Picture Of Rock Garden Up By House
Snow Is Melting, The Earth Is Starting To Show Again!
I can see the earth again. Brown whisps of grass peak out at me from the melting piles of snow, as I trudge down to the barn to do chores. The four old horses spin out of their stalls each morning with renewed energy. Just as happy as myself on these warm (40 degree) days. Yes warm! Compared to below 0 degrees, freezing wind, that wanted to rip off my layers of winter gear. Snow pants, heavy boots, wool scarves are replaced with bluegeans, lighter jacket, and ankle rubber boots.
Hawk in pasture last spring
My days down in the barn are now relaxed, longer visits. Left over chores piled up like cleaning tack, sweeping cob webs down off the corners and sides of the stall walls are gladly attacked with renewed viger. The horses heavy coats are starting to release their extra depth of cover. I find hair on my lips, tickling my nose to great sneezes but joy fills my heart. Every moment brings a smile to my spirit.
I love my days in nature! The long confinement of winter is ready to be released for another season. I look forward to coming upon that first spring flower the Snowdrops.
Peppy Longstockings miniture Iris with Violet
Now my climb up the hill back to the house is a hide and seek game with my eyes wandering, searching, each place I know where they are going to show up. Crocus will be next, and Daffodils start out the parade of Spring. Tulips, Wild Violets, and Miniture Iris will follow closer to the end of Spring.
Grandchild walking her horse - red dogwood in back
The 2 1/2 acres of gardens here, will be explored, cleaned up, as the earth gives up her cover of snow, ice, and fierece wind. My days will become hectic finding time to do all I have written down for the day. The temptation to just sit and feel the warmth of that caressing sun, hold me for a moment, will be easy. The list in my pocket, crompled from pulling it in and out to see what is next, will just stay there as I waste a few minutes to the miracle of renewal in life and nature. That mysterious chemical in the air, heals and sooths my dormant soul of winter numbing. The slow down that gave me opportunities to quilt, read, and do some fix ups in the house is replaced with, "I can't wait to get outside look." Yes I know that I will still face winter storms, the great March winds that can pratically blow you across the field, but I also know it is only temporary.
My energy is churning, my mind is dreaming. My life is in full speed again. As I glance at my still dormant sections of my gardens during my hike back up to the house for lunch my mind is spinning. I will take that new gold cone flower and put it hear or there. A new rose bush will look nice in the vacant spot near the path so I can catch its scent each day in my wanderings up and down the trips to the upper gardens and again down to the lower areas holding a whole different set of plants.
Hope is like that, looking to the unknown, the yet in life. Knowing that today only lasts for 24 hours and tommorow will bring a whole new set of thoughts, happenings, things to think of. That is what is wonderful about a day. It comes and it goes. So does our joy and our sorrow. It only lasts as long as we hang on to it. Our thought life is charming and can make or brake our day. I try real hard to direct those thoughts to a positive area. But sometimes I find the sorrow hangs on for a day or two, inbetween the happy thoughts. I keep a journal and one of the most important things I have done over the years is write down happy thoughts. The smile of a grandkid when I let them pick anything they want for a bouquet for their mom. Cringing as they get close to my prize rose but keeping mumified so they can enjoy that blessed moment of joy. As I glance over the many pages in my Happy Thought section of my journal which is in a binder, I can relive each time which is stated in black and white not just in my memory drawer of my mind. Life gives us both good and bad experiences but they only last for a while. That is when I grab for my Happy Thoughts to either record a moment of heaven, or search for an uplifting joy to renew my positive attitude.
Picture of binder, that holds my Journal and Happy Thoughts
May all your days ahead be more like Spring, warm and sunshiny bright and filled with Happy Thoughts!
Kate 
