Spring in My Heart

Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!
~Thomas Blackburn, "An Easter Hymn"

After the record cold we experienced the week before last, I reveled in the warm weather, sunshine, and blue skies that came our way most of this week.  My husband saw a lizard on the wall in the back garden and some of our perennials began to show some green leaves. The false spring was short, however.  Yesterday and today have been windy and cool, with intermittent sunshine and clouds.  They forecast rain, which we actually could have used, as this has been a dry winter, but we only received a few drops.  I looked out to the back garden yesterday and saw two little birds shivering in the bare mesquite tree and clouds rolling by in the background.

I needed something cheery and springlike to brighten at least my indoor environment, so I bought these two lovely primroses at the local Walmart.  They make me smile every time I glance their way.

Being housebound by the ugly weather, I decided to start another project to lift my spirits.  I had wonderful news the other day of the expected arrival of a new little one in our family come October.  More about that later.  But in the meantime, here is the beginning of a sweet baby afghan.  The crochet block is called Friend Family Square and the free pattern can be found here.  I really like the stitch definition and the pattern is well-written.  I am grateful to the designer Christal Friend. 

It is too soon to know if the baby will be a girl or a boy,but I think the colors should work for either.  I made a big granny square afghan for my grandson that had the variegated yarn in it and fell in love with the colors then.  It is Red Heart's Monet.  The other colors are Soft White, Lavender, and Aruba Sea.  

Thanks to my primroses and this afghan in progress, I have springtime inside even when it is wintry outside. And now, I have spring in my heart.