04 March 2011

I Sense Spring

Simple BPMWinter has always dragged me down. 

I change.

I change from an optimist who smiles at everyone constantly (it's rather contagious, I have to say) to becoming grumpy and suffering from cabin fever.  Even the kids notice it and I try to explain to them that Mama prays a lot during Winter and why.

This year was harder because last winter, I was living on the East Coast and suffering through a freak blizzard last winter.

We moved to the Midwest and are living on the flat Prairie with no respite from the wind and an unceasingly bitter cold which I had never really suffered through before. 

And it felt like it would never end.

I literally began to feel like I was living in some sort of frozen tundra Hell.

And I wasn't really alone in my suffering.  People I interacted with were also becoming more snappish and short tempered.  Of course, that in no way encouraged any sort of comraderie with others.

Until...

A couple of weeks ago, we had almost 60 degree weather and it was heaven sent.  Since then, it has been cold but I will take an average of 30's and 40's over just above 0 degrees Fahrenheit any day.

I have been desperately keeping my eye open for signs of Spring. 

Birds have been singing in the Dawn lately.

We have been going on walks more lately.  I am used to hikes.  There is a huge difference.  Hikes leave me feeling as though I exercised and conquered something, even if it is a small rocky hill.  There are no hills here. 

So, instead we go on a walk.  Still, I relish the walks because they are walks through Spring.

I saw a little fly come in through the front door and land on my hand...




At a local meadow which was originally a pond, mating pairs of ducks and geese were eating nonstop what I believe was algae...




At a local park, I found green moss growing...






I saw what looked like pussy willow leaf buds to me and tried to take a picture but the squealing wiggling excited toddler in the baby carrier wouldn't allow me to focus the camera properly.  I think she could sense the Spring and the moisture in the air as well...




We combed a local beach for interesting rocks and found fossils since the temperature was finally bearable...








We even found a "seeing stone".  Do you see any fairies in it?  My older daughter walks around with it looking for the fairy folk all the time now.  I think it's time to look for old Polish stories about ghosts and spirits...




When I step outside, I smell earth and grass outside, a sure sign of Life. 

I am only wearing my East Coast winter coat unzipped instead of my knee length down insulated coat with 5 layers underneath. 

When I step outside and feel all this, I look up to Heaven and just smile.  I'm sure He knows why I am smiling.  Finally...

Between all this and Paczki Day yesterday, I know it's Spring and that God was hearing my desperate prayers for an end to this long miserable lonely Winter.  I hope you can feel it as well!

Na razie...



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9 comments:

Kelly Miller said...

I'm totally an East Coast girl. A South-East Coast girl to be exact. I know nothing of those midwestern winters, but I am very familiar with that deep need for Spring. Those fossils are amazing! We have nothing like that here!

Unknown said...

Ugh this winter HAS been horrible! Hurry spring, we're all waiting anxiously for your arrival.

Kasia said...

This was very inspiring and beautiful. Thank you :'-) Especially that tiny fly is very cute :D I can really imagine how harsh the winter must have been, the coldest part of winter is always the wind, without cold wind even really low temperatures are bearable. But with a sharp wind the body cools down very quickly way balow the actual temperature. It is this hellish "felt temperature" phenomenon...

I am glad some signs of spring are showing up in your area as well. I can hear birds singing in the mornings too, despite being in the midst of a huge city. I am so impatient, even changed my blog header already to a spring theme (I generally change the headers with the seasons)

Serdecznie pozdrawiam :)
Kasia

Anonymous said...

I tried to post a comment twice but it didn't let me. I don't know why!!! So I'm trying for the third time! If this doesn't work I'll get angry!!!

Anyway what I was trying to tell you (and I wrote huge comment about that!!!) is that:

I'm very happy you could go for a walk and get some nice photos. (and fresh air)
Seriously I miss winter only because of the pictures I could take!!! I remember Winters in Poland. Amazing, and beautiful in it's own way.

Sometimes I think I prefere the snow from the rain. And it rains a lot here.

I know that feeling of upcoming Spring. It's amazing.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE your stones!!! What you gonna do with them?

hugs,

Unknown said...

Thank you all for stopping by today and sharing !

I had problems commenting on some blogspot blogs today as well and had to follow one three times before it worked.

The stones are going in my collection. We all collect rocks over here. My husband actually bought a rock polisher from a hobby store for some he found. My fossils I don't want to polish though because I am afraid I will ruin the fossils themselves...

Hugs to all!

Hyacynth said...

Spring is so coming! Yay for both of us seeing signs. :)
And you're right about the Midwest being flat with swooping, wooshing winds that are frigid and so icy feeling. But soon! Soon! There's a thunderstorm raging outside my window, so it's just coming upon us.

Melissa said...

What great stones! One of my girls is also a fairy seeker.

Hurry, spring!

Thriftanista in the City said...

I am not a fan of winter and can't wait for summer to arrive. It is nice to hopefully be out of the deep freeze!

Anonymous said...

You are still celebrating Polish festivals... great to know