The State of Things

We are back in London! And as it tends to do, spring has arrived in bloom while (whilst) we were gone! Don't you remember leaving for Spring Break, only to come home to your car covered in pollen and blooms on the trees and in the flower beds?

I have mounds (literally) of laundry in our room. The washer/dryer sounds as though it might take off any moment now. The suitcases are still out. Wiley's clothes are in piles on my bed. The floors are dusty. Perhaps spring cleaning got its start because we all leave town only to come home to a house that is desperate for a good scrub, and well, you might as well clean out the closets and clean the baseboards as well!

I am happy to say, I reorganized my little closet. I moved 3 sweaters to the left side of the closet, deeming them "too hot" to wear now. Notice, that they are only to the side, not in storage (pretending I had any). I wouldn't doubt London to pull spring out from under my feet and put me back in my cashmere and wool blend sweaters (God love them.) In place of my 3 sweaters, I have added 2 shorts, a white skirt, one "going out" top, and 5 short sleeved shirts. My flats are in use again without leaving my feet numb, however I still don't have any open toed sandals out. And I don't think I'll be brave enough for those for another month.

This morning, through our little Venetian blinds in our room, sunlight was peaking out. I remembered distinctly the first time this happened two days in a row. Maybe in mid- February. Our room was brighter and golden rather than its normal cold, grey tones. Before even getting out of bed, I could tell the day was already going to be better than usual--perhaps to the park, vacuum and mop, do 10 loads of laundry, teach the English to abandon beans and toast along with mushy peas, bake, cook dinners for the rest of the week, blog, solve the world's problems, write 20 handwritten notes, read...anything and everything was possible!

And then it happened again. Astounding! The sun did not forget us!

I woke up to darker shades the next day, and the story continued, a few glimpses of the hope of spring followed by a reminder that winter might not be through with us yet.

Then suddenly, the sunny days happened 5 days in a row. 5 days of turning toward the window to assess the day ahead, and perhaps get a forecast of my mood: good and even better. I heard birds singing again. Was I being dramatic, or did they really stop their song for the winter, insisting on waiting until the warmth came back before they paused on soon-to-bud branches and heralded the news: Spring is here.

Perhaps I missed winter's last stand while (whilst) in Italy--the land of milk and honey, erm, sunshine, pizza, and red wine. I certainly hope so. I don't even want to know actually for fear that it hasn't happened yet. All I know is that at the park this morning, the daffodils were out, the camellias were in bloom, and a few new curious yellow blooms caught my eye.

The sun was peeking through the edges of my blinds this morning. It's been a day that begs you, implores you, to go to the park and stay for awhile.

And in London, I harbor the fear that,perhaps, in the next 5 days only rain would pitter patter outside my blinds. So today, we go to the park. In the morning. In the afternoon.

In between, I conquer the laundry and dust bunnies. But this time with my windows open.