10 February 2008

A possible high of -1

All this talk about the weather is not complaint, it is amazement. Yesterday, it was in the 30's but once it got dark the temperature started to crash. When I woke up it was -9, and now it has warmed up to -7. No one is out, walking by our house, and we live on a popular walking route. The day is incredibly sunny -- the sun saves a lot of cold days here.

Julia and I spent part of yesterday at the Garden Expo. This would have been one of those cheesey home shows that are filled with booths that sells all sorts of things you never knew you needed with only a slight nod to the expo's topic. We've been to a home show here that was like that and I've been to the Indy garden show which is mainly the same. BUT in Wisconsin, there are enought garden, plant, environmental, wild life clubs and state, county, and city services which each had their own booth to make this gathering incredible. I brought home a ton of literature and only picked up what I thought I would read. Everyone was talking gardening and saving butterflies and new uses for old parks. On top of that, people were buying garden chotchkas with such a passion that all those frivolous booths with pink toads drinking tea suddenly seemed very relevant to a good garden. AND seeds -- you'd think it was time to start digging. I heard middle aged people possitively giggle over new sunflower mixes and mini-pumpkins.

Wisconsin continues to amaze.

Julia wanted a kite or a flamingo, and I told her we could get one or the other at the Expo. We found some beautiful kites that were incredibly expensive, and I had to explain that we couldn't get that. She took it very well, a sad look (the kite was beautiful) but no opposition. I told her we'd look for a flamingo and we were on a mission. She remembered out quest through the pond exhibit, the hammocks, a big sand box, miles of seed racks (where I looked but didn't touch), and a hot dog snack. And we found a silly pink flamingo with wings that flapped, the whole thing on a stick to put in the garden, but until spring, I am sure our new pet will find a place among dinosaurs and jungle animals, not to mention princesses and the beast.

Today, we are off to see a juggler and do food shopping. We usually go to the Y on Sundays, but Julia has a stuffy, running nose and a cough that hurts to listen to. We have been pretty lucky with getting sick this winter. I expected much more considering that we are new in Madison. I do think that Julia has developed some immunity to our North American bugs. She is an incredibly healthy child -- good peasant stock. Like us, just a bit east of our heritage.

1 comment:

tumbleintodreams said...

I've had the same "healthy peasant stock" thought about Cami. She is such a study child. And so far much healthier than my biological children. Our girls came from a great area and background. sherri