Demeter, Ergo, flowers, Hades, Persephone, seasons, spring, walk

Spring In Y’er Step!

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It is finally starting to feel like spring here in Boise. It’s been a bit rainy lately, but you know the saying, “April showers bring May flowers!” The rain has also kept the air nice and clean. Leaves are starting to sprout on trees and the first flowers are blooming. Having lived in Boise for 6 years now I have learned to tolerate the winters. While I won’t be the one to say that I love experiencing four seasons, I will say that having a real winter makes me appreciate the spring and it’s emerging beauty more than ever.

One of my favorite tales is that of Demeter, Persephone, and Hades. A quick recap of the story goes like this. Demeter is the goddess of fertility and agriculture and Persephone is her daughter. Persephone is enticed by Hades to venture below the earth with him and she partakes of his pomegranate seeds. She is then obligated to stay with him in the underworld, which makes her mother Demeter so sad that she neglects her agricultural duties and all the plants wither, these are the seasons Fall and Winter. When Persephone is allowed to visit her mother the other six months of the year, Demeter gets right back to fertilizing the world in celebration of her daughters return, hence Spring and Summer. Something about the happiness that her mother feels when Persephone returns strikes the same chord in me as spring time.

I also have a real love of flowers (my dad is an artist when it comes to gardening with bright and bold flowers) that started in childhood and has grown even greater as an adult. Their colors and fragrance will lift my mood when I’m down and make me generally happy. My friend Chelsea always has flowers in her house, which I may have to take up year round, especially in the winter! While I’m declaring my love for all things vibrant, I’m going to go ahead and say that Spring is my favorite season. It keeps me optimistic and gives me hope.

My Dad’s garden in Capitola, CA

Boise’s Botanical Garden, lit up for the winter

I just love the earthy smell of flowering trees!

And their pretty pink petals.

Last fall I plopped a few bulbs in the ground and this is what grew!

Tulips are the first flower to pop up in my yard every year.

I recently watched the movie Southbounders about a woman who hikes the whole Appalachian trail from Maine to Georgia. While the movie is fiction it has a lot of great info and imagery of the hike which takes 6 months. The movie inspired me to get outside and walk more. In fact, every Tuesday Luke, Porter and I go for a walk in the hills behind Healthwise, where Luke works. While it will be nice to walk in the foothills more often, when Porter is old enough to take on a bike ride over there, I decided that I would get a head start with a little urban hiking. I also want to get Porter and I used to wearing/being worn in baby carriers. 
Since today was a beautiful, albeit windy, spring day I strapped Porter into the Ergo Baby Carrier and we headed out to run some errands and to appreciate the beautiful day. I might also add that carrying a baby around while walking everywhere is an awesome workout, and since I don’t have  a gym membership I have to take the exercise where I can get it these days. With that, I encourage you to get out and enjoy the spring weather, or at least stop and smell the flowers.
Porter all tucked in for the walk. I love the Ergo because it has a cover that protects him from the elements and allows him to sleep peacefully.

The most tender picture, my sweet boy cozy and asleep on momma.

2 thoughts on “Spring In Y’er Step!”

  1. I'm so excited for Spring too. I think my favorite time of year is May-July though-perfect weather :) Love your bulbs-ours came up too and I LOVE them. I want to plant more for next year!!!

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