Happy Easter (a few days early)

Well, I gave up chocolate for Lent this year. And for me, Lent ended sometime last week. I’m not sure what triggered it — it might have been a deadline, a squabble between the munchkins, or just me taking a look at my signing schedule — but there was one Hershey bar in the pantry, and that was that. Since then, there’s been half a bag of Cadbury mini eggs, a few Dove chocolates… you get the picture. Ah, Easter Wednesday.

Speaking of Easter, I’ve got 36 eggs waiting to be dyed in the fridge; can you say egg salad for a month?

But life hasn’t been all bonbons and Cadbury mini eggs around here. I’ve been busy, busy, busy… except for the days when I just open the windows, make myself a cup of tea, and flop down on the bed with a book. And there have been a few of those, lately — my brain, which is always coming up with new ideas, sometimes needs a break. So I’ve been reading books and hitting the Town Lake trail, drifting along with the coots and the ducks. One of the writers in my class saw me the other day — I didn’t even notice her, I was so busy woolgathering! (Or eyeing the dewberries, which are green, large, and should be ripe any day now!)

This is a beautiful time of year in Austin: green, verdant, buzzing with life. The Western Soapberry trees are covered in sweet-smelling flowers that perfume the entire Town Lake trail… a springlike, yet tropical smell. Like gardenias, but sharper. And now, at home, the honeysuckle scent is drifting through my bedroom windows, which are open, but won’t be much longer. Summer’s on it’s way… and Maine beckons!