Inside the mind of Spring

Happy Birthday, Jess.

A long ago photo taken by the newspaper folks when she was painting at a SONO street festival. Happy Birthday to my creative, beautiful, brilliant, and spirited daughter. We love you, babe!

Happy Mother's Day

We never know the love of the parent until we become parents ourselves. -Henry Ward Beecher

Confirmation Day

Here are some proud Mamas and Papas hanging with their spring fresh young. My youngest is getting confirmed today, he looks quite the man in his suit. Time really does fly. Before I break into Sunrise, Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof, I need to figure out what shoes I am wearing to the event.

Our deer visitors

Although I think it has now become more of a neighbor thing as they seem to really like the wooded area way back behind the house. There were three of them this time but my camera and I were not quick enough.

Sunday Quote

They continued doggedly with their reading lessons, for in times of stress a good book is often all the comfort you can reasonably expect to find. - Margaret Mahy, The Pirates' Mixed-Up Voyage

Little Road Trip

An impromptu jaunt to Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island on Sunday. It felt very New England but that is the seaside effect, I think, the Northeast coast always sings of whales and tales and salty history, my favorite haunts. A nice stroll, delicious iced coffee and snacks at a great place called Sweetie Pies where you could eat out on the covered porch and admire Spring. too late for the whaling museum which has what must be the most handsome mannequin I have ever seen - isn't he? And then back over the bridge, homeward bound.

Sunday Quote

Spring Fever!

Sunday Quote

Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are a hundred ways to kneel and kiss the ground. - Rumi

Spring strolls

The fence and the dirt path seem to have a direction in mind. cannot get enough of the turtles...saw a muskrat too but the camera was not in my pocket that particular walk... my favorite sight each Spring, the lovely Magnolia by the Temple as I drive to work. I think I can relax now, it's really Spring.

Sunday Quote

i thank You God for most this amazing day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything which is natural which is infinite which is yes (i who have died am alive again today, and this is the sun's birthday;this is the birth day of life and love and wings:and of the gay great happening illimitably earth) how should tasting touching hearing seeing breathing any-lifted from the no of all nothing-human merely being doubt unimaginable You? (now the ears of my ears awake and now the eyes of my eyes are opened) ~ e.e. cummings ~ (Complete Poems 1904-1962) and forgive eec wherever you are for the awful layout of your most gorgeous work. Blogger and I do not agree on how this should work.

Love for a fellow sparrow

Happy Birthday, Gladys Taber.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Feeling interestingly joyous this birthday, not what the dreaded build-up has been. I credit the great yoga workshop on Sunday for pushing me into a sense of happy anticipation for this birthday year - as well as this sudden burst of Spring. It does arrive after all, green and bloomy and bountiful.

Sunday Quote

We give thanks for all those times we have arisen from the depths or simply taken a tiny step toward something new. May we be empowered by extraordinary second chances. And as we enter the world anew, let us turn the tides of despair into endless waves of hope. -Molly Fumia, excerpt from A Grateful Heart

Spring walk around the lake

Walking around the same area for a number of years is a relationship with the banks and the trees, and memories. Lucky me catching this old turtle on a rock. The younger ones dash in before you can barely see them. I miss so many trees, old friends that leaned low over the water, creating pockets of mystery along the banks and great places for the birds and frogs and turtles to hide out. The storms of winter and Parks and Rec have left little on the banks. Still - mushrooms budding on tree trunks, green shoots in the muddy edges, lend a hope that Nature will rally yet again, grow, heal, bloom. The beauty of a bird versus the idiocy of what people dump in the lake... Enjoying the rowdy game of Lacrosse that was playing in the high school field getting my walking rhythm back, and remembering to listen to what the trees say when the wind rushes through. Drove home feeling chilled to the bone but good, the way a Spring walk is supposed to feel.