Ramp Soup

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I have been having too much fun. With the warmth and light of spring, I am a different person.I glow. I am adventurous. I want to sing and dance and play.

Tonight after some chores I limed the beds of the garden, turned them over, raked them out, and then had an ad lib party with friends. I had a few bottles of wine---including the last bottle that I hauled back from Madrid.

In the midst of sipping wine and conversations that were mainly about the female reproductive system (I am now horrified about my visit to the doc for the "procedure" on Monday) I made ramp soup.

Ramps are like leaks, save for they grow wild and can only be found in mid spring. They usually proceed morel season, and I love celebrating spring by cooking with both morels and ramps.

Leah gave me a bunch of ramps in school today, with a promise from me that I would save her some soup. I fed my guests the soup (that was all they got for an ad lib dinner) and saved enough for her in school tomorrow.

I have not been making art, which promotes some guilt. But I know that once I get the plants and seeds established, there will be many days of clouds and rain which will force me into the studio to paint. After a long grey winter, I crave the warmth of the sun.

Patti O Soleil

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