Spring Has Sprung....Time for New Beginnings

I cannot begin to explain how much running the series on my father meant to me....and, apparently, to you, my dear readers. I received an unbelievable number of comments, emails, and, text messages. It is apparent that I struck a nerve with many and reminded yet others that life is short. Your messages were all horribly poignant and meaningful for me. Thank you for taking your time and for sending along your encouragement. Yesterday was a tough day for me...and I have very few tough days. I was alone in a hotel room in San Diego last night, and not doing too badly at that point, when I realized that it was coming up to the hour at which my father died. I noticed that Nathan had sent me an email so I fired one back at him and mentioned the specific time. Precisely 12 minutes later, at exactly the time my father passed away, my good friend Nathan text messaged me. He knew, he remembered, and there I was in San Diego with tears in my eyes again. Nathan also commented on something that, truthfully, I had never really seriously considered. He said: "Now I get it.....the Spirit of Saint Lewis." You know, the blog name never started out to be about my father at all. Lewis is my middle name, my father's first name, and of a sudden it's taken on a whole new meaning for me. I'm through talking about it now. I hope you enjoyed the series. He was truly an amazing man in his own way....as each of us are in ours.

Spring officially began a couple of hours ago here in Portland. If you were here, you'd know that it's right on time: Flowering cherries, plums, daffodils, crocus, flowering quince, forsythia, buds on many trees, and the tulips are trying their best to bud. The top of my refrigerator is a gathering spot for dust, delicious chocolates that our good friends brought to us, an extra bottle of white wine (Riesling from Idaho), and numerous seed packets. It's time to get them planted. Maybe in the next day or two....right after having my blood taken first thing in the morning (cholesterol and liver enzyme check).

I've also found out that I probably will be visiting Orlando again TWICE in April. I wonder if the boys will have me back for a repeat dinner? Maybe not after this little doo-dah.