Desert Magnolia

     The first blooms of spring are here, and my heart is soooo damned happy to see them! The first daffodils of the year popped open this week. Green hyacinth foliage is looking strong and ready to produce the first truly fragrant blossoms of the season. Tulip leaves are strong...with buds sure to follow in short order.     I go a little nuts in the Spring. I blame the fact that I am a Spring baby, but it could be other stuff too. It could be emerging from dark, cold, windy months feels really good. It could be I feel a connection to the earthiness of emerging green and buds and happy birdsong and a feeling of imminent life...         In any case, we are at the time of year when I look at my heavy sweaters and boots and give them notice - y'all aren't gonna be in my weekly rotation much longer so let's have fun over the next couple of weeks while Winter really releases its grip on us and Spring pops in with warmer, sunnier days and a sense o...

I have already shared how hard it is for me to focus in the Spring. I am a Spring baby, therefore that's the time when I feel extra alive, super energized, and very, very happy. The hyacinths, they are blooming. We have two right now - a glorious pink and a lovely purple. They both embody the essence of floral...their fragrance makes my cells sing and an enormous smile appear on my face. Focusing on mundane tasks like studying or sitting in class for hours on end...feels like a terrible waste of the gloriousness of this season. Just sayin. Hugs,  Stevie

It's nearly Spring. I know, it's only February 21st, but it feels like Spring out there. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and iris are pushing up through the ground. The earth smells different, like it's warming, like it's awakening, like it's about to offer up new life once more. The light is different. There is a warmth and intensity to sunbeams that warms the skin and stirs the spirit to take a deep metaphorical breath and stretch. The days are longer, and we open the windows to let the fresh air flow through the house, a space that has been mostly closed against the cold, cold days and nights of late. I am a Spring baby, which is why I have always felt particularly alive and vital and happy during this time. The birds are making interesting Spring sounds, too. Their coos and chirps have changed in tone to a happier and less resolute timbre. They know warmer days and nights await, and their song reflects joy in that awareness. May you all feel the blood in ...