the calm before the storm.

Every year, sometime in the spring, I wake up on a Saturday morning and realize that I'm embarking on the last quiet weekend for a long time. What exactly occupies those following weekends changes every year, and this time around I'm looking forward to visitors and retreats and trips. But whatever is ahead, I lie in bed on that Saturday morning, listening to the birds twittering outside and staring at the ceiling and the sunshine streaming in, and think, There are so many things I would like to do today, so many places I would like to go. But instead, I'm going to take today for what it is, the calm before the storm.

And so that's what I did. I dragged a blanket out to the orchard and wrote and listened to music. Then I just lay on my back, and watched the trees move against the sky. It was peaceful and quiet and lovely. The air was fresh and carried the scent of flowers. The world has moved into spring as surely as the calendar has moved into April.

Then I went inside, and to satisfy my sweet tooth, made cinnamon sugar bread. It worked. And when you take the loaf out of the pan? Well, something stays pooled at the bottom of that pan. And caramelized sugar and cinnamon are reeaaaally good. Just saying.

We spent the rest of the weekend climbing trees, reading books, eating at our grandparents', playing ninja, cuddling our cousins, eating, watching movies and other calm-before-the-storm things. Now I'm well rested and ready to jump into Easter and traveling and camps and visitors. It's gonna be a fun spring and an amazing summer. Bring it on!