In the Midwest, spring usually starts in late March & by late May, summer is ready to take off. Here in Oregon, to my amazement & sheer delight, the crocuses & daffodils were poking their heads up in February. I had fresh flowers gracing my windowsills weeks ago (to the chagrin of my sisters). My in-laws are talking garden. The farmers are gearing up again. The natives gently cautioned my exuberance at this by saying, "Spring might come earlier here, but it lasts forever." They get a little tired of the rain & soppy ground after months of it. By June, spring can still be taking it's sweet time to relinquish its wet & blooming hold over to summer. (I have been told this anyway.) I'm trying to temper my spirit & not get too excited too fast & burn out on this lovely little gift of flowers & warmth & sunshine so much earlier than I'm used to...
But then I think, "Why should I?" I'll waste my excitement now. And summer will come someday. I will most likely have moments where I tire of hearing the ground slurp at my pink rainboots (it does! I had no idea how saturated a land can be for so long!), & I want just a day of pure sunshine instead of this moody, shifting dance of sun & clouds, & the daffodils start drooping & I don't even notice, & I forget what winter was like, but until then, I'll bask in a Pacific Northwest spring.
My aunt Shelly & uncle Ray were out here this past weekend. That was lovely to have some faces from Illinois. We had them & some other relatives over for dinner Sunday, then spent more time with them at Uncle Lynn & Aunt Marilyn's last night. Keep the visitors coming!
I am in a waiting period for a job:/. I have very mixed feelings about jobs.
#1: I don't really want one because I love my flexible schedule & free time.
#2: I really want one because I'm starting to feel a little worthless at home all the time.
I get very frustrated at times because after 2 months of applying & looking, absolutely nothing has worked out. Actually, that's not true. I am going to be teaching a drawing class at a Senior Center nearby once a week starting this Thursday. (Yay! I am excited about this, but it's very part-time & very temporary. I'll be right back to square one come Aprtil.) Dar has been very patient with me & listened to all my harebrained creative schemes (sell macarons! design/sell my own cards! be a photographer! take floral design classes! sew aprons & sell them!). I've slowly & somewhat grudgingly accepted that I probably won't be able to jump right into something of that nature, but will maybe have to take a desk job for a while & phase into something like that. Sigh. Sometimes I hate being practical & realistic. But, I know God has a big, beautiful plan for my life, & so I've taken some action forward in the *shudder* desk job department, & now feel as though He's just asking me to wait.
I have started painting a mural for my brother & sister-in-law's nursery. It's the first time I've ever tackled a painting this large & it's been fun & time-consuming so far. I can't wait for this little baby--it will be my first nibling out here! Between this one & two of my sisters in Illinois, I'll be an aunt three times over in the course of a month! Woot!
A lady from church, who is also an artist, asked me to come & help her out at an art class she hosts for the high-schoolers from church. I enjoyed that (& they claim they did, too!) so hopefully I'll be able to repeat that class as well.
We may be able to experience this thing you call spring soon! And I bought my ticket today!!!
ReplyDeleteLooks like you're getting lots of practice with your new lens. And thank you, cough cough, for my birthday present. Just got it today!
ReplyDeleteChin up with the job - the right thing will come along, even if it's not the perfect thing. :) Meanwhile, get out and enjoy that spring weather. It snowed again here today...! But Sibley is having their spring openhouse this weekend so be prepared for pictures of fun spring things from IL. They may, however, be fake.
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