This spring has had quite the ups and downs as your usual spring, first it will be 70 degrees and melt most of the 3 feet of snow in your backyard, then just when your daffodils peek through the ground, we are going to surprise you with another 3 feet of snow, all in a days time. Needless to say that snow has melted again, and we were blessed with another few days of gorgeous sunny and mid 40 degrees days, yet as I look outside my window it resembles a blustery November day, cold, windy, stick like trees bending their branches toward the sleet and remaining snow covered fields. Now I have been in Vermont most of my 42 years of life. Taking a few years off to explore the life of a flight attendant in New York City, or studying 15 different species of birds on a secluded island in Hawaii, but how ever fast paced my life or slow paced, I would always return to the good old state of Vermont. Vermont is home, and it is home because I was raised to appreciate it's beauty, it's hard working environments and it's not so pretty months. Yeah, yeah it is snowing outside and my tomato plants are screaming to be let out and play in the dark rich clay like soil of my garden, but it are these exact moments when you realize you have a good deal going on.

I know we have heard it a million times, "if you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes..." or some version of this saying, but it is truly a vermontism that fits this state. If we don't have the bad weather we can't appreciate the good weather. If we don't have the bad experiences in life, we don't appreciate the good experiences. I must remind myself of these "bad experiences" as positive ones, but in times of frustration and anger I forget. I am trying a new view on the bad parts of life....at least it is new to me, and I want to be better at handling them. Now, I hold it in, the anger tends to eat away all my happy feelings or motivations, which is not how I want my children or their children to experience life. So, I am asking friends who may see me flustered, steaming or smouldering over something to poke, prod, wave a magic wand....I don't know, just let me know it is going to be alright, and it will wake my senses up to the ever changing patterns of the human mind. I tend to focus on the little picture too much, and the little picture is just that, little.

I may complain about the weather outside because I want to go hiking or plant the garden, but why? I have a house that has not been demolished by an earthquake, Tsunami, or mudslide. I have healthy children who are not torn by wars, famine, or abuse. I have a job that provides food, clothing and fun. It is this big picture I need to remember, and share. Peace