Kiss the Earth

Snow in the forecast for tomorrow? I'm not ready to let go of these warm days. Last night, as promised, I headed out to the garden to continue the big clean-up (the one that didn't happen when it should have, last fall) ... and didn't get very far. For a happy reason.

The neighbors were out, too, walking the dog, playing with their toddlers, coming by to say hello. We all decided that we're tired of winter, even though it hasn't been terrible, and can't wait for spring to spring. I learned about two more babies on the block (on the way) and one friend's plans to take a much-deserved vacation ... Let's face it. It's time for everyone to come out of their houses and start talking again.

When the weather's warm, the sidewalks in my neighborhood are jammed in the evenings and on weekends and if you go for a walk after dinner, any day of the week, you meet all sorts of people. They might be just taking a spin, like you, or taking the dog out or puttering around in their gardens. One night last summer a neighbor I don't even know two streets over told me to come over anytime and take some plants I'd been admiring in her small but colorful front yard. "I have plenty," she said, although she wasn't sure what they were.

I never did take any, but later I did find out what her plants were and left the information in her door.

So, after a few days of warmth and a brief reminder of my neighborhood's neighborliness, news that snow is on the way is a definite bummer. Back inside we go, for a little while longer.