Mood unpredictable as the weather

My mood this past week has been as capricious as the weather. One day it is sunny and warm and I am full of energy and happiness; the next day it is cold and rainy and my mood is as black as the sky. Yesterday was absolutely awful. Then today the headline in the newspaper read, ”Smoking ban Ok’d” and I am filled with joy at now being able to eat at any restaurant I choose in Indiana without having to breathe leftover carcinogens.
Finally, somebody had the courage to ignore the vocal minority. I realize that the ruling has almost as many holes as a colander, but at least it’s a start. I think that once employers realize the benefits of being smoke-free they will wonder what they were ever concerned about in the first place.
Today is sunny and warmer. The crocuses have unfurled their purple petals and are soaking up the sun’s rays. The snowdrops are enjoying the last days of their aboveground lives. The catkins on the pussy willow bush are as soft as the calico cat curled up asleep on our bed. I planted the bush in memory of all the flowers and bushes that gathered around our pink house when I was a kid. The original pussy willow shielded a corner of the garden and was used to shelter the Christmas cactus in the summertime.
I went down to the local secondhand store today and invested part of my birthday money in a patio table. Thank goodness it is such an ugly color so I won’t feel guilty when I get around to repainting it a nice, bright, sunshiny blue.
Best of all, I have made my first trip to the local Dairy Queen. That frozen treat known as a Blizzard is perfect for banishing any remnants of yesterday’s horrible mood. As I never did get any Girl Scout cookies this year, the Blizzard was a very welcome indulgence.
Plus my mother is now enrolled in a program that has people visiting her almost every day of the week. Just knowing that someone is checking on her on a regular basis is a big relief. A nurse comes twice a week, a physical therapist sees to it that she safely navigates her home and a wonderful aide helps with the housework.
All those years I paid into Medicare and all the state and federal taxes taken out of my checks are finally yielding benefits I never expected her to need.
A few years ago Indiana joined the rest of the country in observing Daylight Saving Time. One of the things I liked best about living here was the fact that the time didn’t change. That is no longer the case. I say, “Bah, humbug,” to the idea of changing the clock twice a year. Unfortunately, nobody cares what I think and a few years ago the state bowed to pressure and decided to conform to the idea of messing with time. Arizona and Hawaii are the only two states that have chosen to rebel against the sleepiness that results in the days after the clock springs forward. Maybe I should move there. It is probably warmer but it’s too far away from my Mom so I guess I’ll abandon that idea.
At the end of this week all the leprechauns will be dancing on the lawn in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. It is such a cheerful little holiday. For one day everybody is Irish. I always remember how much my stepfather loved St. Patrick’s Day. He would dance my mother around the kitchen and they were happy. I hope that wherever he is in the afterlife, he is still dancing a jig on March 17.
If the weather cooperates I can get outside and tidy up the flower beds and the yard. I have already gathered two garbage bags full of the detritus of everyday life. It seems that the bushes and trees on the edges of the property are hoarders. They reach out and grab every bit of trash that blows by.
All the ups and downs are as much a part of life as the ever-changing weather. As long as flowers and ice cream treats outweigh clouds and rain then there is hope for tomorrow.
The best thing about March is that nothing stays the same. And now all the restaurants in the state are smoke-free. Hooray![[In-content Ad]]