Hangin' With My Buds in Spring

I love love love the change of seasons...so much, that I don't know if I could ever pack my bags and migrate down to Florida for good. I think I'd rather hang around here with my "buds" in Spring, and watch the leaves turn colors in Fall.

Now that I am home all of the time, one thing I am looking forward to -- almost as much as a shoe sale at Nordstrom’s -- is taking note of nature’s tiny day-to-day changes proclaiming that Spring is here. OK, maybe I’m exaggerating just a bit, because I think I still might prefer a pair of awesome leopard smoking flats at 40% off.  But seriously, watching for signs of Spring is really a big deal to me. Why? For most of my working life, the subtleties of nature's work were a blur. The only signs of Spring I saw on a regular basis were the ones promoting the annual flower show at Macy’s.  My daily rapport with Mother Nature existed soley to determine what kind of footwear to wear...unless, that is, she got my attention with some extreme weather event, like a hurricane... and then I knew I had to wear my Hunter rain boots. Now, I have a chance to get to know her better. 

There's been more than one Spring that I totally missed trees blossoming, or daffodils blooming in my yard, which made me really sad.  My husband would tell me to slow down and “notice the buds.” He meant this literally and figuratively.  I tried really hard, but most of the time, it was dark when I got home from work, and I was just too darn busy to take note.  So while I was at the office, he would email me pictures of our yard, so at least I could see what it looked like digitally. I kid you not.

Now that the clocks have sprung forward, I've been on the lookout for the tiniest signs of Spring. My daffodil bulbs are poking out of the ground, and the hydrangea and forsythia bushes have little buds. Yes, it's possible that we can still get a few more snowstorms, but Spring is not going to get by me this year…unless, that is, I can’t tear myself away from that shoe sale at Nordstrom's.

I’m curious…how do you make time to slow down and notice your surroundings? What seasonal changes are occurring now where you live?

Amy