Living in Arizona prevents me from really experiencing Spring the way nature intended. We do not get to watch the snow and ice melt away, only to have the buds of green appear.
We basically go from coldish to warmish. Period. Spring. However, having lived in Boston, I really can appreciate the expression “Spring fever.” The process of defrosting and having the warm sun reappear.
Regardless of our lack of Spring in Arizona, I still love the season, filled with hope, renewal, restoration, and the promise of things to come. So without further ado , here are my Favorite (Spring) Things for Friday…
1. “The birds and the bees and the flowers in the trees…” It’s a little corny, but I enjoy hearing the annoyingly happy tweeting birdies outside my bedroom window each morning. I love glancing around and seeing things come to life. We don’t have an abundance of flowers growing in Arizona, but we do have an orange and yellow wildflower that blooms each spring. It cascades over front yards, on sidewalk cracks, and where ever else it can take root, leaving behind a beautiful display of sunny colors.
2. New wardrobe. Much of the U.S. dedicates their wardrobe to fall and winter clothes, but not us Arizonians. It is hot here more often that it is cold and so we are blessed to wear shorts, flip-flops, and tank tops a majority of the year.
3. Spring cleaning. I just discovered the greatness of spring cleaning a couple of years ago. While I do not like cleaning (and I mean, at all), having your home purged of needless items and then whipped back into shape, leaving it spic ‘n span is a glorious feeling.
4. Warmer weather. This should be a given. I open up the doors and windows in my house and let the beautiful weather pour in. My kids venture outside into the backyard, only to reemerge at lunch time. They then disappear again, spending hours rolling in the grass, chasing lizards, and “exploring” the backyard.
5. Fashion magazines. I’m a bit of a fashion mag junkie and spring is ripe with fashion. I love to pick up a stack of magazines and pour over them, drooling over each beautiful garment that I will inevitably never be able to buy.
6. Easter. Before becoming a Christian, Easter was a fun “holiday” filled with chocolate bunnies, baskets, and a church service. Now, however, the Easter celebration of my Savior’s Resurrection fills me with eternal hope and unsurpassed joy. I simply love celebrating Easter now because I understand (as much as a human, finite mind can) the depth and the weight of the Resurrection and not only what it means for me, but for the whole of humanity.
Plus, watching my kids all dressed up and running around a yard desperately searching for plastic, goody-filled eggs, is pretty hilarious too.
What is your favorite thing about Spring? Anything you look forward to each year? How do you celebrate Easter?
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My favorite things about spring are: not needing shoes. Yes, I am a redneck and I proudly proclaim it. I once pumped gas, paid for it and came back to the car with no shoes. (young and dumb… ahhh LOL) I hate shoes. I loathe having my feet covered, and I desperately despise the 20 minutes it takes to shoe all my kids. To say, flops on and go! 45 seconds is bliss.
Tulips. I have tons of them planted, and seeing them makes me smile.
Open windows is a fall thing at my house (allergies abound) but I do try to sneak in a few days between the nasty bradford pears blooming and the grass cutting beginning to fling the curtains open and toss up the windows.
Sunshine, in longer doses. Sometimes I think I have seasonal depression — I CRAVE sunshine.
The countdown to our annual beach trip is much smaller!
Not putting my kids on the bus in the dark. Not a biggie for some, but my kids stand at the end of our street and I can’t see them in the dark — kinda scary even if he is 5’5 and hillbilly mean.
The zoo! We have a membership and go year round, but something about the zoo in the spring is just precious.
Babywearing without a coat! I had to throw it. I can (and have, and do, and will) wear my beloved Boba SSC (and yeah, the kid that goes in it) with a coat but it’s SO pretty (apple green and brown) that I love to show it off.
I could go on but I’ll save your eyes. LOL! Yeah, love spring. All spring. :)
Ade
Can’t think of a lot. There is something about spring in az where we have this breif opportunity to NOT have the AC on in the car….so I would have to say going for drives with the window down and the radio up! a small thing but I really do enjoy it. I would also add Cadburry eggs…yum , and seeing all the little girls easter sunday dresses for sale at walmart…too cute! ….I agree with you on understanding the importance of Easter after becoming a Christian. The Resurrection for sure being the most important favorite thing!
I agree on the brief period when we get to drive with the windows down. I love that too.
Cadburry eggs are my kryptonite. As a kid, I used to hoard and covet them. Now as an adult..well, I pretty much do the same thing.
And yes, so thankful for the Resurrection–the very reason we have hope!
I am so with you on beng shoe-less. In the summers growing up here I was always without shoes.
The hot Arizona sun left my feet scorched, but they were tough as nails too. I still hate wearing them!
I love tulips too, so much.
If you crave sunshine, you should move to AZ. We certainly have enough to go around.
I feel like you do…just cool weather here in the UAE, and then back to hot again. No fall, no spring, no real winter either. The winters here are pretty close to the summers we have up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (where I’m from).
Anyway, favorite things:
The color of the green as new leaves start budding out of the trees. It’s so bright and cheerful!
That smell in the air. You know what I’m talking about? It’s the warm breeze with the still cool earth…an amazing smell.
No more shoveling. Being from Michigan, you get pretty sick of shoveling all winter, and it’s nice to not have to do it anymore. Seeing your yard for the first time in many months is nice, too.
There’s just a few! :)
josh
Josh,
you are more than welcome to join us in Arizona, where nobody ever hurt his back from shoveling sunshine from the driveway.