We had a nearly nice day yesterday in my part of the world. The weather inched its way into temperatures that almost had me whispering the word, spring. What a fine word, a term full of images of blooming jonquils, greening shrubs, and cavorting squirrels. All joyous signs of winter's weakening grasp on our world--at last! (It's been a long, hard winter here).
As I use the word spring above, as a noun, its origin is Old English. Yet, you can spring onto the top of something or have a surprise sprung on you. When used as a verb, the word's source is given as springen, brought into our English from German and Dutch origins. What a complexly layered language ours is.
I celebrated the pleasant weather with a cup of tea on my patio and reveled in watching a nimble squirrel jump from tree to bush and back again in my yard.
And so I urge you, too, to enjoy good weather while you may, because as Shakespeare said:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date.
Best wishes,
Anna Drake
