Transition

Long Time, No Hear.

There is something about traveling that always interrupts my flow of thought. It seems to take me a week or so to make the full transition and get back to my normal routine. As a result I haven't made any entries in my blog for a couple of weeks. The laundry is up to date, the groceries bought, and the weather has made a vast improvement so I'm getting back to normal. As a result here I am, with my latest observations on life around me.

While I was in Florida Larry would give me the weather updates; "'It's going to be 16 degrees tonight. We had snow this morning." A neighbor sent me a photo of our snow covered neighborhood, taken just a few days before I was due to come home. Talk about a Spoiler Alert!! There I was enjoying the sun and temperatures in the 80's and all I could think of was I might be going back to THAT! Oh the gloom!

Over the years I have made many trips taking me from where I wanted to be, to a place I was willing to put off getting to. I've learned that a trip that takes a couple of days to make has always helped me in that transition. As I left Florida the sun was shining and the day was beautiful. Oh how I hated to leave. However, the drive was a beautiful one. All through that day as I headed north, I saw various levels of full blown spring. The sky was clear, and trees were green. The further north I went I witnessed earlier stages of spring. By the end of the day I was seeing less green on the trees, but more early spring flowers. It had been a beautiful day, ending with an equally beautiful sunset.

The next morning as I crossed into Virginia I noticed the grass was green but the leaves were gone. I had to chuckle when each time I crossed a state border I noticed a definite difference in the signs of spring, from leaves to no leaves, flowering trees to forsythia, the earliest of the blooming plants. It was as if the weather also recognized state borders.

By the time I arrived back in Pittsburgh I had mentally reconciled to the local climate. I unpacked my shorts and put my sweatshirt back on.

I've been home for 2 weeks now. God has been good to me. Spring is here. The weatherman still offers the threat of snow, but if we get any it turns out to be 15 minutes of flurries followed by rain. Oh yes. Lots of rain. But we have enjoyed some wonderful spring days as well. Last weekend the sun came out and warmed us up. By Monday the forsythia and daffodils had popped.

Spring is fickle. Two weeks ago we had snow. One week later I was mowing the yard. But it is spring. A time of transition. And I'm glad it is here.