Do You Hear What I Hear?

It didn't start off to be a happy day. I did not sleep well and I awoke feeling depressed and troubled about a conversation from yesterday. It was gray out (as usual)."Oh drat!" I muttered as I grumpily realized that Ken is out of town--AGAIN--so I needed to get the trash out to the curb.

I stepped carefully because there are at least two inches of ice below the driveway. No amount of ice chipping, salt, sand or grumbling has been able to clear it out. The snow banks by the drive are still over three feet tall, and the tops are a dirty black. Sigh.

I returned to the house, made coffee, showered and dressed. Beginning to wake up, I climbed into our increasingly creaky minivan. Uh oh! It did not want to start, but after some threats of heading to the junk yard it decided better about it and cranked to life.

I headed out of town for a clergy meeting at Little UCC in the Country. I'd never been to the church before. I got lost (as usual.

Arriving late, which made me even grumpier, I hopped out of the van and headed towards what I hoped was the proper door to enter. Why in the world can't people put signs up when there is more than one door, anyhow?

Then it happened--the thing which turned my day around, made me smile, renewed hope in my spirit, and helped me start to make a badly-needed attitude adjustment.

Cheeeer Cheeeer! In the bare branches of a nearby tree perched a Cardinal. He called his unmistakable warning, to me I guess, since I saw no other signs of life around.

One lone cardinal trilling his territorial mating song in a bare, grey landscape! Life got instantly better.

And a few minutes ago I passed the bank with the big time and temp sign. It's forty degrees!

Ah, spring will come!