The warm weather this week has been eating snow and ice like crazy. Our backyard is snow-free this morning! This means an end to my spring melt series of photos for this year. And the ice on the pond is rapidly receding. The warm open-window weather is giving us
A Taste of Summer
even though spring has hardly had time to fully arrive. I love these warm days but will be happy to return to more spring-like temperatures for awhile. I don’t want to miss springtime and jump directly to summer.
On my walk yesterday I could finally take the path through park beside our house without needing boots to navigate the snow and ice on the path. There were still a few patches of snow but they were quickly melting.
I had planned to go out to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum early this morning to search for early blooming bulbs and flowers. But I had a really difficult night last night and decided not to try to go today. Instead I wandered in our backyard this morning and found some crocus in bloom.
I watched the wood ducks meander back and forth through the pond and soaked in the warmth all around me.
Your days are numbered. Use them to throw open the windows of your soul to the sun.
― Lessons in Chemistry
Book Talk
I have hit the jackpot in finding excellent books recently. Just last week I wrote about how much I loved Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Last night I finished reading, The White Lady by Jacqueline Winspear. Previously I have read and loved Winspear’s “Maisie Dobbs” series of books featuring a woman detective who uses a psychological approach to crime solving. Winspear’s new book features a new character, Elinor White, born in Belgium who worked for the resistance in Belgium during WWI and then again during WWII. It too features an intelligent somewhat psychological mystery. The story goes back and forth in time between her teen years, her war years and the years just after the war. I found it riveting.
“That’s why I wanted to use Supper at Six to teach chemistry. Because when women understand chemistry, they begin to understand how things work.”
Roth looked confused.
“I’m referring to atoms and molecules, Roth,” she explained. “The real rules that govern the physical world. When women understand these basic concepts, they can begin to see the false limits that have been created for them.”
“You mean by men.”
“I mean by artificial cultural and religious policies that put men in the highly unnatural role of single-sex leadership. Even a basic understanding of chemistry reveals the danger of such a lopsided approach.”
“Well,” he said, realizing he’d never seen it that way before, “I agree that society leaves much to be desired, but when it comes to religion, I tend to think it humbles us—teaches us our place in the world.”
“Really?” she said, surprised. “I think it lets us off the hook. I think it teaches us that nothing is really our fault; that something or someone else is pulling the strings; that ultimately, we’re not to blame for the way things are; that to improve things, we should pray. But the truth is, we are very much responsible for the badness of the world. And we have the power to fix it.”
― Lessons in Chemistry
Enjoy this taste of summer friends and take some time to watch spring springing.
May you walk in beauty.
22 Days of Spring Melt – the backyard is finally snow-free today
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