Patience

We have had a really slow start to warmer weather in my area. At times it has been frustrating, especially for those of us who want to feel the heat radiate down to our bones, that have been cold and hurting over the long cold winter months. And for some of us, we simply want to sit and relax as the sun warms and begins the process of browning our faces.

We have had an abundance of spring rain, which while it has helped the process of helping the grass begin its new growth, has been somewhat annoying as it has kept us indoors; a place we want to break free from after a long winter. But the upside of all of this has been that plants have been slow to bloom fully and after doing so, have kept them longer. So we have been able to enjoy the colors and smell of spring a wee bit longer. Perhaps this is one more way Mother Nature encourages us to slow down?

It’s not a bad thing, and although I especially yearn for summer days, it might be best that I take each season a bit slower. So it is with this in mind that I will appreciate spring more and wait patiently for the heat of summer days. There’s no need to rush.

Yeah! It's Spring Time!

"The change from storm and winter to serene and mild weather, from dark and sluggish hours to bright and elastic ones, is a memorable crisis which all things proclaim. It is seemingly instantaneous at last." So America's great philosopher-poet of the woods, Henry David Thoreau, observed 150 years ago.

Spring time! It is finally here. Earlier this week, my crocus began to show their tiny pretty white and purple blooms, but last night’s heavy rains knocked their little blooms to the ground. My forsythia bushes are also beginning to show their buds, and I expect by next week, they will be in full bloom. The daffodils are up, but yet no where close to showing their yellow flowers, but I can wait. Spring does not have to come in at full speed.

Last week, on some of the warmer days, I was able to get the back yard raked. Not all the leaves are gone yet off of the white oak trees, so more raking is in my future, but at least the dead grass is gone, and the area free from those pesky acorns. Bushes that needed pruning have been pruned (those that were not pruned by my dogs), so that job is completed.

I cannot wait for the greenness of spring. I love hearing the birds chirping now in the early am. I love the smell of spring, the feel of warmer days. Good bye winter!

Spring Cleaning and Purging

Spring cleaning. It’s a big job, and one not everyone likes to do, but one I graciously and aggressively tackle each year because it means warmer weather is on the way and I can finally open the windows and chase away the dredges of winter! It also helps to chase away the winter blahs. Fresh curtains at the windows, cleaner windows (unless they are at nose level...that cleaning job is done almost once a week around this place), fresh carpets, more organized cupboards and closets...the list is almost endless. I love getting rid of the junk that has been just lying around...time to go!

According to several resources, the art of spring cleaning dates back to the Iranian Nowrus (there are various spellings and pronunciations). Nowruz marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the Persian/Iranian Calendar. Iranians continue the practice of "khooneh takouni" which literally means "shaking the house" just before the New Year. Everything in the house is thoroughly cleaned, from the drapes to the furniture.

Another resource credits the Jewish culture which prepares their homes each spring for the celebration of Passover. In Greece, and other Orthodox nations, it is traditional to clean the house thoroughly either right before or during the first week of Great Lent, which is referred to as Clean Week. Others credit the spring cleaning tradition to our early American Settlers. And with good reason: homes were heated by wood fires, and during the long, cold winters, the wood smoke would permeate the entire household. Come spring, and at last the linens and carpets could be cleaned and aired outside, and walls and windows could be scrubbed clean.

No matter who gets the credit for its early beginnings, the tradition continues today in many cultures, all around the globe. I love starting fresh...and getting more organized. I love cleaning inside and out. I love new beginnings...the smell of fresh...the look of fresh. (The only cupboard I hate doing is the one in which all the plastic ware resides. That’s Cait’s job and she is not here, so it has to wait until May). =)

Hurry Spring Hurry!

"Spring is the time of year when it is summer the sun, and winter in the shade."
~ Charles Dickens