First Hodgepodge of April

Still looking a bit wintry ...

So it's Wednesday, and once again our intrepid hostess Joyce, at  From This Side of the Pond,  is hosting the Hodgepodge for our blogging and reading pleasure!  If you'd like to jump in too, head on over to  From This Side of the Pond and get the questions, then answer them on your own blog.  It's a wonderful diversion in these crazy times.  Here are Joyce's questions:

1. Has spring sprung in your part of the world? How can you tell? Did March come in like a lion where you live? Going out like a lamb or something more ferocious?

It hasn't really sprung (we had a dusting of snow overnight), but I'd say it is springing.  There is still some snow, and ice on the lakes (as in the top photo taken near Squam Lake last week). But I've seen a few pussy willows, and the red-winged blackbirds are back.  The goldfinches are changing out of their winter plumage to bright yellow.

Image by Rick Tremblay from Pixabay

If I remember right, March came in somewhat lamb-like, and it is definitely going out that way.  Today (it's the 31st as I write this) is not brilliantly sunny nor spectacularly warm, but will near 50º before day's end and is not windy.  This lamb-like departure is a blessing, because it feels as if a lot of lions are roaring and winds are howling in our world right now.

2. The last thing that caused you to spring to your feet?

Hearing my hubby on the phone downstairs asking our daughter a question that she had just answered in a phone call to me not ten minutes earlier.  She's a busy homeschooling mom and I really felt that only one of us needed to bother her.  But in his defense, he had been outside and had no idea that she had called me.

3. Do you have a spring clean to-do list? What's one chore on the list you've already managed to accomplish? What spring clean chore do you most dread?

I don't really have an actual spring cleaning to-do list.  I try to stick with FlyLady's system (though lately I've been failing miserably) so that spring cleaning per se is not really necessary. That said, I do need to wash the windows and that is probably the most dreaded spring chore.  I haven't accomplished any spring cleaning tasks as yet because it doesn't really seem like spring here (see question #1).

4. Tell us something you've learned about yourself or the wider world as a result of social distancing/the virus crisis.

Let's see.  About myself, I've been reminded that I would be absolutely fine not leaving my house for weeks on end.  I don't get bored.  I have enough cleaning to do to last me a lifetime, and plenty of craft projects (both UFOs and potential) to keep me very busy indeed.  (But unfortunately I do have to leave my house, to walk for an hour or so each day and then to spend several hours cleaning at my childhood home.  No mask needed.  But maybe I should be wearing one because of the dust?)  I'm also learning that I still need to work at lengthening my fuse. 

About the wider world, I've learned that it seems to be quite a bit like my experience of first and second grade.  Those who do everything the teacher says, those who disobey the teacher at every opportunity, those who bend the rules, those who tattle on others, those who mock and shame others.  Some blame other people; others want to be part of the solution.  Some are kind and helpful, some are just plain mean ... I could go on and on, but you get the idea.  I guess that I already knew this, but a big crisis like this sure brings it to the surface and I feel as if I'm re-learning it.  All the more reason for us who are believers to be calm and steady in this unprecedented situation.

Because the very best thing is remembering that God is in this with us.  He has a plan and His plan is good.  Regardless of how this got started or how deadly it could be, the bottom line is God is in control of it.  It will not last one second longer than He allows.This is the all-powerful, all-knowing Creator God, who reminded Job in Job 38:11 that He had told the sea, "Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed."

5. Something you love that's the color pink?

This hyacinth on my daughter's kitchen windowsill.  I snagged the photo from her Instagram.  What a pretty reminder of Spring!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Seems like all my thoughts are random these days! But here's something sort of fun that we recently did.  While clearing out the Christmas decoration storage area at my parents' house, we found some vintage candoliers -- the window candles with a base to set on a window sill.  The ones we found have eight candles each.  Amazingly, these antique lights still work -- and there were extra light bulbs with them!

Knowing that some folks are displaying candles in their windows these days as a sign of hope, and some towns have even lit the Christmas lights on Main Street, we decided to fit the candolier out with red, white, and blue lights and place it in one of our porch windows.

Last night at the blue hour

We had to take a photo in the daytime to show the actual colors of the bulbs.

And I guess that's it from here.  Happy Wednesday, everyone!