A Poem for Late February

"Late February days; and now, at last,
Might you have thought that
Winter's woe was past;
So fair the sky was and so soft the air." 
William Morris

Judging by the new look of my blog, I guess I could be accused of seeing the world through rose-colored glasses (or green lol), although right now it is more like frosted glass. I regularly visit all sorts of blogs and while I often enjoy the edgy, bordering on cranky ones, it is just not my style. My musings are for those who are trying to cut back - I suppose I'm in the 'lite' blog category. 

I thought the above poem was perfect for today. Our skies are blue, the sun is almost hot at times (when you are driving in the car or sitting by a window) and our days are noticeably longer. But as the poem indicates: reality check! It will not be spring here for a good while. Earlier this morning a number of bloggers I regularly visit were in the midst of busily sowing seeds or in some cases, already setting out their delicate seedlings on windowsills in anticipation of our long-awaited spring. Here is a great example. The longer I mosey through life, the more I begin to appreciate poetry. So much feeling, texture and atmosphere is translated into a concise, disciplined form. Yet good poetry always feels free and all encompassing. 

My maternal grandmother passed away this past Sunday at 96. She lived a very long and healthy life. She was a nurse at one point and then, once married, lived on the family farm in southern Ontario. Many of my childhood memories are centered around summers spent on that parcel of land. My great-grandmother (who also lived on the farm and I remember well) and grandfather are gone and now my grandmother. A chapter has closed in some respects. It is the circle of life, and certainly gives one pause for thought. In the picture below, Helen is the gal in the front row, far right, with the black short-sleeved blouse and belt. Considering it was 1935, I think she was quite stylish for her time. The picture expands for a closer look.