The Garden Next Door

Started the day quickly with the original book version of Auntie Mame, Carrot-Oatmeal Pancakes for breakfast, and this week's Brunch With the Beatles. "Questions and Answers" was the broad, simple theme for today. Any song from any era was fine, as long as it asked a question or gave an answer. Songs that did one or the other or both included "Do You Want to Know a Secret?", "When I'm 64," and "With A Little Help From My Friends."

Although I had to work earlier than usual for a Sunday, I did have enough time to call Mom. She had a quiet Easter. Anny spent a lot of the week with her sons and a guy friend and his daughter who was visiting the area. Dad was out working, but was due in soon, and Mom wanted to get a lot of cleaning done before he was underfoot. Basically, she said to keep moving forward, ignore Rose's complaints about my being self-centered (um, I live alone - whom am I supposed to be centered on?) and not doing enough to change my circumstances. I'm doing what I can.

I went to work almost as soon as I got off the phone with Mom. Work was crazy for most of the day. It was a beautiful, if windy, spring day, and this is the only day of the week a lot of people can shop. Basketball and hockey are in playoffs, too. The Flyers played at noon. Alas, they couldn't hold off the New York Rangers, who handed them their rears, 4-2. I saw the opening seconds of the game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues during my break, and later as I was getting ready to go home. (I had to stay an hour later, due to how overwhelmingly busy we were.) The Blackhawks had no trouble giving the Blues the blues with a huge 5-1 win.

When I got home, I had a quick leftovers dinner and listened to my original cast LP for Mame. Although I do enjoy the movie version, the cast album is fun, too. Angela Landsbury became a beloved stage star with her performance as the world's most unconventional relative. The cast recording includes a number for Mame and the ensemble, "That's How Young I Feel," that didn't make it into the movie.

I wanted to go for a walk after dinner, but it was past 7. I just opted to go next-door to Veteran's Park. The park is in full bloom now, with shiny, soft green leaves on every tree. They're just starting to work on the town garden, too. I saw one plot with pots of dazzlingly white hyacinths. Someone planted tomato stalks and what looked like lettuce in another. There were adorable little mums all around the perimeter. A heavier wooden fence had been added in some places. It was probably to keep local critters out, but it also made it a bit hard to look in.