I felt exceptionally light hearted today, perhaps because we had the day just to ourselves, me and KDM.  All was quiet, unhurried, unlike our shared recurring dreams in which we are  perpetually going somewhere, always in transit, frantically trying to catch a plane, board a train, furiously fumbling for passport, money, or ticket, fighting to close a bulging and busting piece of luggage...Sometimes, the hotel we stayed would physically disappear when we returned from a local market, or if it stayed put, its doors and or stairs somehow shifted from place to place as we tried to find our way back to our room...


None of that. We had an easy, care-free day. We went to the AM Mass. Father's jubilant mood reached a highlight as he successfully coaxed an "Alleluia!" out of the usually mum and dull "Catholics." From where I sat, I could see directly over the congregation, on the opposite wall of the church, the Icon of Jesus breaking through the tomb stone while the Roman guards slumber.


After the Mass we drove home, ate Cream of Wheat, fixed extra creamy by KDM with strawberry jelly, banana and blueberry. 

 We retired to the porch to read after the brunch, while sufficiently hydrated on coffee and O.J., until the silence lulled us into a sweet and gooey kind of drowsy state, which obliterated any alertness necessary for reading. Regretting not having a hammock to nap in, KDM suggested we sober up by taking a walk down through the wood to the pastures. Our three dogs dully tagged along.


We came out of the other end of the pasture onto the gravel county road up a steep hill leading back to the house. Dogwoods are in full bloom but you had to cut through jungles of brier and vines to get down to the valley where the trees are. Once you get close to the tree, the snowy tops clearly visible from up on the road disappear because they are above you and indistinguishable from the tender green leaves. We come in here every year when the flowers are in season to take some home. I am flower-crazy and dogwood is simply irresistible.

Any how, the flowers pictured here are the result of our expedition. If I have time and will power, there'll be a painting, or two, of the subject (presently I'm working on a different picture.)

To close the day, I cooked round steak, red potatoes, salad for dinner. While the steak was in the oven, we sat on the rock in our little rose garden and said a rosary, sipped wine, pet the dogs, till dusk turned into night.