Another Quick 5...does that equal Quick 10?

by Joanie


Taking the cue from our own Anna S. I'm bringing another Quick 5 to the Lair. So, what are your top 5 signs that spring is here?

Mine:

1. The forsythia are blooming. These bright yellow flowering shrubs spring to life from the midst of the drabest, brown pile of branches. What better analogy to new life from a cold winter? Ok, so maybe rodents popping their heads out of the ground, but still.

2. The birds chirping in the morning. I don't mean once the sun pops out, but around 5 am when it is still dark. Chrip, chirp, chirp....STOP THE NOISE! I'M SLEEPING HERE! Oh, um...sorry. Twitter, twitter little friends and yes, please do mate outside my bedroom window!


3. The air takes on a freshness. Now, don't get me wrong, nothing like the freshness of Ireland's air. Seriously, it is pure ambrosia to breathe on the isle of Eire. But it is nicer, filled with promise of beauty and serenity.

4. The clock springs forward. Are you really certain that you are reading this at 8 am? Or is it REALLY 7 am. Are you late for church? Are you wondering why Sunday Morning on CBS is going off instead of just coming on? Is your body protesting, demanding to find that extra hour of sleep it lost?

5. And here in Kentucky land you know Spring is here when college basketball tournaments are on. Yes, last night actually stayed up to watch University of Louisville and Notre Dame go into OT with the Cardinals winning! I don't usually have a specific allegiance to any one team within the state, but I've fallen in love with one of their players. Here's a picture of my new hero, Kyle Kuric :D

What about you? Come on, fess up. Does the sight of Peeps in the store make you want to frolic in the tulips? What are your sure signs that spring is here?
Source URL: https://gbejadacosta.blogspot.com/search/label/spring%20flowers
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Winter Fatigue

By Trish Milburn

Anyone who knows me knows that winter is, by far, my least favorite season. I get cold easily, I hate gray days, and I've had some bad experiences traveling in wintry weather (like doing unintentional 360s down the highway until I ended up in a ditch). Even a normal winter here in the South has me layering up in fleece and watching for the earliest sign of spring -- my daffodils popping out of the ground. Of course, lately my daffodils, which popped up a few weeks ago, have been shivering. It's been a cold, gray winter with more snowfalls than we typically have. In fact, we have another covering the ground this morning, one that came overnight. There's a bit of iciness to it because it crunches on our street when people drive by. It's been so cold (down to single digits at some points) that I nearly had a stroke when I saw my last natural gas bill.

But this year, I don't think I'm the only one experiencing winter fatigue. People on the East Coast of the U.S. have been buried by one giant snowstorm after another. Residents of Texas and the Deep South even got a taste of winter -- a foot of snow in Dallas and snowfalls in atypical states such as Louisiana and Mississippi. I was supposed to go to Ohio today for a romance program at a library, but I just found out that it's been moved to March because of bad weather.

At times like this, I try to look for consolations and things to look forward to in order to get through the winter blues. For instance, I tell myself that it can snow and be cold now because I have to be inside doing revisions and reading RITA entries anyway. Maybe by the time I turn them in, the weather will have improved enough that I can start walking outside again instead of on the treadmill.

I think about where I'll be a month from today -- Disney World! I LOVE Disney World, and it'll be a nice treat in between two deadlines and a board meeting. And at the end of next month, I'll get to enjoy a visit with my sister and nieces when they fly in for a week. Yes, my entire March is full to the brim, but there's a lot to enjoy in there. And hopefully, it won't be cold and there won't be a snowflake in sight and the daffodils will be in full bloom.

So, how has winter been where you are? Are you looking forward to spring? What do you do to get yourself through winter? Or are you a winter lover? And for our friends in the southern hemisphere, what is the weather like where you are now? It's odd for me to think that Christmas and Valentine's Day fall during your summer.Source URL: https://gbejadacosta.blogspot.com/search/label/spring%20flowers
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Spring is right around the corner

by Christie Kelley

Or so my husband keeps telling me. I'm not sure I believe him, and I'm usually the optimistic one. Personally, I'm tired of winter already. After almost two feet of snow before Christmas and temperatures barely reaching 20 degrees, I want spring. NOW! I'm sick of being cold.

Although, if today is any indication, maybe spring will be here soon. With temperatures in the mid-40s, I went for a nice long walk to the river and watched the seagulls trying to walk across the ice. They do a little better than me, but not by much. The geese were out honking as they flew around looking for a break in the ice.



So maybe spring is right around the corner. In the spirit of that thought, maybe if we all think about spring and what we love about it, we'll make it through the rest of the winter.


For me, the first signs of spring used to be the robins returning. But since I've moved to Maryland I discovered that the many of the robins stay all year long. Two days ago, there were about ten in my front yard.


Now, it's the sound of geese returning to Canada. Living near the Chesapeake Bay, we hear them by the hundreds as they making their way north. I love the sound of their honking as they fly through the spring sky.


Then there is the signs of flowers popping up in my yard. It's far too soon here, although, we have had warmer winters that caused the daffodils to pop up in February. I would be surprised if that happens this year but I won't give up hope!



So what about you? Are you sick of winter yet? What do you love about spring? Tell me all about it.
Source URL: https://gbejadacosta.blogspot.com/search/label/spring%20flowers
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