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Rediscovering Life after Retirement

Categories: Reviews and Reflection

10 on the 10th: 03.10.2021

10 on the 10th: 03.10.2021

Hello spring chickens, coming to you on the 10th day of the month for 10 on the 10th:  03.2021.  For today’s post we are listing 10 things we love about spring.  Hope you will join me!!

10 on the 10th:  03.10.2021

10 Things You Love About Spring

Isn’t 2021 zipping right along?  But it is just about this time last year that we got stuck in the nightmarish days that Covid brought to 2020.  However, I am feeling so much more optimistic this year, with spring right around the corner and my vaccines on board.   Pretty sure that from here on out 2021 is going to be just dandy!  Which brings me to the subject of this post…

10 Things I Love About Spring

All day long I have been suffering from a bad case of spring fever.  Probably partly brought on by our 80* afternoon high.  And the thought of writing this post.  Why, it was 65* when I got in the car at 7:15 am to go across the mountain.  How could one not have a bit of spring fever??

Allow me to share all of the things I love best about this glorious season of renewal and rebirth.

For Starters
  • Anticipation of the return of our poppies.  Depending on the amount of precipitation we have gotten early in the new year, and probably lots of more complicated things, we may or may not have a bounty of California poppies growing volunteer all over the foothills of the Franklin Mountains.  Last year we had a bumper crop.  Restrictions were just being put in place with the virus also in full bloom.  But El Pasoans flocked to the mountainside to enjoy the poppies.
    The first photo below was taken on 03.10.2020.  The slopes were already glowing with gold.  Which is not yet the case this spring.  But I am still hopeful.  The second photo was taken 2 weeks after the first.  Such a lush blanket of color.

10 on the 10th: 03.10.2021

 

10 on the 10th: 03.10.2021

  • Anticipating the return of baseball.  For PC.  For our Triple A team, the Chihuahuas.  And for all of MLB but most especially PC’s favorite team (other than the El Paso Yankees for whom he plays), the Cincinnati Reds.  Many years we’ve traveled to Phoenix to catch a weekend’s worth of spring training games.  But we haven’t really talked about that yet.  Paul’s team has had their first practice.  The Chihuahua’s first home game of the season is scheduled for 05.13.2021.  The Reds spring training runs through the end of the month with their first home game of the 2021 season on 04.01.2021.  Woohoo!!
10 on the 10th: 03.10.2021
10 on the 10th: 03.10.2021
10 on the 10th: 03.10.2021
Baseball
  • Spring cleaning.  I happen to know, from reading everyone’s blogs that I am not the only one who likes to spring clean.  Declutter.  Organize.  Spring is the time of year to do that.  While I am doing the declutter and organizing challenge all year with Taylor at Home Storage Solutions, I also plan to get down and dirty with my spring cleaning.  I shared some of my favorite spring cleaning tips, here, in a 10 on the 10th post for 03.2018.  Can’t wait to get started.
Then There’s
  • More daylight.  This Sunday we spring ahead.  While that first day or two can be kind of tough, it’s totally worth it in my book.  Because now we will have more daylight!!  What’s not to love about that?  So call this a reminder to set your clocks forward this Sunday.  And check those smoke detectors, too.
  • More green.  True, I live in a desert.  But there is a big difference in the desert in spring.  There’re the poppies, for one.  And the cactus, the palo verde, Mexican elders, oleanders, and our blooming peach and cherry trees.

Cactus

  • Perfect temperatures.  Check us out!!

Month  High / Low(°F)   Rain

March   73° / 44°               1 day

April       81° / 51°               0 days

May       89° / 60°               1 day

June      98° / 69°               2 days

  • Pool time.  It’s too chilly to swim most of March and April.  But you can bet by May we will be in that pool every chance we get.  Last summer was one of the hottest on record.  It was almost too hot to swim many days.  Hoping this spring and summer will be just right.  We revamped our outdoor space last year with new furniture, a sail for over part of the pool and a pull-down shade for the hot tub.  You might remember reading about it in this Where Bloggers Live post, here.

10 on the 10th: 03.10.2021

  • Sleeping with the windows open.  Airing out the house during the day.  We are so fortunate that we really don’t have to worry about bugs.  Really don’t have to worry about bugs of any kind.  Maybe the occasional fly but that’s it.  Even today I had the back door wide open – no screen door – and it was wonderful.  I could hear the birds chirping.  Sounded like baby birds.  And Fluff, the stray kitty we feed, came in for a visit.

10 on the 10th: 03.10.2021

And Finally
  • Mom’s birthday.  I am so thankful that we still have our mother with us.  It has been a long hard road since 04.2011 when she first attempted suicide.  Then we lost my dad a year late in 05.2012.  Mom attempted suicide again in the fall of 2016.  Made an outcry in 10.2018 and had a stroke in 02.2020.  It has been such a difficult ride but Mom is still with us.  I am grateful to hear her voice everyday.  To have her ask about my grandbabies, my daughters, my PC.  Every day is a gift.  As I type this, my sister and I are shopping online for Mom’s 94th birthday which just happens to fall on the first day of spring.  The first photo below was taken on Valentine’s Day by someone at the facility where Mom lives.  A little over a week ago, our prayers were answered and for the first time since Mom moved into this apartment in June, my brother was available to be with her face-to-face in her home.  He called my sister and me so we could celebrate with them.  Pardon the poor quality photo, we were all just so excited!!

10 on the 10th: 03.10.2021

 

10 on the 10th: 03.10.2021

  • Hopefulness.  What is spring if it isn’t hopeful.  New life.  New opportunities.  Rebirth.  Renewal.  For the first time in months, I truly feel hopeful that 2021 is going to be okay.  Life is beginning to return to ‘normal’.  Our governor has lifted the mandatory mask requirement for Texas and businesses are now permitted to reopen to 100% capacity.  People are being vaccinated.  Sadly, we still had 17 Covid-related deaths reported today, and over 250 new cases, but that is down from a one time high of 3,000 new cases in a single day’s time.  There is light at the end of this very long, dark tunnel and we can finally almost touch it.

Your Turn

Hope this 10 on the 10th:  03.10.2021 post has given you a case of spring fever, too!!  If you have a 10 on the 10th post, please link up your post with mine.  Can’t wait to read your list.  And of course, if you don’t blog, you can jot down your 10 favorite things about spring and share them in a comment below.  Either way, hope you will also stop by the blogs of some of the others to read their reponses.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

I am jetting to Orlando early in the morning (03.10) to surprise my granddaughter in order to accompany her, my daughter Brennyn and son-in-law Mustafa to Disney World.  Have only been to Disney World once before…50 years ago…the year it opened!! Cannot wait to see the look on Cady’s face when she sees me. Stay tuned for a blog post all about our adventures.  I am so excited.

Have a beautiful, spring-like weekend, dear ones.  Praying life is feeling more hopeful these days for you, too.

P.S.  Hope you will join us for next month’s 10 on the 10th when we will be talking about money, money, money, money…just in time for Tax Day!!

10 Things You Love About Spring

Hugs and kisses,

leslie

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[jetpack-related-posts]

About Leslie Roberts Clingan

I am an aspiring blogger and children's author, wife, mother, daughter, sister, - in-law, responsible pet owner and recently retired elementary school librarian. I hope to figure out the next chapter of my life as I transition from crazy, busy work world onto totally idle retirement and now to something in-between.

Comments

  1. Bri @ My Life As...

    March 10, 2021 at 4:32 am

    I am so ready for some pool time!

    Reply
    • Leslie Roberts Clingan

      August 17, 2021 at 11:00 am

      Hope you have gotten lots of pool, lake and boating time this summer.

      Reply
  2. Carrie

    March 10, 2021 at 4:35 am

    Oh my goodness! Have so much fun at Disney World! By the way, we have so many of the same things we love about spring. xoxo

    Reply
    • Leslie Roberts Clingan

      August 17, 2021 at 11:00 am

      Thank you!!

      Reply
  3. Jill

    March 10, 2021 at 4:44 am

    Those poppy fields are gorgeous! I cannot wait for longer days and sleeping with the windows open! Happy Birthday to your mom!

    Jill – Doused in Pink

    Reply
  4. Natasha

    March 10, 2021 at 4:55 am

    Have so much fun with your family!!! That sounds like an unforgettable surprise! This post is making me excited for spring. I went outside this morning in just my slippers and pjs to take some pictures. It’s probably too cold for that but I didn’t freeze!!!

    And I’m SO EXCITED that baseball is back!!! Whoooo hoooo!!!

    Reply
  5. Danielle

    March 10, 2021 at 5:06 am

    I am all about that warm weather! And the sun.

    Reply
  6. Sarah @ Foxy's Domestic Side

    March 10, 2021 at 5:53 am

    So happy your Mom is still here too and that you can celebrate her! And those Poppies, so pretty, we have those too, but it’s quite a drive for us to go see them, and we heard that the traffic getting there is awful, so we haven’t made the plunge to go see them. And yes to Spring Cleaning and getting stuff organized and opening windows. Love it!

    Reply
    • Leslie Roberts Clingan

      August 17, 2021 at 11:01 am

      I love sleeping with the windows open. We have had such crazy rain lately that it has been almost too cool for AC but too wet to open the windows. Sun is out today so I want to let the fresh air in.

      Reply
  7. Dara

    March 10, 2021 at 6:14 am

    We had a lot of answers in common, but I forgot about the longer days! Good one. I love the pool time one and wish I could do that too. I’m happy that things are looking hopeful!

    Reply
  8. Holly Breton @ Pink Lady

    March 10, 2021 at 6:34 am

    Thank you for hosting such a fun linkup! Can’t believe I forgot to include baseball! It would be the Red Sox for me 🙂

    Reply
  9. Bri

    March 10, 2021 at 7:14 am

    This post was so much fun, Leslie! So glad you have hosted these. Love all things spring!!

    Reply
  10. Anne

    March 10, 2021 at 7:36 am

    Happy Birthday to your Mom! We also have a few Spring birthdays in our family. I love that your last fave was “hopeful” – I feel that right along with you, friend! Have a glorious Spring! Thanks for hosting the link party.

    Reply
  11. Deb

    March 10, 2021 at 7:37 am

    Have a wonderful time with your family – Cady won’t be able to believe her eyes when she sees you!
    I can’t wait for spring to officially be here, in the UK we move to British Summertime on 28 March, oh I love it when we get longer days!
    I love the look of your pool area, it looks so inviting!

    Reply
  12. Karen

    March 10, 2021 at 8:41 am

    I’ve got a good case of the spring fever too. We’re looking for the crocus to bloom in our area. Kevin & I were talking over the weekend while out enjoying the sunshine, about how the weather affects the wildflowers. We’re thinking the crocus will not be abundant this year because it’s dry. We’ll see. What a nice surprise for everyone going to Disney World. I liked your last one – Hopefulness, for so many things to come.

    Reply
    • Leslie Roberts Clingan

      August 17, 2021 at 10:59 am

      Nothing bloomed here in El Paso when it should have. Almost as if spring was delayed about 2 months. Our lilies never did bloom. Very few butterflies, too.

      Reply
  13. kirstin troyer

    March 10, 2021 at 8:57 am

    I enjoyed your post Leslie. I love to have windows open….not doors unless there would be a screen because unfortunately we do have bugs…lol. I will be that rare one that didn’t include spring cleaning on my list….I might do the windows or something like that, but I’ve never been a huge spring cleaner.

    Reply
  14. ShootingStarsMag

    March 10, 2021 at 11:54 am

    I’m so glad you still have your mom around. I know she’s been through a lot, and subsequently so have you.

    I’ve been having some warmer weather and I’m getting spoiled. I want Spring here full time. I won’t be able to swim until maybe the end of May, but that’s still Spring and I cannot wait!!!

    -Lauren

    Reply
  15. Laura Bambrick

    March 10, 2021 at 2:35 pm

    The yellow poppies are so beautiful! Having the windows open is something I’m really looking forward to as well!

    Reply
  16. Lisa Elliott

    March 10, 2021 at 3:00 pm

    Those poppies are gorgeous! I also love the pictures of your sweet mama!

    Reply
  17. Joanne

    March 10, 2021 at 3:05 pm

    I can’t wait to hear all about your trip! I hope you have a fabulous time.

    Reply
  18. jodie filogomo

    March 10, 2021 at 4:17 pm

    Spring fever?? Can it be more than that. Like spring aches and pains and everything, LOL!!! I haven’t felt more ready in ages!!!
    XOXO
    Jodie
    http://www.jtouchofstyle.com

    Reply
  19. mireille

    March 10, 2021 at 6:53 pm

    Joining in a little late on Friday so I will link up then! Looking forward to spring!
    http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com

    Reply
  20. Joanne Long

    March 11, 2021 at 8:59 am

    Bright blue skies, longer days, flowers and a reduction in Covid restrictions and advisories.

    Reply
  21. Rebecca Jo Vincent

    March 11, 2021 at 10:27 am

    WHOOO HOOO – get to celebrate momma in Spring!
    Yes – give me the green & sunshine – Spring brings LIFE again.

    Reply
  22. Jennifer Smith

    March 12, 2021 at 4:11 pm

    I hope you are having the best of time on your trip!! Such a sweet photo of your mom – she is adorable! I know where you get your sweetness from:) Every time I read your posts, I am struck by how much we have in common. Even our moms have similar pasts. What a treat that you still have your mom. Enjoy – and treasure – all those grainy photos and zoom calls!!

    Reply
  23. Joanne Tracey

    March 13, 2021 at 2:35 pm

    So much spring loving! Obviously we’re at the opposite season and I’m looking very much forward to cooler nights, reduced humidity and no cane toads. Ugh.

    Reply
  24. Lysha

    April 8, 2021 at 9:51 am

    You are lucky to be able to sleep with your windows open. Its too humid and too many bugs here typically.

    Reply

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In what felt like the blink of an eye, I have gone from full-time wife to my sweet husband, hands-on mom to my two beautiful daughters and elementary school librarian to a retired, empty nester with lots of time on my hands. Join me on my journey to rediscover who I am. Glad you are here...
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