Controlled Change

It's a bit of a weird Sunday.  Not bad weird, just not a typical Sunday.

Doug and I opted not to cycle this morning since it was just going to be the two of us and we are getting a bit sick of lugging the bikes and trainers through the snow.  I also opted out of yoga because I believe one needs to be in the mood for yoga and I most definitely was not.  I was much happier outside shovelling in the early morning quiet.  Birds were out, I could hear church bells ringing and there was a hint of warm spring breezes in the air.

My family (parents, youngest sister and grandmother) came over for brunch.  Three gourmet quiches were on the menu.  Chicken, blue cheese and broccoli for the first, smoked salmon and brie was second and a crustless (aka gluten free) vegetarian one was third.  Top it off with my mother's delicious gluten free sticky toffee pudding and I'm pretty sure Doug and I will be having a very very light dinner tonight. It was nice and comforting to have everyone over  We had pots of spring plants on the table and there was a sense of change in the air.  Winter is holding on, but only just.

I like change.  Anyone who takes even a passing glance at my life knows that change is not something I'm afraid of.  But some types of change make me uncomfortable.  Seasons are one of those changes.  I'm not sure why because I love all the seasons in Canada.  What happens though is that I get used to the season that we're in and can't imagine anything else.  When winter was coming, I couldn't believe how cold it could get and couldn't quite handle the idea of snow.  Now that we've been buried in winter for a few months, it's what I'm used to and I'm comfortable there.  I love the cold, I know how to dress, I love running on snowy mornings and can't imagine running in warm and humid weather.  When a spring breeze was on the menu today I didn't quite know what to do with it.

So I went out to shovel.

It gave me a feeling of control over the winter and the snow.  A bit of an exercise in futility since everything started melting soon after but it felt good to methodically push piles of snow around.

I like to arrange my Smarties by colour.  My morning routine is very routinized and extremely comforting and I really like shovelling snow.

I guess, upon reflection, I like change as long as there is some degree of control over some parts of my life.  So, as spring continues to do battle with winter and as magnolia trees start bursting with buds, I'm going to hold on to my routines a little more tightly.  A few weeks from now, when we're firmly entrenched in warm breezes and playing spot the crocuses, I'll be ready to embrace the new season.  In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy every snowflake!