My Blues

There are three shades of blue that excite me.

1.Turquoise, whether it is on a winter sweater or a piece of stationery, transports me to the ocean. The sight of aqua marine in winter makes my heart race in anticipation of my summer beach vacation. I work all year, landlocked in the Midwest in order to be able to hit the road again and head South to spend a precious few days with my husband toeing hearts in the sand, walking hand in hand. We are getting older and the beach calls to us like the gulls overhead. It is my greatest pleasure to frolic barefoot in the surf.

2. God's gift, a newborn wrapped in a baby-blue blanket, or snuggled in his infant seat can stop me in my tracks, no matter how busy my day. A smile creeps across my face and I am reminded of my own son who was a pleasant baby; he grew into an active little wild child, a young man with a need for speed, a decent teenager and a hard working adult. Now he's a husband and father who attempts to slow his own offspring down. Kids grow up too quickly these days. Some days no matter how he tries, there is just no stopping them.

3. When the sun is high and the sky is azure, I am energized. A cloudless sky excites me. It can be blistering hot, or freezing cold, but if the sun is shining I feel as if fairy dust has been sprinkled on my psyche. I am up for anything. Toss me a problem, I'll find a solution. I smile until my facial muscles ache. I ride a wave of euphoria.

But when winter dulls the sky and land, my spirit shrivels and wilts like the last rose of summer. That familiar lack of energy overtakes me regardless of how much chocolate I sneak. I want to crawl under the covers and hibernate like an old bear.

I actually do. But, on New Year's day I begin my countdown to spring. It makes me feel somewhat in control to say, "Only sixteen more weeks before I whip both plush, blue blankets off the bed, not just for the weekly laundering, but for the last time."

All winter those two, fluffy blankets cocoon me, hold in my body heat, regulate my mood when I crawl in between them. On the day that I am able to replace them with light weight, brushed cotton sheets as pale blue as a baby blanket, as turquoise as the ocean, or as bright as the sky, my mood soars and the blues of winter disappear out the open window. I love-love-love a spring breeze.

This afternoon, it was 65 degrees. I sat outside in the sunshine and read a book. I considered stripping the blankets off the bed, and then I came inside and heard the weather forecast. Winter winds will be gusting, and a few hundred miles north, they are expecting eight inches of snow. I guess I'll wait a few weeks. I am not complaining. We have had a mild winter.