"Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself."
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Friday, April 09, 2010

Spring...cleaning, cleansing and other stuff


As the temps start to warm up around here (though today it is quite chilly) my thoughts have turned to all things spring. Flowers. Gardens. Sunshine. Longer, warmer days. Open windows with gentle breezes blowing in. Packing away the heavy sweaters, winter coats, scarves and mittens and breaking out the Tshirts and sandals. I suddenly want to lighten up everything around us: putting away the heavy winter blankets and replacing them with cool, cotton linens. Swapping out placemats and table cloths in sturdy weaves and dark colors for light, airy, springy fabrics and colors. Putting away the spicy and bakery scented candles and bringing out those with fruity and light floral scents. Changing our weekly menus from the hearty and comforting soups, stews and casseroles of the cold months to light fare or something yummy cooked on the grill.


Spring even makes me want to clean! That is something I am usually not too fond of, but when spring comes I am just inspired to clean and de-clutter. I want to lighten up our surroundings as well as everything mentioned above. There is just something about opening all the windows to let the stale winter air out and the fresh spring air in while giving everything a good scrubbing that just screams spring to me! I just want everything to be clean and open and airy. 


Of course, with the arrival of spring my thoughts also turn to gardening! I can't wait to dig in the dirt! I know my Mom is reading this right now and probably falling off her chair...she never thought she would hear those words from me. But, last year Kevin and I planted our first vegetable garden (a feat that was VERY well-documented on this blog!) and we are now hooked!!! There is something so satisfying watching something that we planted grow and flourish. And I swear, anything you cook with something you grow yourself tastes soooo amazing!!! We are planning on expanding our garden some this year and I am having so much fun choosing what we will plant and where. We are also planning on doing a little landscape design in our front yard, too. I am so excited to choose new shrubs and perennials to plant! Me...a green thumb! Who knew!!!


Spring also stirs something else in me. I feel the need to clean but I also feel the need to cleanse. Spring is a time for new beginnings. Why not take some time to do a little internal cleansing, right? This year more than any I have felt a yearning to make some good, positive changes in my life. It is time to take care of ME. I haven't done that for a long time. What will that entail? Well, lots of things. Of course there is the physical. I just have not been too good to myself in recent years, and it shows, and I feel it. I don't expect miracles or drastic changes, and I don't expect things to just happen in a few months. The reality is, any physical changes I make will have to stay with me for a lifetime of springs. And that is pretty much all I am going to say on that subject, because, though some people find it very helpful to talk about it all the time, or blog about it, I don't.


And while I work on that physical cleansing, I also plan to work on some emotional cleansing. Spring just seems like the right time to let go of...stuff. Let go of any past hurts you may be holding on to. Let go of any petty jealousies or grudges. Let go bad attitudes and negative thinking. These are all things I try to let go of before I even give myself a chance to latch on to them, but let's face it, no matter how positively you try to live your life each day, these things can sometimes sneak in. So I plan to be very aware of that. I plan to meditate and pray, not necessarily more than I already do, but to be more purposeful and in the moment when I do it. I just plan to live my life happy. Again, something I already try to do anyway. I just plan to be much more aware of it. Just be in the moment, be present. Be. Happy.

What does spring mean to you???

11 comments:

Danielle said...

Gorgeous pics,,, so pretty I just want to stare at them!

Furry Bottoms said...

excellent, excellent post! I loved it. Very well written and thought out.

You're cool beans in my book!

Carma Sez said...

I get excited about washing and putting away the heavy blankets too - two down already - but now the colder temps are back for a few days so my plan to put them all away has stalled....I'm with ya on trying not to hold grudges; that's one thing I've never been too good at..

And enjoy getting back to the earth again this year. My mom would pass out too if she ever saw me getting excited about planting; doubtful that will happen but I guess you should never say never...

Hope that Kevin is fully recovered and doing well..

"Cottage By The Sea" said...

What a beautiful post. You said it so well. Shoot, you make me want to go clean and garden and cleanse my soul now! I always feel those feelings with the beginning of a new season but, you can't get into it by the weather here since it's almost always the same. You get into by the holidays. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas (winter wet suit weather) Valentine's Day, St Patricks Day, Easter ( lighter winter wet suit) and summertime! (No wet suit at all!) Thanks for stopping by my blog today. I'm glad you're following. You should submit something to the WOW gals because in my book you are definitely a BON.

Anonymous said...

Right now, unfortunately, Spring means horrible allergies for me. I love Spring, but I have been miserable!

Unknown said...

Everything you wrote is exactly what I would have said!!:)

Carol said...

Been on a roll lately myself. Spring cleaned the house (check);packed away winter things & pulled out spring and summer items (check);got the garage cleaned out(check); worked on de-funking the gardens (check) and next will be the basement, but since most of the crap that's down there is Dwen's....I'll wait until he is healthy enough to help! I still have to clean out the pantry....gonna toss all the bad shit and start eating better! I'm there with ya sista!

The Old Parsonage said...

I look to spring as a new beginning too. New beginnings make us all look at things differently don't they.

Wishing you success in yours my friend!

Leann

Kathleen said...

Great ideas and wisdom for the coming season. I plan to put some of your ideas into action for myself. Spring is always a great time for renewal and for starting fresh. I am ready! Hugs, Kathleen

sheila said...

It means all the same to me! Including the self-restoration! :o)
You should check out my wellness blog maybe something there will spark some interest! (myaventine.com/blog) (sorry, too lazy to code a link, lol.)

Melissa Miller said...

You are so right Kristen! I love this Spring cleansing post. I need to let go of some *stuff* as well. *Smiles*

Thank you very much for your kind words and all of your support of my blog since day one. You're the best my friend and I really appreciate you.

I'm ready to see your veggie garden too! ~Melissa :)