Spring (Published April 12, 2021)

 What a last three weeks it has been. Its like when we go from winter to spring. Everything blooms at once. It was just three weeks ago that Susan was fully vaccinated. Almost instantly we came out of winter’s hibernation. A short overnight trip to see our daughter, son-in-law and our two grandsons. It had been thirteen months since we last had seen them at their old home in San Francisco. In those thirteen months they relocated to Sacramento and purchased a house that we had never seen except in photographs. We also instantly vacated one year of Tipsy Tuesdays via Zoom and reverted to gathering at our homes. We noticed that instead of it ending by 8:30, we were all still talking till nearly midnight. We have forgone the weekly Zoom for every two weeks get togethers. We had our sons-in-law’s family here for a week. They stayed at the local KOA but came here for breakfast every morning and dinner every night. We have been to our neighbor’s Paula & Jerry’s house two evenings now for drinks and games. Susan and Sarah came over of dinner and games and spent the night. We’re trying to make plans for face-to-face gatherings with some neighbors who moved in during the pandemic that we’ve never really talked to in person. We hike often. Through March, the wildflowers were few and far between despite the unseasonably warm weather. April came and with it almost instant color. Poppies in bloom and the Douglas iris coming out in their beautiful blue-purple glory. It shows how life springs anew after the dark times of winter. Life does renew itself and we feel renewed. And how quickly we all forget winter.

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