Diving into Spring

Source:nom-nom-nom.tumblr.com

I am sure most of America would agree, this past weekend was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. Yesterday, I sat out side in my parent's backyard, listening to the birds chirp and feeling a slight, cool breeze just gently float by. There was a high of 75 and the sun was shining - could you ask for a better day?

It got me to thinking about life and the rebirth of the Earth. That's sort of what spring really is. It's a time to come out of hibernation and relish in the sun.

It's also almost my favorite time of year!! What time of year is that? Summer reading time!

Yes, I know.. I am no longer in school and yes, I realize that I do not have any long vacations planned, and I am also aware of the fact that I have tons of time on my hands these days. However, that little tradition of stocking up on summer books is still something I look forward to.

Perhaps it is the joy and (excuse.. well, like I need any excuse) of going shopping for a book. Maybe it's the idea around the whole point of summer - to bask in the sunlight, let out a collective sigh of relief and just relax. When you say relax to me I immediately envision reading a book.

Right now, I am reading 2 books  - and doing it fairly slowly at that. I think those two weeks of excruciating pain, mixed with a few interviews here and there, sort of knocked me out of commission. But I am back, and I am ready to wrap those books up! I am still reading the story 'behind the story' of "Breakfast at Tiffany's." WOW - let's just say, things aren't always as they seem. I am also reading "Living Buddha, Living Christ." Another fascinating book on the commonality of the two religions, as well as, how to incorporate mindfulness while serving God. Good stuff, really.

Of course, if you read earlier posts, you know I recently payed a visit to the Old Book Sale in Macon. I picked up a handful of non fiction books, and I cannot wait to dive into those also. I also cleaned out the Greg Isles section at Kema's Hobby Book Store in Gray. I love his writing, and once you pick up even one of his books, you simply cannot put them down. I have a stack to go through.

My friends, that is what spring/summer is to me. Reading - Relaxing - Reveling in the beauty of it.

I am still hopeful about my future. I am hoping I will be able to make Macon my home very soon. My husband is anxiously awaiting word, as well as my family. This is sort of a last shot, if you will. I may have to take my talents elsewhere if I am unable to find a position that suits my experience.

Hopefully spring will bring even more beautiful flowers, more growth for all of us, and more opportunities to revel in!


MEET ME ON MONDAY BLOG HOP:

Blog Hop

 I don't typically jump in on blog hops - but I have always enjoyed the "Meet Me on Monday" hops.


SOooo.. won't you join me?

Just click on the word Blog Hop and head on over to Acting Balanced blog to link up.


Based on the original Meet Me on Monday hosted by Java at Never Growing Old, Acting Balanced is asking 5 questions on Sunday evening along with a linky for you to link up your post answers! If you have suggestions for next week's questions please feel free to leave a comment or shoot her a message on twitter or on the Acting Balanced Facebook Page.

Here are today's Questions:

1. What movie or movies do you have to watch when they are on TV? (submitted by @rndmcrftyGAgrl)
 As a matter of fact I watched a "must see" last night -The Wizard of Oz. Yes, I own it- but as a little girl, I would get sooo excited when it would come on tv. (This was way before the VCR, much less te DVD.) I also enjoy Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.

(Didn't know I was such a softy, did ya? ;-) )


2. When you have out of town visitors, what fun places do you take them to in your town? (Or where do you play tourist in your own town?)

Now that I am actually back in my hometown, there are several places I like to take people. For one thing- they must try  NuWay hotdog, it is simply a must. I usually take people to the Hay House, the Halls of Fame (Music & Sports,) there are two really fun museums - The Tubman African American Museum and the Museum of Arts & Sciences. The Ocmulgee National Monument, Lake Tobo... etc. I could go on and on.. PS- I'm from Macon, Georgia.

3. What was the first album, CD, Download you ever bought?

The first album I ever bought with my own money was The Beastie Boys. First CD was Billy Holiday's Greatest Hits, and my first down load was "Makes Me Wonder" by Maroon 5.

4. Do you speak more than one language and which ones? If not, what language would you like to know?
Obviously English. I did take 7 years of French classes. I do read it better than I am conversationally. I know several phrases in arabic, thai, russian,italian, and spanish.

5. What is your dream job?
Ah.. travel writer and photographer. LOL Oh.. like everyone else!

Inspiration For SPRING!

I will finally accept the fact that it is almost spring. Granted, I never actually had a winter, but that's okay, at least spring in middle Georgia is beautiful enough to make me forget all of the other seasons.

I am actually excited about Spring. In the south, there are dozens of festivals to attend. Our cities bloom like nothing you have ever seen. I promise to try to attend as many as possible, just so you can get the full effect of what I am talking about.

Today, I am sending you visuals. Plenty of inspiration for spring - from clothes to recipes to gardening tips. (Of course, it's all my opinion, of course!)

If you want to view the original sources for any of these pictures, simply follow me on pinterest. There you will find the pics with links to the original owners. A link to do so is on the left hand side of my wall.

NOW - let's think SPRING!

It's typically hard for me to let go of my dark colors, even in spring. I found this outfit and thought it was the cutest thing. Every owns a pair of khaki shorts, and how about that animal print bag?? I thought it was sassy enough to keep the darker color edge I like, as well as keep you cool down here! (Yes, it climbs into the 80s and 90s in the spring here.)

This year, I have fallen in love with gray again. I go through phases with gray - but it's back in my wardrobe. I thought this little outfit was too cute. Looks comfy for every day. Not to mention, I am super in love with anything lotus - loving the necklace and silver nail polish!

My parents have a huge garden, and I really want to find my own place and have a little garden. I thought this was such a clever idea. A great way to recycle old rain boots. Plus, the colors are so whimsical. I think this would look great on the fence!

Zucchini Frittershttp://www.alexandracooks.com/2011/07/07/zucchini-fritters-with-tzatziki/

Speaking of gardens - need some new ways to eat the veggies you are growing? I love this idea. These are Zucchini Fritters. Just click on the link to be taken straight to the recipe. The ingredients can come straight from your garden and farmer's market:

 2c zucchini, 1/2 cup potato, 1 TBS chives, 1 TBS mint, lemon zest, egg, onion, flour, butter, salt, greek yogurt, lemon juice

This outfit screams NICOLE - BUY ME. I am definitely more comfortable in pants over shorts - and this has the colors I would wear. Still has a cover, just in case it gets cold. LOVE it for roaming around on a Saturday to meet friends for coffee.

How many old bikes do you find at flea markets. Heck, how many do you have in your garage? Why not put it on the patio, paint it a fun color and let it stand as a wonderful addition to your garden? I love this idea. Even if I end up in an apartment, how cute would this be on a patio?

I would love to go to an old salvage place, get some old tires, paint them bright colors and do this in the backyard. I think it would look cute and bring so much character to the area Autumn plays in.

I am not a big fan of the sticks in plants (heck, mine never stay up,) but if you drink a lot of wine, and have been collecting your corks - this is a great idea for a plant marker.

This looks like a dream for me. Saturday afternoon's reading by the garden?! I am sure there have GOT to be kits at Lowe's and Home Depot. Would be fun to create!

I have been selecting flowers I want to plant, and this is snow crocus blue pearl. I love the color!

I am finally gearing up for heading back to the gym - and I found this fabulous water bottle that will hold everything you need! Not to mention, it is blue!

This just says, "Nicole - let's go on a road trip and why don't you wear this as you wonder the streets?" I love the colors.

Time for a spring bag. THIS BAG.Seriously, I pick this bag.

Another every day wear for spring!

Again, I mentioned I did not like sticks in the plants. Here's a fun way to mark your plants, without worrying if the stick will get knocked over or blown away during a storm. Plus, I live with artists, could get some neat stuff out of them.

We have some old trees just laying around, since we live in the Oconee National Forest, and had to have the land cleared for my parent's home. What a neat way to utilize the wood!

Time to help the parentals with a little more curb appeal!

Always wanted to try and plant some English Lavender

How about some frozen lemonade with coconut rum? How a great cocktail for when friends come over to admire your garden!

I am in love with this outfit. That shirt is fabulous!

Another great way to use your goodies from the garden - these are watermelon bites. with feta & mint!

Or how about some cheddar drop biscuits with rosemary and thyme?

I am crazy about turquoise - I fell in love with these!

Pink is the color of Macon - how about jazz it up a bit for work? ;-)

Using items from your herb garden - Homemade cilantro dressing

I love the purple border to the garden.

Basically, I hope each of you takes some time and think of ways you can help the earth with it's birthday! I like to think of spring as earth's birthday - it's waking up, and putting on it's Sunday best. Maybe you can start with one plant, inside. Or maybe you can get creative and use some of these ideas. It never hurts to try.

Try growing some veggies, fruit or herbs. Attempt some recipes with your organically grown items.

Pick out a few new outfits to lounge around in.

I'm actually looking forward to spring. Today I am putting away the sweaters, the coats, and preparing to hang my greens, my light blues, my pinks.

It's time my friends. :-)

Don't forget, to see the sources and get more info - head to my pinterest page.

Feeling the Love

How fickle that little word can be. Love. I know I have thrown it around a bit, and felt it rush into my life - only to rip my heart out.

I cannot begin to tell you how good it feels to be rebuilding.

I literally took a minute (not too long ago,) went into the dining room and told the egyptian how good it felt to be getting along again.

He smiled and agreed.

No doubt - we are not being blind to the past. We are HEALING. We are treating each other with tender loving care, and in the end - that's all I wanted.

We spent the morning grocery shopping, restocking items that he would eat. He is not the type to live off of lettuce, peppers and cheese. LOL (Yes, I will admit - I have been grazing for weeks. Not actually eating, well - not unless I was going out to eat.)

We just got back from visiting with our Russian & Jamaican friends. We go to their house about once a month for lunch. Always the same thing: goat, spicy jerk chicken, rice, salad and juice. If you did not know- most foreigners serve juice with their food. At least, it's been in my experience.

This couple, in particular, are fascinating. He is Jamaican and works as an engineer for AT&T, and she is a mail order bride from Kazakhstan. They are happily married and living in a beautiful home in a suburb of Birmingham called Helena. These two have been married at least 15 years or so. Long story on how we all met, but needless to say - it's been a joy getting to know them.

After leaving there, and the egyptian having to endure the "I told you sos" about NYC from our friends, we came home and began discussing the Oscars. Another cool thing about marrying someone from a different country (and I don't know what it is about people from the other side of the pond - they are more in tune with fashion) - he and I can sit and watch something like this and admire the fashion, the art, the beauty of it all. I doubt very seriously I could get that out of my american male counterparts.. well.. at least not the straight ones.

Another big storm is a-brewing soon, got to batten down the hatch and prepare to tough out these strong spring storms. The trees are already blooming with flowers - and with more rain, comes more flowers. This also means, soon we will have more pollen. Need to invest in more Nasanex and Kleenex for the days to come.

I hope everyone else had as good a weekend as I have.

I am relieved. I am relaxed. I feel massive healing and love. FINALLY.

Sure.. my arm is extended, not letting him too close.. but not being my own worst enemy either. ;-)

Slept with the windows open!

"It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! "~Mark Twain



I almost feel guilty telling you that I slept with the windows open last night. Almost guilty. It was nice.

As I was getting ready to go to bed, I noticed it was a little warm in here. I did not have the heat or the a/c on, so I decided to pull out the fan and open the windows.

It was lovely.

That's the wonderful part of living in the south - the weather. Sure - we get a little taste of winter, but it does not start until December and always wraps up around my birthday. I am getting excited about spring. Usually the flowering trees show up by mid March.Sure, there will be a cold snap or two between now and April, but then it is gone with the wind and the most glorious time of the year hits the south. Nowhere else in the United States will you see so many amazing flowers, flowering trees, and lush greenery as you do here in the Winter. It is simply magical - it blows the mind!

Don't believe me? Here are the pics taken in  March last year in Birmingham:

Spring is an awakening of the spirit and of the earth. I hope to have a "reawakening" of my spirit and will be a more productive person.

Let's savor these little hints of spring! (If you live where it is still cold.. I do apologize - just live vicariously through me!)

Spring is coming..

I can totally tell spring is on the way. I woke up with burning, watering, itchy eyes and a sinus headache to boot.

The weather is definitely improving around here. Sunny skies daily, and the high is 60 degrees. Granted the nights are a bit chilly, with lows just above freezing.

But ... it's coming.

The thing I like most about spring are the flowers. Or better yet, the flowering tree. Here we have the Bradford Pear, the Dogwood and the Cherry Blossom. They are everywhere. As the month of March or April draw to a close.. the flower petals on the trees begin to slowly fall off, and suddenly it looks like it is snowing. We are left with the most brilliant green.

It's like a rebirth of sorts, after a cold hard winter.

I am looking forward to this "rebirth." I think we all need a little flower petal snow from time to time.

Where can I buy a Happy Tree??

I am in search of a little positive reaction today. Actually, every day. As I was trying to come up with some ideas of what would change my mood - then I realized - a happy tree.

I am not talking about a tree that bears fruit that magically transforms your mood once you take a bite.  

I am talking about the kind of tree that transforms your day. When I look back on all of the times I felt glorious peace, it involved a tree. 

When I was a small child, and we lived on Pineworth Rd in Macon, I remember going out into our big front yard and hiding under the magnolia trees. There were two, I believe. It was my secret garden of sorts. 

Later, we moved to an aparment on Mercer University that had these large trees with big puffy pink flowers. I would hide under this tree, grab one of the pink puffy things and blow them. The little petals reminded me of the fairy petals from Disney's Fantasia.

Once we moved to Crystal Lake, I loved sitting on a bench off to the left of the dock. Next to this bench was a tree which had roots on the bottom that jutted out to look like a running pig. Seriously. I call that my pig tree and it made me smile.

Then we moved to a house on Spring Meadow Drive and there was this glorious burning tree. (My nick name for it.) The colors in the fall were magnificent. Then spring brought amazing flowers.

In college, I saw dozens of dogwood trees. I would sit on my front porch swing at my duplex and just gaze at the beautiful white petals.

When I moved back to Macon, and had a house of my own on Dogwood Circle, I was blessed to have an adorable Cherry Blossom tree (this is not rare in Macon..) and a beautiful dogwood. I would sit outside with a glass of wine, and admire all of the colors that were my front yard. Azaleas, Jasmine, Freesia.. I had an amazing garden. It was my place to come home to. To decompress.

What is missing since I moved to Birmingham? A tree for me.

I found myself feeling a bit home sick during the Cherry Blossom Festival. Not so much for the cheesy festival itself, more so for the celebration of spring and the beautiful flowers that are blooming.

I am so grateful some friends posted a few beautiful pictures. I got to see a few happy trees that way.

But what to do about Birmingham?

I did move to an office with a view. I specifically moved my desk so that I can look out of the window. There seems to be a Dogwood tree right outside.

I suppose this will have to suffice for now.

Perhaps, I need to go spend some time at the Botanical Gardens.. and there, maybe I can find my happy tree.