SPRING!!!

It's been a while since I posted, but I have an excuse, I swear. I have been enjoying the weather. I know, sounds lame, but it's the God's-honest-truth. Taking a page from a fellow blogger (shout-out, KW), here is my list of reasons why I LOVE SPRING!:

1. Green - things are starting to look alive again. Infinitesimal stages of greening happen each day. When was the last time you really noticed?


2. Warmth - it's always such a pleasant surprise when you look outside, see the sun's shining, but still - in typical winter mindset - expect it to be cold, when in fact it's beautiful.


3. Smell - There are few things in this world that smell better than spring. These candles companies might have something if they were able to bottle the smells of rain, sunshine, warming earth, emerging tulips, fresh-cut hay, etc.


4. Light - I love when I wake up in the morning to have light streaming through the windows. Again, though it happens every year in just the same way, it never seems old. Each year I find new joy in the discovery of pink and yellow sky at 6AM.


5. Birds - I have a tall juniper bush outside my bedroom window, and the birds return to it each year. Yesterday I awoke to them singing and thought it was nice to have the neighbors back.


6. Johnnie Jump-Ups - for those of you unfamiliar with this little plant, it is one of the first true harbingers of spring for me. We have scads of them around the foundation of our house, and there is something truly sweet about watching one of my nieces delight in the discovery of "flowers!" And when YOU are the first recipient of their fresh-picked gifts, it's enough to make you smile for the rest of the day.

And, because it's been a while, and because we're on the subject, a couple of flowers for the bloggers. Enjoy!

A sunflower, some roses, a couple sprigs of eucalyptus, and some hypernicum berries (some of my favorites!)

Still more roses, a hydrangea, and a couple rogue carnations.