Sigh. The Vernal Equinox has come and gone, the calendar proclaims its spring without refute for all who look at it but the weather will not cooperate! One day of nice weather is quickly followed by a week of sullen skies, cold winds, and the threat of snow or sleet. And while we have been truly lucky here in the DC metropolitan area in that all the snow and ice have gone around us, others like my daughter in Gainesville received over a foot of the white stuff.
To add insult to injury, I just received my first order of plants from a catalog nursery and each morning as I get my coffee, I see them lined up on the windowsill looking out over the gardens where they will live if this weather ever changes. I swear I can hear them sigh along with me as we gaze over ground as hard as concrete and a bird bath filled with ice crusted water.
All the squirrels and birds wait for me to fill the feeders each day as they are emptying them as quick as I top them off. I am sure they too are wondering if the weather will ever turn clement. Red-tailed Hawks along with their smaller cousin, the Red-shouldered Hawks are wheeling over head in their aerial courtship displays. The black capped chickadees are inspecting the nesting boxes in the backyard so I know that soon the weather will change for the better and this cold, glum seasonal waiting room will be just a memory. But at the moment, it just feels as though we are stuck in a pattern that refuses to let us go.
Sometimes that happens in life, whether we recognize it at the time or not. What does it take for us to see that we are stuck in a rut? When does routine translate into a holding pattern? I am not sure of the answer, only that sometimes, if you are lucky, a change happens to bring about a seasonal changeover in a person’s life and you feel renewed once more. Old hobbies are picked back up, or new interests in life are discovered. Much like the small green sprouts I see trying diligently trying to emerge from the ground in my gardens, your outlook on life changes and things take on a bright, new patina. Other aspects of your life that previously seemed dull and uninteresting are rewarded with a double take as they too reveal a different side of themselves.
I love spring and the changing seasons. It doesn’t matter whether it is the spring slowly occurring outside my window or the one happening deep inside. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate winter too for one is necessary for the other to be truly glorious and appreciated. The plants have needed their rest, some seeds requiring the cold in order to germinate in the spring, and a winter chill will keep some insect populations under control. A cold winter’s night can make the moon and stars glow with a beauty found only during the winter months. But oh, how wonderful the first warm, moisture laden air of spring! It smells of rejuvenation, of new life, and I can’t wait to throw open my window and feel its breath on my face again.
It’s coming and soon. I just need to be patient, along with my plants on the windowsill. Sometimes, that is the hardest thing to do.
Here is the week ahead in reviews:
Monday, March 25: Covet Thy Neighbor by L.A. Witt
Tuesday, March 26: Storm Season by Nessa L. Warin
Wed., March 27: Creature Feature by Poppy Dennison, Mary Calmes
Thursday, March 28: Diversion by Eden Winters
Friday, March 29: The Mayfield Speakeasy by LA Witt
Saturday, March 30: Collusion by Eden Winters
