Sun, Sun, Mr Golden Sun Please Shine Down on me (us!) . . .

The best I can do for everyone is to say . . . there will be some sun this weekend.

I’m not going to tell you how long it will last or how warm it will or won’t be. But I will say sunshine will arrive. The thing about the sun is that somehow it makes everything better – ever notice that? I love sun. My mood improves so much when the sun comes out. Especially in the spring. I think we just get so subdued all winter and especially late February and March. Then the temperature goes above zero and we get the odd warm day . . . and the odd rainy day. Then we get the rain which means spring. Spring smells amazing . . . when it comes. The sun is great but when it is paired with that smell I feel like I can take on the whole world. It makes me giddy.

If there was a way to contain that feeling and sell it, I’d be a very rich woman. But if that was the case, eventually it would be always available and you would not feel it as special anymore. So we need to learn to not only “get by” during the crappy weather times but to thrive.

Rain. It’s been raining here in Ontario for days. It has been grey and rainy for so many days that it actually feels like weeks on end. Funny how that happens. Who can remember the last sunny day? I actually think it was last Monday. But I don’t get out much . . . so I can’t be sure.

Back to the rain, lol. Rain is beautiful – for a day once in a while we think. We always want it sunny. But we NEED the rain. The rain is cleansing. It cleans up the streets and sidewalks. It makes everything GREEN. The grass is growing sooo much. Did anyone else notice that the tree buds came out seemingly overnight on the weekend?? And in the past two days the trees are green and actually have small leaves? No? Take a look out your window. Watch the trees as you’re driving. It looks so nice. And it smells clean. What – you didn’t notice? That’s because you’re avoiding the outside. GET OUT THERE! Notice that your kids got a bit excited and hyper even though there is rain? They know what’s coming. They can’t wait. Watch your dogs as you walk them, they’ll stop and stick their noses in the air to smell the air. They can smell it coming too. I walk Blue in the mornings . . . it seems to be mostly clear of rain in the wee hours of the a.m. I know most of you probably don’t want to be up at 6 a.m. but it is quiet, clean, and not pouring rain. It feels really good to get in a half hour walk (or a run for those of us that do that) or even better – just stand or sit outside on your porch and have your morning coffee. Listen to the birds. Watch the squirrels and rabbits (if you are so lucky to see them). Check out the worms and snails. I have seen more worms this week than the past few years because I’m up when they are . . . no wonder I’m seeing so many birds!! I see all the worms and I want to catch them and go fishing! Oh!! And this week I have seen multiple red cardinals . . . HERE in Mississauga! In the middle of the city! Do you know how RED the cardinals look against the black asphalt or green grass?? Vivid . . . Exquisite. Love it!

And Blue Jays!! Listening to the Blue Jays always makes me feel happy. I grew up my middle years (5 yrs to 12 yrs old) in Hamilton – Steel Town. I grew up near the steel factories. I walked by them to and from school. My grade school K-5 was 3 blocks down from the plant! I know there were trees there somewhere but not like here. So I think the Blue Jays always remind me of coming to visit my grandparents here in Mississauga. I think of good times and good food. I think of seeing my extended family. I think of wandering about Streetsville with my siblings by ourselves, hiking down to the Credit River, catching crayfish. When I hear a Blue Jay, I get a warm and fuzzy inside, deep in my belly, in my soul. My grandparents are long gone but I don’t feel sad when I hear the Blue Jays, I feel good.


That and the cicadas in the dead heat of summer. The sound they make. I can't even describe it but you know it when you hear it. Cicadas always remind me of summer at my grandparents too. I don't think I EVER heard a cicada in Hamilton. Ever. For most of my life, it was a noise I ONLY associated with Mississauga. For the first time a few years ago I actually SAW what a cicada looks like. Kinda took away from the joy initially, but very interesting. Lol.


Crows – I’ve been hearing some crows as I’ve walked Blue too. Crows . . . remind me of camping. Love camping . . . hate the crows cawing in the mornings, so early and you really want to be sleeping, but dammit the nylon tent walls really don’t block a single noise! Lol. Even the crows have made me happy. Birds are out in the rain no matter what. You still hear their songs . . . be it beautiful or annoying.


Why? Why Michele? You ask incredulously . . . why happy with all this rain? Because it means the spring is here. It means everything is renewing including our souls. Everything is growing. It means summer is on its way. It means we have at least four months to come without snow and below zero temperatures.


It means running and having a nice drizzle keeping you from exploding from the heat.

It means some lazy days in bed with your spouse, or your kids, or pets or books, enjoying a slight cool breeze coming in your window. Smell that?

Take a look outside your tent, trailer or back door. Look at the droplets of dew or leftover rain on the big green leaves of the trees. Are you smiling?

Walking through the woods (big or small) after a rain fall . . . listen to the droplets falling from leaf to leaf or to the ground – plop. Peaceful. That’s what I hear.

The little creeks and brooks around you or on a hike with your kids . . . they wouldn’t be there if it didn’t rain. Listen to them gurgling and flowing.

AND PUDDLES!! I loved puddles as a kid. I probably still do if I didn’t care about my feet getting wet. Or if I owned rubber boots (which by the way will be my next purchase). Splashing in puddles. Remember doing that?? Oh ya . . . you do, I know it. I can feel it. I can see you smiling! Actually I was in rubber boots and splashing through puddles like a six year old . . . probably about 2 years ago while camping. Damn if I had a pic I’d put it up. We went camping, my kids and I and my sister and her two kids. God it rained. It rained like it is this week. Almost the whole week. I had borrowed rubber boots (Thanks Alicia!). They were black with white polka dots – classic. I wandered around the campground in those boots and tight bike shorts and jacket and probably a baseball cap. Someone likened me to a cheap prostitute (might have been my teenage son) lmao! I tromped thru puddles on purpose! IT WAS FUN! I had boots! I wasn’t wet and cold, it was awesome! The other time to stomp thru puddles is a great summer storm . . . the heat and all of sudden it starts raining but the sun is still shining and everything is sparkling and so warm and the big drops of rain hitting you and the big puddles that form. Get ready for this . . . I know you guys did this. . . you RAN in the house, put your bathing suits on and WENT BACK OUT IN THE RAIN!! And you JUMPED in the PUDDLES! Damn right you did! It was fun.


Life is about FUN.

Don’t waste it complaining about stuff you have no control over (the weather).

The rest of it – you have control over – take control. Don’t waste your life by not taking control of how you spend your time and your life.

HAVE FUN AND ENJOY YOURSELF!