Are you feeling reenergized?

It's safe to say that spring is finally here. No more snowfalls. No more cold nights. The grass is getting greener by the day, the flowering trees are budding out, and the daffodils are standing tall. According to the outside, it has switched seasons. But what is your mind saying?

The warmer temperatures may mean lighter jackets and maybe even no socks. That's a great recipe for lifting your spirits. Spring is a good time to think about getting outside, talking to your neighbors, taking walks, and often planning ahead for what to do next. Many people start prepping their gardens and yards. Others will start making plans for vacation getaways.

Where do you feel you left off after a several months of winter? When you're stuck inside and it gets dark out by 5:00 p.m., you fix dinner, maybe read a book or watch some TV, and then go to bed. Motivation to do more tends to shift backwards (of course, not for everyone). You may have headed into March feeling a bit stuck; not wanting to do much. Then April comes and the time changes and suddenly you're coming home after work and you've managed to stop off at the grocery store, fix dinner, clean the kitchen, and discover it's still daylight out.

I'll be honest, the last blog post I wrote was in January and we started the new year. Suddenly I found that three months had flown by and I hadn't written a single word. I didn't sit around doing nothing. I read books, I painted a few pictures, met with friends, went to work, etc. I wanted to blog, but found myself wondering what life-changing words could I possibly share? I felt a little stuck. I wondered this week what exciting things I could write about that others would find encouraging or uplifting. Then I realized I didn't need to put that pressure on myself. Maybe just being honest about where I was at could be enough. Maybe there would be someone else that could relate and we could bond over NOT having a current plan. 

Sometimes it's enough to just be okay. Sometimes it doesn't matter that you don't currently have a magnificent goal or obstacle to conquer. You can still be motivated and happy and driven with the season you are currently in. People aren't always like a calendar telling us what day or season it is and how we should be feeling. Maybe we just need a little more time and aren't quite ready for a big change. Changes (good or bad) are inevitable and will come when they're ready. When that happens we'll just deal and learn to roll with it better. 

Maybe this April I am just a self-proclaimed 'late bloomer'. If that's it, I can be okay with that. After all, not every tree or bush has bloomed yet. Some are taking their time and will be just as beautiful when they're ready.

What to do now? Are you still feeling a bit stuck; maybe not physically, but emotionally? Is this a season of transition for you?

Maybe get back to me when you're ready. I'd love to know where you are at and how you're doing.

January Doesn't Have To Be A Let Down

I'm embarrassed to say it's been a few months since I've shared anything. The autumn leading into the seasonal holidays is always busy. The leaves turn orange and yellow and red. The air starts to get cooler. We celebrate Thanksgiving and then start decorating for Christmas. We hang the outdoor lights, begin our holiday shopping, and fill our calendars with social events. Many people are so anxious and busy preparing for the festivities that they're exhausted when the month of December actually arrives.

Where I live in Michigan we generally anticipate having a white Christmas; fresh snow and crisp air. It adds something magical to the season. Christmas of 2023 arrived with cloudy skies, rain, and foggy air ... then gloomily stuck around through New Year's Day.

Usually by the time we get through New Year's people are packing away their holiday decorations and gearing up for a quiet January, which usually includes a feeling of things being quiet and a bit slower. Some people have a hard time dealing with the drastic change. No more nostalgic music on the radio, no more twinkling lights on the trees, and for many no more happy visits with friends and family dropping by. January can be sad for some; they're looking for something to lift their spirits.

Here we are, half way through January and the snow and cold temperatures have finally arrived for my area; only a few weeks late. One of our state's universities had an exciting end to their football season when they ended up the champs! Go Blue! Our NFL team has made it to the playoffs, something I'm not sure I thought I'd ever see. There's literally a football frenzy in the air; excitement and joy everywhere.

January is turning out to be anything but quiet or boring. I've started reading a new book for a book club. I'm finishing up a winter painting. I purchased a new BIG canvas for an upcoming project (trust me, that's a big leap of faith).We're meeting up with friends for our monthly dinner and conversation. And we're making an effort to get out and use some of our restaurant gift cards (the pile was starting to get pretty big).

Sometimes life deals us obstacles we have no control over, but sometimes life can be what we make of it. For me, I'm making this January a fun one. I'm not sitting back and letting it pass me by.

What are you doing this January to make it fun?

Grin And Bear It!

How fragile is your ego or your spirit? Are there times when you think you need to have the word 'FRAGILE' stamped in red on your forehead so that people will know to tread carefully? Do you find yourself easily frazzled when your routine gets out of whack?

 

We're coming up on the tail end of a long cold winter. Many are ready and more than eager to feel the warm sun on their skin again. But sometimes this time of year can find even the perkiest of people a little down in the dumps or easily agitated. For several the answer is a simple car drive to Florida or someplace where a heavy winter coat isn't required. The warmth will make them feel better both physically and mentally. Yet 'getting away' isn't an option for everyone. So, what do the rest of us do?

 

Perhaps take an afternoon off; treat yourself to a movie or lunch with a friend? Give yourself permission to immerse yourself with whatever distraction warms your heart (if not your skin); maybe reading a book on the couch, getting a pre-spring mani/pedi, or going window shopping at the mall to see all the bright spring colors adorning the store window displays. Whatever distraction brings you hope.

 

Checking the calendar I can see that officially there are only 17 days remaining until spring, yet I looked out my window today and saw snow, sleet, rain, and freezing rain. I half expected an old-fashioned pony express rider to fly by my window; battling all the weather elements.

 

I have hope for the sunshine to return and hope for the temperatures to warm up and hope that the darkened dirty mounds of snow will get a little smaller each day.

 

What brings you hope on these dreary days?

Dealing With The Winter Blues

Some people love the winter season ... the cold, the fresh fallen snow, the pristine crispness of the white fluffy landscapes ... others - not so much. When I was a child I remember having snow blanket the ground from December til March. We would build a snow fort and a snow man and they NEVER melted. Just when they would begin to shrink a fresh snow would fall and we'd build them back up again. But this winter seems to have been one of the harshest so far that I can remember in a long time. We've had snow, we've had ice, we've had sub-zero wind chills, and the kids have had their share of snow days from school. The ironic part of it is that it's still only January.

I know many who are anxious to get away to some place warm and sunny where they don't have to look at sloppy, slushy, dirty snow or be on the look out for pot holes. Are you one of the many who've taken the 'Taco Bell' approach and 'run for the border'? Or are you still here with the rest of us trying to make the best of it?

 

It's understandable that being cooped up for the last few weeks could be depressing for those you aren't able to get out because it's too cold or too slick. I can't imagine not getting out at some point just to get some fresh air at least. Last week I stopped off to pay a visit to my mother as well as a friend from church, neither of which are able to get out in this weather. I brought birthday flowers to one and some laughter and conversation to the other.

How are you dealing with this winter so far? What has helped you to maintain perspective? The easiest thing I can think of is communication with others and sharing laughter. Go ahead and make jokes about the pot holes, the snow, the slow commutes in traffic ... whatever helps. They say that laughter is the best medicine. I saw a photo posted recently on a Facebook page for 'Make Macomb Your Home'. I don't know who the photographer was to give them the proper credit, but their picture certainly made me laugh.

Autumn: Enjoy The Reason For The Season

There's something to be said for having 4 seasons. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter ... they are all unique and each bring a splendor all their own. With spring you have the hope of bright colors; green grasses, leaves on the trees, and flowers in the gardens. Then comes summer; no longer a need for sweaters and jackets - just the warmth of the sun on your face. Next comes autumn (probably my favorite season of all); orange, red, and yellow leaves ... the trees resemble a midday fireworks display. Winter, for all the dreariness it can bring with slush and slippery driving, it can also bring pristine sparkling snowy days - a moment when everything is pure, clean, and untouched by mankind.

 

Today it was in the low 70s, blue skies with lots of sunshine, and just a hint of color change on the trees. A perfect day to play hooky and make a run by the cider mill; enjoy some cinnamon-sugar donuts hot out of the oven and some tasty cider, followed by a nice walk on the nature trail. It doesn't get any better than this.

 

Usually my days off are spent running errands and tackling mile long TO DO lists, but then a day like today comes along and you just have to throw caution to the wind and go for it. Just like the different seasons change our weather patterns, our lives also need change from time to time. There is a reason for every season, a time for snow and rain and wind and sun. Our lives are no different. We have seasons too. We have our youth, our young adult transitions with college and work, our married lives and careers, our parenting seasons, and then comes the season that I'm entering ... the one where you're still married, you're still working, you're still a parent, but suddenly you have a little more free time. That's the season when you give yourself permission to take up a new hobby, register for a class, spend an afternoon off working at the library, or taking a mid morning walk at the cider mill with your husband before you both head back to your real world of responsibilities. Like autumn, I think this is going to be a good season for me ... brightly colored and full of creative opportunities.

 

Embrace the seasons outside, as well as the seasons in your life. They all have purpose. What's your favorite season outside and why? What season do your see your life in right now?