Kicking Bamboo Shall Now Begin

All day yesterday I wondered and worried a little bit about how the angel biscuits had turned out. I mean- you never really know. You can think that you've made fine dough and you can judge that by feel and eye but leavening agents can fail for any one of a million reasons and what you think will rise off the plate and graciously open itself to butter and honey, may just sit there in dense sadness and despair. 
But this morning, Liz Sparks sent me this picture and said they were perfectly lovely and then a little later, Lis called and said that yes, they certainly were and that a number of them were snatched and stashed for the kitchen people because the party crowd ate like locusts. 
As Lis so wisely said, "I think people right now are just hungry. Hungry for something." 
And yes, Lis did cut them into shamrock shapes. I am not in the least surprised. She does very much love celebrating her Irish heritage on St. Patrick's Day.

So that cheered me right up and I knew that Jessie was going to be bringing the boys out today which cheered me even more. I almost felt...jolly! I'd made chicken and dumplings for our supper last night so that the boys could have some today for lunch which turned out to be an excellent idea. Jessie stopped by Publix on the way out and got me a corned beef and some potatoes and cabbage and carrots. Obviously I need a trip to the store if I'm out of carrots and potatoes. 

The first thing the boys did when they got here was go into the library. August picked up "The Chicken of the Family" book and was paging through it and I said, "Do y'all want me to read you a book?"
"Yes!" they said and I suspect their mother bribed them to do this but I did not care. I was overjoyed to sit on the love seat with them mashed up beside me and read that book which we have read so many times together. August is now reading "Harry Potter" by himself so he certainly does not need me to read kid books to him but what a generous act for him to let me read out loud. I thanked them both profusely.

Then of course they wanted to watch TV but mama said, "NO!" and so we played another rousing game of Life which, when played with two young boys and two old people with one youngish adult of sound mind, things can get pretty chaotic. 

Mr. Moon gets downright serious when he plays games. He is a competitive soul and rightly so. He never would have been much of a basketball player if he hadn't been. Jessie and I laugh and laugh at the absurdity of it all, especially me. I just do not care who amasses the most money. My favorite part of the game was when I asked Levon if he was a certified massage therapist and he said he was and I asked him if he would work on my neck a little bit and he did. And he was not bad, either! 

Somewhere in there we had our lunch out on the porch. Yay! Chicken and dumplings! 

Levon sat at what has always been Boppy's seat and I don't think Boppy said a word. As Jessie said, Levon is the man and has always been the man. This is true. And the man is getting the cutest darn freckles across his nose I've ever seen. Doesn't it seem that kids used to have a lot more freckles than they do today? Less time outside, I guess, and also the use of sunscreen. But darn it- freckles are adorable and I miss them. 

We had to cut our game a little short because the kiddos had to get to piano lessons and then gymnastics but they got bye-bye treats and hugs and kisses and after they left I felt completely content and happy, and decided to go do a little branch and limb retrieval from the yard. So I did and Maurice joined me and after I hauled what I'd picked up to the burn pile I went looking for bamboo coming up because I know damn well it's time. I did find one. 

For those of you who may be new here, we live on a piece of property that someone, at some time, unwisely planted bamboo on and if we don't go out and kick the sprouts that look like that every spring, we will end up totally enclosed and engulfed by the stuff and will eventually need to phone for the help of a machete-wielding army to come and rescue us. 
You think I jest. 
I wish. 

So for about two or three weeks every spring, we must do bamboo-kicking patrols. It is not hard to kick the bamboo right back to where it comes up from the ground as long as you don't let it get too big and this stops any more growth in that particular spot. The problem is, bamboo is indeed one of the fastest growing plants on the planet and if you don't attend to this chore daily or every two days at least, you'll be looking at a grove of three-foot tall bamboo getting taller and thicker and sturdier at every moment. 
This is not meant as a funny double entendre. I wish. However, it is the simple and rather horrifying truth. 

Maurice and I also did a quick tour of the garden to check and see if the beans were coming up. I think I planted them last Thursday?

 Yes. Yes they are.

These are the hardiest, fastest-growing green beans I have ever planted and since the first year I planted them, I have never had the slightest desire to plant any other variety. Rattlesnake beans. Heirlooms. Perfect in every way. 

Although my azaleas in the front yard are not blooming this year, I have a few in the back that certainly are. 

The bumblebees are ecstatic. 

And last but not least, the wisteria is starting to show purple.

By this time next week, the color purple shall rule our land. 

Time to go cut up the cabbage and peel the carrots and wash the potatoes. Also, to make the Irish soda bread. Unlike Lis, I only make this meal because I love it and St. Patrick's Day gives me an excuse. I do have some Irish in me (have you seen my son Hank's red hair?) but let's be honest and admit the truth which is that I love nothing better than a plate of corned beef with the attending vegetables, grainy mustard smeared over all. Well, except for the Irish soda bread. That would be wrong. 

Celebrate as you will. 
Or don't. 

Love...Ms. Moon