Spring Fever

So is everybody else as tired of this winter dragging on and on as I am? A sweet friend's inspiration this morning reflected exactly what my mind has been droning on about, namely, HURRY UP SPRING!

I know, I know, it will get here soon enough, and before we realize it, we will be smack dab in the middle of the good ol' South Texas hundred-degree weather we all know and hate. While I've enjoyed this winter for the most part, being as we rarely have real winters around here, I have officially had ENOUGH.

I would imagine that my folks are ready for spring to "sprung" too, since I've been going stir crazy this week. When I get the broom, mop, and duster out, my dad always says "uh-oh, she's at it again". I have rearranged books on my library shelves, cleaned out my closet (with at least half my clothes going to charity and still it doesn't appear I've made a dent), swept the porches a hundred times, cleaned cobwebs, killed scorpions (not so hard; the cold weather has made them quite sluggish), groomed the cats, helped my dad with projects in his garage, cooked ginormous meals, made several trips to Victoria and Cuero (Cuero??? OK, more on that at a later date), even worked a night at Cuero hospital, gathered my taxes and taken them to the CPA, rode my bike, chopped down weeds (okay, I could have done more of that, but......I get tired!) and watched the Olympics through it all, like a thread woven through the more menial aspects of my life.

Some of it has to do with those Olympics, actually. The last time the winter Olympics were on, my mother was dying of cancer in the hospital on her birthday, and the anniversary of all that will now happen to fall at this time every four years. Sometimes staying busy is the best remedy, but I will never be able to look at the Winter Olympics without thinking of my mother. However, so many things can change in a year! A new home, a practically brand-new father after his successful battle with cancer (almost two years cancer-free and counting!), my grandmother coming to live with me, and other things that simply blow my mind.

So, with another Olympics drawing to a close, I am waiting patiently (or maybe not so much) for winter to draw to a close as well. How do people who live where it snows in FEET at a time do it? How do they not go stark raving mad, dealing with the cold, blustery, grey, snowy days for months at a time? Yeah, for me, I'm just looking forward to the bluebonnets and a trip to Port Aransas, something I haven't done in too long. Come on, Spring!!

To get us through these dreary days, I have some "sunny" songs to brighten your outlook. One of my favorite artists of the 1960s, Donovan (some men are so supremely cool they need only one name), will greet you here with his "Sunshine Superman", a groovy tune that will start you down the path of beautiful thoughts for this chilly day.

Next is one of the loveliest songs by my favorite band of all time, The Beatles. Ask for the sun, and the Beatles will deliver it to you here. Although the world became a little less beautiful when George Harrison died, this song evokes sweet memories of him and the band at their best. Enjoy the great pictures and the sunny tune, and feel you day instantly looking up!

Next up is a "darker", more somber tune about a certain sun, "The House of the Rising Sun", by the Animals. here. Although not a light, bouncy song, it is undeniably a classic, and any day I can see and hear Eric Burdon is a beautiful day for me! My father dearly loves this song, and he has never tired of it. Anytime we are in the car and it comes on the radio, he will turn it up and groove.

You know that I can't do this spring fever blog without bringing in The Doors' "Waiting for the Sun"! Again, any day I can enjoy Jim Morrison is indeed a wonderful day! Here is the cool video for that song that puts into perfect words just how I feel as this winter refuses to leave.

Now for something in a different vein, enjoy Stevie Wonder's "A Place in the Sun" here. I can't imagine why I haven't linked more of his music in my blogs. The man is a true musical genius, and he is one that I have come to appreciate more over the years. I dearly love so much of his music, and nearly every song he performs lifts me up and makes me feel wonderful.

To put you in an eighties groove, check out this song by Glass Tiger, "Diamond Sun" here. Leg warmers, giant hair bows, finger gloves, hair mousse, and fuschia eye shadow are optional. It's a good thing I cleaned out my closet, I suppose.

And last, but never least, I have the song that makes me happier than any other. That song also happens to be my namesake, "Sugar Magnolia", by the one, the only, Grateful Dead. This tune never fails to make me rejoice in the day, no matter what kind of day it may be. I can listen to this song and forget all my woes (and a shot or two of Southern Comfort never hurts either). Enjoy it as much as I do here.

With all this sunny music, I'll bet you almost forgot the cold, ugly weather, right? I know it was a respite for me. Now maybe we're even a little more ready for spring, and I won't drive my folks up a wall with my incessant, whirlwind cleaning.

What do YOU do to cope with this lo-o-o-o-ng winter season? What are your plans to greet the spring? I hope that all the rain we have endured will mean an outstanding wildflower season, as cruising for the best wildflower views is on my list this year.