Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Spirit shaking going on


Hostas. The surest sign that spring has, indeed, arrived in the South. Hostas, violets, daffodils, and the  humble little dandelion that always gets a bad rap.
Dandelion. Weed. Nuisance.

After a long and cold winter, with more snow than usual, that Dandelion is a welcome sight. One of the first things to color our drab front yard, it is accompanied by another southern weed that I personally love...the wild onion. Ramps, my brother calls them.

Surprisingly enough, both of these nuisance weeds are edible. I have a feeling that settlers, after a long, harsh, tasteless winter, couldn't wait to see these things that are now mown down with a vengance.

Different times, different perspectives, different people I guess.

For me, anything that sings, chirps, buzzes or blooms, is welcome. It is a sign that life is coming back. The sun is getting warmer. The frost of winter is shaken off and our red clay of North Carolina becomes alive.

Maybe the sun thaws my frozen spirit. Maybe the vibrant colors chase away the blues. Maybe the bird songs cause my own flesh to sing. Whatever the reason, I come alive. Gloriously alive to a spirit shaking, spring awakening, once again only found in the south.

Sharon Raines has two books available: 'Through Mom's Eyes'at http://www.publishamerica.net/product27236.html and 'I'm still the cuckoo of this clock' http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/sharonraines You can also check me out on Twitter. http://twitter.com/ Franks1wife

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