Spring

Spring officially "sprung" at 1:48 am on March 20th this year.
However, in my neck of the woods (south west Michigan), we had one last hurrah for winter in the form of a 6 inch layer of snow, just in time for the Easter weekend. Yeah, I know, I'm pagan and don't celebrate Easter.... well... yeah, I do. Only my Husband and I are pagan. Everyone else is not and so, Easter it is.
But really, the point of this post is Spring.
My daffodils are up about three inches, the Great Blue Herons are home again, canadian geese, Robins, and the bluebirds and indigo buntings have all been sighted and heartily welcomes home for the summer.
I didn't even mind that little snow storm because I could still see that soft greenish note in the treetops where the sap is running and the buds are swelling...
It makes me crave raw fresh veggies, things that look, smell, taste GREEN.
Green is the colour that gives me hope. It's the return of life. Green tends to be more relaxing to me than any shade of blue. mmmm.... laying on a blanket under a tree looking up at all the shimmery green leaves in the breeze with the sun dappling through (sigh)
It's also a time to start opening up the house again after being sealed against the winter.
We're supposed to be getting a 60 degree day next week and I can't wait!
The windows and doors are getting opened, bedding will be hung out on the line to be freshened (yes.. I do wash sheets and blankets, but I have a few down pieces that only get freshened when I can't get to the laundromat.)
A nice general cleaning will then commence and all the cobwebs that were missed, the dust that just floated from place to place... everything will be washed! This also uncludes some outdoor items, like the grill and our firepit up on MoonHill. There's also a large black plastic tub that will get filled in the morning with water and allowed to heat (it gets pretty warm in the sun!) and my Darling Husband Tom, will get the honours of giving the boys (our 8 year old beagle/bassett mix, Russell and our 7 month old English Pointer, Ralphie) their spring baths.... and do they need it!
I'm already trying to get a head start in the house: Cleaning out the frige and taking everything apart and washing it properly... getting the airconditioners ready.... touch ups on the walls.... cobwebs gone... and planning my strategy for getting rid of a lot of ..... stuff.
We're also talking about cleaning the garage one weekend and taking the stuff from the Garage attic too... this will all get sorted, cleaned and priced and put into a three or four day garage sale that will then fund some neat family adventure for a weekend this summer.
I'll be posting about our cleaning sessions.
Something I'm looking forward to sharing with you all is making your own cleaning products and the majik I use to make them more effective.
By this I mean to help them clean better, more thoroughly and to help keep things cleaner longer.
well...speaking of work to do, it's WAY past time for me to get a move on...
I'll be posting tomorrow with some great "green" cleaning recipes and that lovely chant I mentioned.
Maybe I'll even make up a basic itinerary for cleaning and post that too, just to give you an idea of what I do.
Be well in Spirit and Strong in Heart!
Shosha