Celebrate

We were looking at photos a few days ago and Jon commented to me that we have "more pictures of that kid in pajamas than anything else." So it is not at all surprising to that while all our friends and acquaintances flooding Facebook with lovely pictures of their families from the weekend in new spring dress clothes, our kid was decorating eggs in . . . can you guess? His pajamas. With bed head to boot. Evidence that we are comfortable and joyous dissidents.

The first day of spring, better known as the spring equinox, was fully a week ago, but mother nature could not have provided a more beautiful sign of the lengthening days than we were graced with yesterday. Brilliant sun and warming temperatures brightened our crafting, decorating, and cooking as we prepared to celebrate with family. Weekends like this are a vital part of recovering from winter. They are the promise that entices us all from quasi-hibernation. I swear I have seen more neighbors in the past week than through all the past three months combined. 

And while much of the nation is also celebrating the end of a marked period of waiting, our own season of patience is just getting started—the bird migration is upon us. Our local friends, the ones that don't abandon us for warmer climes but still disappear mostly from hearing for the darkest months of the year, are starting to rejoin us in a tentative morning symphony. It will swell over the next few months as they become increasingly urgent in their communications, and as they are joined by summer-weathered friends. And the visitors that pass through for the briefest of moments will be on their way in just a few weeks. We actually saw our first Sandhill Cranes on February 28, sparking an impatience for early morning bird hikes.

But today was still a pajama day. A craft rabbits, decorate eggs, and eat chocolates day. A ring in spring with friends and family day.

 

Spring green

When I realized that Easter was due to come very, very late this year my first thoughts were of beautiful green grass and warm sunshine, and how wonderful those things would be for photos and egg hunts and general spring enjoyment. The snow that we got just a few days ago made me skeptical, but both yesterday and today dawned warm and bright. The smell of spring is finally in the air, and that beautiful bright green really did add to photos after all.

Actually we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful spring weekend, and late is better than never. We spent yesterday in downtown Ann Arbor at a used book store closing sale (sad), and then in the yard and gardens doing a little clean up. Jon even mowed, and Calvin and I enjoyed the warm afternoon with books on the deck. We dyed eggs the natural way.

And today, the generally accepted day of spring celebration, was a little cooler, but just as pretty. We spent they morning with family, brunching at the old train station and walking around the new afterwards.

We'd made a spring basket for Calvin, filling it with a few of his favorite things, like Legos and books, and we spent the afternoon resting and enjoying those things. I took portraits with the new camera, something that didn't go as well as I might have liked, but it is a learning process. I have to edit the rest of them, but I'll post them tomorrow.

With rain, but relative warmth, on the docket for this week we soaked up as much of this weekend's weather gift as we could. And we are hoping that this week's wet and warmer weather will bring with it an explosion of leaves and flowers. We're ready.

Easter

It came and went in a haze of beautiful weather. What happened to the annual Easter snow storm? I'm still thinking that spring got confused and sent summer to descend upon us two months early. Most of our usual party suspects were out of town for the holiday this year and we missed them, but we had a great time with Gram and Grandpa (my parents), Nonnie (my Godmother, Lonnie), several brightly colored eggs, and duckcakes. This is the second year in a row that we've waited until Easter itself to decorate the eggs (nothing like waiting until the last minute) and also the second year in a row that it has been warm enough to hide and hunt for them outside, the difference being, of course, that this year the outside was much greener than last. We hunted for eggs, we grilled dinner, we ate with the house open and light, and we finished the night with duckcakes. We hope you had a wonderful Easter, too.