Schizophrenia sets in

I'm caught in a vortex of winter schizophrenia. Half of me is still mesmerized by the beauty that is in late winter snowstorms such as we experienced one day this weekend. (12" of a heavy, wet beautiful whitewashing-type storm...the world went totally white). Absolutely beautiful. Two or three of us went rushing outside with cameras as soon as morning prayer was over, to catch the scenes. Here's one from the east end of the library courtyard.

And yet, I am longing (and I'm not the only one!) for spring: daffodils, blossoming trees, new grass, warm breezes, robins and everything that says s-p-r-i-n-g, new life is here again. My friend Audrey, who has three wood pieces in our annual art show that opens Sunday, gave me this blue bird house that she fashioned in her wood shop. We have one already, store-bought, and the blue birds have stayed all winter. Is that normal? Hopefully this one will bring a new family of these Pepsi-blue birds to our backyard. I love how natural and unfinished it is.