Spring! Hope is Alive!

Happy spring! Depending on where you live, spring will have a range from little to no hint spring is in the air, to the world is opening up again. I live in a place that has the latter. New Hampshire, for those of you not geographically inclined, or not from The US is in the north eastern section of the country. I happen to live in the northern quarter of the state, very close to the Canadian border.

When I say I can’t even enjoy the colors of fall in New England, because I get so discouraged about the winter to come, I’m not kidding. I go into hibernation like a woodland creature in late October, after we have had snow at least once and don’t emerge until well after the ground hog deems it safe to do so.

For me spring heralds in the beginning of freedom and enjoyment of life outside my warm house. Sure, we have to deal with “mud season”, but it is a small price to pay for having your face warmed by the sun on a day when 50 degrees actually “feels” warm. Only in spring do I consider anything below 70 degrees to be warm, mind you.

My family used to live further north than we do now, right on the Canadian border and one of my fondest memories, or the saddest, I’ll let you decide was that every year right around April

vacation from my teaching job I would decide it was time to bring out the patio furniture. To many of you that might not be a big thing, but please keep in mind that I would need to shovel the deck of all the snow that had built up over the winter before I could think about putting my patio furniture out.

It sometimes took me most of the week, going out a little at a time scooping the snow and spreading out over the lawn where it was sunny for it to melt, but I was always determined that by April I should be able to sit on my patio for at least that one golden hour during spring days, when it wasn’t so cold that my teeth chattered.

Most of my books are set in the springtime, because the feeling of renewal and renewed dreams is strong with me in the spring. As trees come back to life, you have that moment when one day you can’t see any green, then the next the horizon is a hazy blanket of green buds. Or, when the

flowers begin to pop up in a sunny spot, even if there is snow all around them. It gives me hope.

Even though I do love summer, and one day hope to live in a place that never dips below 70 degrees, I would have to say, I will spring more than the fall colors because of the hope it brings me that soon life will be as I like it to be.

Next up we have Jenna Da Sie.