Spring Cleaning

The Big Switch.

That day when I decide the weather has gotten warm enough to dig my shorts and tank tops out of storage and pack away my sweaters and down jackets. A day which, incidentally, I always regret a week later when the temperature has dropped back down to sweater weather.

Regardless, I love this day. Not as much as I love getting my sweaters back out in the fall though--just a personal preference. But I love the springtime switch too, because it brings with it a freshness that promises new beginnings and long days. I find bright colors that, like me, have been sleeping all winter. I get to wake up, finding energy in bright pinks, oranges and blues.

And inevitably I find shorts that I wore last year but suddenly look like they came straight from 1992. I find blouses that I hang in my closet every year and have, to my sudden realization this year, only worn once. I find skirts that look too frumpy this year, scarves that inexplicably don't match anything in my wardrobe, and dresses that I find myself embarrassed to recall wearing last summer for a number of reasons.

These clothes get (finally) tossed in the donation bag. Some of these items have nearly ended up in the bag year after year, but somehow I hang on to them one more year. Then, one year, it's just time for them to be gone. No question.

I find that fascinating about myself. I wonder if it's true for all of us.

I hang on to things, people, places and ideas for so long--and then, one day, I'm ready to let go. And I wonder why I held on so long. I am suddenly ready to move on. I just wasn't ready before, although I can't articulate how or when or why my hands (mind, heart) finally opened.

What are you holding on to, not quite able to toss into the bag yet? What did you finally let go of this year, this week?

Is there anything that needs to be purged for this new season of your life?

30 Days of Redefining Beauty-Day 23

I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I thought I be super productive and get tons of housecleaning done today. Part of that grand ambition included doing a load of laundry--pristine whites, to be exact. This load included my husband's undershirts, our bedsheets, and a brand new white shirt I bought last week.

Well, you may have already predicted what's coming next (hint: look at today's picture). Yes, there was a bright red dust rag in the bottom of the washer, unbeknownst to me. I'm not sure why, since I was the one who threw it in there earlier this morning after dusting.

So I have pink sheets, a brand new pink shirt, and I will send my husband to work with pink undershirts.

I suppose I should laugh. The thing is, this is only the latest in a long string of similar mishaps--stupid accidents that waste money and could have been prevented had I been paying just a bit more attention.

Here are a few of my recent "brilliant" moments:
--left son's potty seat in the locker room at daughter's swim lesson
--booked a flight under the wrong date
--left butter and cream cheese out on my counter all day after a trip to the store
--put chicken in a crock pot and then forgot to plug it in all day
--lost daughter's permission slip for a field trip (still can't find it, deadline is today)

...just to name a few. And that's all in a week's time.

So where's the beauty in this? That's where you, readers, come in. Today's post is interactive. I need your help to see beauty today. I keep having brief moments of confidence and contentment, only to be quickly reminded how close I am to the edge of a breakdown! I exaggerate...but not by much.

So help me see the beauty in my life and my crises. Because all feels futile right now.