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. 

Olo, Spring.

I think of lots of little things everyday that I could blog about; things like, oh, the neighbor's giant black great dane is tied out in front of their house, which means it is definitely spring.  He likes to take naps out while lazing in the sun.  I kind of love that great danes are huge but also less known as some of the laziest dogs out there.

And also how I wish I could tell you so many things but, honestly, I don't think I can right now.  I have a lot going through my mind and some of it is just not mine to tell.

Yesterday was probably the warmest day of the year thus far, and we rode our bikes all around town.  I don't think I have to tell you how much I adore my bike; I love riding it, and I love the freedom it gives me.  Even if it's just because I feel like I'm flying and the wind blows through my hair (which is growing, by the way). 

My husband is out of school for the summer and last night I opened the windows while I made some flowers.  Which, by the way, I need to share... I've been making a lot of fabric flowers, and I think I'm going to sell them.  More than anything, I like making them because they make me happy. 

Last week, one of the kids I work with told me that because my hair is short, I look like a BOY.  But then I asked her if she was sure I'd look like a girl with long hair?  Cause I could still look like a BOY? 

There are bright red poppies outside of my door at work; the kids and I pass them every time we leave our room and they are so bright and red, it feels like the dog days are over for real this time.

Hello, I'm

sorry I've been gone. I've been here and there, riding my bike and taking photos (some even with my film camera... for the first time in a couple years!), feeling the sun on my skin and breeze in my hair.

Spring is wonderful.

I forgot to mention that my last post was my 100th. This is my 101st post. Woohoo! I think it's a possibility I write too much, but it's my blog, so whatever.

I have several things to post, but now is not the time. They'll just have to wait.

Have a wonderful evening.

These are

a few of my favorite things:

• Bbq's in my parent's backyard. Old house or new. Though the new has outdoor speakers... fancy.
• Main Street, Park City, USA. Especially the little bakery, the shoe tree, Rocky Mountain chocolate/the connecting bookstore, the basketball court and life-size chess board and the art galleries. I want to have a gallery there someday.
• California. Plain and simple. I am in love with the ocean.
• Picking out dream houses on bike rides. Though we will never buy one here... for now. Just looking is nice.
• Visiting my family and loving my nieces and nephews.
• Thinking of happy lists.
• Clovers and dandelions in my lawn.
• Really blue skies.
• Freshly washed sheets.
• No school for anyone in my house = no homework.
• Sweets.
• Life.

This is

my favorite time of year. I feel like I'm in a dream of blossoming trees. It has been even better this year and last than I can ever remember.

Here are some photos:

After taking these photos, it began raining so hard we could barely see the road.

Truth be told, it was a little fun.

Also, car rides on Sunday should become the norm.

I've a

few projects in the works. I am very excited about them. It's probably a good thing I didn't major in art--I think that would have completely crushed my artful spirit. Like it did to my photography spirit for a while. BUT I have a lot of things in mind, and I'm really excited about them. Even though I don't have money... well... it's a good thing the things I want to do aren't going to be pricey.

I've decided that every time I go to the beach, I should probably bring home some seashells. The last time I went to a beach was almost 2 years ago. It's high time... we'll see. I have a good idea for the ones I have from California and North Carolina, but I don't know where they are. I'll have to find those.

I'm going to collect photos of the spring blooms this year... I'm going nuts. It is so wonderful. Anyway, have a good [spring] weekend.

And maybe go ride your bike. That makes me happy, maybe it'll do the same for you.

It is finally spring.

I ate lunch on my front porch today.

I had the fantastico view of the flowers we planted on Saturday next to our house. They're blooming beautifully, and follow the sun with their heads all day. There's poppies! And ranunculus (one of my very favorite flowers--they were in my wedding bouquet with hydrangeas)! And others, but I don't know their names. They're small.

Brotherman pulled my bike out of storage yesterday, and I'm looking forward to becoming an orange-cruiser-blur as I ride all over the place.

We've slept with our bedroom window open the last couple of nights.

I can't stay inside anymore.


Dear spring,

Why did you ever leave me last year?

Don't ever go away.

Signed,

Sincerely me

Hello, hi. Guten Tag.

I decided a few things over the weekend:

• I put too much pressure on myself. It gives me a [near-constant] headache. I need to calm down and take a nap.
• I am proud to say I am a huge Hannah Montana fan. I am now plotting on moving to Tennessee after seeing the film with my 15 year-old stepsister because I loved it so much. I'm a sucker for pretty sets [and oh my, Tennessee seems so wonderful... remember how I said I'm flexible? Yeah, I could probably move anywhere that's picturesque]. And I love movies about singers. I am also plotting my music career. [If you count singing in my car plotting. If so, then yes, I'm plotting.]
• I also now like [some] country music. I am not normally too big a fan of country. Thank you, Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, and Miley Cyrus.
  
• I love trees. I love them too much. Almost nothing excites me more than blooming trees, or seeing trees begin to sprout leaves in spring. If I could, I'd hug a tree. All day. Or just sit under it.
• I try too hard a lot of the time. Things are better when I can sit and think, a breeze on my back and the sun on my face--much better.
• I love spring more than ever. Rain is very preferable to snow.

I haven't shared some photos in a bit. Here are some recent ones:

The trees are blooming! At my in-laws house on Easter.

If you have to sneak under a locked fence to get shots at a junkyard like these, do it. Because, more than anything, it's fun.

Also, my in-laws have several classic cruisers. I rode one once when brotherman and I were dating, and I thought I would lose control--the handlebars shake really badly until you get going. After that, smooth sailing.

I've had a lot of good experiences lately. But I've been thinking about keeping them to myself/saving them for future writing things, because once I write about something, I don't usually want to write about it again. So, bloggie, I don't know if I'll pimp them out to you. Plus, I've been thinking about lots of memories and stuff, but again.. not sure about the pimping. I've been wanting to write, and all of a sudden I have a billion things to write about, but I'm just not sure in which format I'd like to write about them. Give me some time to ponder. I'll get back to you. [Do I get ten points for creative & semi-hip use of the word "pimp"? Get back to me on that.]

Thinking

I think inspiration can come from anywhere. I remember reading from my scriptures in Enos a while ago, and I felt so inspired... I felt such a fire of understanding, as though I knew exactly what Enos was writing about; I then remembered a part from a poem e.e. cummings wrote, which reads:

i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

I felt so inspired, I printed it out, ripped it into a rectangle and stuck it in my scriptures. I see it all the time now, especially when I flip open my scriptures to read a bit and gain daily insight and inspiration.

I think spiritual inspiration can come from more than just scriptures or people speaking in church... I find it all over the place. Things that prove to me that God lives. Whether it's seeing a smile of pure joy on nieces' or nephews' faces, or spring after winter, or a song that makes me feel good and lifts me out of feeling bad... it comes from everywhere. I forget too often the beauty of the world around me, and all the good that's come to my life... but it's easy to remember when spring comes and the world is blue and gold, open and warm.

Last night, I was taking photos outside, and I heard birds sing. I couldn't believe it! It's almost as if I had forgotten that's a thing that actually happens. Sometimes I forget that the seasons change, and nothing lasts forever. Hard times won't stick around forever... good times won't either. I haven't worn a jacket all day in days. Life is pretty incredible if you take time to think about it. How we're here, why we're here; after thinking of that, the little things seem pretty petty. Sometimes I just need to be outside to hear the birds sing, and I feel a spark of inspiration: I'm thankful for a blue true dream of sky and leaping greenly spirits of trees. What a wonderful life.

Last night,

I had a dream that was really strange. There's this street where I live that's lined with big, old houses with trees out front; sort of a historic street in my town. Anyway, I dreamed that I lived in a much bigger city, but those same houses were there and I was asking someone I knew if I could have his house on that street [...weird?]. I was joking, but I was also somewhat serious.

Anyway, I was being driven with said person down this street to get to a big, fancy building at the end, and we passed all sorts of beautiful houses. Each house was well-kept and large, with green lawns and big trees. Finally, we passed a house that took my breath away, maybe because it was so unique. It was basically a barn-shaped mansion with a rooftop patio, one that was probably a fully-enclosed solarium with flowers and fountains. There were sheets flowing in the breeze from the ceiling, and in my dream, I pictured myself sitting at a cafe table on the rooftop patio, reading a book and sipping raspberry lemonade in a skirt... Which was a strange fantasy within a dream.

I remember looking at the house as we passed, and for some reason, that house was just the epitome of greatness in my mind--a barn with a rooftop solarium? It doesn't get better than that.

Sorry if that was confusing.

That said, today I've decided I have to figure out how to get a rooftop patio/solarium.

Like this one:

[Image from here]

I could just transplant that one from Brooklyn, buy a house, and put that on top; however, I don't think I'll have any wedding receptions in it.

This is more likely for my future home:

I really like those beams [and the brick wall!]. Oh, and the big windows, too.

Anyway, today's been a long day.

I went longboarding with my housband yesterday. I'm not good at it, so we have to go in parking lots, though I am getting much more brave [& I can actually carve a little and go down small declines]. Pretty soon, I'll really be able to carve; I told him that we should move to California so we can longboard year-round on the Pacific Coast Highway. I think that would be the best. [He laughed.]

We also sorted out our taxes with a professional. Let's just say that we'll probably get enough money back to build that barn and put a solarium on top. [Ha ha.]

What I really think:

Though it's supposed to snow soon, it's still spring in my soul.

You can't break me now, winter.

[This post should include my reasoning of how I know it's supposed to be spring: I'll know I've suffered just enough. My thought process goes as follows: Have I suffered enough? Can I endure any more of this? If the answers are, respectively, no and yes, then I know it should still be winter. Winter: I've suffered enough.]

All good things

I'm so excited for this weekend. The sunshine has given me an overdose of happiness, and I just can't take it anymore. I feel like watching Singin' in the Rain, eating the rest of my banana cream mini-pie, and cleaning out my bedroom [and get going on my spare room.... yeah!].

Soon, I will have a new niece, and it's going to be so great! I cannot wait to meet her. She is going to be the coolest baby, I bet. [Next to the other nieces and nephews I already have... but I don't know, she might be cooler... we shall see. Ha!]

This weekend, I am going to spend time in the sun, and maybe I'll even pull out my bike for a ride... might be still too cold, but I'm considering it anyway.

I have several other things I'm excited about, one of which is the package I'm getting in the mail and one I just got in the mail, and the possibility of some beautiful books coming my way very soon--but I haven't decided which ones yet.

This sounds like it will be a good weekend. I will be back to report about it later. But only if it's interesting.

I am feeling California-good. [That's real good.]

[Image from the streets of Laguna Beach, March 2007]