promise of spring

In the Dead of Winter – A Promise.

In the dead of winter - a promise

I went down to the lower level of the house this morning to water my geranium I kept from the summer. My first attempt at wintering one which I was encouraged to do so by my friend, Miss Marie.

When I got to the bottom of the steps and saw the brilliant red blossom on the dormant plant, I just had to pause for a few moments and take in its beauty.

In the dead of winter among the decaying leaves, a few buds were secretly working their magic — finally bursting to the surface — as a reminder that the spring is on its way – a promise that is never broken – for it always comes. It always comes.

Update:  After I posted this, I thought more about this pretty bloom. The plant is in my Joyful Pause Studio where I held my first SoulCollage® workshop two weeks ago. It was a wonderful success! Now I’m thinking perhaps this is the blooms approval of my studio and my workshops — and all the good energy from the ladies who attended my first one. She couldn’t help but bloom!

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Wise Yellow Dog Predicts Spring Soon. Come See.

IMG_1980 1200Later yesterday afternoon, as we often do on the weekends, John and I sat in front of our woodstove. Kylie resting on the sofa next to John and Gidget curled up next to me sitting across from them.

We, like many of you, are anxious for spring. We wonder if it will ever get here. The anticipation has really been building and especially after a pretty brutal winter. It has just made it all that more challenging to not want to shout each day, “Hurray up and get here spring!”

As we sat gazing into the fire burning in the woodstove last night, John glanced over at Kylie. “Spring is almost here, Kylie. I’ll bet you can’t wait to smell all the smells of spring. It will get here. Just you wait and see.”

Her head perched on the yellow pillow, yellow dog truly has no worries if spring will arrive. She just knows. That is what dogs do. They teach us to just be in the moment. To trust. To have faith.

If Kylie could talk I’d think she’d say:

But papa, it is already here in many ways.

Can’t you feel it in the warm sun on your skin?

Can’t you see it in the light? It is brighter and longer now in the sky.

Can’t you hear it in the chirping of the birds every morning? They too say, it is on its way!

And the smells! oh the smells!  Haven’t you been watching as my nose is to the ground every morning and evening? Oh, the delicious smells!

I know you know it is here as I linger longer outside each evening and my ears do not seem to be working again when you call me to come in.

So you see, it is here. I’m your reminder to see what you sometimes cannot see. I promise you, spring is already here, and will continue to be here if you just listen and pay attention to wise yellow dog.

Can You Feel it? Can You See it? The Promise of Spring.

2014-02-18 09.18.29 eThe last couple of weeks you can tell the earth is changing once again. The light in the sky is brighter. The sun feels warmer. The promise of spring is drawing (ever so slowly) near.

It actually felt warm shoveling a path from our house to my writing cottage this morning. We didn’t get as much snow yesterday as they predicted, but enough that I had to shovel. It was very dark and ominous, plus so blustery yesterday.  This made the warm sun soaking into my skin feel extra luxurious today.

What awaited Gidget and me when I opened the door to my writing cottage was the most welcome sunshine streaming in through the windows.

“Oh look, Lil’ G!” I said. “A warm sun spot for you to snooze in today.” She immediately jumped into her bed onto the sun warmed pillow case which I have covering bed.  She posed just long enough (or should I say hammed it up) for me to get this shot of her before she snuggled in.

As I write this blog post, the radio station announced another storm is building in intensity and expected to hit Wednesday night into Thursday.

Such is the weather and something we can’t control. But we shall soak in all the glorious warmth of today as we hold in our hearts that the promise of spring is truly just around the corner.