Laowai

It's always nice to come home. I was so pleased to be back in my garden after our vacation. I immediately started puttering and inspecting all my plants.

I picked a couple bouquets of feverfew and bachelor buttons.

My peas were completely overgrown and flopped over. The peas were mostly overgrown (sad). I decided to pick them and try shucking them even though they are the snap pea type. 

And they were fine – tasty in spaghetti carbonara.

Here's the result of my puttering. After I groomed my potted plants I thought these compost-bound bits were pretty.

The morning after we got back I went to pick strawberries. I had been unreasonably worried that I would miss the strawberry season this year.

Today I resumed my weekly walks at the Chicago Botanic Garden. So fun to see how much everything has grown and changed.

Are these called bunny tails? If they're not, they should be.

I'm sort of bad at adjusting to local time when we travel. It's a pain in the butt during vacation on those first few days in Europe. But when we get home I secretly don't mind it. I enjoy getting up at 4:45 and sitting outside. I love hearing the birds being their most chatty right before the sun comes up. I love the feeling of being wrapping up in a blanket when it's chilly outside. And I know I'm lucky that I don't have the pressure of being functional (a job) when the afternoon comes and I'm ready for a nap.