Tuesday 20 March 2012

Not Enough Words For Spring

I love spring..it seems such a time of hope and promise and joyfullness. As I walked home from work yesterday, I couldn't help but smile the whole way...it was warm enough to not need a coat, but the breeze was cool. Lots of branches are just bursting out into their first froth of blossom, and everywhere I looked, there were daffodils swaying gently in the breeze.

There really aren't enough words for spring though, in my opinion. This kind of spring is very different to the early spring where the crocuses are just starting to show as pin pricks, and then beautiful splashes of white and purple and yellow. It is a different kind of spring to when the daffodils will be over, and it will almost be summer. I love how the seasons melt into each other, but really, just having one word for each seems so inadequate.

I have a beautiful bunch of bridal crown narcissi perfuming the air at home, and also a big bumch of overblown creamy lemon curd yellow daffodils with trumpets just a shade or two brighter. The daffodils in particular make me think that if they were flower fairies, they would be dancers in frothy, frothy skirts. Which made me think of Spring as a kind of ballet. The opening act, with the little baby dancers being the snowdrops, who really belong more to the last act of Winter, but open the dance for us. The aconites, who are to me cousins of summer buttercups are next, but their dance is very short- blink and they are gone! The crocuses come next to the stage, and they start all crouched down, then as the music starts, they open up. First the yellow, then the purple, then the white. The next act is of course the daffodils, and they have quite a long dance. Then on comes the Easter bunny to throw foil wrapped chocolate eggs into the audience!

I seem to remember that in one of the old books for ladies that I have, or perhaps it was a vintage magazine, there was a section on fancy dress outfits. They weren't like we have them now, dressing up as characters from films or plays or books, but more abstract themes. One was 'twilight' and was a dusky blue dress with purple overskirts, studded with silver stars, with a sash of silver too. I would love to see what kind of outfit they would have designed for spring!

It seems, from reading some of your comments, that some of us share our birthday month - and in one case, the actual day! I think March is a wonderful time for a birthday. It is far enough away from Christmas to be its own special day, and sometimes, if you are very very lucky, it falls on the same day as Easter! March weather being what it is, you can never be sure if you birthday will dawn with torrential rain, gales, snow, or the hottest sunshine...I like that we can cheerfully expect such variety! If you are celebrating a birthday this month, buy yourself the most beautiful bunch of daffodils you can find, and a tiny treat just for you too. I am going to have a few tiny truffles from the florists in the town where I grew up, and got my wedding flowers from. Happy birthday to you all, and happy spring to everyone else!

Love
Mimi
xxx

3 comments:

Jackie said...

Hi Mimi.

What a lovely post. Such pretty pictures, you create.

I always think that daffodils were created purely to lift our spirits after a long, grey, winter.

And don't they rush to cheer us up once we've brought them home. Tightly furled buds when we go to bed, and bright yellow loveliness when we come down the next morning.

Congratulations on your new job, too.

Best wishes, and Happy Birthday!

Jackie

Dinahsoar said...

I love Spring too. It is glorious to open up the house and see the beauty outside.

I have been buying myself all kinds of tiny treats this week for my upcoming birthday--special birthday napkins, Dunkin Donuts Strawberry Shortcake coffee, a special magazine to read on 'the' day, and lost of other fun things 'just because'. I feel like a kid in a candy shop. It is tradition for me to celebrate my birthday for a week--a single day just won't do.

We have a picnic planned for the weekend as part of my birthday ritual and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for good weather. Yesterday it was 80 here and my car was covered with yellow pollen! We will be picnicking in a small mountain town full of quaint shops and I am especially looking forward to the garden shops. Our daughter and sil are coming along and it will truly be a fun day.

Have fun on your birthday too Mimi! I know that you will make it special and savor each moment.

Dinahsoar said...

Balloons--I'm also buying myself a big helium filled balloon for my birthday! Haven't had any for years. And, fingers crossed, hubby will buy me a sweet mini bouquet of fun flowers. He usually does. If you don't normally have balloons on your birthday you might want to get one or some. They are fun and festive, aren't they?