I love this time of year!

I actually love pretty much late April thru to early November - the time when things are growing and alive. Just got back from a very comprehensive search of the garden store - didn't find everything I wanted, but got some good substitutes, I think. Now, to plant it all!

Oh, and I love having some time off of work!

Book #9: The Incredible Hulk: Boiling Point by Bruce Jones. For me, who grew up with Bill Bixby and Lou Farigno, the graphic novels always take a bit of adjusting to. Why did they change Banner's name for TV?? But it's still the Hulk and he's still awesome.

Moments of childishness = happiness reborn

I fully believe that if I were to have superhero powers, I would be able to fly. My "theme song" - and one of the few "other" songs that I danced to at my wedding is the Me First and the Gimme Gimmes version of "I believe I can fly". It never ceases to cheer me up, shake me out of whatever stress I'm in, motivate me to get into kickbutt shape, etc.

For years, flying has permeated my dreams. Sometimes I zip and zoom, sometimes I soar, sometimes I have to start with swimming through the air, just skimming the treetops, before I pick up speed and get free. It helps me save people, escape bad guys, ghosts, evil houses. It's also a huge rush - the sensation of loosing the bonds of gravity and bathing in fresh air and nature's bounty (I'm never flying in smog or the like). Unlike Nathan on Heroes, who when he actually gets over his bugaboos and actually flies, seems to more about getting from A to B (or just away from A) as fast as possible - this is exhilarating.

A blog I recently found Ghost Stories, had an entry about flying dreams.

Flying dreams can be interpreted in a number of ways. In general they can be seen as representing your spirit rising high, free from limitations or boundaries. A dream in which you can fly suggests that your mind is reaching for new heights, searching for and exploring possibilities that lie beyond the reality of your everyday life. The flying dream often happens when there is an opportunity for advancement in your life and may indicate optimism about your future.

Hmmm - pretty cool.

So, while watching one of the final episodes of Heroes for the season, I found myself revisiting childhood as I went from first floor to attic to watch. I ran through the house, arms wide and tilting back and forth, playing an airplane, or a flying hero. Silly, yes, but can I tell you - it was such a rush!

Catching up on some books I haven't posted about lately:
Book #8: Kissing in Manhattan by David Schickler. We were first intrigued by this because, like George Saunders, he's relatively local and the book got a lot of buzz when it first came out. I found some of this quite quite odd - and not from a surreal or supernatural point of view, but the characters seemed a bit too warped to believe. It was neat the way the stories connected - I would have loved to have learned more about the building that played such a role. And I got very mad at the chicks that put up with the psycho's nonsense and went back for more.

Being green

I'm trying to be more conscious than ever about the impact I'm making on the planet. It's so predominant nowadays that it's almost cliche, but I find it important. I chose my new car partially on MPG, I've started using paper bags for cleaning the litter and canvas totes cover most of our grocery haul. On short trips, I try to turn down bags whenever I remember. I turn off the shower while I shampoo, and leave a window open while showering for better ventilation (hoping that means less mildew cleaning).

bdp5
Originally uploaded by cw_roelle.

sonny's pic
Sonny recently posted on Flickr about spending some time around Earth Day picking up refundables in Providence.

I also found a couple of other suggestions that seem cool -

• Nike's sneaker recycling program makes basketball courts and sports fields out of old shoes. In our area, the dropoff is at the hazardous waste facility near Monroe Community Hospital.
• Ideal Bite is a fun "crunchy chic" blog.
• I'm exploring recycled glass or newspaper countertops (seen on This Old House) and thinking hemp for the new shower curtains in the bath.
  

Recentering

Spring is an awesome time of year, especially when I have the time to actually get into the garden. It's a very meditative practice for me. As annoying as the morning glories and squirrels can be, working with and nurturing the plants, seeing my vision come to life, and knowing that I'll have herbs and veggies to harvest - settles me.

Bell choir in May plays Memorial Day Sunday and our director has chosen a spiritual hymn. They've asked me to sing it a capella to lead in the bells, so I pulled out my flute to pick through the notes and get a feel for it. I haven't played my flute for anything more than picking out a bell rhythm in years and years. After playing with the hymn for a bit, I paged through my old music and played a bit of this and that. I felt recentered. I felt more me than I have in a while. I think I've been caught up in to-do's and projects and chores and piles and have been cheating myself a bit. Evenings when I needed to "come home" from work, I often just watched TV or napped. Now I see that this really didn't help. Got the mind off work a bit, but didn't renew at all. Getting out my flute and singing a bit really brought back a bit of me that had been buried by the vagaries of daily life.

Here's to a great spring of gardening, music, and creative endeavors that should leave us as renewed as nature is around us.