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'Getting back into my eight-miles-a-day after a few months of shorter walks. This evening's weather was perfect for a couple hours outside, with soft light and just enough of a breeze. Love, love, love. ♥ It is past time to replace these shoes, though, and finding new ones will be one of the next couple weeks' projects. They have seen me through so many gorgeous walks.
Ah, this glorious golden hour when even my 5'2" self looks lanky and leggy!
Temperatures are only supposed to reach the sixties the next few days, which will make the next few walks at least as pleasant. Here's to springtime, good light, and good health.
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One of the joys of my last visit home two weeks ago was getting to see spring starting in my parents' yard. My last evening there found me taking a break from watching Jurassic Park with Mom--actor Jeff Goldblum is one of our shared crushes--to try to take a few photos while it was still light out.
Dad always shakes his head when he sees me admiring Dandelions, but I think they're beautiful.
I keep arguing that he should think of Dandelions not as weeds but instead as a gift--free flowers! and so many of them!--especially since we've enjoyed their greens in salads and he, at least, has liked dandelion wine, as well, but so far, we agree to disagree.
The wind picked up while I was outside, but the rain held off until early morning. The sound of rain falling against the roof of my parents' deck is one of my favorite sounds and something I miss from my four years living at that house with them.
Ah, to see color outside again!
Computer issues prevented me from writing again, post-visit, until now, and it has been interesting to me to feel myself missing this little space I carved out here back in January 2007 that I continue to use to share things I find beautiful and funny and wise and true and sweet.
I still think it is worth it to make even such a small effort to share with others both life's "pretties" and its "pretty roughs." I began this blog that winter as I emerged from a long period of depression, and I believe that even my coming up with its title was a bit of defiance that helped me focus and figure out how to stay strong and move forward.
Exactly eight years ago today, it turns out--I posted this.
The two weeks away from the blog this month clarified for me that maybe even more than the stories and the photos of the beautiful and the worthwhile that I share here, I love the determination to appreciate the beautiful and the worthwhile in the first place. A sweet realization this spring. ♥
What a sweet past week! I returned today from four days of visiting family--mine and Mike's--and had such a great time with everyone: A late supper out with Mike's mom and sister Friday night, a Thanksgiving-dinner-in-May with my family Sunday, a drive out to my grandparents' cemetery with Mike Monday afternoon, the softball and Little League games of my oldest niece and nephew Monday evening--and both their teams won their games, and my nephew hit a home run that won his game, and seeing his PURE JOY as he ran into his teammates' arms after crossing home plate is one of my all-time favorite Dylan moments. He was THRILLED, and the coaches let him keep the ball. My parents, sister-in-law, and I were yelling our heads off in the bleachers, so happy for him--my nephew's first band concert Tuesday morning, what's become a traditonal tea party-ish stop for lemon meringue pie, fresh strawberries, a roll with jam, and tea for me and Mom yesterday afternoon, and a drive out to the cemetery with Dad later to place a bouquet and a photo of my driver's license cake at Sommer's headstone. I'd been imagining myself doing just that at Som's headstone since before I got my license, so to get to leave my flowers and photo there finally was so sweet, one of those moments when I could look at myself and think, "Ah! I have grown! I have made progress! I really did do something with this past year!" Last May, I don't know if I would have believed that a year later, I'd be driving to my parents' house--I DROVE us home from my in-laws' Sunday, and I drove to the cemetery--and getting to visit Som's headstone as a licensed driver for the first time too. Truly: Progress! ♥ This entire past five days was full of sweet moments, but finally seeing my simple bouquet and celebration cake at Som's stone just made the trip for me. Let's hear it for personal growth! :)
The Hyacinth is almost in full-bloom now, exactly a week since I brought it home from the grocery store, and I keep thinking as I admire it--pausing for a long sniff of the flowers every time I walk past the mantel--that I should start giving out single bulbs in forcing vases as holiday gifts, as this has brightened the past week so much. My older brother used to give pots of Amaryllis as Christmas presents. Collecting the vases and selecting the bulbs would be a sweet little project this year. ♥
In just the five days after I brought it home, the Hyacinth has grown a few inches and has already begun to bloom. Life moves fast when you're an indoor bulb, I guess. And it really will be white, as I was hoping. To see the flowers appearing today as the city receives its first few inches of real snow has made it all even sweeter on this January day.
While turning the corner in the grocery store's produce department earlier tonight, I spotted a small selection of Hyacinth bulbs in glass forcing vases. Love! ♥ I've wanted one of these vases for ages now and had never treated myself to one until now. Only $5, so I'm tempted to go back for a couple more. I want windowsills filled with them someday--all different colors and shapes and sizes--I just find them so charming. So begins the collection!
I'm doing the Snoopy happy dance here every time I look at it. It is, indeed, the little things. :) ♥
A gift from my friend Kent the week before Christmas, this pot of spring bulbs has begun blooming in the past couple weeks. For someone in Outside Gardening Withdrawal, a pot of pretty flowers in the windowsill is bliss. ♥
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