All About Lucy

A Lucyism (on the subject of a dying dog): It is okay if you don't have Lucy Dog anymore because, in all the world, I have never had a dog, so you will be just like me.

She loves the poem that begins with "There are fairies at the bottom of my garden..." At four years of age, she has an amazing eye for putting together a floral bouquet. She knows exactly what she wants as she travels the garden walkways and her arrangements are really quite pretty. Naturally, pinks and purples predominate. When I asked what her favourite flower was, she replied promptly, "Roses". She was delighted with the differences in smell, color, shape, and size of the roses on the property. She is also partial to lavender, astrantia, and astilbe.

Starting a new arrangement

Death to ants - And, yes, I know, she has her slippers on outdoors, but, honestly, it was only for a minute or two. Sometimes when the front door is open, the gardens start whispering your name and, as every sailor knows, it is impossible to resist the call of the sirens.

Saturday morning with the jewellery boxes

She has very definite views on fashion. She loathes the color black, and brown is not far behind. I wore a dress one day and, since she has often acted as a morning wardrobe consultant in my closet, I was curious as to why she had not mentioned seeing me in a dress, as I wear one so rarely. "Did you like the dress I wore today?", I asked that evening. With only the tiniest hesitation, she replied, "No. It was black." I admire the honesty. I know I can trust my consultant.

Hammock Girl

She loves the forest. She spent an afternoon with me in a wooded area as I pruned trees. Before we started working, I spotted a large garter snake and called for her to come see. She bent over in fascination and asked, "Can I touch it?" (Let it be noted that her father and grandfather were anxious to know EXACTLY where we saw the snake and seemed to keep a wide berth of the area thereafter!). She helped pull branches down, bent down to explore hollows in the roots of trees where small creatures might live, and sat on a log, using pieces of bark to make a snake of her own.

An impromptu performance under the blue umbrella.

Costume: Daddy's shirt with a pair of pink shorts on her head!

And she loves to sing, dance, and act out the stories she reads. She was absolutely hilarious one afternoon as she took to scrubbing the floors in her underwear, with a Swiffer mop, pretending she was Cinderella. I was to be the stepmother, demanding her chores be completed before going to ball. I asked where her stepsisters were. "Upstairs", she replied, "eating chocolates."

Auntie Hadley's Rainbow Mashed Potatoes - a favourite!

Recipe: Mash potatoes with corn, brocolli, carrots, and peas and as many other colorful vegetables as you can find in the fridge. Top with beets as a garnish.

The fairy at the top of my garden