Tiny Daffodil, 1 maart 2021, Harmoniehof
I took last week off from writing and working because, finally! All of our things arrived from the States. I spent the week unpacking and realizing that I can’t finish unpacking because I need furniture to unpack into… I then crawled down the rabbit hole of online furniture shopping, fantasizing about vintage teak, only to land on agonizing over Ikea shelving units that turned out to be unavailable for delivery. I purchased a bunch of stuff that was good enough. At least it was cheap, right?
This lockdown may be an endless bummer, but I can still walk through the awakening landscape, even if I can’t peruse the vintage shops. I strolled with the dogs through De Pijp, and it was glorious. I had so missed city life, and the buzz of a vibrant place. Even with the lockdown, if the weather is nice, people are out enjoying the parks and plazas that are beautifully lush. Living in the Netherlands, land of Tulips, you realize that people here are floral aficionados. In Pilsen, Chicago, there are Tamales available on every corner, here, there are plants available for growing and arranging.
Now all the bulb flowers are beginning to bloom: it started with snowdrops, moved on to crocuses, and we have finally reached daffodils, which remind me of growing up in Chicago. Their leaves would start to peek up through the snow in late March, and you knew warmer days were coming. They remind me of how much I love the particular shift from winter to spring that only happens in cold climates.