The Weekly Smile #10 – It’s Back!

Easy smiles this week! When I came home from work yesterday, the first thing I saw was this…

Ahhh. Right back where it belongs. Miss Dee had freed it from the cluttered dark garage and put it back on the porch!

Then I saw this…

and this…

and this…

Yup. I’m smiling alright. Hope where ever you are, you’re smiling too.

This post is part of the Weekly Smile brought to you courtesy of Trent’s World. Hop over and grab a few more smiles or maybe leave one of your own.

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R is for Rabbits

We have a family of rabbits that live under our deck. Although, I guess, they feel they have a family of people that live in the house attached to their deck. Whatever. We share space. This family of rabbits has been around for years. At least I assume it’s the same family, just the next generation.Each spring, we start to see the adults in the back yard enjoying their evening meal.

After dinner, we sit out on the deck and even though our yard is not very big (that’s my yard in the banner photo above), they don’t seem to be bothered by us. I guess we’ve reached an understanding.  Girl Child always tries to see how close she can get to them before they run away. I don’t think she realizes that the smart little rabbits are teasing her. They let her get just so close before dashing back under the deck.

We will watch them for the next few weeks as the lady rabbit gets fluffier and fluffier until finally I hear the unmistakable sound of my Hubby in the yard using bad words because the rabbits have deposited a new litter of baby bunnies in the middle of the yard. I can’t  understand why they have their babies in the grass when they live under the deck? If anyone out there understands bunny behavior can you help me out? Anyway, every year Hubby has to put cones around the rabbit hole so he knows to mow around that area. If you knew how much my husband loves his lawn you would know what a sacrifice this is!

Eventually, the babies get big enough to leave the nest and begin to enjoy the evening meal with momma and poppa. We sit and watch them and coo over how cute they are (except for Hubby who is still grumbling about the hole in his lawn). I never get tired of watching them and the cats like it too. They watch from inside, of course. I look forward to seeing them because I know when they make their appearance Spring has finally arrived.

What sign of Spring do you look forward to most?

F is for Fresh Air!

Hallelujah! The windows are open! Let’s just take a moment to breathe in the fresh air. I realize that the air here in the suburbs may me a little fresher than it is for those of you who live in the more urban areas but to be fair I live in New Jersey and the air quality in the “Garden State” is sometimes less than perfect. Still, I love being able to turn off the heat and fully enjoy the indoor/out door lifestyle.

Hubby is a winter guy. He melts in the heat so each year we have a running argument about opening windows. Usually, as soon as I get up, all the sashes go up. He tells me I’m “letting in the heat. I tell him I’m “letting out the stuffiness.” Depending on how high the temperature goes that day, I usually get my way.

Seriously, though, there is something truly rejuvenating about a spring breeze, the sound of birds and the smell of the hyacinths. Ahh! Rejoice! The cold dark claustrophobic winter has finally ended! Breathe deeply, my friends!

A Sure Sign of Spring

  Yay! Hubby put my rocking chair and cushions back on the front porch! There may still be snow on the ground around here but now I know spring weather really is coming! Let’s hear it for the light at the end of the tunnel!!!

The Healing Power of the Sun

I was positively giddy when I woke today and heard the forcast. Oh, Sunshine! I’ve missed you so!! I confess. I was one of those teenage girls who sat in the sun, slathered with Hawaiian Tropic, roasting my skin to a crisp. Back then, I didn’t know any better. Now I do and I take much better care of my skin but even though I know the sun can be damaging, it can also be very healing.

Nineteen years ago, when my son was born he had a difficult entrance into the world. Luckily, after twelve nervous hours of labor he was born strong and healthy but he ended up with a lot of bruising on his face. Poor baby looked like the world’s youngest prize fighter! Newborns, I learned, can’t deal with the excess bilirubin that is released into the body when bruising begins to break down. It results in them becoming jaundice. So our little fighter spent an extra day in the nursery under some special lights and when we took him home they sent us with a portable version that wrapped around him. They also told us that during the day we should keep him near a sunny window because the sunlight would help him fight the jaundice as well. For the next week we moved his bassinet from one window to the next, letting the sun work it’s magic!

Cats, as well, have always appreciated the power of the sun. Is there anything more content than a cat in a sun spot? I wish I could get that comfortable. Yesterday I found my 15 pound tabby, Jack wedged between the sofa and the end table because that was where the sun was! And, I’m a little embarrassed to admit this but I’ve been know to steal the best spots from the cats if I need a recharge myself. Even though I don’t  sunbathe like I used to, there are still days, especially this time of the year, when I need 10 minutes of warmth on my face.

I’ve always gravitated towards the sun, especially when I’m feeling low. Our house has tons of windows and my first task each morning is to throw open those drapes. Breathing seems easier and moods seem brighter the more sun there is. Do you agree? Welcome Day Light Savings time!! I feel better already.