Life hasn’t been moving any faster than usual, but lately, my mind has been in overdrive. Thoughts and tasks have taken over my brain and my waking hours. Considering what it’s been like for me over the past couple of years and up until recently, this could be considered a good thing. My head has been active in a good way, not in an overthinking, anxious way. I’ve been keeping myself fairly busy. Thus, I completely forgot to write something for y’all last week. You’d think that after a year and three-quarters of doing so would prevent a memory lapse. Apparently, that is not the case.
Last weekend, we “sprung ahead” into daylight savings time. Fortunately, this means we’ve been experiencing more sunlight in the evenings. As usual, I love the longer days and extra sunlight. The past couple of days have been beautiful in Tennessee—blue skies, fluffy clouds, and golden sunshine. I’ve spent most of these days on the back screened-in porch, sharing it with four cats and a dog. I’ve been working quite contently out here. I love being outside.
Which brings me to what’s happening. I alluded to it in the last paragraph, but…
SPRING IS COMING!
The smell of spring is in the air. The temperature is warming up. Plants are beginning to erupt from the earth, and trees are starting to blossom. The daffodils are out. Asian beetles have begun to emerge, as have the stink bugs (boo). The birds are becoming more vocal. I’ve seen two bats already over the past week. Today, I saw my first snake of the season, one that I rescued from our black cat, Midnight—a cute baby ringneck that thought it could scare me by opening its mouth and showing me its tongue.
Blue is my favorite color, but green is my second. Green begins to return in the spring, both above in the trees and below on the ground. It’s like the earth is putting on its fancy clothes again after the long, vulnerable winter. Think: from nakedness to awards show attire with full hair and makeup. I love spring (and I love awards shows).
Spring means new life. It gives me hope. And I can feel it slowly and quietly growing within me.
In the words of one of my favorite poets, Sylvia Plath:
“Cheers for spring; for life; for a growing soul.”
Added to the Fundamental Writes Spotify playlist this week:
“Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles