Around the Neighborhood

First, a shout-out to my dad, who is celebrating his birthday today. Happy Birthday!!

I’m counting down the days until I head home for a work meeting in Philly and a brief visit with family. A trip to the U.S. for less than a week is pretty crazy except that on the way back, my dad will be joining me for a visit. We’re really excited!!

I’ve been meaning to write-up a post on our recent trip to Stirling. While I still plan to do that – this won’t be it. Until I get around to that, here’s just a few of the goings on in our neighborhood (or as they spell it here, neighbourhood).

Down the road from us there are some really nice old homes. I’ve enjoyed walking past this one where the owner has stationed a teddy bear in her window with little messages of encouragement, exasperation and gratitude for key workers throughout the pandemic. About a week ago, 1 in 11 people in Scotland had COVID and our hospitals were overflowing (though thankfully not the ICUs like early on) so that first message speaks the feeling here right now.

In spite of the craziness of the world, nature goes on. If you can see that white in the reeds, that is mother swan sitting on her nest in the pond across the street. Her four cygnets from last year’s brood were booted out to start life on their own and, soon thereafter, she set up shop on the little island in the middle of the pond for this year’s hatchlings.

Not too far away, there is a Greek Orthodox Church with a Greek school and the older of our neighbor girls performed in a little program there for Greek Independence Day. We heard many practice recitals in the weeks coming up on the performance with Greek poetry, patriotic and folk song so it was fun to see it come together. The kids were just as I remembered my nephews in these kind of things – fidgety and sweet.

Hoping you find some spring delight in your neighborhood.