Sunday, February 08, 2009
Spring Fever
I’m getting the itch for spring…how about you? That’s why I’m so thankful for this little warming lull. I know it won’t last long due to the nature of Indiana winters, but hey, I’m enjoying the “warmth” while it’s here. I’ve always said only in Indiana can one experience practically every weather pattern in one week. I think it was the week between Christmas and New Years that we had one extreme to another. There was snow and the ground already and then soon to follow was that nasty ice storm. Thankfully the ice didn’t stick around very long due to the rising temperature. I remember walking outside without a coat on and not being cold at all! This is very unusual for me when it comes to winter. Soon to follow was fog. And then back to the dipping subzero temperatures we’ve endured of late. Ah, gotta love Indiana. Although, I must say I do love all four seasons. I just tire of the cold faster than any other season.So what have I been doing with my spring fever? I’ve been remembering springs of past and how much I love the blooming trees outside my apartment and potted plants on my balcony. Can’t wait to go to the Farmers Market and pick out this year’s flowers and herbs! Since I can’t get outside and enjoy any of that just yet, I’ve been in the cleaning and organizing mode. Yesterday I spent the entire day doing just that. It was lovely. There’s nothing like the just cleaned and no clutter feeling. Still have some more cleaning out to do…next project will be tackling my closet. And then, if I’m brave enough perhaps I’ll sort out all the stuff under my bed. That could be interesting. The next few weeks look full of fun activities, so that will be a good distraction while I wait for spring to arrive. I just keep imagining it and thinking…it’s coming. And that, is usually enough to keep me plugging away…that and lighting a few candles, plugging in the twinkle lights, and enjoying a good cup of tea by the fireside.
I’d say the funniest thing that’s happened to me this winter due to the absolutely frigid weather was a little tug of war with my car. One morning, I walked out to my car not suspecting anything to go awry only to find that my driver’s side door didn’t want to latch shut once I had opened it. Now, this had happened to me once before last year, but by the time I had my car warmed up and I was ready to drive away, the door was ready to latch shut. Not so much this time. I spent plenty of time scraping the ice off my car and allowing the defroster and heater to do it’s magic (so I thought). But nonetheless, it wasn’t ready to stay shut. So, I did a very stupid thing and drove to work holding my door shut with one hand while keeping my other hand on the wheel. Can I just say, turning corners with an open door is hard to do safely? I don’t know why God chooses to keep me safe in my stupidity, but He does. Thankfully I was able to hold onto the door and keep it shut until it finally shut about three minutes away from my destination. For the next few weeks, I entered my car from the front passenger’s door. At first I was a bit self-conscious. But then it became the new normal, and I got pretty good at scooting across the front seat. It wasn’t until I drove my sister to Indy that I realized two people getting in the passenger’s side door is kind of weird…and it’s really no fun getting the door shut on my face. Not that Betsy did it intentionally…but who gets out of a car on the passenger side and thinks, oh I better leave the door open because the driver is going to be following in my footsteps? Not a natural response. So, I decided to inquire a little further into how I could fix my non- latching door. A big thanks to Michelle’s husband, Steve, who fixed it by simply spraying some Bicycle lubricating oil on the car door latch. It’s now a happy little door that closes without force, and I can open it without fear of repeating my previous tug of war scenario as described earlier. *Sigh* What a relief.
Jamie at 8:59 PM
