A little while ago,

I was in the car with my sister and brother-in-law.  Mid-January.  Anyway, my brother-in-law, driving, says, "It's officially past the middle of January."

And my sister says, "That means we have less of January to make it through than we've already had.  Then it's February which is just fun (it's fun, right? It's short). And then March, which is spring break and then we're basically HOME FREE!"

I had to laugh.  They're talking about winter.  I, personally, don't love winter because it really releases my inner neuroses.  I am horrified to drive any distance longer than a few miles in snow (because of a car accident we were in which just ruined me) and being cooped up inside isn't always my favorite thing, though I am a homebody.

Lately, we've just been staying home a ton.  Besides the snow storm which hit this weekend--which I kind of liked, actually, because at least we're not below zero in the middle of the day, AND there's something so charming about swirling snow--winter kinda stinks for those of us who are non-winter sports sort of people.  That, and my housband had to drive to Lehi (which, on a good day, is a little more than an hour and a half away) on Monday for a job interview.  Said drive took him FOUR HOURS.  So that was fun.

My favorite thing, though, and we're getting to the meat of it, is something my brother calls "the breath of spring."  Ah.  Spring.  I love it.  It's my favorite season.  The hope that abounds with spring is totally priceless.  And now you're wondering what it is, aren't you?

The breath of spring is an idea that, in the bleak mid-winter (yep, I just borrowed that), you capture a moment.  A moment, however fleeting--a snitch of blue sky, a little sun on your neck, a warm breeze--and it hits:  spring is coming.  Maybe not right now, not while the ice is so thick on the sidewalk it's a mini-rink, not when the snow is falling, falling, falling, and certainly not when you're uncovering your car of snow only to have it covered back up by the time you're done, but it's coming. 

Also?  I get a lot of emails every day.  I like to (window) shop online.  I just got this one from Old Navy telling me about a nice shirt I should probably (but won't) buy, and it also featured some lovely shoes.  Spring and summer shoes. 

THESE shoes.  And I remembered that sometimes there's weather that doesn't require pants and three jackets and gloves and hats. 

You guys.  It's coming.

In the meantime, I'm making a lot of flowers, bundling up in a blanket, watching movies, and turning up the heat.