Spring Has Sprung

I crawled out from my cave today, just in time to find some signs of spring in my front flower bed.

Maybe it is time to wake up now, and mingle with the rest of the world.


I heard a heavenly chorus of angels singing that spring it here!!!

If it gets up to 50 degrees tomorrow, like they predict, I'll have some crocuses blooming.
Look to the left, a huge tarantula watches over the new spring sprouts. Who knew we had such big spiders in North Idaho?
Hostas will be growing before you know it!!!

Hope springs eternal. It is coming....can you feel it?

Spring is in the air!!!

To Spring


William Blake

O thou with dewy locks, who lookest down
Through the clear windows of the morning, turn
Thine angel eyes upon our western isle,
Which in full choir hails thy approach, O Spring!

The hills tell one another, and the listening
Valleys hear; all our longing eyes are turn’d
Up to thy bright pavilions: issue forth
And let thy holy feet visit our clime!

Come o’er the eastern hills, and let our winds
Kiss thy perfumèd garments; let us taste
Thy morn and evening breath; scatter thy pearls
Upon our lovesick land that mourns for thee.

O deck her forth with thy fair fingers; pour
Thy soft kisses on her bosom; and put
Thy golden crown upon her languish’d head,
Whose modest tresses are bound up for thee.

I Found Hope In My Front Yard

Despite the continuous fall of snow today (okay, enough already. I loved the big winter, and the tons of snow, but it is spring for goodness sake.)

As I was saying goodbye to my friends this afternoon after our book group, I spied this in the front flower bed. YIPEE!!!

The crocus has emerged and is ready to bloom.

Okay, maybe spring is on the way.

Silver Linings--Signs of Spring Arrive in my Corner of the Silver Valley

Even though I woke up to about 4 inches of snow this morning in my yard, when I was pulling into my garage this afternoon, this pleasant picture greeted me in the flower bed in front of my house.

There is something about seeing that first crocus that should bring hope to the heart of everyone who sees it. With it comes with the promise of spring. As I went outside to take in the beauty of this little bit of sunshine, I noticed other green shoots pushing their way up toward the soil.

It was one year ago that we purchased this house. We brought these bulbs over from our other house and planted them last fall. Now they are making their way toward the light to give us a splash of color and hope in our current cold and dark wintery world.

The crocus reminds me of the verses in Hebrews 11: 1-3 that say:

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible."

Faith is like that bulb I planted last fall, that was buried in the earth, not seen all winter. Then, at the right time, during the right conditions, it burst forth as a lovely splash of color.

Often we go through, cold, wintery, dormant times in our life, where it seems like all our hope and faith is gone. Everything bright and sunny is buried somewhere inside of our dark souls, and we feel like the conditions of our life will never be right for our faith and hope to be restored. But then, all of a sudden, the conditions are right, someone or something causes a stir inside our soul, and we realize there is an end to the darkness of our own personal winter. Our own green shoots start reaching toward the sun, and we begin to bloom once again.

During these times, I realize there is a God who cares about me, and helps restore hope and faith in my life once again.

I found this poem about the first crocus from the National Catholic Register. It was a perfect poem to accompany my discovery today.

The Crocus

In March amid the blow and cold,

up through the layered leaves dark mold

a golden crocus blooms alone.

Distilled from earth, rain, snow and sun,

appointment kept, the cycle run

a Chalice lifts and winter's gone.

--Sr. Martha Wickham, ASC Red Bud, Ill.

Take hope in the fact that winter will end, and spring is just around the corner.