Sister Chat About Spring

Maude: I thought we would talk about Spring since it is springing up all over - at least in Virginia! Crazy to think we had snow last week
Lizzi: That's a good idea
Maude: What is your favourite thing about Spring?
Lizzi:  I LOVE Spring! I love the smell, the wind, the rain, the sun,
the flowers, and trees blooming!
Esther: I love the rain
Lizzi: It's about the same weather as fall (which I also love) but it feels so warm since you are just coming out of winter...
Esther: we have lots of it right now
all the colors
being OUTSIDE
Maude: I think there is a special exciment to the air in the Spring
I love the rain too!
And this starts the miracle of trees
Esther: I love seeing all the trees in bloom! I have a big tree out back full of blooming flowers
it is beautiful
I also love OPEN WINDOWS
All my windows are open right now
Maude: Open windows are lovely
Is Spring either of your favourite season?
Fall is my favourite season, then winter, but Sping is a close third!!
Esther: I can never decide if I like Autumn or Spring
more
Lizzi: I like to say it's my favorite, but I say that for every season... I love them all best when I am in the midst of them
Maude: What Spring activity do you like to do best?
Lizzi: Get outside and walk!
Esther: Anything outside!
Maude: Picnics!
Esther: We walk to the park a lot
or go to the Zoo
Maude: I love taking walks too.
Esther: Playing with chalk or the ball out of doors
I like picnics too!
we were just talking about wanting to do that
Lizzi: We don't do a lot of picnics until Summer because it's always raining or wet on the ground
Maude: Also, we have just started planting some things in our garden so that is exciting
And the plants we started inside a few weeks ago (like tomatoes) are growing so much each day which is fun.
Lizzi: that is really fun!
Maude: Are either of you doing a garden this year?

Esther: We are wanting to. We rent but our landlady is actually willing to allow us to have a garden
Lizzi: No. Not unless we plant a few things in pots.
It would be a fun learning project. Very hands on right?
Maude: Our soil is clay - really. It is red and hard, not especially fertile for most things.
So we planted two blueberry bushes in containers so I am excited to see how that goes too. You coulddo that Liz
Esther: there is not a lot of sunshine in our yard so we are not sure where to plant one...
I have done big pots in years past
Maude: Hmm, that makes it hard Esther.
Esther:  Planting in pots can work well depending on what you plant.
Maude: But you can grow some things in pots
Yeah, it depends what it is
Esther: Yeah, we are trying to figure it all out. We may just plant in big pots again
we will definitely do that with our herbs
Maude: You are definitely a cooker! I use around 3 herbs regularly and not even much at that!
But cooks always want fresh herbs - I'm just fine with the dried stuff!
Esther: I am SO excited to have my fresh herbs again. I think I am going to start growing them inside year round. I mean, why not?
I think dried herbs can come in super handy though!
I used them all the time
Maude: My mint survived inside on a fairly cold windowsill and I hardly tended it at all! It died a couple of times but I was able to coax it back - that is about all I did. Kill it, then coax it back, kill it, then coax it back. Poor mint!
Lizzi: haha!
Maude: Saint Patrick's Day is tomorrow.  Since we are Irish - we do celebrate it.
What sort of Saint Patrick's Day things will you do this year?
Esther: I went to St. Patrick's day parade last Saturday.
Lizzi: We honestly don't usually do very much! I know- shame on me! Wear green... Ummm...
Maude: Very fun, Esther!
Oh dear, Lizzi, don't admit that!!! haha!
Esther: We will be eating beef brisket, mashed potatoes and cabbage!
Maude: I am planning on a Shepard's Pie that night
Yum
Esther: and some type of Irishey dessert (though I don't really know what that is...?)
Maude: Green pancakes for breakfast (or waffles if my husband has his way!)
I'll have to look for a parade in the area
That's a good idea, Es
Lizzi: Irish soda bread?
Is that dessert, or a staple side dish?
Esther: My husband is on his guard weekend and won't be getting in until late on Sat. so I will kinda be celebrating without him
Maude: We will play party games with the kids - pin the four leaf clover on the leprechan or something.
We'll probably watch Darby O'Gill and the Little People at some point in the weekend
Listen to Irish music!  Tell the kids the story of St. Patrick.
Lizzi: I wonder what they really do in Ireland...
Maude:  Get drunk. That's what they do in Ireland
Lizzi: haha!
Maude: We won' be though! (Just want to make that clear!!)  Although I think I will get some bottled root beer - that would be a special treat!
Lizzi: We are thinking about a parade... not sure if I want to make the trek into Seattle...
Maude: You could do your own parade with the boys, Liz!
That would be SUPER cute!
Lizzi: True
Esther: That would be fun Liz! We went to our parade last week (not sure why the have it the week before but whatever!) We had a lot of fun
Your boys would love it! mine did
Maude: Okay, ladies. Last question:
What is a favourite Spring memory?
Lizzi: I can't think of THE favorite off the top of my head, but I love all the encompassing memories that the smell and feel of Spring recreate.
We were walking last week and it was like 55 degrees
and for some reason it reminded me of playing outside at Grandma's farm!
And so often being outside will remind me of playing out at home growing up
Maude: That is true. Since we live in a rural area any time I pass a farm I breath deeply (my husband thinks I'm crazy) it reminds me of playing at Grandmas
Esther: The first walk in the woods after the snow melts. Usually the ground would still be brown, muddy, and slushy but I didn't care! I wanted to go see the first buds on the trees and the creek full of the melted snow.
Lizzi: Love that too, Es!
Maude: For me it would also be taking walks in the woods or along the tracks after being cooped up so much of the winter.  Or moonlit walks through the woods at night when that first warm night comes.
It was freedom!
And absolutely lovely
Lizzi: And I got saved in the Spring when I was 7, so that it definitely a special Spring memory.
Esther: definitely!
Maude: yes, definitely!