March 2022

Welcome to spring, everyone - and to Daylights Saving Time! A double whammy of warming weather and extended evening light. One is based on our celestial position in the sky, the other upon the whims of Mankind.

My sister and I have a joke about how every time I travel, I have encounters with birds. Each of my digital travel albums includes a video in which some bird - usually a very large bird - is following me, (in quite close proximity) while I engage said bird in conversation. In Salem it was a seagull, at Imperial Beach it was a seagull, in Colorado it was a raven, in New York City it was my nosy hotel pigeon, and so on. Because of all of my previous encounters, I assumed that large birds were just friendly beings who like to hang out nearby and hope for snack scraps, like tiny dogs with wings. That is, until last week, when I had to do some work on a third-story balcony belonging to one of the apartments above my boutique.

Oh, I could get used to this wonderful sunshine with only a slight breeze. There is hope that we will have green grass and flowers again. For a little while, I had my doubts. Of course, we have to go through the wet, muddy phase. But, if you are able to pick where you walk, it’s not too bad. I considered getting my rain boots out, but I thought my feet would get too cold in them.

My 44th birthday was at the end of December and I remember waking up and thinking, “Wow, I am middle-aged. If I have half of my life left, how do I want to spend it? What should I be doing with my time?” It is easy to look at others, make comparisons, and start wondering if I’ve done enough or if it’s good enough.