Sunday Afternoon Tea - Things to do when Spring is late in arriving

If you follow me on Instagram, you should have seen the photo of my back yard last Monday after waking up to a winter wonderland.  Which is fine in winter but not when one really needs to feel the warmth of the sun on their face.

It has been that way in March and April, we will have a couple of nice days where the promise of warmer weather and flowers are teased and then a snowstorm will arrive. This weekend we had a glimpse of summer but cold weather is in the forecast. 

I am always ready for the end of winter by February and this year's teasing of spring has been absolutely frustrating.  Those hygge inspired days with a warm throw, candles, hot beverages, and hearty stews are less appealing when one needs the change of seasons.  Desperately! 

I have been realizing more each year that if I am not happy about my circumstances that cannot be changed... ie: a winter that hangs on through April... then I need to do something, anything to find my way to joy.  Usually it requires some tweaking and changing of my home or time or both.

I decided about a month ago that I was going to work on at least one spring cleaning and decluttering project each day except Sunday, and even then I did some tweaking if I saw something out of order.  I swept floors, cleaned all kinds of surfaces, dusted all kinds of surfaces, took wood cleaner and polish to the living room furniture, took wood cleaner and lemon oil to the dining room table, and generally did a thorough cleaning of the house.

I was delighted how sparkly it all looked when we hosted the family (those living nearby) for Easter dinner last week.  I can no longer handle the spring cleaning projects of the past but by finding new ways to accomplish old goals, it worked just as well.  Now, throughout the warm weather months, I will only have to do maintenance housework until the fall cleaning... to again be accomplished a little at a time.

A clean and decluttered house brings joy to my heart and it is a background canvas for a peaceful life.  Well, as much as possible with two fallen humans and a naughty kitty living here.

I have found by making it easier to include things I find beautiful in my everyday living, it makes all the difference in keeping a cloud of depression away when the world is as dark as the storm clouds that bring rain and snow.  

For instance, I had to change where some of the items were located in the kitchen and when the spaces changed, so did what rested upon them.  We have an extra CD player that we never use so I moved it to the kitchen where music or a favorite radio station can be in the background while cooking or cleaning.

I have a few Audible books downloaded to my tablet and I have been putting it on the kitchen counter, safely away from sudsy dishwater, to listen to a book.  While I prefer longer periods of time for listening, doing it this way has proven to be very beneficial in providing times of beauty or inspiration squeezed within newly found moments of the day.

I've been doing the same thing with favorite YouTube videos that bring joy by watching them.  If a video does not require me to actually watch it, I have propped the tablet up on the kitchen counter and listened to it while cooking or cleaning. Usually, just listening is all I need but if I want to go back and see the video, I will take it with me to the sofa so I can prop my feet up and watch after the dinner dishes have been washed and the counters are clean.

Although a few evenings this week are to be in the low 30s, I still plan to stop by my very favorite nursery for the first time this season on my way home from my monthly retinal specialist appointment.  I plan to get a couple flower pots to place on the porch where they should be safe even with a dip in temperatures.  Just anticipating a trip to the nursery brings a feeling of joy.

The spiritual atmosphere of the world is something we cannot change but we can affect the atmosphere of our homes with what we bring into them... the TV shows we watch, the music we play, the art and photos on the walls, lots of plants, reading books that inspire and watching videos or movies that bring joy, and spending time in conversation with the One who created us.

I love having both real plants and silk plants that look so real that I feel they should be watered.  They bring life to a home and I was happy to hear Joanna Gaines say that she always combined the two in decorating homes.  Another favorite decorator uses artificial flowers in her home, especially the kind I do that look like they are in a vase of water but it isn't really water.

I have learned these "tricks of the trade" because I enjoy watching these kinds of TV shows and YouTube videos.  Also, reading through magazines that inspire me but they are fewer than ever before.  I hold onto those that contain articles and photos that inspire me to beauty.  

One of the things I most like about YouTube videos is that I can watch them on my tablet when I have time to relax.  I can watch a sermon by a favorite pastor or study the Bible with a teacher I enjoyed that went home to be with the Lord many years ago.  Sometimes, I just need something that will bring joy by watching them.

A person who has been around for a long time but I only "discovered" a couple months ago is The Daily Connoisseur.  I ignored it for awhile because I didn't think I would like it but then one day when it was to be about her morning routine, I saw it included reading her Bible.  Hmmmm....

So, I gave it a chance and I have been surprised by how much I enjoy most of the videos.  No one will always talk about something we are interested in or can apply to each of us.  She has a likeable personality and talks about beauty in the home on a budget and is well known for her "capsule wardrobe".  

Knowing there are other people who share those same things that bring me joy helps to direct me toward that joy when the days are still cold, the sun is behind storm clouds, and my soul is weary.  

I am certain it will not be long before the heat of summer arrives and by September, I am once again looking forward to all things hygge.  However, for now I am going to enjoy the daffodils blooming in the backyard and the anticipation of stopping by the nursery.  The little things that bring joy in a delayed spring.

Image: The wooden plaque was a Christmas gift from my daughter-in-law a few years ago. The words are from a favorite Gaither song.