Spring has Sprung…

I am smiling today… because of a simple dandelion, and a few purple crocuses. They were peeking thru the brown dried up grass… Little signs are popping up all around… that spring has finally sprung!

Winter’s just drains the color from the wonderful world outdoors… Mind you, I love the white fresh fallen snow… but we didn’t get much of that this past winter… it was just long dreary and cold…. Too long in my opinion.

And so I rejoice… as I know that Spring has Sprung… and Jolie knew it too! We stepped outside this morning and both stopped, smelled the Springy fresh air, and realized our winter coats needed to be hung back in the closet. Today we wore our lighter jackets… no hats, no gloves… just big sunny smiles!!!

It is so amazing what a fresh spring day can do for the soul... To me it brought the excitement of the wonderful days to come… to re explore the parks, the beaches… Jolie will rediscover these places again and love it all even so much more now that she is older. I can’t wait to see her excitement when she no longer has to wear tights, and can let the hot beach sand fall in between her toes, and splash in the ocean waves. I can’t wait for her to put on her dresses with no layers underneath, for the warm breezes to blow thru her hair, for the sunlight to tan her skin, and her smile to beam almost as bright as the summer sun. I can’t wait for deck parties, and barbeques, and afternoon drinks and dinners outdoors! I am so ready for this wonderful weather… bring it on!!!

"To Risk"

"To Risk" by William Arthur Ward

"To laugh is to risk appearing a fool,
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.

To reach out to another is to risk involvement,
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.

To place your ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss.

To love is to risk not being loved in return,
To live is to risk dying,
To hope is to risk despair,
To try is to risk failure.

But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, But he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or live.

Chained by his servitude he is a slave who has forfeited all freedom.

Only a person who risks is free.

The pessimist complains about the wind;

The optimist expects it to change;

And the realist adjusts the sails."

Last weekend we went to a wonderful B&B with our dear friends, and I captured this picture of my daughter and her best friend... Enjoying a simple kiss! Purely innocent, purely wonderful. Kids have their sails set to fly with the wind, to love, to discover, to believe, to dance and sing and just not care!

I forever want to be that kinda kid. In my heart, in my life... I strive to find that happiness, that pure joy...