Yesterday, officially, was the first day of spring. Well, okay, it didn’t really happen until around 4:30 p.m. but it was March 20. Today, however, I can really see it’s spring—all day long (so far.)
In New Mexico, we have what we euphemistically call”interesting weather.” Mostly that means things can (and do) change from one minute to the next. It can be gray, cloudy, blustery, and then, as if by magic, the clouds scuttle away, the sun takes over, the skies turn vivid blue, and it’s gorgeous. Today it started out that way and seems to be holding.
Spring brings so much promise. For me, it’s eager anticipation of the UPS man delivering three heavy boxes of books. My new mystery, Murder on Sagebrush Lane, is on it’s way to me, and I’m as eager to see those boxes as I was the very first delivery of my first mystery two years ago. Of course, this also means renewed focus on scheduling booksignings, looking for publicity opportunities, and entering it in the 2015 New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards. After that it’s a waiting game until the end of September to see if I’m a finalist. Then, if that takes place, the wait continues until the awards banquet in November to see if I take the prize this time.
I have to say, it’s an amazing and wonderful experience to be a finalist, and if that happens again this year, I’ll be truly grateful. On the other hand (as Tevye always said) would it spoil some vast eternal plan if this year I won the prize? Ah, the anticipation.
Spring
also gives us a chance to dust things off and finish tasks left undone through the long, cold winter. With trees budding, and green showing in the plants again, the spirit of renewal is everywhere. It spurs me on to make plans and put them into action.
At some point, probably after the second week of temperatures in the high upper 90s this summer, I’ll look back and reflect on where all my spring resolve went. Then I’ll confidently think to myself, “Ah, but Fall is coming. Things pick up in the fall. The weather turns beautifully mild and new energy is born.” So I’ll once again revisit my plan from spring and see how much more there is to do. Then it’ll be winter and all the scurrying about for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Before we know it, another January will roll around. It’ll be cold and dreary, and my ambition to get things done will be as dormant as the grass in my front yard. And there it all is.
But I’ll not worry. Even if I don’t get all those things done this year, there’s always next spring!