gusto

I was awake unusually early this morning, for the second time this week. It reminds me that I actually am, deep down inside, a stubborn morning person. It's unshakable, no matter how often I override it and decide to sleep in.

I love being awake before 5 a.m. Love it. There's just so much day in front of you.

Sunday morning, I was up super early to watch the St. Louis half-marathon. I knew three runners, so we went early to drop them off and then to watch for them near the finish.

the St. Louis arch in the early morning

I love watching marathons. I love cheering on thousands of strangers as they do something challenging, something rewarding.

And then this morning, thanks to a trip to the airport, I'm up early again. No grand events to witness before noon, only small ones. The slow, deliberate restructuring of a character in my novel. The sun slipping across the back yard. The shrinking level of the latté in my mug.

During my mid-morning break, I went outside, to catch the full force of spring. I love that the name of this season is also a verb--the energy in the air today does remind me of a leap, a jump.

I stayed there for a while, half-drunk on the scent of lilacs in warm air, sun on my face, the grackles laughing down at me from the pines. Perfume and birdsong.

Listening and sniffing and thinking back to Sunday's marathon, it got me wondering.

Why do we make our resolutions on January 1? Yes, yes, I understand about calendars, and how nice and clean a new year feels. But on January 1, the dead heart of winter, don't resolutions require a bit more mustering?

I vote for trying spring resolutions. (I think the grackles were backing me up on this.)

When everything else is changing, blooming, and stretching, I want my own life to grow and turn lovely. Standing in the midst of spring, I could easily think of things I wanted to try, to change, to leave behind.

So I started planning...

• To cook much more often this spring, experimenting with new flavors, new techniques. Making those recipes I've been saving for years... now's there time. (Whoa, I can hear that chocolate mink recipe calling me...)


• To improve my business plan for Squirrel & Serif, and to boldly design new products for summer. To be a bit more daring. (Maybe even a lot more daring.)


• To read more widely. To work toward an exquisite fourth draft of Novel #1, and a compelling first draft of Novel #2.


• To start running again. (Inspiring, those marathons!)


• To catch up with some far-flung friends of mine, finding out what's new in their lives, and how we're still the same.


• And of course, to post more frequently, dreaming up bigger and better things for this renovated blog of mine.

And so? We'll see what comes next. If spring promises are easily broken... or if growth can be slow and steady, continuing all summer long. Somehow, though, I have a feeling that these ideas are well-supported. I think they're here to stay.