Mamalicious!

1. Spring

2. My neighborhood.

Is it just me, or is this the springest spring that ever sprung?  It’s such a nice spring, it’s got me writing corny sentences like the preceding one.  That’s some spring.  Growing up in Florida, I never gave much thought to seasons.  But now, living in PA and having children for whom the change in seasons is a quiet wonder, I’m much more aware of things like the appearance of buds on previously bare trees, or the morning the birds first return, singing.

Mini-Me recently asked me which was my favorite season, and I had to say ’spring. ‘ Before this one, I might have said fall.  But I swear that the perennials are brighter this year, and whatever those blossoms were on the tree in my neighbor’s front yard that bloomed for a hot minute and then vanished–I don’t recall them every being so fragrant.

Is this spring different from others?  Is it that this past winter was so yucky, that I simply appreciate this spring more, as someone suggested to me recently?

Or am I different?  Am I in a different, better place in my life such that I am more willing to stop and smell the flowers, literally?

It may well be the latter.

So we are planting seeds for our garden tomorrow.  Flowers that attract butterlies, sunflowers, all manner of veggies and herbs.  I got a head start with the rototiller this evening, and I’m really looking forward to getting my hands dirty, digging into the earth, and seeing what happens.

Spring wins out not just because of all the miracles that abound in it, but because I don’t particularly care for the other seasons.  Summer is just way too hot–I’m from Florida and seriously don’t get what all the fuss is about with regard to sunshine.   I’m convinced that children must be impervious to heatstroke because my childhood friends and I spent entire summertime days in 90-100 degree heat, playing kickball, hide and seek, riding our bikes, building clubhouses, and running, running, running.  And I recall very little water being consumed!!!  I don’t understand this.  Now when I’m in Florida, I go from one air-conditioned place to an air-conditioned vehicle to the next air-conditioned place.  I don’t go to the beach before 5pm.

Fall comes in 2nd place.  I love watching the leaves turn and the respite from the heat (which gets real old by August when you live in an ancient house without central air).  Fall is bonfires and hayrides and pumpkin picking, cute sweaters and super-cute boots.

Winter in PA…I hate shoveling, and I hate being cold.  ‘Nuff said.

The second thing I’m loving right now is my neighborhood.  I could fill a whole post with what I love about this place, but for now I’ll just give a shout out to my neighbors.  To all the people who walk past and make small talk as I sit here on the front porch.  To all the dog lovers (which is like, every other person)–I don’t know how you do it because dog=perpetual toddler to me, but the parade of canines thrills my kids.  To the neighbors who have become friends, including the ones who are watching my girls right now so that I can get some writing done (Really, before writing this I was working on the novel.  Really!).  Tomorrow night, I will return the favor and host their son for a few hours while theyt get what Tech Boo calls “some adult time.”

Almost nightfall.  Better get back to it…just needed to take a minute to give thanks.

This entry was posted on Friday, April 25th, 2008 at 7:24 pm and is filed under Back in the Day, Cool Stuff, Friends, Fun Times, It's...Whatever., This and that. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.