Junkspiration: First Day of Spring

The first day of Spring.  It’s official, at least by the calendar’s estimation.  And, the few flirtations with warm weather we’ve had here in Mississippi assure me that soon the weatherman may not be too far out of the loop on the change of seasons.  Spring brings an inescapable feeling of newness.  As the earth reawakens and brown blades and bark give way to green, I find my spirit renewing as well.  Just the introduction of a little more color in the landscape makes me crave more. New life is inspiring.

So, aside from the calendar and temperatures above 60, what’s inspiring me to think Spring these days? Try this Junkspiration collage of ten on for size–purchases, old favorites, colors, designs.

1.  I bought these placemats at Wal-Mart because I loved the colors and chunky woven texture.  We’ve taken a break from placemats for a while, so when I put them on the table everyone was excited (yes, placemats and toddlers can co-exist). They brought my rustic table made from old rescued floorboards to a whole new level.  Spring green, and turquoise, with a touch of red, orange and chocolate.  I’m sure those colors will show up in some design work over the next few months.

2. Bodoni Ornaments–my favorite font of old-style printer’s ornaments.  They are a wonderful design punctuation.

3.  Charlotte’s Web, E.B. White’s tale of a Spring pig and his eight-legged friend, was first published in 1952.  I was prompted to pull out my 1973 ragged paperback copy after several viewings of the stunning movie version featuring Julia Roberts as Charlotte that we bought my gifts for Valentine’s Day.  Garth Williams’ illustrations are timeless and I love that the turquoise dye on the page ends still hasn’t worn off. White’s story is aptly capped off by this statement:

“It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.”

4.  Vladimir Script–a lovely calligraphic font that’s not too frilly

5.  I love this guy!  He’s the bumblebee that came to Frog and Miss Mouse’s nuptials with “a banjo buckled on his knee” inspiring a “nimble flea to dance a jig.”  Feodor Rojankovky provided the picture for John Langstaff’s Frog Went A-Courtin’ which one a Caldecott Medal in 1955.  Nothing like a Spring wedding!  And, Little Drummer Boy especially likes it when I sing a few bars after the reading is done.

6.  From Robert Frost’s account of the season’s rite of passage “Putting in the Seed”:

You come to fetch me from my work tonight
When supper’s on the table, and we’ll see
If I can leave off burying the white
Soft petals fallen from the apple tree
(Soft petals, yes, but not so barren quite,
Mingled with these, smooth bean and wrinkled pea),
And go along with you ere you lose sight
Of what you came for and become like me,
Slave to a springtime passion for the earth.
How Love burns through the Putting in the Seed
On through the watching for that early birth
When, just as the soil tarnishes with weed,
The sturdy seedling with arched body comes
Shouldering its way and shedding the earth crumbs.

7. Fine floral engraving from a book of reproducible versions we have at work.  The drawings from a multitude of disciplines are an endless source of wonder.

8. This nest and a single egg was a logo development rejection for one of my financial company clients a few year’s ago (the nestegg gave way to an illustration of her trademark dog breed), but I’ve always loved it.  The nest is more alive with three eggs of “robin’s egg” hue.

9. A lovely hyacinth blossom from the recycled gray-brown pot of bulbs I also purchased on my spring-inspired Wal-Mart jaunt.  Vibrant with a multi-colored cloth belt from my college years tied around it. It’s purple and sweet smell are the unmistakable cues of Spring.

10. Cotton pastel pink and turquoise and chocolate dots for my Baby Girl pea pot soft spot–her first Spring in a continuous string of firsts.

Welcome, Spring! God’s yearly reminder of life and growth and creativity is here again!

Gift Tag: Cars, Rain and Manna

From Little Drummer Boy’s first driving to daycare “Good Morning Prayer” of 2009:

Dear God
Thank you for today.
Thank you for the sunshine [although it's cloudy/drizzly today] and everything You have made.
Thank you for the cars that drive [in response to Squiggle's insistence that we look for a bus going by?]
and the rain that pours
and the drops that pour
and manna…

I didn’t catch the rest because I was scrambling in my purse (while navigating the green arrow light) for a pen to write down the words of wisdom from my 3 1/2 year old…

Cars. Thank You, God, for the vehicles you park before us to get us to the place you want us to be. Thank You that You’ve continually kept the engine running on your plan while we go back in to take care of this and that.

Rain. Thank You, God, for the downpours that wash away the excess and the unnecessary–the stacked up clutter of our lives and spirits that slows us down as we get to where you want us to be. Thank You for nourishment disguised as storms, inducing the growth needed to put down roots where you want us to be.

Manna. Thank You, God, for shining the light on this day’s provision, this day’s step toward where you want us to be.  Thank You that enough is sweet like honey and ripe for savoring.  Thank You that though we are not yet where You want us to be, Your provision in the wandering is steadfast.

And, thank You for the countless bedtime Bible stories that have incorporated “manna” into my baby’s vocabulary. Thank You for for the sponge-like stage that calls such a word to his mind unexpectedly.  Thank You for the innocence found in the unlikeliest of teachers.

Gift Tags are the tiny messages God continues to include with our gifts — 2 little joys of boys and 1 little jewel of a girl, each with open eyes, open ears, open hearts, and much to teach. “Behold children are a gift of the Lord…” (psalm 127:1)