Spring officially begins tomorrow at 11:02 am. In his novel Great Expectations, Charles Dickens said:
“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.”
Charles, you are a wee bit off this morning.
I stepped out the door. The Earth is covered with a six inch blanket of wet snow. The Wind is gusting up to 20 mph. It is 28F. I shiver. And think…
- Where’s my Sun with a spring kiss of warmth?
- Where are my cherry blossoms?
- Where are my bubbling brooks?
- Where are my budding trees?
WHERE IS MY ALTERNATE REALITY?!
Brad Warner, zen priest, whispers:
“We always imagine that there’s got to be somewhere else better than where we are right now; this is the Great Somewhere Else we all carry around in our heads. We believe Somewhere Else is out there for us if only we could find it. But there’s no Somewhere Else. Everything is right here… Make this your paradise or make this your hell. The choice is entirely yours. Really.”
I wanna be…
Somewhere Else.
Somewhere Else.
Somewhere Else.
Somewhere Else.
Damn Brad. I’m being tested here.
Really.
Sources: Image – Secret Dreamlife. Dickens Quote: Thank you Carol Welsh – Flowers, Trees And Other Such Gifts of Nature. Warner Quote: Yogachocolatelove.
Live & Learn 
I am with you, David. Give me spring! Where is the warm sunshine? Not where I am.
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Not here yet either Kristin and we are a mere 6 hours from the official launch of spring. Maybe this will turn quickly but lunch time. (Let’s hope)
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I think it’s hard to define paradise with a temperature of 28 degrees. The good news of course is that I don’t think most people define hell as being untenably cold either. So I’d say you’re in some temporary place which requires you to bundle up before going outside and anticipate spring’s arrival (which is making its presence known in the subtle changes in the trees). When I grow up I want to write like you.
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I look forward to anticipate with your comments. I can hear your mind whirring. Darting this direction. Then thataway. And then all tied with a bow. LOVE IT.
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Some people would just call this glaring signs of ADD. 😉
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Oh…I like the new colors in the background…changing things up a wee bit?
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Laughing. I think it hit the wrong color after changing back from St Patty’s Day green. If you like it, we are sticking with it.
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Beautiful Dickens quote, and the zen quote is so true. But I like the great Somewhere Else! That’s why I write fiction!
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Funny. So true Ophelia.
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We are fortunate on this side of the country. Our trees are budding and we have been reaching temps in the 70’s. Although this could be just a tease… Have a great Tuesday!
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Wow. Rub it in Pal. Nice.
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I’m taking up the “I want to be somewhere else” chant up too. As I was driving home from a session end of last week, it was announced on the radio that this time last year, we were at +20 instead of -21. Sigh … spring always comes eventually!
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You are at -21? Wow. Do you live near the Arctic Circle?
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LOL … oops. That would be -5.8 in Fahrenheit. Sounds a lot worse when I say -21 doesn’t it?
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It does!
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You too David? We’re expecting 15cm or something I think…Its the final one! It has to be! Out to do some shoveling before going to work!
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Yes, Kim. It needs to stop. Now. 🙂
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Ah, but we’re in the transition. There’s no more exciting place to be.
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So, then, let’s get on with it. 🙂
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Patience, Grasshopper 🙂
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Pssst….the sun with a spring kiss of warmth is here in California 🙂
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Ha! Rub it in Angeline. Nice!
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Yep, white here, too and frigid cold with winds you can hear through the windows. Not what I was hoping for the week of spring. Holding on to hope..at least we have sunshine here now!
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Hope. That’s it Vicki. That’s what we have left. 🙂
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We are expecting a high of 21 degrees tomorrow in Chicago: a perfect January day.
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Laughing. So funny.
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David –
If you take a moment, lean in really close, you can see the green tips of spring bulbs beginning to come up…. -)
– J.
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Laughing. What reality were you looking at yesterday’s morning. I need to get on your fantasy plateau Jeff. 🙂
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Dave, your somewhere else is South Florida. Come on down : ) It’s been a glorious past two weeks… A lite rain now, but hey 75 highs and 54 lows… South Florida is calling you back…
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Ahhhhhhhhhh. South Florida. Joel, let’s just say you are close to heaven at this moment. Yes, it is calling me back. Wonderful.
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28F huh? That’s like a mere minus 2C.
Laughing. Poor Dave …
You’ve been away from your homeland way too long.
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Come on LaDona. -2C is like 30F, right? Stop being a Canadian and exaggerating about the cold weather. 🙂
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Me thinks that paradise every day could get boring. It’s a bit like people who work in chocolate shops, often end up going off chocolates. Hard to imagine, I know 😉
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Laughing. Nope. Can’t imagine paradise getting boring. And I certainly can’t imagine abstaining from chocolate. That bar is way too high.
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Spring on April, hot days, cold mornings. Tipic on México Central. Every cycle, every year.
Nothing change, only perception and expectations each people.
Roger
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Very nice Roger. I wanna be in Central Mexico! 🙂
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Just got home from Mexico and am missing the warmth! But spring weather is coming to Canada soon. Meanwhile I’ll put a sweater on and wait.
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yes, Anneli, we are all waiting…
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I nominated you for the Liebster Blog Award.If you want to accept, please visit this link
http://cristimoise.wordpress.com/2013/03/19/the-liebster-blog-award/#
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Thank you kindly Cristi. I appreciate it.
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Heaven? Hell? and somewhere else? makes me think -_-
Its 26°C | °F here at the moment and soon Summers will be here 😦
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🙂 Funny
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Blue sky & 85…but it is a little breezy. LoL. I would still like somewhere else.
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Oh Brother. Not sure why you’d like to be somewhere else but I’ll take your word for it. I guess Warner is right (in his quote above)…we’re all looking to be somewhere else.
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Oh man I am a victim of the Great Somewhere Else. Brad is right… I’m still learning the lesson.
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You aren’t alone Jolyn.
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I’m trying to learn to love the here and now and not keep looking for The Great Someplace Else (or something else). Living in South Florida is helping my training. Come down, David, almost everyone else from NY and Canada are here (and, of course, welcome!)
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🙂 Boy, would I love to take you up on your offer…
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Reblogged this on Wholeheartedness.
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Thanks for sharing Todd
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Spring is cold, warm, cloudy, snow, rain, sun. Damp earth frozen ground new shoots, flowers, frost. Spring embodies all the seasons as all seasons do. Memory reminds us of those ideal Spring days of our youth that only existed because we were thinking of summer. In the Waste Land April is the Cruelest Month (but only there I think):
“APRIL is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
Winter kept us warm, covering 5
Earth in forgetful snow, feeding
A little life with dried tubers.”
T.S Elliot.
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T.S. Elliot. This is new to me Frank. Love it.
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It’s from the Waste Land. A great poem written in the midst of depression.
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I’ll check it out Frank. Thanks.
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