Our temperatures have been warming, and the snow is slowly melting, so my regular morning walks are back.  It feels good to get outside and to get more steps in each day.  I used to feel like my days were pretty consistent through the seasons, but I’m starting to learn I have pretty distinct habits and routines for each season.  I get more home projects done in the Spring and Summer (both inside and out).  I do more painting and writing in the Winter months, I read more, sketch, and knit.  In the Spring, I organize and rearrange. In the summer, I spend more evenings outside working in the garden beds and less time at my desk.  It’s just interesting to observe, and it gives me permission to embrace those seasons rather than feeling like I’m not doing enough of a certain kind of work at any given time.

I’ve been sluggish this week, but good and exciting things have still been happening.  We finally had a day with temperatures in the low 40s, and it felt so warm after the sub-freezing stretch we’ve experienced.  We were used to this in Minnesota, but it’s unusual in the Mid-Atlantic.  I like that the snow is taking its time to melt, but it was nice to get out and walk a few days this week.  I’ve been marching inside to get more steps in, and while it gets the job done, it’s a little boring.  Winter is my favorite season, but I do find my mind wandering towards Spring.  It tends to be my most productive time for home projects, and I’m looking forward to making more progress in our yard.  I am also looking forward to the longer days.  It’ll be here before we know it, though, so I’ll enjoy

I went out for a walk yesterday morning for the first time since the late January snowstorm.  It was just over 20 degrees, but it was sunny and ended up being a pleasant walk.  The temperatures in our area have remained below freezing, so all of the snow is still covering the ground and pushed up against the curbs.  It felt a little bit like being back in Minnesota, where the snow falls, and remains until the Spring.  As a lover of snow, I have really missed that.  Snow in the mid-Atlantic region usually falls, turns to slush, and melts within a few days if not sooner.  It’s been a pain for parking downtown, and many turn lanes still aren’t plowed properly, but I’ve enjoyed the snow and cold while it’s here. Here are my four things for the week: Van Gogh, Many Beautiful Things, reckless trust, and book work.