Digressions by D’reen

by Doreen Uren Simmons

I am writing this on March 18, three days before the official start of spring. Hmmm…well…I suppose it could happen, considering the mercurial weather of this March already. Finally, the lovely sight of bare earth in both the back and front yards…oops…what is that white stuff? Never mind…it’s gone…oops…it’s back …and so on. Kudos to our two robins who show up when it’s above zero, and also to the snowdrops. They certainly earned their name this year!

Why is weather so important to us? I think it’s because it affects us both physically and emotionally, maybe especially as we age. Certainly, our mobility is impacted and therefore our moods? Well…I found a remedy. No spring outside? How about inside? 

I have had a very large oil painting called Meadows for fifty years. Its name tells  the story: lovely bright yellows and greens, grasses and flowers…and it has followed me through four different homes.

My present home was almost fully furnished when I arrived, and so the painting lived upstairs in the second bedroom, seen only by guests and the cleaning lady! However, when my partner suddenly removed two of his no-longer-liked paintings, I was simulated by…possibilities. Last week, with the wonderful assistance of a crew of able family, we welcomed Meadows to pride of place in the dining room, actually seeming to enlarge the room, as well as filling us with joy and positivity! Moral of the story: make your own weather! 

I realize this is not a very stimulating column, intellectually. I refrain from commenting on the state of the world, except to say that I am proud to be Canadian. Ironically, perhaps the elections next November, that hated month, will prove to be an improvement. Fingers crossed. Meanwhile dear readers, find your own spring, wherever you can. Love…D’reen