It is suddenly spring today.
I walked up the stairs this morning after the kids got off to school and growled a little bit about the wasting of electricity and rotten kids who always leave their lights on because there was a distinct glow emanating from the Hooligan's room. I reached for the light switch and realized it was already off. The glow was from the sun, unhindered by clouds, shining in his window and reflecting off the orange paint on his walls. I stopped growling, obviously. Not only did my wee boy turn his light off without being reminded, the sun was visiting in my house. The sun! We do miss it so, this time of year. I have no right to complain about the weather. We have fared well this winter compared to the rest of the country. But I still have missed the sun, if you must know.
I don't want to talk about the weather. I've always been terrible at this sort of small talk.
Here are some little sprouts of things in this early spring light that I want to share:
1. Poppies and bearded irises. I ordered myself some beautiful bulbs last fall for my very own birthday and carefully planned and planted them in the front flower bed, which was previously filled with what I call "real estate plants." You know? The things they throw into the ground and mulch with cedar bark to spruce a place up quickly? I'm not a fan. So poppies and bearded irises. Not California Poppies. Those grow like weeds in the ditches around here. Great big Oriental Poppies, in every shade available. I'm most excited to see what comes of the blue one. I have a thing for blue flowers. And the bearded irises. I ordered them as an act of pure selfishness. I love them and they make me think of Vincent Van Gogh. My husband hates them and they make him think of Georgia O'Keefe. I ordered them anyway for their happy blue and white petals that flap like sweet tongues, for the funny faces that they make. I planted a collection of blue ones, of course. My husband's only comment was, "Oh good. A yard full of big, blue vaginas." Honestly though, that only makes me love them more. And him. So now all these bulbs I planted in faith, with trepidation in the fall are starting to grow. Just tiny buds right now, but I can see them. They will stretch and bloom and they will be glorious.
2. Time. Yes. Time is growing. I have a very squirrelly relationship with time and the way it shifts and moves on me. I took last year to step back and examine my use of the time I've been given. I like to be busy. I'm always up to something or other. I don't like to be busy with things that don't matter to me. I took a long, hard look at the things that took up my time and decided that henceforth I would try to only commit to things that I felt were a productive and/or enjoyable use of my time. Hoo boy. That has made all the difference in our lives in the last several months. I actually have more long-term commitments than I did a year ago, but I am less "busy" and I get more done. I don't know how to explain it. The only conclusion that I can come to is that it's magic. But, as the spring approaches, I find that instead of my usual digging in my heels and wishing for more winter (I mean really. Who does that?!) I am ready for spring. I am ready for what comes next.
3. Ideas. I have battened my creative hatches right now. I'm neck-deep in several new projects and because of #2 above, there, I don't want to stretch myself into a quivering mass of nonsense. The blog has suffered immensely and I do apologize for that, but do appreciate the brave souls who read on and leave me some love. Truly. This blog has been all over the place for the last several months and you have been champs who have hung in there.
4. Drag Queens. Did you read that piece when it came out in the Burrow Press Review? Well, it would appear that editors of literary magazines like it. It was selected as one of 5 finalists in Digital Americana's 501 Word Story contest and was just published in their winter issue. This week, in honor of AWP, they are offering their digital version of the magazine for free. So, there's that. [As a side note, even though AWP is taking place mere minutes from my home, I am not there. Why? Because I'm a great big chicken. I'm OK with that right now, though.]
5. Something else. Rebellion is fomenting. Revolution.
What's growing on your patch of the planet? Do tell.
I walked up the stairs this morning after the kids got off to school and growled a little bit about the wasting of electricity and rotten kids who always leave their lights on because there was a distinct glow emanating from the Hooligan's room. I reached for the light switch and realized it was already off. The glow was from the sun, unhindered by clouds, shining in his window and reflecting off the orange paint on his walls. I stopped growling, obviously. Not only did my wee boy turn his light off without being reminded, the sun was visiting in my house. The sun! We do miss it so, this time of year. I have no right to complain about the weather. We have fared well this winter compared to the rest of the country. But I still have missed the sun, if you must know.
I don't want to talk about the weather. I've always been terrible at this sort of small talk.
Here are some little sprouts of things in this early spring light that I want to share:
1. Poppies and bearded irises. I ordered myself some beautiful bulbs last fall for my very own birthday and carefully planned and planted them in the front flower bed, which was previously filled with what I call "real estate plants." You know? The things they throw into the ground and mulch with cedar bark to spruce a place up quickly? I'm not a fan. So poppies and bearded irises. Not California Poppies. Those grow like weeds in the ditches around here. Great big Oriental Poppies, in every shade available. I'm most excited to see what comes of the blue one. I have a thing for blue flowers. And the bearded irises. I ordered them as an act of pure selfishness. I love them and they make me think of Vincent Van Gogh. My husband hates them and they make him think of Georgia O'Keefe. I ordered them anyway for their happy blue and white petals that flap like sweet tongues, for the funny faces that they make. I planted a collection of blue ones, of course. My husband's only comment was, "Oh good. A yard full of big, blue vaginas." Honestly though, that only makes me love them more. And him. So now all these bulbs I planted in faith, with trepidation in the fall are starting to grow. Just tiny buds right now, but I can see them. They will stretch and bloom and they will be glorious.
2. Time. Yes. Time is growing. I have a very squirrelly relationship with time and the way it shifts and moves on me. I took last year to step back and examine my use of the time I've been given. I like to be busy. I'm always up to something or other. I don't like to be busy with things that don't matter to me. I took a long, hard look at the things that took up my time and decided that henceforth I would try to only commit to things that I felt were a productive and/or enjoyable use of my time. Hoo boy. That has made all the difference in our lives in the last several months. I actually have more long-term commitments than I did a year ago, but I am less "busy" and I get more done. I don't know how to explain it. The only conclusion that I can come to is that it's magic. But, as the spring approaches, I find that instead of my usual digging in my heels and wishing for more winter (I mean really. Who does that?!) I am ready for spring. I am ready for what comes next.
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| Check out the winter issue here |
4. Drag Queens. Did you read that piece when it came out in the Burrow Press Review? Well, it would appear that editors of literary magazines like it. It was selected as one of 5 finalists in Digital Americana's 501 Word Story contest and was just published in their winter issue. This week, in honor of AWP, they are offering their digital version of the magazine for free. So, there's that. [As a side note, even though AWP is taking place mere minutes from my home, I am not there. Why? Because I'm a great big chicken. I'm OK with that right now, though.]
5. Something else. Rebellion is fomenting. Revolution.
What's growing on your patch of the planet? Do tell.
I'm glad you're starting to see some sprigs... I'm almost losing hope of ever seeing green growing things again around here. We had a brief period of warm(er) weather last week that had everyone smiling and wearing lighter jackets, but the weather is back to freezing my eyelids shut again.
ReplyDeleteI'm working on number 2.
I'm also working on number 3.
Congratulations! You're a lovely writer, and I think you should be published all over the place.
As to what's growing up here - we're moving! We finally found the spot for us. And it's going to be wonderful. Not only will we have enough space to spread out and breathe, but I get a workroom all for my own. :) (I can't say that without a happy face.) And I'm fully embracing this opportunity to get rid of a lot of the stuff that's been weighing us down. I want to plant so many flowers.
I am envious of your impending spring! I miss living on the west coast for that reason... winter here - this year, at least - feels like it might never end.
ReplyDeleteYou are an amazingly talented writer. I am not surprised that you've been acknowledged! Congratulations. :)
Ooo, blue flowers! Your thoughts on blue salvia (the annual, not perennial)? And I love your husband's reaction, as well as yours to his. Love when the flowers are little and there's such promise and then they do become glorious, don't they? Yum.
ReplyDeleteI love to hear that you have so many projects, and I love to hear that you're being noticed for your creative efforts. Double-yum.
Things growing here: the pathways between so many disconnected ideas, dreams, relationships, fears. A small fetish with Pinterest. Also, I had to look up 'foment' and now I feel like I've just grown a bit too. Here's to movement and something else *chink-chink*
Don't know how I missed this. Congratulations! Your piece was awesome. Digital America is lucky to have it.
ReplyDeleteFabulous flowers and fabulous news about your words making their way out in the world!
ReplyDeletePS--I can soooo totally identify with the Big Chicken-ness. I was invited to read an essay in front of a (relatively) small crowd last fall and thought I was going to faint dead away at the mere thought. I did it, still can't believe I survived it and even felt better for having done it. It made me think, though, of one of my favorite Anne Lamott lines from Bird by Bird: "Seeing yourself in print is such an amazing concept: you can get so much attention without having to actually show up anywhere." I think I am still and will ever be the kind of writer that wants not to show up anywhere.