Cold Spring

Well, here it is middle of March, and I haven't posted in over a month.  Work has been crazy.  I have worked almost every weekend since the end of January.  And because I am in front of the computer constantly, I don't like to spend as much time in front of it at home.  Don't get me wrong.  I am not complaining, I do get paid for the extra and I am extremely grateful to have a job.  Way too many people don't.

Anyway, it has been a cold spring in the Memphis area.  Usually by this time we have had a few warm days and the trees are blooming.  This year is different.  We are closing in on St. Patrick's Day, and the only green is the decorations up in the Hallmark stores.  (Really, who sends St.Patrick's Day cards?)  The weather has been unusually cold and grim.  I think "bleak" is the operative word here.

And it's not just the weather.  There are many other things that seem to not be going so well.  The economy is terrible.  Many people have been out of work for so long they have just about given up.  Politics?  Please.  Washington is so completely out of touch with the everyday folks it is truly frightening.  No matter which side of the political debate you fall on, it is scary to watch as the administration and Congress seem to flirt with arbitrary power.  Talk about "the winter or our discontent" - Richard III, Act 1, Scene 1.

However, even with all of the problems, when I look out my window, I can see buttercups blooming in the yard.  I can see the Japanese magnolias beginning to show a little purple and white.  It is a great reminder of the continuity of nature and the seasons.  All of these things will eventually pass.  Yes, more cold weather may come and nip those tender blooms.  But life is persistent:  it cannot be denied.