Returning to Life

I was complimenting my niece on her blog this morning and was reminded that it had been a while since I came calling here. I did not realize it had been six months until I tracked down my password and checked things out! I did not intend things to go so long, but a lot has happened in those days, so I feel I have some excellent excuses! It is not that this place slipped my mind, for I have thought of it often, but somehow I could not convert the thoughts into actions. I do that a lot too!!
I live in a place which has rainy winters and dry summers and we seem to be trapped in the winter which will not end! It is still raining, and the six inches of rain received this June has shattered the records for rainfall for the entire month! I am beginning to join the rest of the town in grumping about the rain and the clouds, but there has been a wonderful side effect to all the rain. Everything is green, whether it is naturally green or green because of the layers of moss! And it is not just green, it is a hundred shades of green, from the light green of new growth to the deep rich green of the pines and the redwoods. It is a glorious time to be outside because mixed in with the greens are a million shades of pink, yellow, and red, for the rain is also producing flowers!!
I have always loved green, but this year the beauty of this place has taken on a special meaning simply because I almost did not get to enjoy it. One of my excellent excuses for being absent is that right before Easter, I nearly died. When I think back on that week, it is all rather surreal, for at the time, I did not realize the magnitude of the situation. It was only later when I began to put the pieces of a week together, with my medical friends filling in the blanks, that I have come to understand that there were a lot of people who worked very hard to help me live to see the green of springtime. So when I begin to complain, I just open my eyes and remind myself of the gift of this season of rain.
I actually have a lot that I want to write about, but I don't want to mix things up. There are too many wonderful things happening in my world and I want to relish them one by one! This is the place to write the words, reflect on them, and be thankful!!!