A Quote

The greatest danger

for most of us

is not our

aim is too high

and we miss it,

but that it is too

low

and we hit it.

Michelangelo

Fickle Spring

An old legend says the reason the weather this time of year is so volatile is that old man Winter wages a last battle or two with the young maiden of Spring. Winter may be old, but he is sneaky and catches Spring unaware. Spring herself is a youth in the midst of the hormonal challenges of growing up.

No wonder the weather is less than predictable.

These are my tender tomato plants tucked in for a cold night. While the winds raged at 30 mph and the temps dropped to the mid thirties, hopefully, the tomatoes slept snug and warm under their shelters.


Since I'd already made the mental change to warmth and actually pulled shorts and sandals out of the closet, I'm less than pleased.

However, I am thankful there's no snow on my green grass, too. And that I have a warm, cheerful quilt to snuggle under.

Keep yourself warm and working for the Spring Theme Challenge. The deadline is April 9th. Thanks for all those who already sent comments and photos!

Bravo

An interesting, challenging, and thoughtful talk on creativity by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of 'Eat, Pray, Love.'

Elizabeth Gilbert on Creativity

You don't know how much I wish all Creative Soul readers could gather for coffee after hearing a speaker like this. What wonderful discussion we would have.

Thanks to Becky for alerting me to this talk and to Tom for teaching me how to embed a video in my blog post. I've learned something new today!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Bloom

First Monarch of the Season.
I figure he blew in on all the wind. Here he is refueling on my new heliotrope blooms.

Bearded Iris


Snowy white Indian Hawthorne (Clara, I think.) and cherry red dianthus


Bridal bush


The neighbor's wisteria crawling on the fence between our houses. I wish you could enjoy the scent along with me.


Tomato transplants are in


Thanks for all your kind comments about the spring poetry piece. It was fun to come inside and dump that on the blog. And thanks a bunch for all your enthusiasm for the Spring Theme challenge. I can't wait to see what you create!

Welcome Spring

In the dark, cool morning, I step.

In just a moment of time, the earth will turn, the sun will slip across the equator in it's journey back to us and the season will just as easily slip from winter to spring. A mathematical equation. A moment in time. Predictable. Explainable. Incredible.

In the dark, cool morning, there are no stars.

High, wispy clouds float across a cresent moon. Too many lights from neighborhoods around us shine on the clouds hiding the glittering community of stars overhead.

In the dark, cool morning, I stand, a cup of something warm in my hands, breathing the rich steam.

Never again in the history of time will this moment happen just this way again. If I live 100 years, I will only see spring 100 times.

Please God, let me notice the details.

Let me not get so busy that I forget to see, to hear, to taste, to enjoy the changes. In the wide wheel of time, let me remember to focus on the beauty and precision that is creation. This place, this moment.

In the dark, cool night, I stand, welcoming back the sun,

although darkness still reigns.

The fountain in the goldfish pond splashes. Nearby, a mockingbird sings for his mate, liquid notes into the soft early morning. My toes in the hastily slipped on sandals are chilled.

Wake up, earth.

It's spring.

The sun returns bringing with it light, warmth, and the potential for growth. What will I do with this moment, this time, this spring?

In the dark, cool night, I stand, dawn just over the horizon.

Savoring.

Welcome spring.

A Spring Challenge

Spring makes me antsy to plant, start new projects and learn new things. Grow, change, do. In short, to CREATE. Maybe it does the same for you, too. I got to thinking it was time for a challenge.

Here's my challenge...create something that says spring to you. It could be a quilt block, a poem, a collage, a photo, or a planter filled with spring color. Maybe you'll whip out a paint brush to dash something wonderful on canvas or maybe you'll pick up a pen and create a fabulously fantastic short story. Do whatever floats your boat. Just keep spring as the theme.

Then...send a copy of your writing or a photograph of your creation to:
debsmuse AT ONE scom DOT net
(replace all caps words with symbols and squish the whole thing together.)

There will be a couple of prize packages for the two most favored by my trusty team of judges, nothing terribly fancy, but fun, nevertheless. Best of all, you'll have the pleasure of bragging about winning a contest on my blog! Feel free to invite other blogging buddies to enter as well.

We'll have a quick deadline...April 9th...so you've got three weeks. Now...shake off those winter blahs and get creating!

O The Green!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Today is the last average freeze date for our area...and, wow, we are having an early spring....it seems a full two weeks earlier than normal, but I'll take it.

Here's a little green to help you celebrate St. Pat's properly.













When I was a girl, I remember my Mom saying not to plant the veggie garden until the mesquite trees had broken bud and started to leaf out. I don't have mesquite here in my neighborhood, so I've always used crepe myrtles as my indicator, along with weather reports and common sense. Right now, two different varieties are leafing out. I've the itch to plant, plant, plant.