Signs of Spring!

Happy March Everyone! Just 20 more days till spring officially begins, but I decided that it's starting earlier around my house. The signs are here...

One creation by Mother Nature...


And one of my own...



Till next time,


Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!
-Thomas Blackburn, "An Easter Hymn"

A Spring Haiku

Spring, are you coming?
The winter wants to leave,
It has my blessing!

I've been on a bit of a creative hiatus lately, so I'll take advantage of my own dry spell to pay attention to someone else's creating! I just realized tonight that spring is one month away! And while I'm very much ready for spring this year, I was extremely thankful to wake up to this scene in my window recently...


And the adorable snowmen in my neighborhood put a huge smile on my face! (I really thought I'd find more than two on my walk today, however!!)



The amazing number of empty bird nests I spotted made up for the lack of neighborhood snowman. I bet I saw close to 100 nests - all types and sizes. They sure looked empty, and boy...is it quiet in the air!


Even though it's a winter wonderland now, I know it won't be too much longer before those spring birds are back...I can't wait!! Here's a little house wren that nested at our front door last spring. I wonder if his family will be back this year?


Spring, I'm ready for you! Feel free to remind me of this post when I'm knee deep in weeds!



Till next time,


Snowmen fall from Heaven unassembled.
-Unknown

My Dream House

About a mile or two away from me, is my dream house. It reminds me of an Italian villa with a long driveway leading up to it. If you're not looking for it, it would be easy to drive by and miss it. As for me, the people who live there probably think I'm a stalker, because I have, on occasion, pulled over to the side of the road to look down the drive and admire it. Every time I drive by it, I wish that it was mine! If you live nearby, maybe you know which house I'm talking about.

So, my journal page that I've been working on lately was in response to this dream house of mine. The actual house doesn't look quite like this though. The real house is white, and it has many more windows (and there's a lake in the back, too!).


But, like any art journaling, I've used what's inside my own mind to create this image. I think I chose yellow to show how bright and alive the house is in my mind. I had to put at least one window there, to let some all important light into the house. When I added a door to my house, I realized that there is one thing that is absolutely required in my dream house....it must be filled with love! (good thing I printed out 3 of those same phrases in different sizes...it really made it quite clear to me how important that is!!)

So my original simple intentions to honor my dream house turned out to be much more important than just a house down the street. It opened my eyes to show me what really matters to me in a home....

If I were asked to name the chief benefit of the house, I should say: the house shelters day-dreaming, the house protects the dreamer, the house allows one to dream in peace.
-Gaston Bachelard