Mainly sunny, mild, temps plus 3
Amazing, spring day. Can smell it in the air, sweet and musky. Wet earth and grass, mud and other stuff that isn't mud. Snow not yet melted...with luck we'll keep some. Tomorrow's supposed to turn cold again. As you see, I quite like the winter. Actually, what I like is winter to be winter, and spring to come when it's time and not before. April is good. This morning awoke to thick fog, mist rising from the snow into the mild air.
Did you put your clocks forward an hour? It's now daylight saving time here...though I understand Arizona doesn't do it. Is that right? Don't really need to I suppose. Here it's great - lighter later.
Had a gas last night celebrating International Women's Day at a big dinner put on by the local Optomists Club. 120 people. Three local writers honoured - Sharon McCully, Laura Teasdale and Winona Matthews. Winona's 96 years old and was there - she's the Godmother of the writers movement in the Townships. A poem and writer of the history of the area. I was asked to give the keynote talk after dinner.
I give so many talks, but this felt different. Not only to celebrate these three amazing women, and remember women around the world whose voices aren't allowed to be heard...but for me personally to be among friends...people who know me. Who've seen me in my sweats in the produce section, not even bothering to hide the bag of jelly beans or cookies. Besides, my books are, for the most part, love letters to the people here...and I got to tell them last night how grateful I am.
And have fun too!
Our emails - personal - have all but crashed in the last day...some working, sporadically. Most frustrating. Nancy - God Bless Nancy - is riding to our rescue tomorrow morning.
Wrote more on book 6 today, did 20 minutes on the torture machine, wrote some letters. walked the dogs. Life is good.
8 comments:
Same gorgeous early spring weather here, too. When we lived in DC I found that I really missed this time of year. While spring down there is in many ways more glorious, with cherry blossoms and azaleas, I didn't get the same rush as here. Hard to describe the relief that comes from feeling the warm sun on your face for the first time in months, and I too love the smell of the melting earth and the mud (and the stuff mixed in with it!)
Hi Louise,
Catching up on your posts leads me to hope and be happy your lump is a small nothing. I have been thinking about your idea about people's unhappiness being a lack of gratitude, and I find it quite profound. there is a lot of unhappiness around, but I am grateful for the people we meet (or write to) that make life a pleasure. I have had a radical mastectomy, but I didn't die, and I am five years out. That's good, and I've seen a great many things in that time, so it balances the loss, doesn't it? Your blog continues to enchant. In California, the seasons are not so delineated. We are just getting past a month of much needed rain, and the sun is shining, but it is cold. The spring smells are not quite here yet, but I enjoy them vicariously-through you. Thanks again, I'm sure the torture machine makes up for all those gummi bears, etc.
Lil Gluckstern
Dear Elizabeth,
Yes, I think you've hit it, said what I'm feeling. Thank you. Spring here is magical because of what we've just been through. It really does feel like a re-birth.
Dear Lil,
After my tiny episode I have even great respect for women who have gone through cancer (and men). I seem to have been stopped just outside the door, but can just begin to imagine what a person experiences going through it. I did some volunteer work in Palliative Care and a truism was that people die as they live. if they were frightened, and embittered in life, that will only be magnified. And I suspect the same is true of a life-threatening illness. Some grow in gratitude and strength and faith and courage, and some crumple. Have no idea how I would really react, so it leaves me wide-eyed with wonder at the people who can meet it with equanimity, humour, sometimes rage, and courage. Like you.
And five years out! Congratulations. Many, many more years - way out!
Never fear, Louise, Spring IS on the way.....our peepers started up in the country on Friday night!
Tammy in MO
Yes, we did spring forward with our clocks. I love daylight savings time and wish we could be on it all the time.
We've also had Springlike weather, and a good thing, as I was outside last night in my pj's and barefoot, tapping on our neighbor's door and asking if one of our Border Terriers, Steve McQueen, was there for a midnight snack. I must have been dreaming that I heard a dog go out, and not come in, and when I saw the doggy door in our shared fence was open, I thought he was being neighborly. No such thing, and it seemed he was snug in bed all along. Sigh....
Dear Tammy,
Oh, what a magical spring sound! Peepers!
Dear Barb,
Wonderful story! Steve McQueen and his Great Escape. Though not quite so 'great' after all. You must be on good terms with those neighbors...by now.
Post a Comment