If you have been reading my recent posts, you know I got away from winter for the entire month of February but March came in like a lion and left like a lion. We had lots of snowy days with minimal accumulation in March. It would look ferocious outside but when I left to drive home at the end of my shift there would be nothing to brush off my car much less to shovel! I guess if we have to deal with winter, this isn’t half bad!
On April 7, my honey and I drove to the cottage for the first time this year. I always approach this day with an odd mix of excitement and dread. Mostly excitement but still a healthy dose of fear! I never know if the driveway will be passable and if there will be damage to the house or to my beloved “condo”. Luckily, there were no real issues this year and we had time for a little bit of raking, lunch on the deck and a quick kayak ride. We wrapped up the day our first visit of 2019 to a favorite ice cream stand. My honey got a chocolate peanut butter cone and I got my soft-serve chocolate with chocolate sprinkles (jimmies to my New England friends).
My yard work is in full swing which means that I am sitting on my couch with my 3rd hot pack of the afternoon interspersed with 2 rounds of laying on the floor stretching (and crying out loud). Don’t get me wrong, I am loving every minute of it AND my body is feeling it! During the last few days, I have worked outside in rain, sleet, and sun. I have worked alone, I have worked with Number 9 and I have worked alongside my customers. I have raked, cut down tall grasses, cleaned out garden beds and dug up more plants than I can count. Yup, spring is here in full swing!
I get home from completing jobs and my own yard is staring me in the face, begging for a bit of loving. One of my customers gave me a pretty pink forsythia plant. I happily got it home and realized that meant I would need to dig up the tall, floppy ornamental grass that proved to be too big for the place I planted it last year. So after 5 hours of yard work, I spent another hour at home, digging, planting, raking etc. I was exhausted and starving but remarkably, still smiling!
I love walking around my neighborhood this time of year. Every day I see signs of new growth, new life. I see green poking out of the dirt, I see color where before there was nothing, I see trees beginning to bud. I literally see my surroundings shaking off the winter blues and coming alive. I also love that fitness tracker has hit 15000 steps 3x this week alone. I love that my body is getting stronger, getting fitter and getting healthier. Spring has sprung and I am not just talking about the weather.
This time of year feels like a rebirth. Easter is coming and that is a good time to count your blessings. May is coming and that is a time to enjoy the new season in full swing. Mother Fran and Child #7 will return in June and that is a good time to count my Canasta cards. Say good-bye to the winter blues by getting outside today! Get out and notice the new signs of life in your neighborhood, in yourself, in your loved ones! Get outside and embrace the fact that Spring has Sprung!
Lake Girl
