Did you know Thursday marks the first day of spring?

THIS THURSDAY!

As in TOMORROW!

I LOVE tomorrow!  I mean, it’s only a day away and all that good stuff!

Given we’re still hitting the minus high teens Celsius up here this week when you factor in wind chills, it doesn’t really feel like it…

… but by this stage I’m taking any benchmarks, or signs, or, well ANYTHING that indicates the end of winter might be seriously nigh.

I’m ready.

Nananana. Nananana! Hey! Hey! Hey! Goodbye!

Joyce’s Hodgepodge this week over at From This Side of the Pond wants to know – among other things – about thoughts on Spring.

Given how freezingly (I SEE the red squiggle, but I’m MAKING that a word) cold this winter has been, I thought it gave me a great opportunity to help usher in and welcome the change of seasons here on the blog.

So with that said, let the homage begin:

1.  Thursday marks the first day of spring…to celebrate would you rather plant a garden or go for a walk in the woods? Would either of those activities be possible on Thursday where you live?

Hmmm.  First, given neither of these will be possible on Thursday where I live, let’s just enjoy a nice aspirational photo on this thought, shall we:

I want to be her. Warm. Barefoot. In a field. Ahhh.

It’s a hard choice as I’d like to do both.  But I’ve missed walks this winter.  If I HAD to choose one, I’d go for a walk in the woods.  I posted on last week’s Hodgepodge about Hogs Back, I’d like to spend time walking about there.

I also work right beside the Ottawa River.  I’m looking forward to warmer weather so I can spend my lunch hours out walking along the bike paths by the river, and by the rock art exhibit at the Remic Rapids.

Remic Rapids Rock Art – Sept. 2013

Wider view of the Rock Art – Sept. 2013

I just thought this bridge was cool – Remic Rock art – Sept. 2013

2. When did someone last spring something on you? (or when did you last spring something on someone?)

This question made me laugh because, well, this is my life.  First off, I’m a parent of two kids under five, so between my kids springing never-ending rapid fire random demands at me (Let’s paint!  Can we play Play Doh?  Let’s go to the Train Museum! I want a bath? No!  Let’s go outside! Can we get a dog?) or randomly doing odd things (ie: getting into my make-up and experimenting with the preschool goth look; creating “tape art” on the wall; or, collecting gravel for weeks and toting it around as a “jewel collection”); and the school or various programs sending home “notices” containing little notice (please send in a printed photo of your entire extended family TOMORROW that you are okay with us cutting up and destroying for a craft; “donate” $20 to random school drive X; dress your kid in random colour Y; please provide a plastic mug (which you don’t own) for hot chocolate, etc…) that keeps me on my toes.

My job is fairly reaction-oriented as well.  I can plan ahead for some things.  But last-minute requests?  That’s just how we roll.

3.  We often think of spring as a time for new beginnings. What’s something you’d like to start doing this spring?

I would like to re-start working on my garden this year.  Both my flower garden and my vegetable garden.  I did both quite well for the first three years we were in our home.  And then, well: babies.  Now that my eldest is four, I think she’d like to help with a vegetable garden, and I’d like to clean up our other ones which have really gone a bit wild over the last few years.

Here’s some garden shots from a few years back because yay Spring:

A rose from the rose bushes at the side of our front yard.

My freshly planted veggie garden, circa 2009.

Freshly planted basil.

Flowers from along the back of our house.

Another flower from the front yard.

4. Where do you like to sit in a movie theatre? When did you last sit there, and what were you watching?

I like to sit in the centre of the theatre.  As for what I saw last?  It’s easily been over a year.  I THINK I went to a special screening of Dirty Dancing at the Mayfair with a girlfriend because I’d never seen it on the big screen.  And ooooh look!  Here’s something else you can do in the Spring:

5. When you meet someone for the very first time, what do you want them to think about you?

That I’m smart and have my sh*t together.  Some days I pull this off better than others.

6. March is frozen food month (yes, really!). Besides ice cream (gotta make you think a little) what’s your most often purchased frozen food item?

Chicken.  By the box.  From M&M Meat Shops.  When it’s on sale.  You need to keep your eyes PEELED for that flyer or email notice ….

7. What’s something you avoid?

I’ve mentioned a few times on this blog that last year I joined Weight Watchers (to lose the “baby” weight) and lost 30 pounds.  Since that time (so for over a year now) I avoid former favourites as follows:  McDonald’s (oh, Big Mac…), gummy candies of any sort (fuzzy peaches I miss you most) and bagels and cream cheese (because calorie-wise, you might as well just have the junk food).  Except for the odd gummy candy around Halloween (and some old ones I found in a drawer recently … shhhhh) and the extra special treat bagel once in a VERY blue moon, I’ve stuck with it.

My precious….

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Enough about that – back to Spring!  Here’s a random collage of photos from the first spring in our home back in 2008 when we discovered baby bunnies in our back yard.  My husband was mowing the lawn and THANKFULLY stopped in time.  We had to rescue one from a window well and I’m fairly certain he was then left by the others because one of them then grew up in our backyard and was around the neighbourhood for the next couple years.  We called him (and every bunny we’ve since seen in the ‘hood) Stu.

He’s so little!

We had baby bunnies in the back a few years ago.

We had to rescue one from the window well.

Baby bunny getting bigger.

All growed up.

Wanna join in the revelry and celebration of all things not freezing?  Check out the other posts in this week’s Hodgepodge and add your own: