- Every year the suddenness of spring – whether it comes early or, as this year, weirdly late – makes me think, constantly, of Dylan Thomas’s “force that through the green fuse drives the flower”. Or leaf. Because the tiny new leaves pushing out are so amazingly urgent! There’s such huge energy curled up in those little green furls, it’s astonishing. No wonder spring is such an exciting time.
- Although I’m not feeling super excited so much as exhausted, honestly, because life is a bit of a roller-coaster, albeit without actual events, mostly just possibilities. Last week I got a yes to a design submission (yay!), no to a job (boo), unexpected late invitation to interview for a totally different job (yay?), plus we’ve decided to make an offer on that house. But it will be a very low offer (not because of our budget, but because we think it’s only worth that) and very likely not accepted. Anyway it’s all being addressed in a very social, networked fashion and the offer will be made over a cup of coffee some time, but there’s family stuff going on with the intermediary, so coffee won’t happen right away… it’s all a bit drawn out. Like everything else. See? Exhausting.
- Also exhausting: I have a virus; Max has a weird rash of probably flea bites (like, 20 or more), but we can’t figure out where the fleas are coming from and why they’re eating him only; my phone suddenly died, murdered by an Android update, and the cheapo replacement I ordered is useless. But I can’t just return it, because it’s been used. I can get it repaired! Which leaves me back where I started, phoneless for 2 weeks or so, only having forked out Fr70 for a crap phone I don’t even want. I am Not Happy. (Last time I had phone trouble I just coped without a phone for a few weeks, but that’s not an option now. Apart from the fact that an awful lot of people contact me constantly through WhatsApp, for organising the kids’ lives etc, I need a certain app to do my job – it gives me access to the remote server. It’s ridiculous but I can’t see how to avoid it.)
- Never mind. Something good! We took Claudia to a dance performance on Saturday night. (This one – part of a festival taking place around Switzerland. Basically a random choice, but such a good one.) A first for her (she’s been to little kid shows, and last year to Mary Poppins, but never to ballet or anything like this) and I wasn’t sure how she’d take it. It’s not as accessible as, say, a Sleeping Beauty ballet. But she loved it. This makes me so happy.
- Coincidentally, I also have tickets for Hamilton in London (bought them 18 months ago and arranged our holiday around it!), Freshlyground here in Zurich (yaaaay!), and Hamburg band Tocotronic in Winterthur later this summer. That’s basically just a nostalgia kick for Armin. But taken all together, and especially with the possibilities opened up by the previous point, it feels like suddenly I’m getting a bit of my life back. Not that I was ever a big gig goer. But… going out at night. Doing stuff. Having cultural experiences. It seems like the survival phase of parenting is past and we can look forward to a more balanced life. Exciting!
No 11 of #52recipes: Smitten Kitten’s asparagus pancetta hash. It’s been on my list for aaaages but I feared it wouldn’t go down well, because asparagus. Turns out everybody loved it – like, LOVED it – despite the green stuff! So that’s one for the meal rotation, absolutely.
Still 4 recipes behind schedule, and the next few weeks aren’t looking great for picking up the pace. Maybe I should have stuck with 26 this year after all. But hey! I like a challenge.
Woolly thoughts (and fuzzy logic) 