his TSS (helper) off too is hard on him. No scheduled activites, and a chaotic round of playdates (for the other boys) and errands.

He finally started to lose his equanimity while we were standing in line at the Post Office. One of those things: when we walked in there were only two people in line so I thought it would be a fast errand. BUT, postal workers were going on break, new ones took a long time logging in, the one person actually being served had an endless list of complicated postal services required etc etc. It took a long time and Henry got more and more restless, and as we finally left he burst into anguished crying which could not be assuaged. When we got home the storm continued unabated and I eventually thought to give him a big bowl of (uncooked) elbow macaroni: aaah! It took some time, but his anguish receded in the bliss of momentary sensory integration. It was well worth the ensuing mess.

SWEET
Easter cookies surrounding a baby doll.

AFTERNOON HOMEWORK
When Hugh set to work on his homework shortly after getting home from school the other day I was surprised and asked him why, as he usually waits until after dinner. His stoic reply, "I HATE today's homework and I want to get it out of the way!" I was impressed: he sure did not get that bulldozer work ethic from his mother!

THE BAKIN' O' THE GREEN
When I made this cake for dessert last night Peter stared at it in awe and said, "This is the most delicious cake you have ever made!" Of course, he hadn't tasted it yet.

APRICOT GLOW
Sounds like a lipstick color but in this case it is just a scattering of dried apricots catching a slant of light on my kitchen table.

WATER GLASSES
My friend Carol has a fascinating collection of water glasses. Each one is different, although they are all goblet shaped. They all seem to have their own personalities. I think that at a dinner party Carol likes to see who picks which glass. Kind of like a set designer's version of "The Dating Game"!

SCHOOL PLAY
It was really great. Cute, funny, touching and entirely in Spanish. Hugh was so relaxed and confident that he didn't even take his hands out of his pockets but still managed to project perfectly well.

BLUE GRAPE HYACINTHS
Paul's cousin Lisa and her family were visiting this past weekend. We were walking around the garden and I was saying how great the neighbors are around here. The words had barely left my mouth when my neighbor Lynn from down the street yoo-hooed over the fence and offered us pots of flowering bulbs. Lynn is an avid gardener and had been forcing hundreds of plants for the Philadelphia Flower Show. Some of them just didn't make it, peaking too soon or not maturing fast enough and these were the ones she was giving away. This lush muscari armeniacum is a bit past its prime but still fascinatingly beautiful. Not bad for an "also ran"!

ROUND GNOME
in the onion basket. He must have just fallen off the windowsill where he was perched, but it looks as though he is happily visiting his onion friends.