SIGNS

Yesterday, after school, Catherine was just so tired of listening to kids jumping on our trampoline and SHE was stuck inside doing her homework.  Poor girl...she has been working SO hard to prove herself this quarter and her grades are reflecting it - but there is ONLY SO MUCH a gal can take!  So.....I grabbed my camera and said, "Come on...let's go look for signs of Spring!".....and what follows is what we found...

If this little tree/bush knew how much it lifts my spirits EVERY YEAR when THIS happens....it would get a very big head!  And, yet.....no big head here....just faithful blooming and a fresh start!

When we moved in, 5 years ago, this forsythia bush was "scraggly" and my neighbor asked me if I wanted help cutting it down?  HUH????  CUT IT DOWN? No way....forsythia DOES look a little messy in the summer but it is like a trumpet in a royal court in the SPRING!  

"DO-DO-DO-DO....hear ye...hear ye...the forsythia bush would now like to announce that Spring is around the corner and you really should stop covering up in heavy sweaters, bulky shoes and cumbersome clothing!  Find your capris and flip flops and short sleeve t-shirts!!"

I would like to officially apologize to this little gal....because I mow her down all through the summer...without a second thought.  But, yesterday she caught my eye and I said, "Thank you" to her because her little delicate, white blooms were singing a little "Spring Song" right beside the big, honkin' forsythia that it resides behind.

Catherine said, "Oh, Momma...get a picture of this little cute weed.....".  I immediately covered this FLOWER'S ears because I am SURE it doesn't realize it's a weed.  And so, from "FLOWER" lovers everywhere...we thank you little FLOWER for heralding in a Spring day...

So, I say to Catherine, "Help me find some MORE signs of Spring!" and, as if on cue, Tweedledee and Tweedledum walked around the corner.  One is MY Andrew and the other is his best bud Andrew.  Baseball....my heart sighs....is a VERY very good sign of Spring.  What turkeys they are....such wonderful little teenage turkeys...

Now back to our regularly scheduled program...the GRAND MARSHALL of Spring...the DAFFODIL!!

(Cue wild applause!!)  

Daffodil....you rock, sweetie pie...thanks for your faithful service to our cold, winter hearts!  You are like jumper cables - just the "sight" of you brings life back into people!

One of my ALL-TIME favorite signs of Spring...the trampoline comes to life again!  My kids have a serious love affair with this little invention - and, "NO" they have not broken all of their legs and arms and noses while using it.  We have had one for 8 years and have loved every second of it.  Okay, well, not EVERY second...but almost every second and that's good enough for me.

What follows is scary - It is not intended for serious photographers OR people who like for their subjects to sit still - be serious or not fall down.  They are not art - they are Spring injected children...

Oh, dear me...How did this get in there???  This is the final and most pressing sign of Spring - LESS CLOTHES = MORE EXERCISE!  This gadget is a throw-back from the 1960's and I LOVE it!  It reminds me of my Aunt Margie's house when I used to jump on it, twist around like "Animal" from the Muppets until my Momma would say..."Sweetie...get off...you are making Aunt Margie crazy..."

This concludes my "Signs" post....please feel free to look around you and shout "SPRING!! HAS!! SPRUNG!!" to unsuspecting neighbors.  They will not thank you for it!

HAPPY SPRING!