Walked a different route, found a different cross.

The Mrs. is still cranking out masks in the kitchen and the dining room has become a material sorting area. Every day, she winds up the sewing machine and manufacturers a few more dozen masks. Donated to local home health aids and friends, I’m pretty proud of her.

I’ve been trying to walk every evening and the loop runs me around the neighborhood elementary school. This pass, I started looking in the windows. Abandoned plants, the calm corner … too calm now.

A few years ago, as we prepped the yard for the Girl Child’s graduation, I planted a pair of Japanese maples. I don’t know why I like these trees so much – there’s a lacy layered-ness to them when shipped right. But there’s also a tie to my parents, though that’s a big stretch.

Regardless, when the late afternoon sun skims across the house and hits the upper leaves, they just pop and glow.

Amid the misery, some color.

Several crosses appeared in the neighborhood, the result of churches not doing in-person services for Easter.

Not that it kept everyone home …

(For the record, I was shipping masks the Mrs. had made.)

Forgot how much this strip mall was pushed up against a neighborhood.