What a different kind of spring we’ve had this year. After the 80 degree weather it almost seems that summer has ended and cool weather is back. It is definitely an unusual year for weather. I haven’t even got my leaves cleaned up in the yard and everything is blooming. Of course the flowers that have to come back up from scratch haven’t done much, but my yard has turned blue from the violets that cover my yard. It is lovely and keeps the other junkie ground cover from coming up along with the weeds.

I have discovered another aspect of my physical problems. Because of the inflammatory arthritis in my back and neck, I can only be in the yard for a couple hours, so it takes much longer to get the yard ready for spring. And to add to all that the recent rain that came during the last few days has stopped me from working outside. I know I’ll soon be out there again only to have to take frequent breaks. I guess it all turns out to be a blessing in disguise, because I have time to relax indoors and of course, catch upon my reading.

I am thankful the primaries are over. I was so tired of getting calls from everyone including Mitt Romney and Aaron Schock. I know they are all just recordings, but I can’t believe that they called my number because I have been a Democrat my whole life. It tells me that they’re desperate to try to change some people’s minds. I’ve never seen the hype so out there with the Republicans. They seem more fragmented each day, and can’t seem to focus on what or how they should proceed. They have, I believe, the poorest list of candidates ever presented, and they’re surely not being successful with any one of them. I understand the dissatisfaction with Obama, but I defend him, because everyone wants instant solutions to our problems, but the Republicans prior to Obama did a great job of digging us in deeper in many, many aspects. No one can solve the economics and other issues in four years, and I get very tired of all the criticism. Let’s try to offer support, and help rather than constant gripes.

The other aspect of the primary I have difficulty with is the literature sent to our homes and the signs everywhere. And speaking of signs, candidates don’t seem to ever come back and take them down. I have almost decided to vote for the one who doesn’t spend so much money on all this junk.  I always try to be aware of how people vote, and if they are new, I listen carefully to what they say and what kind of endorsement they get and from whom. It is becoming more and more difficult to get to the real person and find out what they believe and how they are likely to vote on issues. I used to be very involved in politics and worked for various candidates, but unfortunately I have become very disillusioned with much of our system. I particularly abhor the Lobbying system where money is the key to everything.

I guess one of my problems is I’ve been around too long, and have seen the breakdown of so many of our systems. Everything is so complicated and so difficult to deal with. I think of the simple means of communication we used to have. We used to talk with each other, pick up the phone when we needed to and get a quick solution. No more! Now we e-mail, text and make simple issues so complex. Our children are on the computer, playing video games, texting each other, and not talking one-on-one. I am a dinosaur I guess, but I do long for, not the good old days, but simpler and more face-to-face interaction. I guess I am really anti-electronic. We seem to spend more time on facebook, internet, texting, listening to MTV, which I don’t understand, and doing everything at our desks away from one another.

Enough of my critical thoughts. Maybe that’s why I enjoy reading so much. It involves me and the book in my hand and my imagination, and that’s it. I guess one of the other issues I have is that I have grown up using books in all ways; I look up words and info in books, read books and value what is in them. I now have people tell me when I need to spell a word or look up quick reference, get on the computer. No! I don’t need to do that. It takes far more time to get on the computer, get the right program and on and on. With a book I open it, use the index and find the info in a few seconds. Not the same with a computer. It may be all in what I’m used to, but I’ll stick with it.

Speaking of reading! This month I’ve read some new authors and enjoyed them. One was M.C. Beacon and the title was As the Pig Turns. She writes Agatha Raisin mysteries and they are light, a little raunchy and entertaining. Another new author for me was Lesly Kagan who wrote Land of a Hundred Wonders, a great growing up story. Others I read and enjoyed were The Litigators by John Grisham, Stuart Woods’ Kisser, andMercy by Jodi Picoult. All were well-written and enjoyable. I also read Beyond All Reason My Life with Susan Smith by David Smith and Carol Calef. This last one was different in that it was a true, sad story, but also a lesson about what and why things happen. We can certainly all learn from reading about what others have faced and how they dealt with it.  Hope our spring comes again in a different way that you can enjoy!