Spring, You Sweet Thing
Thirty things for my 30th year
My shovel hits fertile earth and the worms wiggle and squirm about every which way — the sun a shock against their familiar midnight dwellings. Wild little creatures. The sun’s beckoning warmth nudges us out of our wintry caves, urging us to stretch our squirrely limbs, and breathe new life into the parts of us we didn’t realize were stagnant.
I have always felt a remarkable burst of creative energy in the spring. I like to attribute this to the earth’s gentle awakening after its long winter slumber, and the return of my birthday. This year marks 30.
March arrives, and before I even realize it, I find myself a year older, elbows deep in my hutches and drawers, re-organizing and dusting, sweeping the floorboards and windowsills, finally tending to the stack of clothes that need patching and mending, writing letters to old friends, cracking the spines of my cookbooks, sprinkling wildflower seeds onto my dusty and forgotten garden beds — the knees of my jeans permanently dirt stained from pulling weeds. I pluck at the dandelions and hum, in sync with the bees. When the world is teeming with life, it’s hard not to feel so utterly alive. Spring, you sweet thing
In honor of my 30th year, I’ve created a list of thirty things I’m currently savoring this spring. Consider this a rendition of my Fifty Things series, which you can read here.
Without further adieu…
orange marmalade on sourdough toast
sunny days that still call for a sweater
blooming jasmine spilling over fences and garden walls
hints of wood burning in cold night air
a matching pajama set that makes me feel like the main character of a 90s romcom
these sheep’s wool slippers
checking out DVDs from the library
the sound of the tea kettle whistling on the stove
potato leek soup with a crusty baguette
forgetting about my phone
surprising my husband at lunch
the forethought of thawing meat for tomorrow’s dinner
bunches of dried lavender hanging on hooks
asking your mom instead of AI
movement in the form of long walks and mat pilates classes (I love ClassPass… try it for free with this link)
snail mail, sent with pretty postage
my latest thrift haul for Spring
dusty robin’s egg blue
swedish sour candy
adding these salts to my baths
wearing a vintage apron while I cook, and this jazz album playing in the background
longer days and after dinner walks
fresh sheets, and a light and fluffy duvet for warmer weather
homeopathic remedies
my son’s wispy golden curls that I can’t seem to tame
the lingering scent of this laundry wash in my clothes and bed linens
dates stuffed with dark chocolate (these are divine, best enjoyed cold) and a glass of milk for a bedtime treat
making hand written lists to free up my mental load
waking up to love letters on the kitchen counter
planning summer travels
Postscript: Today I hit 500 subscribers. That may not seem like a big deal, but to me, it is. How is it that 50 people, let alone 500 people, are interested in reading the inner workings of my mind and soul? I really wish I could hug each one of you and have you over for dinner, so we could chat more about the real stuff. If you made it this far.. thank you for being here. I have some exciting ideas for this space (there’s that spring energy kicking in) and can’t wait to share them soon…
Until then. X
Bringing me joy always