Did you get my postcards? What a trip we had!

And now it’s back to…all the things we left behind. Specifically things that grew (and grew) while we were away. So I thought I’d do a little photo essay of those things, because don’t you always feel a little nostalgic when you get home from somewhere far away? DH and I both gained some useful insight into our life and our house while we were elsewhere, and these photos help me to remember that. We have it pretty darn good. We love our house. We love our (sometimes-jungly) garden. We love our family unit.

Isn’t spring a great time to come home to your home? Things just keep right on exploding with life while you’re not there and even though it’s a little like the party happened without you, there’s something really welcoming about a garden full of flowers (and, yes, weeds) and the promise of fruit and vegetables.

First up: the epically long grass, long enough to hide in, wild enough to feed a small herd of grazing animals for at least a few days.

Next: the enthusiasm of rhubarb. We have two very happy rhubarb plants (read: insanely productive, almost to the point of annoyance. If you come to our house at this time of year, you will take rhubarb home, no arguing.) and while we were away, they both decided to flower. Never seen a rhubarb flower? Here you go:

Third: strawberry promises. This promise is so beguiling that Little e now asks several times a day if the strawberries are ready yet. As you can see, they are not. As timing would have it, I’m able to assure her that they will be ready around the same time as her baby sibling. It remains to be seen which one she’ll be more excited about.

And last–because don’t weeds always get the last word?–the dandelions made their usual advance and are now spreading their offspring far and wide, but mostly, it seems, in our lawn and flower beds. I find myself torn when Little e picks up a fluffy-headed stalk and exhales deeply. Yes to childhood fun, but oh the weeding next spring…

And now it’s back to life, the life we live in this house and this garden. Which is why seeing these fecund reminders of the season make coming home so sweet. It was wonderful to be away. Almost as wonderful as being home again.

What do you love coming home to?

XO

Ria