Spring has sprung! Well....sort of. Last night, we 'sprung ahead' with the time, meaning that the sun was out, in the sky, approaching the 7 o'clock hour this evening. Holla! Temps climbed all the way into the 40's today, as well...a virtual heatwave! These two things give us winter-weary peeps even more reason to look forward to the coming spring.
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I could already feel it coming, and now the signs are becoming more apparent. This winter has been too long and too dreary and I think we all need a little lifting of the spirits, which spring will most certainly do. Spring is my favorite season, and as far as I'm concerned, it has sprung!
Hello to my fellow peeps who've been suffering through this long, cold winter like I have.I just wanted to let you know...it's almost over! The end of February is near and I am starting to see signs.. Oh, they're small, but they're definitely there. Yes, in the past two weeks it's been brutal, with temps often in the single digits and wind chills below zero. The cold has put almost everyone in the doldrums and I think we've all got to start thinking...spring! I know I am.
Even though the past two days have been some of the worst so far, the massive ice that's covered all the previous snows and our streets and our driveways is starting to melt away. Oh, it's going slow, but I can just feel things inching steadily towards the next season and a brighter mood. The really cold snappers are becoming a shorter duration. Yesterday was extremely cold early, but by 11, the temperature was already in the 20's, and if you've been feeling the singles, the 20's definitely don't feel so bad.
The sun is going down later and later, and so the longer daylight brings more time for the ice and eventually the snow to melt away and that'll even get better shortly as we're gonna 'spring ahead' in just a couple of weeks.
So hold tight friends. It's right around the corner, and very soon you'll start seeing those daffodils and crocuses and find yourself in a better mood. The Spring Awakening is coming!
Here's a poem I published two years ago on Yahoo Voices. I don't consider myself a poet, but sometimes I think I do alright...
Spring Awakening
The Northeast Land of the snowbirds Fleeing the cold northern chill For the warm Florida winter Only to return to the splendor of a New York summer
I say these wintry migrates don’t know what they’re missing. Yes, winter here can be long and cold, it can make you weary But there are things about winter that are nice Like the beauty of the snow, hot chocolate to warm the heart A restful sleep beneath a warm blanket
The best thing about winter, though, Is its end… the transformation from winter to spring When that first burst of warm air returns to the region, Igniting a fire within the weariest of souls
A reawakening like no other A return of the spirit, one that slowly dissipated with a long winter, But has now returned
A spring awakening is a much needed part of the cycle of life’s years The warm air, the newly flowering blooms beckon us to great days ahead Relighting a fire that’s been dormant for months
I’ll take winter anytime As long as I can experience the euphoria of spring awakening!
Well, we're now into the second day of longer days and I'm starting to get spring fever! The change of seasons is one of the reasons I love living in a place that gets all four of them...life is just soooo good once the flowers start blooming, the days get longer, and the temps get warmer.
"Spring Affair" is an absolute disco classic from a bona fide superstar. Many disco detractors could always criticize the fact that much disco music was meaningless and mindless, but Donna was a rare exception to that rule. At the time this came out, I was a mid-teen, disco-hating fool, and I didn't really get to know Donna and her music until way after, but once I did, it was love!
Donna Summer's "disco" music was always lyrically sound and beautifully produced, and "Spring Affair" was just one of many of her great tunes of the era. So, roll your windows down (or just pull em open if you're sitting at home, lol) click play, and enjoy! Happy Monday and happy spring!
Since today is the unofficial start of spring and it feels so good to have longer days ahead, I figured I'd feature a very happy song for the day. Enjoy!
I’ve got to say, I’m getting more and more surprised every day with the number of page views this blog is getting. I know that by most standards, a couple of hundred hits a day is peanuts, but to me it’s more than I expected and I’m very pleased about it! So if there are any of you out there who read this blog regularly, please let me know who you are by following me either through Google (on the sidebar) or via Networked Blogs on Facebook. And, just in case I haven’t said it enough, thanks for reading.
Spring Saturday
Today is Saturday, and it was a beautiful day outside. Spring is definitely in the air and it feels good. Since it was such a busy week and I didn’t get much done around the house, today was a day of chores. Though I’m not really the biggest fan of household chores, there’s something about making your house clean on a beautiful day that’s fulfilling. You know, windows open and all. Besides, I had my music to help get me going…
Stuck in Neutral
I really need to do another Crossroads piece, but for the past couple of months I’ve been kind of stuck in neutral. I’ve been looking for a job, but one can only do so much without jobs being posted. Hopefully as the school year draws to a close, more districts will be advertising. Fingers crossed!
I really don’t want to make a move on the house yet either, but I may have to soon. Summer’s approaching quickly and I don’t even have enough saved yet for the two mortgage payments that’ll be due. Yikes, I could really let this bother me, but I’ve been working on a brand new attitude lately and it’s helping. From here on in I’m going to take things one day at a time and not get bogged down with worry. Hehe, I’m finally following my own advice. I’m hopefully going to find some summer employment to help out, so there’s no panic in the streets just yet.
With the weather getting nice, I actually don’t feel like I’m in a rush to move to the city. Long Island is so beautiful in the summertime and of course the beaches and Fire Island are close by. My perfect scenario would be to find a job, sell my house in the fall and then move into the city, and of course have the best summer ever! I so deserve it after the crappy winter I’ve had! We’ll just have to see what happens…
Y!CN this week
I haven’t spent too much time writing at all this week, and go figure: the page views at Y!CN have been doing well. I’ve been spending a lot of time ‘workin’ it” on Twitter and I think that’s helping. I’ve been averaging between 500 and 700 daily hits, so woo hoo! Here are the two pieces I published this week:
This week’s coverage was pretty good: a new John Mellencamp/Stephen King musical in the works; the ACM Awards; an update on the Britney Spears tour coming this summer; and of course the weekly charts on iTunes and Billboard.
Okay, so this one’s almost over, but there’s still one more day to catch a great meal at a great price at many fine restaurants across the island. Sunday, April 10th is the last day.
Mary’s ‘Work That’
Here’s a video for a relatively unknown, but make-you-move kind of song from Mary J Blige. It got me going earlier and I hope it’ll get you moving, too, on this wonderful Saturday night.
