Tender Shadows

Is it spring yet? Maybe. Maybe. The daytime temperatures are in the high 30s the last few days. We saw 40+ twice last week, and oh so shockingly, 40 feels like I should be expecting something, like, like green growing things. Maria, my next door neighbor, has bulbs coming up on our side of her house. Green shoots about an inch or so high. Oh, they look good. There is still snow on lots of the yards but near the houses and near the sidewalk, it is melting. Fringes on both sides. Our highest terrace has only a little bit of snow and the side of our house around the corner is pretty bear. But no bulb shoots.

David was saying today that he saw a guy up the street raking some of his flower beds and he chuckled about over enthusiatice gardners. I had to admit that I had been planning to get out next week and do a bit of that myself, where ever the snow has melted, just to be doing it. My plan was to do it during the week when most folks are at work, thereby saving myself from getting caught by the likes of my dear husband and chuckled at.

It has been a long winter. Even for old time Wisconsin-ers. A friend commented that the first snow was greeted with glee for all the expected winter sports, more snow just meant buckling down and doing the Wiconsin snow-thing diligently, more snow brought a bit of silence among even those who professed a great love of the fourth season, and now melting snow is bringing lots and lots of sighs of relief.

We watched the original Peter Pan, with Mary Martin, with Julia. She watches most animation well but doesn't really watch live- action movies apart from Annie and a few others. She loved Peter Pan – the singing and dancing was all so exciting, but the story, the kids, the flying, and the pirates were even move. Julia has a muppets pirate ship that she plays with so pirates are already part of her vocabulary of imagination. She even knew a few of the songs because they are sung by kids singers and we play them in the car. She loves the lullaby “Tender Shepherd” but has no idea what a shepherd is and so sings “Tender Shadows.” I tried to correct her but she said “It Peter Pan song.” And she is right – Peter loses his shadow and Wendy sews it back on. I think she will be singing “Tender Shadows” for a long time.

Cheshire will be a New York City school teacher next year. She clicked the box online and took the job. This was a hard decision, and I am very proud that she has made it. Brava, my girl!