Spring Morning

I'm restless.

It might have something to do with the spring rain that's been turning the streets to icy slush and puddles, making walking unpleasant and this side of treacherous. I'd like to walk to Westboro Village without coat and boots and sit outside on a patio for lunch in the sunshine, but this is not to be . . . yet. I told Ted this morning that I am itching to get back into the garden. We talked about his outdoor construction plans for the spring - yes, there will be photos :-) A gable end to be resided, new front door and windows, a deck in the backyard and new section of fence - I'm dizzy just thinking about it.

On Wednesday, I finished judging all the Awesome Author entries, all 150 of them. It was a tough choice this year. I wisely made notes as I went and am all set to present the awards at Ben Franklin Place on March 29th. It's a fun evening put on by the Ottawa Public Library with lots of excited kids and their families in attendance.

Libraries really are marvellous institutions. I remember going weekly to our little library in Terrace Bay, starting from at about five years old, and picking picture books to bring home. That moved into novels, and my favourite Bobbsey Twins (remember Bert, Nan, Freddie and Flossie?), Enid Blyton books (The Famous Five, The Secret Seven), The Happy Hallidays . . . there was and still is nothing better than curling up with a good book and getting lost in a story. Usually, now, I have two books on the go - one at home and one at work that I read during my lunch hour. Right now, I'm reading a Denise Mina mystery called Still Midnight and Tim Wynne-Jones latest YA novel, Blink & Caution. I'm taken a break from my recent Michael Connelly addiction although I'm on the lookout for his latest.

On a more sombre note, I know that you, as am I, are also following the devastating earthquake and tsnami in Japan and the horrific aftermath. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have perished and those struggling to survive. It is hard to carry on as normal knowing there is such anguish in the world. Sometimes, the master plan is difficult to understand.