to every season...

i am trying not to mourn the snowstorm today. the erratic weather of the late winter drives me insane but at least at this point I know the snow will melt quickly and give way to the grass and the tulip shoots. I feel like I'm in a holding pattern--waiting, waiting for spring to spring and my energy to climb back up so i can tackle all the little daydreams on my list for the yard, house, and my time in general. cleo seems to be having this same reaction. yesterday she spent a good half hour composing a list of all the summertime activities she is excited to do. (her cute poppi sat and spelled out each word while i pitter patted around the kitchen cooking and cleaning.) in case you need a translation from 5 year old, it reads: swim, camping, hiking, nature walk, tubing, tree climbing, flower gardening. collect: butterflies, bugs, flowers, hide and seek outside.

the list is impressively simple and happily pretty well matches what i want to spend my time doing this summer! to cleo's list i would add bbqing, gin and tonic drinking, horseshoe playing, and reading in the sun. isn't it amazing what a little sunshine and warmth affords us both physically and mentally? simple pleasures seem so important and so much more attainable in the summer. a sweet watermelon, a whiff of lavender in the air, looking at the golden tan on your child's shoulders, lemonade on a porch swing... these small things really seem like something, and i guess it is because of their scarcity--the fact that we have to wait for most of the year to indulge in them--that makes them so sweet.

i feel so lucky to live somewhere with pronounced seasons. it is like a built in change of scenery and perfect for the a.d.d. i fight in my brain. every autumn, winter, spring and summer give me new chances to look forward to things and reclaim stuff i have missed. i look forward to these shifts in my focus and activities--even in wardrobe! i love the feel of that first wool sweater after the long hot summer as much as my toes peeping out for the first summery flip flop day. equally as much do i love the subtle changes each season brings in what and how i eat. summer's abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables at their peak of flavor makes it so easy to just eat light and fresh. i love grilling and fresh utah corn, cold pasta salads, and caprese salad with fresh tomatoes and basil. in the winter i crave those heavy meals where i cook and simmer something on the stove forever to draw out the flavor low and slow. mashed potatoes, tortilla soup, roasted meats and veggies....it all feels so savory and comforting, just what you need on a cold winter's night.

seasons seem like nature raising the flag and attempting to get our attention once again. (thank heavens she is a persistent sort!) the snow today got my attention and though it didn't make me want to run out and make one last snowman or snow angel, i know that the real miracle is that by next november i'll be running outside basking in the magic of those flakes all over again.