It's Spring! No more 50 layers of heavy clothing just to walk to the end of the driveway to get the mail. Goodbye to gray days without sun. The only fluffy white stuff now lives in a box of instant mashed potatoes. Yay!
I have my own rituals for bidding a fond adeu to winterfest. One is drinking as many Shamrock shakes from McDonald's before St. Patrick's Day. My dad got me hooked on marking seasons with shakes as a kid. So in his honor I've kept the tradition. That first hit of mint in my mouth gives me more courage to face the rest of winter than any old groundhog shadow ever does. I get the same spring tingle with Girl Scout cookies. Snow, snow go away for good.
Another ritual is dedicating myself to daily exercise sessions. No more slacking or excuses. Hey, after shakes and cookies, I've got to move around. Don't want those 50 layers to turn into 50 lbs. Besides, I need room for the smelts I love so much. People from Wisconsin know what I'm talking about. Smelts are tiny little fish ranging from about five-seven inches long. They look like fish shaped french fries only a bit wider and seem to be found in March like the NCAA basketball tournament. So hup, two, three puff, puff lets me enjoy these delecacies with a clear conscience.
How can I forget the final one of oversleeping the first day of daylight savings time? Every year I try tricking my body into adjusting to the time change by going to bed a little earlier a week or two before we hop into spring. By the time, that Saturday night time switches, I feel ready. But I always oversleep and spend the first week feeling behind the eight ball. Oh well. It's Spring!
So let me be among the first to say "Happy Spring". Revel in the newness of nature coming into all its beautiful glory. And for those snow lovers who never think we have enough,I pray next year doesn't grant your wish.
