Tuesday, February 23, 2010

The Memory of Spring




Thinking tonight of childhood Easters, white straw hats, the scent of mud and shoots and the golden buds that Robert Frost called "nature's first green." As I said in my last post, it's still mid-winter here, and I'm fine with that, but the air today tasted warm even under all that blustery chill. Tomorrow's forecast, however, is for snow. Get ready for a photograph of a gravel-studded snowbank or a dirty snowman (I live in the city after all) or a slushy sidewalk. I promise not to wax rhapsodic about such things. My little ode to dust in the last post was as far as I'll go to romanticize dirt, and that was all in the name of justifying my laziness.

Can I share a secret with you? My life has changed so much in the past two months that I hardly recognize it, but the one golden ring that I cling to fiercely is that I am writing and creating more than ever. I have to remember to never let that go again. Someone please pinch me if I start to stray from my path. If that doesn't work, if I pigheadedly insist that something else is more important than living a creative and caring life, withhold all chocolate. That should wake me up. 

Hope you are well, and dreaming wonders, and making magic.

29 comments:

  1. Gigi,
    You always seem to know exactly what I have been thinking...Easter! I thought I might be the only one, but NO, there are other starving for Spring souls out there.

    Just finished searching for ideas in regards to making an Easter basket (eco or recycled) for the crumb as well as what we might plan in regards to beginning a tradition. Spring is my FAVORITE time of the year, and it might just have to do with the fact I was born in April!

    Here's to the continuous flow of your creative juices! Write on, my friend, write on!

    Bisous,
    Melissa

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your creativity is an inspiration to us all.
    I love that photograph...and as a collective, all us bloggers seem to be yearning for, and writing about, SPRING! It's coming....slowly but surely...
    Love to you,
    Dawn

    ReplyDelete
  3. I like your thoughts of Easter. Amazing how quickly the year is travelling already.

    Withhold all chocolate...ahhh I will remind you of that one day if your creative light starts to dim...somehow I don't think that day will come.

    The photo is perfect,

    xoxo DJ

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lovely creative thoughts & visual Gigi!
    Don't you worry~ I can be quite a good 'pincher'!! Cheers for always being on a creative path!
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wishing joy, peace and wonder as you dance along the creative path, Gigi! :o) ((HUGS))

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Gigi,

    What a beautiful photo. The other day I drove with my windows down. You're right, today and tomorrow, the forecast is not so good. It's already started snowing in central MA. I keep thinking 'once we get through February', though we new-englanders are more cynical, rightfully so, than that.
    I don't know what you've gone through recently but I'm so grateful for your blog and all of the beauty and creativity that you share. Your posts and photos are inspirational, so glad to hear that you're not planning to stray:). I hope you have a lovely Tuesday..... we're almost through with the winter, I can feel it;).

    xoxo.
    Blair

    ReplyDelete
  7. I too have thoughts of Easter and the fun of coloring eggs. My beautiful child in her Easter Bonnet, new dress for Sunday Mass.
    Glad to hear you are writing again.
    Enjoy the little warm air we have another storm is on the way. I can see grass and most the snow has melted in Maine..

    ReplyDelete
  8. It takes bravery to face a changing life. But often, if we do, we are rewarded with wonderful things. Like burst of creativity. And chocolate. And Spring, eventually.

    ReplyDelete
  9. stunning photo! our mother always dressed us in full out easter sunday apparel when we were children... straw hats, white gloves, frilly dresses... reading your words brought back the images, sounds, and scents of bright sunny california easter days

    have fun on your renewed creative path! (and withholding chocolate will always give you the encouragement you need!)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I for one shall never let you wane from your creative endeavours. The world would be poorer for it! SO keep your chocolate under lock and key just in case I sense you falter ;-) Bisous

    ReplyDelete
  11. I can really relate to your last bit in this post. My life too has been full of changes lately and blogging has been my saving grace. It's so comforting to be able to rely on creativity to work things out isn't it?

    ReplyDelete
  12. gigi. the creative feeling is one to never let go of . i really enjoy reading your posts and can feel the excitement in your words

    ReplyDelete
  13. I love that you love where you are at....not many people say things like that and it's really refreshing....

    and the chocolate...sounds the same way I feel about the mentos I wrote about today....

    ReplyDelete
  14. Dear Gigi,
    Easter seems a million miles away. For the last two days we have has snow and sleet blizzards and it's freezing cold here in the U.K.
    But, we must warm ourselves up by thinking of daffodil's, magnolia's, warm breezes and the fresh green buds beginning to burst forth. It's not far away and it's a lovely time of year to look forward to. XXXX

    ReplyDelete
  15. You brought back some great memories for me...hats, corsages from my dad that looked like a bunny face...Easter egg hunts. You are writing very well...you always make me think.

    ReplyDelete
  16. there is a lilt to your post today and i love that about it. it matches this gorgeous dogwood.

    i loved hats when i was a child - i wish bonnets would catch back on with my nieces.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Lovely photo. About change - I don't know you well enough to know what kind of change you are going through. But I do know that when I was going through changes in my life, it was painful but also exhilarating. I envy you the opportunities that must be presenting themselves to you.

    Right now, for me, I'm going thru a period of hunkering down and strengthening my position....perhaps to accommodate future change.

    ReplyDelete
  18. thank YOU for the reminder. i was beginning to think all my time spent in a creative bubble was a waste of time. i am indeed happy you will be sticking to a creative life...keep it up, please!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Yes, withholding all chocolate should do the trick with me as well. I am so pleased that you are writing and creating. I cannot wait to see the end result!

    ReplyDelete
  20. You just brought back such a sharp sense-memory of the smell of the half-frozen earth and tree roots in Woodstock as we foraged for eggs and bright objects. I am dreaming of spring these days as well - this is always the month when those dreams set in, and when those little breaths of spring seem to puff through the winter chill to tantalize and inspire.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Dear Gigi, it is always a true pleasure to find new post from you. Your photo is beautiful, and your writing to. I am sure you will never stop beeing creative, because it is IN you. But if you should forget that sometime, I am sure a lot of people would be quick to pinch you so you start to remember again :-) I guess it is a really big step to move away from the Island and back into the city, and maybe there is more changes to in your life. I only hope it will be for the better for you (at least in the end).
    Have a good wednesday night.
    Hugs from MiaNostalgia

    ReplyDelete
  22. Gigi,
    I think this image is your best yet. It is breathtaking in its beauty.

    ReplyDelete
  23. What a beautiful dogwood pic Gigi...I love the colors in it...

    Change has always been hard for me...I'm more of a stay in a routine rut kind of woman yet some of the best things that ever happened in my life happened when change was forced upon me...My theme song may be "You can't always get what you want but if you try sometime you just might find you get what you need"

    ...somehow I can't imagine you ever lacking creativity no matter what changes your life sent you...

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hi again, Gigi,

    As your blog is quite dear to me, I've awarded you:). Stop by my blog to pick it up;).

    xoxo,
    Blair

    ReplyDelete
  25. I'm in love with this image. :)
    Keep writing!!! We love this mood you are in. I want more photos like that too. xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  26. What a disastrous thought! Withholding chocolate! I could never do that to you. Nor would I ever need to ... you live such a beautiful creative life.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Now you have me thinking about spring!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Goodness, you seem interesting.

    Don't fret over winter. I've always thought that seasons are experienced more intensely in your part of the country because their extremes are so great.

    I've lived in a place where it's warm all year round, and the magic of it goes away. There's nothing like the anticipation of an early Northern spring, when you can feel the possibility of summer in the air.

    ReplyDelete
  29. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for visiting and for taking the time to leave a comment! I love hearing from you.