a change in the weather.

Spring has sprung! And it's about time!

This weekend saw a shift in temperatures and finally the blossoms and buds are out in full force and the sun seems to have a bit of warmth in its rays again. (Unfortunately the heating/cooling system at work doesn't shift quite so easily so we've still got the heat blasting to counteract the unseasonably cool temps.  Translation=work felt like a sauna.  And not in a good way.)

But the scenery more than makes up for that.

Happiness is...a stroll amongst the cherry blossoms.

Sometimes I forget that I live here.  Well, the past few weeks I haven't really 'lived' anywhere but my couch, which totally doesn't count.  But I finally had a couple of nights of semi-restorative sleep and fell prey to the enticements of a friend to go out after work and enjoy the cherry blossoms. And as I wandered through the hordes of people (tourist season is already upon us), past the monuments of stone and water I was struck again by the beauty of this amazing city that I sometimes take for granted. It's only a 15 minute or so car ride from my house across the river to the heart of it all, depending on traffic, but too often that river can feel as vast as an entire continent instead of just a short bridge span long. I definitely don't venture over it often enough.

This year marks the centennial of the gift of the 3,000 cherry trees from Japan that line the tidal basin around the Jefferson Memorial. Each year there are countless predictions of peak bloom time around which a month-long festival is planned.  There are parades and dances, concerts and special restaurant menus, races and tons and tons of people.  It's quite the extravaganza.

In past years I've been able to see the blossoms at sunrise and in the height of the day's sun, but this year we hit it just prior to sunset and it was spectacular. The opening ceremony and official kick-off of everything isn't until Sunday but because of our unseasonably warm winter the peak bloom time has already begun. The air was heady with the scent of the millions of blooms and warm enough that I didn't even need a jacket until well after the sun had set. The sun was dipping low in the sky as we set out throwing a golden glow over everything it touched (though it did make picture taking a little difficult!) And then the night came on slow and dark but sprinkled with the lights reflecting off the white stone of all the monuments and memorials. (I love DC at night!)

At the far end of the basin is the newest addition to the memorials, one for Martin Luther King, Jr. It's had its share of controversy in its short existence which I can understand, but it's also quite striking and impressive standing 30 feet high or so. (And seeing it made one more thing I can cross off my DC bucket list!)

(BTW-If you've never been to the nation's capitol I would heartily encourage you to do so, and to visit during spring when she's dressed in her finest and bursting all over with loveliness.)

It had all the makings of a practically perfect evening and went a long way to restoring some energy and some much needed faith in the world and my place in it. Now if I can just figure out how to slow down time enough to get done all of the things I've neglected the last little while and still find time to stop and smell the roses cherry blossoms occasionally...any ideas?

Happiness is...a bit of spring.

There's a movie quote from An Affair to Remember that's been running through my mind a lot lately:
"Winter must be cold for those with no warm memories. We've already missed the spring."

Never fear, I have many warm memories, but I do feel as if I'm missing the spring.

The air has warmed considerably, the cherry blossoms are doing their thing and I'm stuck inside with just the barest glimpse of it all through my car window on the ride to and from work (though thanks to daylight savings time I do get a little better glimpse now than I did last week.)

Spring is my favorite time of year (when it isn't fall) and I usually try to spend as much time as possible wandering through gardens and parks beneath blossom- and bud-laden branches meticulously looking for hints of bright green and specks of color as one would look for Waldo.

This afternoon I forced myself to take a short walk after work and it had the effect of being both equally exhausting and refreshing.

The sun soaked into my winter bleached skin and warmed my sockless feet. The slight breeze played with the loose strands of my hair and the birds and blooms fought for my limited attention. It was heaven. (But I may have to call in sick tomorrow to make up for it!)

So, your task today is to stop what you're doing, go outside and enjoy just a moment or two of the weather around you, take in the changing seasons and the re-birth of the world and maybe find yourself feeling a bit re-born as well.

Happiness is...a mud puddle.

Spring has been a bit elusive around these parts, as I think it has been just about everywhere this year.  Our temperatures sky rocket to 80+ degrees one day then plummet back down into the 40s the next.  Our sky is nearly always a steely gray with nary a hint of blue in sight.  Sunshine in its truest form is but a memory.

But things have been looking up the past few days.  Saturday I went hiking with a good friend and while it was still overcast and a bit gloomy, once we got moving we were warm enough in just our jackets.  Plus, we'd had rain by the buckets full the day before so everything had that just-washed look about it, the colors brighter and crisper, the air fresher. One could almost begin to believe that spring was on its way.

And then today, summer hit.  My light sweater turned me into a soggy, sweaty mess by the end of my lunchtime walk and my roommate convinced me we should have ice cream for dinner.  (Never fear. Though I'm sleeping with the windows open tonight tomorrow is supposed to be back in the 50s...bi-polar much?!)

But back to the mud.  A puddle incites thoughts of splashing and childhood.  There's something tempting, alluring, forbidden about puddles as an adult.  There's no rule that says I can't splash about in a puddle (and I have been known to do so on occasion) and yet rarely does one succumb to the urge. (Please tell me I'm not the only one to have those kinds of urges!) It's silly. It's messy. You can't expect me to walk around in wet shoes/pants for the rest of the day. And fill that puddle with mud instead of the relatively harmless rain water and the danger factor grows exponentially. And everyone knows that more danger = more temptation.

Mud puddles also hold a bit of mystery.  Regular puddles are open and honest.  There's no doubt about what they hold at their depths. You almost feel as if you could lean down and drink from them or put the water to good use nourishing a nearby plant or animal.  Mud on the other hand is opaque and murky. Who knows what lies at the bottom? And because of that opacity you get a unique reflection of the world around it.  It's not a true mirrored reflection with realistic colors and recognizable features but a monochromatic Wonderland or Looking Glass world, bent and rippled and a little less known than our own. They always seem a bit more magical to me, like a goblin or elf is hiding just below the surface looking back at me without my knowledge, safe in his muck and mire.

Here are a few of my mud puddle mirrors and proofs of my springtime rambles.  Enjoy!

Now, go out and find a natural wonder of your own and don't forget to tell me all about it!

Happiness is...driving with the windows down!

When the world begins to look like this

and it's warm enough for my constantly icicle prone feet to be comfortably decked out like this

then it's officially time to drive with the windows down, the crisp spring breeze making a rat's nest out of my hair, while singing at the top of my lungs.

My current windows-down playlist:

1.  Last Train to Clarksville              The Monkees
2.  Baby Driver                                Simon and Garfunkle
3.  Going the Distance                      Cake
4.  Don't Rain on My Parade             Barbara Streisand
5.  It's My Life                                  Bon Jovi
6.  Joy to the World                          Three Dog Night
7.  Bad Romance                              Lady Gaga
8.  Happy Together                          The Turtles
9.  The Ascent of Stan                      Ben Folds
10.  Gives You Hell                            The All-American Rejects
11.  I'm Gonna Be                              The Proclaimers
12.  Somebody to Love                      Queen
13.  Everything                                   Michael Buble
14.  Pink Triangle                               Weezer
15.  I Think I Love You                      The Partridge Family
16.  Workin' At the Car Wash Blues    Jim Croce
17.  Mr. Brightside                              The Killers
18.  Hard Days Night                          The Beatles
19.  Falling for the First Time              Barenaked Ladies
20.  Say Hey                                       Michael Franti

It's a pretty eclectic list but I'm definitely lacking in the more current hits.  Any suggestions?  What are your favorite, crank-it-up, sing like no one's listening tunes?

Here's to spring and many more days of opening the windows and airing out the winter blahs.

Happiness is...making a list!

I've always been a list maker.  There is something satisfying about organizing your thoughts into neatly ordered columns. To Do lists are even better.  The satisfaction quotient grows exponentially when you can turn around and cross something off of the list you created.  Well, today's list isn't a To Do list but rather a list of the things that have brought me a little bit of happiness in the past week.  So, without further ado...

Happiness is...

• Reading this book  (I love the quirky characters, they're so charming!)
• Catching up with friends
• Baby kisses
• A brand new razor and freshly shaved legs
• Watching this movie ("I don't want diamond sunbursts or marble halls, I just want you." *sigh* I'm destined to be forever thwarted in love for no real man will ever be able to compare with Gilbert Blythe.)
• Eating a bison burger, onion rings, a vanilla Coke and tasty pickles at this restaurant (makes me feel sorry for vegetarians...oh my, sooo delicious!)
• Spending a day getting caught up (well, more caught up than before) on my scrapbooking
• Being in the audience of a performance of this Opera at the amazing Kennedy Center (beautiful, tragic, breathtaking) 
• Finally saying good-bye to February (why is it that the shortest month always seems to drag on the longest?)
• The first signs of spring

you totally can't see this on the small photo, but this is a cardinal and he's been chattering cheerfully outside my window all week

 

• A plan
• An entire day without coughs or sniffles
• Listening to this music

(this isn't the best recording but I love his little lead in in the beginning, this is exactly why I love this song, I am not a scientist but I am definitely an over-thinker)

And there you have it.  Just a small taste of some of the wonderfully happy things in my little corner of the world at present.  Readers, what happiness have you had in your life this past week? Is Spring showing its face where you live? Take a few moments to head outside and stop and smell the roses (or build a snowman if that's more appropriate :)