Spring is in the Air

With warmer weather finally arriving in North Texas it is time to open up the windows and breathe in the wonderful blooming flowers. The Carolina jasmine that is hanging across our fence down the driveway mingles with the Star jasmine to create the most amazing sweet smell. The roses in my neighbors garden smell and look gorgeous. For me, there is nothing that quite compares to a freshly mowed lawn either. Life is good.


Growing up in a real family friendly neighborhood, brings back the memories of Easter egg hunts, baskets brimming with jelly beans, Peeps and of course a Helen Grace Chocolate Easter Egg. I get goose pimply just thinking about those eggs. They were huge. Rich, creamy, melt in your mouth chocolate with an even creamier dreamier walnut chocolate filling. These eggs were so big you had to slice pieces off with a butter knife. mounds and mounds of chocolate covered this and sugar filled that. Life was soooo tastey.


Our neighborhood also gathered together to have the annual Easter Egg Hunt. We kids would wait for what seemed like hours as the parents hid all of those marvelously colored eggs around the bushes and trees on the street. Then, with our empty baskets ready, we would launch out on the wildest race to see who could find and claim the most eggs. Dashing here and there, grabbing eggs and shrieking with pure joy. Life was breathless.


Once I started my own family, I declare that I too, would keep these wonderful traditions alive. Each year, I would scour the candy aisles to get the best most dazzling candies to surprise and amaze my children. I would spend hours in the kitchen, late at night, when the little darlings were asleep, hard boiling the eggs and then preparing them to be gently dipped in the vinegar and dye, watching, watching, watching as they magically changed into the colors of the rainbow. To this day I love that smell. It triggers such wonderful memories of time gone by. Once the eggs dried I would place them ever so lovingly around the house and the yard knowing that my kids too, would dance with glee on this wonderful adventure of the hunt. Life was exciting.


Just like any of our other holidays, Easter only lasts so long. Within a couple of days, the "good" candy that was so lovingly placed in those adorable baskets is gone, and most of the green basket grass has been cut off the beater bars of the vacuum. We have consumed more egg salad sandwiches than the FDA recommends and are beginning to look ahead to the next celebratory time. But then something odd catches my attention. I can't quite place it. I follow the scent throughout the living room certain that something must have died somewhere within the walls of my home. There must be a dead animal up in the attic. Life gets smelly.


As with any adventure in life, or learning experience, it is important that we look to these moments and decide that we will become better smarter people because of them. What is the sense of not taking every opportunity we are given and sharing those moments with the ones we love. Little life lessons I call them. The "something to write home about" stuff that makes us stronger and wiser. We can administer our wealth of knowledge to those younger ones, struggling to bring to their families the best holiday memories that money can buy. Sage advice from those who have been there, done that. Count the dang eggs BEFORE you hide them.

Life.....just gets.