This Joy’s Life

This is a video of Clara’s first experience with snow about, oh, a week ago now. All she wanted to do was throw snowballs, make Frosties (the snowman) and make “Shadows” (snow angels).

The snow is still here, but, thankfully, the 5th snowstorm we were supposed to have yesterday didn’t really come to fruition. I’m hopefully that it is all going to melt away in the next few days. We had our white Christmas, now ALL DONE SNOW.

There has been a crazy amount of snow around here lately and I don’t like it one bit. What I always liked about Seattle is that you can drive 45 minutes and be skiing down a mountain. Then you drive back home to Seattle and no snow to deal with.

Well, the first snow came last Saturday evening, about 2 inches. Then Wednesday it had just about melted away and BAM! Thursday we were hit with about 5 inches.

So, we traipsed out in the backyard yesterday so Clara could throw snowball, after snowball, after snowball and I could memorex the moment of her first days in the snow:

If you’ve been reading this blog, then this is not the first time you’ll have heard me complain about the lack of summer in Seattle. It will come as no surprise that Seattle bypassed Spring in April, May and June by extending winter a few extra months. Then, FINALLY, in July, it moved right into . . . Spring?

Better late than never? Um, no, but I’ll take it. You may remember the letter to Seattle I wrote back in April, strongly advising “the Emerald City” to shape up or ship out when it came to complaining about the “heat.” Seattle did not head my warning and we have suffered for it.

Along these lines, an article from The Naked Loon was brought to my attention today:

Totally Normal Wet, Gray Weather Surprises Forgetful Seattle Residents
by Frigyes Karinthy

Article Excerpt:
Much to the dismay of the recent California migrants that make up 60% of the Seattle-area population, recent Puget Sound weather patterns continue to show no sign of shifting from “gray with drizzle” to “partly gray.” In what should come as a surprise to absolutely no one—cloudy skies, rain, and 60-degree weather continue to persist in the Seattle area as the technical start of “summer” rapidly approaches. Despite the incredible normality of this phenomenon, the dreary weather is the number one topic of conversation for most area residents heading into what promises to be yet another damp, gray weekend. “I know it doesn’t normally come until July or August, but I wish summer would just hurry up and get here already,” said Dupont resident Stacey Cassel. “Summer is my favorite week of the year,” she added.

Other great quotes from the article include:

“I don’t get it,” said Starla Maier, a recent transplant from San Diego. “I thought November was only thirty days long, not over two hundred.”

“I’m not a human almanac or anything,” said Ken Harding, an REI salesman from Redmond, “but I’m pretty sure spring is usually nicer than this.” If by “is usually nicer” Harding meant “has more rain and is generally colder,” then his assessment is indeed correct.

“If the sun doesn’t come out soon,” said Cassel, “I may have to complain on my blog.”

True Dat, Cassel.

*Thanks to Carrie Howell (probably a fake name) who claims me as a friend for bringing this article to my attention.

Dearest Seattle,

Why do you complain when the warmth comes? The MidSeventies, after taking her cue from the ground hog this year, waited an excruciatingly long time to bare her skin in a pretty new sundress and you, Seattle, you took her for granted today. As though you think it a given that she will come back tomorrow. She may not.

TheSnow was here only two short weeks ago. Do you think he won’t come crawling back at the first hint you would have him? And Humidity – I actually heard you say his name aloud! After I stopped laughing I thought to ask how you could possibly think that Humidity (Humidity of all things!) came on the coattails of MidSeventies? How dare you even suggest it! Spend a day in Tampa in August and then we can discuss where Humidity rears his ugly head.

It’s true. Pollen seemed to arrive with MidSeventies, but you cannot blame her for his refusal to follow a restraining order. It is out of her control. Knowing what a sports fan he is, one could argue that Pollen’s arrival was correlated more so with the first games of the Mariners. Would you betray them because of it??? It’s true that complaints can be heard alongside the SoDo Mojo in the stands, but if there was a possibility that the Mariners would not play again tomorrow or next week, would that not affect the voracity with which you laid into them? Would you bite your tongue, just a little bit, and remember all the reasons you love them so? Like most sports fans, Seattle, you are superstitious and, therefore, I suggest, you would not jinx the Mariners by complaining of them upon their arrival just because Pollen chose to come to the games as well.

All I ask is that you show MidSeventies the same respect. TheEighties (and I’m not talking about the decade here) may come for a visit later this summer. Wouldn’t that be nice? A picnic just isn’t a picnic without “fun Eighties” after all. I’m sure CoolBreeze would not want to miss out on the good food and great laughs of a summer picnic. Please don’t jepordize the opportunity to have them here by gaining a reputation as an ungrateful host.

TheSnow, Cold, and Rain won’t be gone for long so don’t worry about them. The money will run out and living out of a suitcase will begin to take it’s toll. Vacations are nice, but sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti they will head back to their beloved Seattle sending MidSeventies and the rest south again sooner than one would expect (or hope).

Look, Seattle, I know you didn’t mean any harm by it. You probably had on a few too many layers because you just weren’t expecting her to be here and you were uncomfortable. She did not RSVP, after all. WeatherStation assured us all she would not make an appearance for a week or more at least. I get it. You, we, were unprepared. But, that does not excuse rude behavior. Seattle, I thought you knew better. Let’s all work just a bit harder to make her and her friends feel welcome in the next week or so as Cold and Rain finish packing and follow TheSnow to whichever destination it is they’ve chosen to enjoy this spring.

Sincerely,

Joy

P.S. Photo taken one week later (Saturday, APRIL 19th). Well, I hope you are happy, Seattle. This is just depressing.

If I’ve never mentioned it before, Chad is worse than I am when it comes to spilling sauces and condiments on his clothes. I was seriously notorious for this kind of thing growing up. You can confirm it with my mother, but I don’t believe there was a single day from the time I started school until the time I left for college that I didn’t come home with mustard, ketchup or both on my shirt. Well, I met my match in Chad. Just tonight, in fact, we ordered a (free! can you believe it?) pizza from Papa John’s and somehow Chad managed to spill the sauce all over himself.

I would think it was funny if I wasn’t drowning in laundry these days, but here is what was funny about it. When Clara saw it she said, “Fish” and pointed to the biggest blob on the right. Fish! So, we counted up to 3 fishes on dad-dee’s shirt. Three fishes that mommy will get to work on scrubbing out of there. “Oh boy!”

It is kind of fun to stand back and play the “ink blob” game. Personally, I see one flying fish and a speedboat, but then I’m tainted by Clara’s seeing the fish. Play along and tell me what you see (besides a mess).

****

On an different note, last Friday Chad and I went on a college date because we are broke right now. This was during those days that spring was supposed to be in the air but it decided to snow sporadically anyway. Chad took me to the UW campus to show me the notable sites – where he took his classes and hung out, etc. Then we went to “The Ave” and found a good, cheap place to eat. It was all very lovely.

The UW campus has this area called “The Quad” that has a long row of cherry blossom trees and to reassure us that spring was indeed supposed to be in the air, they were all in full bloom. It was a beautiful site:

It’s still snowing . . .

Ok, so the snow lasted only long enough for me to take that picture, but still SNOW, people!

And, see, I knew I was right that it’s supposed to be Spring in the air and NOT SNOW. When I look out the kitchen doors, I see this:

Does that look like early onset WINTER to you?!?! No, I didn’t think so. And yet there is a snow advisory in Seattle for 0-2 inches. Of snow. To fall 2nite. RAR!!!!!!

Dude. I’m sitting here looking out the family room window and what do I see?

SNOW!

It is March 27th, practically April, and I don’t want to look out my window and see snow!! Spring is SUPPOSED to be in the air. We’ve already sprung forward, hunted Easter eggs in the grass, flowers are blooming, so, why, oh why, is there snow out there?!

Whaaaaaaaaaa!

This woman knows what I’m talking about:

Bloody H-E-(double hockey sticks)

Can spring be far behind? Right now, I’d say, “yes.”

Here are a few pictures from a wedding Clara and I went to this summer of our friends Justin and Jenny. Their wedding photographer captured these – mostly of Clara – and I’ve been meaning to share them for a while. Better late than never, right?

I hope all y’all have been keeping up with Carrie’s Musings and enjoying them as I have. My great uncle is a poet himself and has a wonderful peom called “Spring”.

I’m sure you’ve noticed that with the time change that the days are getting longer. Each day as I’m walking around Dublin, I’m noticing that the birds are out singing and so I thought it would be appropriate to post his “Spring” poem here for y’all to enjoy:

Spring has come to all the world,
Now that winter has come and gone,
Each little twig now has a bud,
The birds are building homes.

Rain drops come pattering down,
On fields so grassy green,
Showers of blessing they spread around,
And over flow the streams.

Each little flower in the meadow,
Lifts its sleeping head,
To greet the warm spring weather,
All winter they have been dead.

The fisky squirrels with tails so long,
Are happy as can be,
They too have spent the winter at home,
Hidden way up in a tree.

Spring gives life to every thing,
That has a life to live,
Even you and I and lesser things:
The clover and the daffodils.

By H. M. Kersey, Stockbridge, Georgia