Ah, April!

They say hope springs eternal, and I have to believe that. Winter after winter, year after year, as I become weary and think that I just can't take much more of the dark days and bitter cold, spring slips up on us and breathes new life into our battered souls.
This year was no exception, although I was beginning to think that the flowers had abandoned us at last. But then late this week I finally saw them -- a few brave crocuses pushing out from the dried-out leaves as the sun finally warmed the earth enough to fulfill the promise of spring.
And that brought me once again to my beloved, aged poster -- acquired when I was in college, adorning one of the walls of my first apartment after getting married and surviving being taped to walls and moved about over the years.
Now it's in a frame, its scars somewhat protected. But I love the words by Rilke featured on this poster, "From an April": "Again the forest is fragrant. The soaring larks lift up aloft with them the sky that to our shoulders was heavy."

Here I share a few of the flowers in our yard...

 And the hope of blossoms and leaves yet to come...

And if you remember Othercat, yes, he weathered the winter just fine, spending the bitterest days and nights warmly ensconced in the basement. Now he's back to his outdoor kingdom -- and loving to roll around just as much as ever!

Happy spring!