Monday, June 06, 2011

first come the peonies


Did you realize that Summer has arrived?  It crept up on me with little cat feet, quietly, slowly. Standing silent and waiting for me to notice.

And just like a fluffy little kitten I am delighted and charmed to see that it is here. Ready to play.

But first come the peonies.

I thought maybe I wouldn't be able to find some this year but my top secret source came through for me. My top secret source is Trader Joes. It just makes it feel more special if I think that I'm the only one who buys my peonies there.

Peonies come home looking like pink golf balls. They are bound so tight one wonders how they will ever become waffy frilly flowers.  But given a few days and a long drink of tepid water they just fall right open. Like magic.

Summer arrives the same way.  The end of the school year is so bound up with things to do and places to be.  You wonder how you will ever have any time to relax. And then over the course of just a few days the Summer opens up to you.  It rolls out like a long plush carpet. And you realize that the days are longer and there is less to be done. Voila! There is time for loafing and art projects and rocket pops in the sunshine.  It's magic.

I think I can probably get one more bunch of peonies before they vanish from the market.  Just like Summer, their season always feels way to short.


4 comments:

Sharon said...

Yep! You got that right :) My red bushes have already bloomed, my whites are in "golf ball" stage, and this year I found a new hot pink variety ! Although we still have two weeks left of school, my peony bushes always remind me that summer is just around the corner!

Enjoy your day, and I vote yes-just one more Trader Joes' purchase :)

Elizabeth said...

Trader Joe's is just overflowing with peonies here in Los Angeles. I bought some over a week ago and did a sort of photographic study of them for my blog. It was truly amazing to see how they opened and opened and opened and then just fell away --

That painting is beautiful, by the way.

patty said...

way . way . WAY too short! peonies are may fav!

patty said...

my...oops