Ten Days of Little Celebrations - April 2013

Back in August 2012, I posted about finding something to celebrate each day. It’s an easy thing for me to do and the habit of writing it down reminds me to be grateful for these and a myriad of other things in my life. Here are some ‘little celebrations’ I’ve noted this month:

A friend from 40 years ago. What a joy it is to be in contact with a friend after so many years in different parts of the country!

Tile art. The nature center where I volunteer has started a fundraising effort that involves children making squares of art that will be transferred to tiles. The children and parents have such fun making the images. I can hardly wait to see the walls of these unique tiles.

First spring day. It was a little late this year. Everything was delayed and then suddenly - spring sprung!

New azaleas. We finally filled the bed in front of our house where some bushes had died. The azalea bushes evidently love their new home; they started blooming almost immediately.

Flicker. There was a flicker investigating the forest at the back of our yard. Maybe there will be a nest!

Steak. We don’t have steak all that often and this time we thought it had burned on the grill - but it was very tender - and tasty. Celebrate!

Butterfly. It was pretty cold but there was a brave butterfly on the plum tree. It was the first of the season.

Deciduous magnolias and cherry trees. These are the two early bloomers in our area. This year they peaked together.

Travel plans. I enjoy planning for travel. It’s the preparation of the mind to maximize the experience of where I go. The anticipation is worth savoring.

Dark chocolate. This should be on my list every month. 

Too Early for Cherry Blossoms

When I made the reservations for a cruise on the Potomac to see the cherry blossoms on 3/24, the projection was for them to be near peak on that day. Then the area has some cold days that turned into a couple of weeks of colder than usual weather and the cherry blossoms were delayed. We opted to go on the tour anyway.

The day was cold and damp. Everyone stayed in the enclosed part of the boat. There was a birthday party next to us. They gave us desert parfaits to make up for the noise the little children were making; it was a nice little treat and the children actually were making happy noises making the day brighter even without the sun.

Being on the river provides a different perspective than fighting the traffic on the roads around Washington DC. The scenery slides by: Haines Point, the National War College, the capitol, the Washington Monument, the 14th Street Bridge, the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, National Airport, and a flock of seagulls as we get close to our pier.

We’ll have to try it another year when the cherry blossoms are blooming.

Kite Festival in Washington DC

The kite festival at the Smithsonian Mall in Washington DC is held the last Saturday of March and usually coincides with cherry trees in full bloom. It was last Saturday (3/30). This year the cherry tree buds were yet to open - and the breeze was so light that the majority of kites did not make it up very high or stay aloft. The image in the center of the collage below is the myriad of kites looking down the Smithsonian Mall toward the Washington Monument (still undergoing repair from the earthquake damage). The kites were brightly colored. The butterfly and parrot kites were my favorites although the sky shark was fun too.

On the plus side - the day was the warmest of the week and that was enough for the crowds of people to enjoy the day. Joggers dodged in and out of walkers, parents or grandparents pushed strollers with babies and young children, toddlers were enjoying the different textures of turf or pebbles or concrete, elementary aged children were trying to fly their kites….everyone seemed to find something to enjoy.