To brighten the day

Linda and Maggie and I had planned to take a walk together, but Linda, at the last minute, got an urgent plea to babysit a nine month old boy just this once.  So we sat around and enjoyed the little emperor. He was a sober lad at first, watching us, evaluating us, fitting us in to his world view.  We decided to put him in to his stroller and get that walk but the high tech modern equipment baffled us.  He was amazingly patient as we fumbled with straps and buckles and shifted him around till we were satisfied.  The stroller pulled strongly to the right.  It took us about half a block to realize that one tire was flat and starting to come off the rim.  So we wobbled back and gave that up as a good idea.  By the time we had unbuckled him and pulled off a few layers, he was used to us and found us rather amusing.  I got down on the floor with the blocks and let my inner three-year-old have fun.  I built walls and he knocked them down.  He crawled all over and we all stifled our protective instincts and let him explore.  Then we became aware that it was diaper time.  The last time I changed a diaper was 40 years ago and it was held together with safety pins.  Maggie had the most recent experience.  At least she understood about the sticky tape.  Wish someone had been there with a camera to record three 60-plus women on the floor, wrestling a sturdy and active boy out of wet diapers and onesie, and into dry diaper, onsie and jeans.  He was not happy to have the shirt pulled off and on over his head, but there was a flurry of kindly, determined wrinkled hands and arms, and poof, he was dressed again.  After that, he needed a nap.  Maggie and I left Linda settled in her chair with babe in arms, and bliss on her face.  There is magic in holding a warm, live little body that will nestle against you in total trust.

But still, I wanted to get in a walk, so after Maggie brought me home, I stepped out in my neighborhood.  The fog had burned off and there was lots of sunshine, just a bit above freezing.  But in one sheltered corner facing south, I found an early-blooming forsythia.  Woohoo!  Spring is actually on its way!  You folks in the midwest, take hope.

 That night, Kyle fixed me the yummiest dinner.  He cooks chicken with onions and tomatoes, then he served it in a roasted spaghetti squash.  I nearly ate myself into a stupor!
















And as long as we are dealing with cheery orange and yellow photos, I took some odds and bobs of yarn in that color story and knitted a wingspan scarf with fringes.

Do you know anyone with panache who looks good in orange and yellow?  It's got sparkly stripes and fuzzy stripes and it's thick and soft and warm.  And fringy.  Very dramatic.

Busy, busy color.  Hot and happy.

I posted the photo of my pink wingspan scarf on Facebook and two cousins got into a fight over it. Luckily, there's enough yarn to knit another one.  It's nice to know what the next project will be.