Celebrate the seasons!
I realized tonight as I was sitting in our neighbour's backyard in the dark, alternately watching the children run wild with sparklers and glow sticks and at the hypnotic glow and crackle of the bonfire in front of me, that celebrating and rejoicing in the change of seasons can come around in just such simple ways. A few I thought of were:
Stepping outside to breathe the Spring air.
Taking pictures of shoots coming out of the ground.
A first rhubarb recipe of the season.
Buying tulips in season and pressing the petals.
Cleaning the chimneys and windows and whatever else gets especially dirty over the winter.
Circling the 'first days' on the calendar. First day of farmer's market!
The start of new things. Why have resolutions in January? Have them start on the first day of Spring!
Wearing light colours, buying white shoes, doing something light with your hair.
Spending an entire hour thinking about sunscreen and making it a fun outing to buy what you've selected.
A visit to the tree nursery.
The local chip stop is open! Eat them with tiny red forks while standing outside.
Carefully packing away sweaters.
The trimming of hedges, the sharpening of push mower blades.
The starting days of sports team
Going to a farm, going anywhere, really
The last day of school!
Making an event of the day the local pool opens.
A tinkle of the ice cream cart
Hot days spent in the shade.
Teaching the children to make paper fans
Sitting in the evening outside in the yard with your feet in the kiddie pool
Sprinklers
Sidewalk chalk
Summer dresses made from old flowered sheets
Big floppy hats
The beach in all it's glory
having neighbours over for a barbecue
Fireworks
Camping in the back yard
Bathing the dog outside with the hose
Cleaning the eaves troughs
Fireflies
Listening to the lightening storms
Back to school sales
Exclamations over how much everyone has grown
Visits to family
Buying lots of cards for birthdays to come
Family photos
The first day of school
New shoes
All new supplies.
The first day of a new planner or journal
Crafts with leaves
Carving pumpkins
The delicious anticipation of 'what to be for Hallowe'en'!
Bonfires
Being out after dark
Shorter days.
The night you turn on the furnace
Cold weather foods, crock pots and slow meals
Buying candles and lanterns for blackouts
Counting the stars, watching for meteors
The fall storms
Planning Christmas cards
Present buying trips
Making wrapping paper
The big mailing out!
Guests
Velvet tree skirts, hot chocolate and decorations
Buying a poinsettia
Reading stories
The fireplace
Stockings
Christmas morning
Packing gifts for the less fortunate
The long trip of the wise kings to see the Christ Child
Epiphany cake
Winter birthdays
I Love Yous and candy and special Valentine's dates
Games around the kitchen table
Snowmen!
Feeding the birds
Toboggan rides
Grey and cloudy skies
Seed catalogues
The careful planning of gardens
Watching the produce slowly change in the grocery store
Using up the last of the fall harvest
Lenten reflection
Holy week
Easter morning
New clothes
Chocolate, egg hunts
The first day of Spring
Lengthening days
Setting the clocks forward
Spring babies
Green shoots
Life
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