Rushing into Spring

Okay it seems like Puxatony Phil and everyone else is ready to rush into Spring! The stores are starting to fill up with pastel and neon bright clothing and there are gardening supplies and seed packets displayed in the supermarket.

I can't blame this "Jump into Spring" mentality solely on consumerism. I'm sure since ancient times people have had a longing for signs of Spring at this time of year. Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday are less than two weeks away and the count down to Easter begins. Easter is undeniably a spring holiday.

But what about the last of winter? Maybe because I'm a February baby, I like winter and want it to feel well, like winter. I would probably be as eager for spring as everyone else, if this winter really felt like a winter.

Yes, it was cold for a couple of days and there was a little snow. The flu thrived, but so did the parsley and pansies in our garden. Maybe, I'm not so eager for spring, because this whole winter has felt like a cold spring. I feel like I am living in a warmer climate than the our zone 6 USDA designation calls for. Come on February bring it on!

Photo via A Blog with a View

Rushing the Holidays: Part One

On Halloween as we were leaving the grocery store with my daughter in her Halloween costume ready for trick or treating, we passed the Christmas tree display that had already been set up. We had to stop as my daughter was very excited to see the trees. While she was happy to see signs of Christmas, I was less than charmed.

In reality Christmas decorations have been making their way into the stores for weeks already but the contrast of her costume and the wintry display really struck me. Why must we rush everything? Why in the land of retail is everything blending together in to a "Buy fest"? Do I even have to ask? In the retail world it is about extending the buying season. But what about in our lives?

Why do we put up with this "Christmas in October" pace? I begin to think as people spend more and more hours at work, away form their families and rushed in general, the blur of one holiday into another actually has some appeal. My theory is that people with little time to appreciate the moment feel as if they are getting more of the holidays. Instead of taking the seasons and holidays one at a time, appreciating their meaning and celebrating them discreetly we now have mash ups. I have to say, I'm used to Thanksgiving and Christmas getting squashed together but Halloween and Christmas, it's going too far.

Photo of Macy's Christmas display from Running With Cake.