Green

Green.... oh how I love green. When it's warm and springtime I don't even mind if it rains. Right now (while I'm writing this part... maybe not by the time I post this) it is raining. And it is green. Our grass is so green and the new leaves on the trees are so green.... it's almost like the air is green. Neon green isn't the right word for it. Florescent green isn't it either. I guess it's just springtime-in-the-rain green. It's as though it is an entirely new level of something being alive. Like you can hear the grass and trees living just by looking at the color. It is amazing.

When I was growing up in Tiny-mapdot, Ohio I would sometimes think of how great it would be to live in the city. Everything is nearby. You don't have to plan half your day just to pick something up at a retail store and grab some groceries. You simply stop on your way home from anywhere and get what you need. There are all kinds of great stores and amazing restaurants and beautiful parks. The city is the place to live and that's where I was headed.

Now... I don't even live in a tiny town. I live in a house on five acres of trees at the end of a road of other houses on acres of trees. It's actually closer to some things, but it is in the country. And I love it. I love how quiet it is. I love the trees (well, not during wind storms) and the space and the solitude. I love how it reminds me of growing up. How we had places to play and room to explore and trees to climb. How we would make 'soup' from wild onion and necklaces from clover and hideouts in the bushes.

I really didn't think of myself as a country girl before a few years ago. I thought of myself as a city girl, trapped in a country town, waiting to finally go where I belonged. I wanted to live in Indianapolis or Chicago and walk or take public transportation to work. Now, I really am content where I am.

Don't get me wrong, I still love the city. I love the culture and the people-watching and the constant bustle. I like to go there to visit and be a part of the city even if it's only for a few hours. But, I love living out where it's quiet. I love foxtails and no neighbors too close and being able to see the stars. I love living right in the middle of the seasons (well, not winter, but the other ones are okay). I love looking out the window in springtime and only seeing green.