nfortuntately, the glorious almost summer-like weather that arrived this weekend coincided a second, and much worse, bout of the flu this season. After five days of body aches, sneezing so violent I worried I might actually dislodge a lung and a pile of tissues on my beside table that rivaled the leaning tower of Pisa, my excitement even for 20-degree temperatures was lost somewhere inside my foggy, fever-addled brain.
But my husband, fresh back from walking the dog Sunday afternoon, was so inspired by the amazing weather - and equally concerned about my being shut up inside the apartment and miserable for nearly a week - that he insisted I put on some clothes so he could, at the very least, drive me around in the sunshine. Somehow I managed a swipe of mascara, pulled my hair up in a ponytail and dusted off my sunglasses that hadn't seen, well, sun in many, many months. Even better than finally being able to break out sunglasses was the fact that I slipped on my Minnetonkas without socks. Without socks! For me, that is the first true sign of spring. I even kicked them off in the car and wriggled my bare toes in the warmth with glee.
While I didn't last terribly long before I started sneezing uncontrollably and my eyes started watering to the point of blindness, it was worth it to enjoy the warmth of the sun and the sights of springtime coming to life. My husband even noted I was smiling for the first time in several zombie-faced days. The endless parade of bicyclists down the riverside paths, the masses out walking their dogs and just strolling through town, the hillside castles standing a little taller in the bright sun, the Seilbahn back in commission, taking people up and down over the hillside vineyards in Rüdesheim... all signs that this is only the beginning. And that perhaps it is finally time to put my snow boots away for the season.
Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische
