Favorite Friday... Springtime!

I love springtime!! I love everything about it. I love the chaotic weather. I love the trees in bloom and the flowers. I love not knowing whether to wear flip-flops and a skirt or jeans and a sweater. I love being able to make chicken soup and rolls one day and the next only wanting popsicles. I love flying kites and having picnics and leaving the doors and windows wide open. And the very next day making sure to pack an umbrella when I go to market because of the torrential downpour I will inevitably encounter. For a girl who doesn't love chaos, I am a little surprised at myself with how much I love the chaotic nature of spring. I think part of me loves the little bit of extra time I feel spring gives me before summer is on my back porch knocking.
During the summer I want to give myself over to the freedom of season. I want to swim and run and bike and play. I want to read more books in the park, drink slushies from the Sev (7-11) and only wear flip-flops. I want to swim until I am too tired to move my arms and then crash in glorious air-conditioning. I want to eat dinner on the patio and watch the sun go down behind the trees. The things I don't want to do are as follows: dishes, laundry, dusting, mopping, vacuuming, baking (I know crazy right?!) etc. Instead I want to take my kids to the beach and visit family and friends and roadtrip and go to the farmers' market and swim and eat fruit in-season and swim and get tan and swim. Let me just say it again.... I love spring!!

(Sis took this pic and the angle is a bit skewed, but I thought the colors were lovely and I am tired, so you get just what she took. :)
Springtime is in full swing here in Baltimore. Everything is in bloom! I knew Baltimore wouldn't disappoint me. It is more beautiful than I thought it would be. As we walked home from the market today I had to stopped and plunge my face into these lilacs. They were intoxicating! I just couldn't help myself, I swiped two little branches with blossoms just beginning to open and brought them home where I could indulge in their fragrance all week long.
The fountain on the parkway in front of our apartment was magically spouting today like it couldn't wait another minute to herald in springtime. It was one of the first things I fell in love with in Baltimore. This fountain was surrounded by flowers when we first moved here - as you can see in the next pic. 

The last few days have been gloriously warm after days of rain and supposedly tomorrow will be even nicer. Then beginning Sunday we are to get another three days of rain. It is all part of the season I love that we call spring.
And anyway I need the rain-days to catch up for the last few days of sunshine. The laundry is piling up and the vacuum is still waiting its turn. It won't hurt it to wait a few more days. I'll clean on Monday. Right now I am going out on the porch to read.