Sunny Days

I went out to Second Home Nature Center this morning for the last pancake breakfast of the season. After snarfing down my cakes and sausage, I headed out for my first walk of the season. During winter the trails are restricted to cross-country skiing, and seeing as how I am not much for the cold, I tend not to get out to the nature center much when the snow is on the the ground.

Even though it was a brightly sunny, mild spring day, the ice has not yet gone out, leaving the lake looking very wintery.

A small pond was looking more spring-like though.

I walked the trail I favor for spring wildflower watching. In a month it will be bursting forth with all the flowers that I do so love to see, but for now I had to settle for sunshine and fresh air. After being cooped up all winter, that was easy enough to manage.

Someone to Talk to

I've always found it easy to talk and talk and talk to my girlfriends. I'm prone to over-analyzation, and I love a good gossip session.

As I get older though my girlfriends are less accessible. None of them live in the same state. They have babies and husbands that need their attention or ten hour work days and two hour commutes that make them virtually impossible to get a hold of.

And so now when I could use a good friend, I don't feel comfortable calling them up out of the blue and dumping my drama in their laps. They all still think that everything is rosy. Where would I start? Why should I burden them?

Intellectually, I know this is a crock. They are my best friends. They would want to listen, to help. As I would if the situation were reversed. But that doesn't change the fact that I am reluctant to pick up the phone and try to put the details into words.

Grammy's Snowdrops

The only thing flowering in my yard so far are a few small and mutant periwinkles, but Grammy's snowdrops are blooming in clusters in the shade by her garage door. I am tempted to dig up a cluster to bring to my new house. I know she would want me to have them to enjoy spring after spring. Once her house is sold, I will miss the peony's, clematis, columbines, and most of all the beautiful rhododendron. I can't transplant them all, but surely a small bit of snowdrops could make themselves at home somewhere in my new yard.

Fairy Tales or Romantic Movies

I know some of you are wondering what happened with my relationship. I'm sure there are a lot of different ways to answer that question. I can tell you what didn't happen. There was no cheating, no abuse, and no lying. But on my side there was something missing. Something I am not even sure really exists. I'm afraid that I am judging my real life on what I read in books or see on TV.

I think of what Carrie said in Sex & the City, "I'm looking for love. Real love. Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can't-live-without-each-other love." Is it unrealistic of me to think that I can have that kind of love? Or should I be content to have someone I am comfortable with? Is it too much to hope that there is someone out there that I would want to be around every day? Or should I just be content with finding someone who doesn't piss me off all the time?

What's real and what's just fantasy? Am I expecting too much?

For Ages 9 and up

I just read the first 70 pages of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett during my lunch hour. Obviously, I've read the book many times before but it's been a long, long time. I'm so glad that I actually decided to follow through on my annual plan to reread it. What a charming story. I am anxious to continue, but work must be attended to.

I'm also anxious to see my crocuses bloom. I understand that they are blooming for others, so maybe mine will follow soon.

Hack Job

It was bound to happen eventually. For close to six years I've been tempting fate by going to Super Cuts to get my hair cut two or three times a year. My hair is long and straight. You wouldn't think it be that hard to cut a couple inches off. And up until last night, no one has had a problem.

After the girl worked her way around my head from one side to the other, she made no attempt to pull the two front sections together to see if they were even. Standard operating procedure, right? Apparently not where she got her licence. She stepped back and asked if it looked OK. I'm not usually one to speak up in situations like that, but I did feel compelled to point out that the left side looked a bit longer than the right. Ha, ha. She laughed. "That always happens." Huhn? Are you kidding me? And off she went, snipping away. I was half tempted to tell her to nevermind. I felt like one of my old Barbie dolls when I kept trying to even out their hair and they ended up with a military style buzz cut. There's no way that she cut only 2 or 3 inches off.

Next time I start whining about my hair, remind me that I've decided to pay full price from now on and go to a real salon. Of course, it will be another 6 months at least before my hair is long enough to think about removing any of it. And by that time I may have forgotten my new found resolve...

GREEN!!!

In the mood for some fluff, I encountered this quiz at Russian Violet's:

You Are Grass Green

Down to earth and a bit of a hippie, you are very into nature and the outdoors. You accept the world and people as they are. You don't try to change things. You are also very comfortable with yourself, flaws and all. Optimistic about the future, you feel like life is always getting better.

What Color Green Are You?

I don't know about that optimism baloney...

Spring at the New House

The contractor came over last night with estimate #2. It is still higher than I'd hoped for, but I want to go with it. I feel like this contractor would do a good job and be reliable, two things that I can't depend on from the other contractor. This guy also knows the guy I am hoping will give me an estimate on the exterior work and highly recommends him.

It snowed several inches of wet slushiness this morning. And then the sun came out (or so I am told, as I have no windows in my office). I'm sure this has done nothing to improve the conditions of the driveway/yard. It's a real slopfest. I was hoping to get the stone arranged for today, but clearly that was way too optimistic of me.

I did see my first robin yesterday evening hopping around in my backyard. I love robins, and I love spring. I never take good weather for granted in the springtime. Every spring I think about rereading The Secret Garden, but I'm really going to try to actually do it this year.

I'm itching to get out into my yard and start cleaning up the fallen sticks and branches, but it is too soon. I'd need waders or Wellies. Maybe next weekend?

Another Fabulous Spring Day

The temperatures were in the mid-60s yesterday. It was mostly sunny and the darn snow was melting. I went for a half hour walk during lunch. I wasn't able to focus all my attention on the spring-like conditions because I was talking on the phone, but I got hot enough that I had to take off my fleece. And I didn't need gloves when I took the dogs out at midnight. How delightful!

What is not delightful is the sea of mud that is my driveway. Well, mud and dog poop. Yick. I desperately need to get a load of stone delivered, but the dumpster is still occupying much of the driveway. Of course, with the current shape of the mudway, there's no possible way they could pick up the dumpster if I were to request its removal.

I got estimate number one on finishing the mid-basement level. Ouch. Much higher than I expected. Estimate number two is supposed to be delivered tonight. I also need to get an estimate on replacing the exterior trim and missing siding. And that has to be a priority above the second bath and family room. I'm afraid I will need to have both done for the mortgage though. I foresee lots of hoops to be jumped through in the near future. Sigh.

But wait, let's go back to thinking about the mild temperatures...

Spring in the Air

After an exhausting night with little or no sleep thanks to the little dog, I decided to try the lunchtime nap. I bundled up and plodded out to the car, where I reclined my passenger seat and laid down as best as I could. The car was delightfully warm in the unexpected sunshine. Soon I had to take off my puffy goose down coat and use it as a pillow instead. I easily drifted off to sleep and slept for a solid half hour.

I woke feeling more energized and decided I couldn't waste my entire lunch hour. I hopped up, put my coat and scarf back on, and off I went. I wandered down past the tennis courts, through the cafeteria in case there was an appetizing goody to be had (nope), and back up the hill to my office building. The sun was shining, the snow was melting, and the air felt fresh and almost warm.

By the time I was most of the way back up the hill I'd unbuttoned my coat, removed my scarf, and then finally shed the coat altogether.

I've seen the 7 day forecast. I know that snow and cold will be back in force by the weekend. But today seems like spring, and I will enjoy it while it lasts.

The Weird Bits

I was tagged awhile ago by Mary to name 6 weird things about myself. I've now jotted down two such (different) lists, but the pieces of scrap paper are nowhere to be found. So we shall have to see what I can come up with for a third try:

1. I have particular silverware preferences. I can't stand the big, heavy silverware that looks like it's designed for giants. I almost always eat with the dessert or salad fork (short tines!). I also abhor soup spoons. Please give me a regular teaspoon every time.

2. As I've mentioned before, I can't stand ice in my beverages. I prefer my water at room temperature and my soda just chilled. I have a cranberry drink that I drink nightly with dinner that I keep on the counter. No fridge for me! Except maybe in the summer...? But still no ice!

3. I can only blow my nose with my left hand. Really. Everything else I can only do with my right.

4. I am almost 31 and I still can't resist the lure of the Barbie doll. Toy aisles are dangerous. I seem to somehow acquire several of them every year. I don't play with them, just take them out of the boxes and arrange them in groups.

5. I don't care for things animated. I think because we didn't really watch cartoons as children. I don't own a single Disney movie. In fact many of the biggies I've only seen en francais (like La Belle et La Bete).

6. When I go hiking I like to get dirty and scraped up (not intentionally though!). It makes me feel like I've accomplished something. One time in college when I was on a 14 mile hike I plunged into mud higher than my boot tops and then a little while later I slipped on a rock and my bottom went down into a stream. Wet and muddy, I continued with no complaints, thus earning many kudos from my gorgeous hiking companion.

So these might not be that weird, but well, I'm just not the weirdest person you'll ever meet.

Changes Under Foot

As some of you may have noticed, I have changed my profile name. I felt the time had come for a little more anonymity. It is partially related to why I have dropped off the grid of late, but I am not ready to go into details about that yet. It is also something I've been considering for some time now and had been tossing around some options.

I went with Nadine because she was me in 7th grade French class. My real name did not have a French version, so I got to pick from an assortment of names. I chose Nadine, so if possible, please pronounce it in your head with a French accent! Think something like Nah-dean...

It was the only time in my life I've had the chance to pick a different "persona" if you will. Not that I don't love my real name, but sometimes it's fun to be someone else for a little while.