When We Ignore The Signs

Some things in life are predictable; that most times we will buy a losing lottery ticket, at some point our fast food drive thru order will be incorrect, you'll undoubtedly get stuck some time in traffic behind a school bus or a cement truck, and yes ... you'll forget that the sun shines just as brightly on a 60 degree day as it does on an 85 degree day.

That last part about the strength of the sun would be for me. I spent my long Memorial Day holiday doing yard work; planting flowers, planting shrubs, getting our yard ready for summer. By the time Memorial Day came around I was exhausted. I woke up Monday morning determined to NOT do anything that involved physical labor. I opted to treat myself to sitting out on my patio listening to my wind chimes, watching the birds frolic in the birdbath, reading a new book, and just sitting there feeling the warmth of the sun on my face. The last month has had a lot of rain and grey skies; it's been gloomy to say the least. I think I truly forgot what an afternoon in the sunshine felt like. The temperature was only in the mid 60s, but the sun felt warm and the clear sky looked like hope ... hope that the gloomy rain might be behind us and hope that there was a promise of an approaching summer.

So how was my afternoon? It was grand. It was relaxing. It was quiet. I finished my book (something I don't often have the opportunity to do). It was everything I hoped it would be and more. Sadly, a few hours later I realized I had totally ignored the signs; the ones that should have been obvious to me. I'm still Irish and fair skinned, with more than my share of freckles. The sun on a clear 65 degree day was going to be just as powerful as a full out summer sun. Today my arms and legs are as red as a lobster. It will fade, but will I have learned my lesson? Gosh, I hope so.

Things happen when we ignore the signs. When a speed limit sign says 55 mph, it's more than a suggestion. When we go 70 mph in a 55 mph zone, we are asking for trouble. When we eat a food that we know will bother our stomach or we are allergic to, we are ignoring the signs and asking for something to go wrong. And yes, when the sky is clear and the sun is bright, we are asking for discomfort if we don't properly prepare ourselves. Obviously I needed to apply more sun screen than I did. Obviously I needed to pace myself more than I did. I really needed to pay attention to the signs. My only excuse was that 'the book was REALLY good', lol.

I will be uncomfortable for a few more days, but hopefully I will pay better attention the next time.

When is the last time you ignored a sign? 

What was it? 

Did you learn from your mistake?

The Search Continues

Everyone I talk to you lately seems to be on edge about the weather. We feel like spring should be here, along with its sunny skies and warmer temperatures. Instead we've continued to experience rain, snow, icy roads, sleet, cold temperatures, and blowing winds. Do I sound like a broken record? I think so.

A lot of people are complaining, as if that will help or even make the sun come out any sooner including a certain weatherman out of Grand Rapids, MI. You know people are getting tired of the same old forecast when the weatherman goes on an on-air rant about how his co-workers are cranky and starting to blame him, etc. He was feeling a lot of weight on his shoulders and apparently a lot of blame. Negativity can take its toll on anyone.

Personally, I feel like I've been monitoring the Weather Channel app on my phone a lot more lately, as if I can point to the sky and say, 'Stop snowing, my app radar isn't showing any precipitation!' However, watching and waiting for the app forecast to change also gives me hope ... hope that the temperatures will climb up and surpass 50 degrees, hope that the sun will come out and stay, and hope that there will begin to be a pattern of weather niceness. Hope can go a long way in lifting someone's spirits.

I have no doubt that spring will come. It may be short once it arrives and we may breeze right through it and go straight to summer, but it will come. With it will come a sense of excitement, a certain thrill, a certain anticipation of good things; not to mention I will be happy to pack away my wool socks, my boots, my winter coats, and my neck scarves. In their place will be sandals, sneakers with no socks, short sleeves, and baseball caps. Yes, lots of good things will come.

What are you most looking forward to with spring and summer?