Happy Spring! We just had a fun visit with cousin Cory. He hopped into the Boston Marathon, and hung out with us here in Southborough.

Lachen and Aksel are on April vacation: yet another week off of school to ensure that their school year does not end on time.

We're going to see the Red Sox play the Twins tomorrow night. Whomever shall we cheer for? What a quandry.

It's late late. Signing off. Anna

Ridiculous Fun Fact

Aksel's Writing Workshop teacher is a wonderful spunky lady. She loves Aksel's stories, and she makes the kids all feel like super stars. She was also Marcia Cross's acting coach. (She's the red-headed Bree of Desperate Housewives. She was born in Marlborough, the next town over from Southborough.) Now, that is a ridiculous bit of trivia that you can all use at Aksel's wedding.
Have a marvelous day!

Spring Seedlings

Some daffodils are pushing up in what will eventually be my tomato patch.

Nearby, chives and parsley are coming up. Aksel ate a handful of garlic chives this morning, and he's been odiferous ever since!

























These marigolds are from seeds from last year's marigolds. The inspirational pictures on the right are Iowa Highway Department Roadside Flowers.


Okay, I know. I planted the tomatoes and corn WAY too early.


Here's a zinnia and marigold will grow up to be great friends.

Tomorrow morning, we'll plant peas outside! How do I know it's time? Well...here's some of the phenology advice I've come across:
When crocuses bloom, it's time to plant peas.
When red winged blackbird females return it is time to plant peas.
When the chickadees build their nests, plant peas and spinach.
When dandelions are blooming plant potatoes, beets, lettuce, spinach and carrots.
When the iris bloom, plant the peppers and eggplants outside.
Plant beets, lettuce, spinach when lilac is in first leaf.
When lilac blooms, plant beans, cukes and squash.
Plant corn when oak leaves are the size of squirrels ears.
Plant your corn when apple blossoms start to fall.

Grandma Grandpa and Constanza Visit

Grandma and Grandpa have an exchange student from Argentina staying with them this spring. Her name is Constanza, and her English is superb. We also learned that she likes Dad's sense of humor, she's a fan of meat and potatoes, and she likes dogs. She seems to be the perfect fit for the Hemberger house!

During their visit, Constanza went to St. Mark's for two days to get a taste of a different sort of high school. She's going to FCHS where I went to high school, so I knew a couple days at St. Mark's would give her a well-rounded experience of American secondary school.

We also went to Louisa May Alcott's home, Orchard House, where she wrote Little Women. That was Grandma's choice. Grandpa's choice was going to the U.S.S. Constitution maritime museum. His other pick was to eat in the St. Mark's dining hall, but that adventure will have to wait until another trip. Lachen and Aksel wanted to go fishing, so Grandpa's birthday present was a short-term Massachusetts fishing license. Lachen declared that "the fishing in Wisconsin is a lot better," but at least they now have fishing poles and tackle in Wisconsin, Minnesota (at G&G Reid's), and Massachusetts. They are nothing if not well equipped.

In the fishing theme, we went to a fishing village north of Boston called Newburyport where we had the best mussels of all time. The boys devoured them, and we all had seafood aplenty: clam chowder, seafood stew, shrimp, scallops, mmmm...

Other memories:
Lachen: "The best part of learning to read is that bedtime stories never have to end."
Three foods we must have when the G&G Hemberger are in town: pineapple, cornnuts, and Cherry Garcia ice cream.
All 7 of us riding illegally in a car built for 5.
Constanza and I learned that Harvard is so famous that they don't have a sign ANYWHERE!