Welcome Spring!

Spring has been slowly emerging over the last few weeks. The end of a long, cold winter and the start of a brand new beautiful season. This year, more than most, I have been eagerly awaiting its arrival and examining the progress almost daily. Which tree will begin to flower first? How long will it take for the forsythia to fill out with brilliant yellow? When will my garden herbs become full and fragrant enough to add to my spring salads?







Spring is a time for new beginnings. I love new beginnings! I think my hobbies reflect this. Every new season brings new experiences and new opportunities. My grocery runs have netted, orzo and couscous for great spring salads. I have begun to bring in fresh spinach, asparagus, tomatoes and chicken for the grill. I am looking for snippets of time to head to the botanical gardens to snap photos of new spring growth.



Here is a great spring recipe for that has become a favorite in our household. Try it this weekend with some grilled chicken or salmon...

ORZO SPINACH SALAD

1 lb. orzo pasta, cooked according to package instructions

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

1 handful fresh basil, coarsely chopped

1/2-3/4 package fresh spinach leaves, coarsely torn

1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped

8 oz. crumbled feta cheese

2 cloves garlic, chopped

DRESSING:

3/4 c. fresh lemon juice

1 TB. sugar

1 1/4 c. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate at least 1-2 hours to meld flavors. ENJOY!

I enjoy living in an area where I can enjoy the changing seasons. As beautiful as some warm climates are, I would miss this quarterly change. I welcome the chance to start anew four times a year. Soon, I will be embracing shorts and flip flops. I will spend long, lazy days at the lake and drink in the smell of suncreen. Then the crisp cool evenings of fall will creep in with colorful leaves and the scent of bonfire in the air.




But for now, I am happy to welcome spring pushing forward out of the winter.

What's Your Passion?

Over the last few years I have heard talk show hosts, reporters, and authors encourage us to find our passion. It seems that my life will only be complete if i am living out my passion. Well this admonishment has had me stumped for awhile. See, I have passions. The problem, as I see it, is not a lack of passion. in fact, my problem is that I have too many passions!

So then what? None of these so called experts have been able to resolve my questions about how to incoroporate too many passions into an already crazy life. I have found myself over the years dabbling in a little of this and a little of that without fully committing to any.

I have pursued education and completed two degrees in different fields. I enjoy both careers and have difficulty choosing between the two. i have pursued photography, cooking, and scrapbooking to such a degree that I could make each of them a career.

I am an avid reader and anyone who knows me knows that I always have my Kindle charged with plenty of books to keep me well entertained. I have been even been teased that Amazon should pay me a salary for the number of converts I have made to this handy device. I enjoy writing and have the solid beginnings of a fiction novel in place.

I absolutely love to travel and have planned many trips for the family as well as organized some corporate travel events.

What do I do with all of these varied passions? Why can't I simply choose one path? I struggle to give up one hobby in favor of another. This is when the idea of creating a blog occurred to me. By creating a blog, maybe I can inspire others and gain some inspiration for myself.

So...is there anyone out there who enjoys many hobbies and has difficulty selecting? What's your passion?