I heard my husband, Steven in the kitchen so I got up off the couch and hurried in to meet him. “I’ve got a new thing!” I cried, holding out that days newspaper.

Steven sighed, “Oh no. Does this involve me?”

“Yup!” I couldn’t help but smile. “The next nice day we’re going Forest Bathing!”

“What?” Steven just shook his head.

“Aren’t you going to ask me what Forest Bathing is?” I leaned against the counter waiting for him to ask.

“Nope, I already know.” He smiled at me as he filled his cup with coffee.

“Oh come on!” I waved the newspaper in front of him. “I got the paper from the driveway! You didn’t have time to read the article!”

Steven smiled as he poured some cream into his cup. “I read the paper online this morning.” He went into the living room and sat on the couch. “I also think I’ll keep calling it a walk in the woods.” He leaned back and put his feet up on the coffee table before taking another sip from his coffee cup.

“Well, I looked it up.” I sat next to him and scooped my phone off the coffee table. “I goggled it and believe it or not it’s a real thing.”

“Oh, I believe you, but I still prefer to call it a walk.”

“But that’s where you’re wrong!” I cried. I began reading from my phone. “It says here that hiking is about the destination, but Forest Bathing is about an immersion of the senses into the natural world!” I looked over at Steven. “Doesn’t that sound better then a hike?”

“Nope.” He shook his head. “I’m all about the destination.”

I had to laugh. “Well, I used to be about that, too!” I looked back at my phone. “But maybe they have something here.” I began scrolling through the different articles. “This one says it was developed in Japan in the ’80’s. It’s the healing way of Shinrin-yoku or Forest Therapy. You go into the forest and take in your surroundings with all your senses.” I looked back at Steven who still didn’t look impressed. So I kept scrolling. “They’ve already proven that it helps you relax, reduces stress and boosts your immune system!” I looked over at Steven. “Doesn’t that sound great?”

“Walking in the woods does that for me anyway.” He took another sip of coffee. “I’m fine with that.”

“I wonder if anyone near us is doing it?” I began typing in my question. “Oh…that’s too bad.” I looked back at Steven. “They don’t have any clubs doing it yet.” I kept scrolling. “Oh wait! Here’s someone that wants people to join a group she’s starting!” I looked back at Steven. “She could teach us how it’s done!”

Steven laughed. “Didn’t you just say it’s all about being in the woods and using all your senses?”

“Yeah…” I wasn’t sure where he was going.

“Well, don’t we already do that?”

“Maybe, but what if we aren’t doing it right?”

Steven took a deep breath. “You see the trees, you smell the trees, you hear the trees. Heck I’ve even felt a tree.” He started to laugh. “The only sense we’re missing is taste. So the next time we’re in the woods you just have to lick the tree and you’re all set.”

I had to laugh. “Why do you insist on ruining these things for me!” I put the phone down on the couch.

He patted me on the shoulder before he got up. “Don’t worry, I’m just here to stop you from doing silly things in the forest.” I heard him put his cup in the dishwasher before he called out to me.“You’re welcome!”

I was busy making dinner, when my son Alex came into the kitchen. “It smells good in here! What are you making?”

I grabbed a fork to turn over the chicken cutlet I was frying. “I’m making chicken parmesan.” I said as I reached over and stirred the pot with the sauce in it.

“So what’s this for?” Alex lifted the pot that was filled with water.

“I’m making hummingbird nectar.” I pointed to the hummingbird feeders next to the sink. “It’s that time of year again!” I cried. “I love watching those little guys swooping around the back porch!”

Alex put the lid back on. “Is there anything I can do?”

“You could set the table.” I suggested. “Dinner should be ready in about a half an hour.”

After dinner, I was straightening up the kitchen and watching out the window as my husband Steven and Alex played a game of cornhole in the back yard. I couldn’t help but smile as I heard the thunk of the beanbag hit the wooden board. It was another sound that reminded me that summer was almost here.

I touched the side of the pot that the hummingbird nectar was cooling in. Even though it was still a bit warm I decided to put the nectar into the feeders. Carrying them out the back door I hung them up on their posts and leaned over the rail to watch the cornhole match.

“Who’s winning?” I asked.

“Dad.” Alex said as he laid the beanbag in the palm of his hand and lined up his toss. “But I’m only a point away from him.” He tossed the bag and it slid along the board slipping through the hole.

“Three point! You’re ahead now!” I called, happy to see they were both having fun before I went back in to finish up the kitchen.

I was only inside for a moment when Steven called. “You’ve already got hummingbirds at your feeder!”

I ran back outside. “NO! NO! NO!” I cried. “It’s too soon!”

Alex and Steven stopped playing and looked at me. “Too soon?” Steven asked.

“It wasn’t fully cooled!” I cried. “I didn’t expect them now!” I went over to touch the outside of the feeder. “It doesn’t feel that warm.” I admitted. “Now I’m not sure what to think.”

Steven and Alex looked at one another and began shaking their heads.

“What?” I cried as I looked at them. “I could have burnt their little throats!”

“Isn’t the feeder sitting in the sun all summer long?” Steven asked.

“Yeah…” I wasn’t sure where he was going with this.

“So don’t you think the nectar gets a little warm just sitting out all day?” Alex and Steven began collecting their beanbags.

“Hey, that’s true!” I was beginning to feel a little better. “It must warm up in the sun.”

Steven looked by the side of the house. “You know, he flew this way. Do you want me to check and see if he’s not laying in the grass somewhere needing help?”

“Very funny.” I wasn’t feeling amused as the two of them came up on the deck to put away their beanbags. Steven opened the back door. “Are you coming in?” he asked.

“In a minute.” I said.

Steven started to laugh. “You’re going to go around the side of the house and check aren’t you.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Maybe.”

I was sitting on the couch staring at the pile of photo envelopes sitting on our coffee table when my husband, Steven came into the room. “What are you up to?” he asked as he sat down next to me.

“I’m suppose to be sorting my vacation pictures.” I pointed to the giant pile laying in front of me. “I’m feeling a little overwhelmed.” I sighed.

“How many pictures did you take?” Steven reached over and picked up one of the envelopes.

“Looking at that pile, I’m going to say hundreds!” I grabbed a pillow and put it behind my head as I leaned back against the couch.

Steven tried to hand my the envelope. “Do you want to start with this one?”

I shook my head. “It’s going to take hours to go through all of them and I’m just not feeling it right now.” I sighed.

Steven dropped it back on the pile. “Why’d you take so many pictures?”

I looked over at him shocked. “I was in the Netherlands!” I cried. “It was so beautiful there! I’m surprised I didn’t take more!”

Steven shook his head. “Okay, I get it, but how long are these going to stay on the coffee table?”

“I’m hoping that by leaving them out it will be a constant reminder to get working on them.”

“Okay.” He reached over to the pile of coffee table books and grabbed two of the books. “So what’s the reason these are still here?” He handed me the two travel books, one about Belgium and Luxembourg and the other Amsterdam. “You’re not planning your trip anymore.”

I couldn’t help but smile as I took the books from him and began leafing through the Amsterdam book. “Now these have become memory books! I can’t put them away!” I stopped at one page. “I’ve been here.” I pointed to a picture of Anne Frank’s House. “I can’t even begin to explain the feeling I got when I was inside and heard the siren of a police car in the distance.” I looked over at Steven and shuttered. “It was powerful.” I flipped a few more pages and stopped again. “The Van Gogh Museum, this was amazing!” I picked up the Belgium book and the first page I opened. “Bruges!” I cried. “It’s like walking into a painting of a medieval town!” I looked over at Steven. “Did I mention I fell in love with Burges?”

Steven laughed. “You’ve mentioned it once or twice.”

“I can’t really pick a favorite stop, it was all amazing!” I looked over at the pile of pictures again. “I going to need a lot of time to go though all of them.” I sighed. “While I’m trying to decide which ones to keep, I’m going to be reliving the entire vacation.” I looked over at Steven. “That’s going to take a lot of time.”

Steven nodded. “So, what you’re trying to tell me is that this could be sitting on the coffee table for months.”

I put the travel books back on the book pile and moved the stack of photos closer to the books.
“I guess this doesn’t look very good, does it.”

Steven just shook his head.

I tried pushing them behind the African violet that sat in the middle of the table,

“I can still see them.” Steven said.

“I know.” I sighed. “They do look awful sitting here.”

“Yup.” Steven grabbed the remote and turned on the television.

“Okay, I guess I really don’t need the visual to remind me to go through them.” I stood up and adjusted the envelopes as they began to slip and slide in my arms. “It’s not like I need to leave the box of pasta out on the counter to remind me what I’m making for dinner.” I laughed.

“We’re having pasta for dinner?” Steven sounded interested.

“Maybe I should have left the box out on the counter for you to see.”

My husband Steven was outside trimming our holly tree when he sent me a picture of a nest with four baby blue eggs in it. I raced outside.

“You found a robin’s nest!” I cried.

Steven was standing away from the tree as a robin was frantically hopping on the railing by my son, Alex’s back door.

“Yeah.” Steven pointed to the robin. “But he’s so upset I thought I’d stop for today and let him settle down.”

“That’s a good idea.” I so desperately wanted to take a peek at the nest but I was afraid to get too close to the tree. Instead I looked back at the picture Steven had sent me. “This is going to be so great!” I cried. “I’ll be able to watch the baby birds from Alex’s door.”

I went back inside and knocked on Alex’s door.

“Come in!” he called.

I went through his bedroom and into his office. “You’re not going to believe what’s right outside your door!” I held up the phone so he could see the picture.

“Oh, great.” he sighed. “Screaming baby birds right outside my door.”

“Hey!” I was a bit surprised. “We’re going to be able to watch nature up close!” I went to his door and opened it. The glass on the door was smeared with something white. “Ewe…” I cried. “What’s all over your door?”

Alex came over. “Ewe… what is that?”

I looked over at his railing which was covered with bird poop. “Well, I’m guessing this is where he’s hanging out protecting his nest.”

“Okay, I get the railing.” he looked over at me. “Which is disgusting, by the way, but what’s all over my glass?”

I closed the door and went to my room where I could look out my window and watch the robin on Alex’s railing. It wasn’t long before I realized what was happening.

Alex came into my room. “What’s up?”
I pointed out my window. “Watch.”

The robin was sitting on Alex’s railing when suddenly it glanced over to his glass storm door and began making a funny squeaking sound and flew at the window. “He’s seeing his reflection in your window and thinking it’s another bird, so he’s protecting his nest.” I explained.

“Oh, great.” Alex shook his head. “So he’s not a very smart bird and now he’s having kids.”

I started to laugh. “Really? That’s what you’ve come up with?”

Alex pointed to all the poop on his railing. “That, and seeing his reflection is clearly scaring it right out of him!”

I had to laugh again. “Don’t worry, after I clean it up I’ll put something on the glass where he can’t see his reflection anymore.” I looked over at Alex. “How’s that?”

Alex nodded. “That sound like it should work.”

“Just think we’ll be able to watch the babies for almost two weeks before they leave the nest!”

“Yeah.” he said, but he didn’t sound very enthusiastic.

“I’m so glad I’ve passed my love of nature on to you.” I called after him.

It had been a long overdue beautiful Spring day, and as night was falling I was getting settled on the couch for some TV surfing. I’d just picked up the remote when my husband Steven walked into the living room and stopped. “Is it hot in here?” he asked.

It was an unfamiliar question because up until then it had been a very cold Spring. I hadn’t gotten a chance to answer him before he went over to the thermostat. “I’m going to put the air conditioning on.”

“Wait!” I called. “Why don’t we open the windows instead? It’s beautiful out!”

Steven shrugged his shoulders. “Sure, why not.” He went over to the dining room window, unlatched the lock, and pulled it open. He took a deep breath. “Wow! You can smell the hyacinths I gave you for Easter!”

I went over to the window and inhaled. “They smell so good!” While I was enjoying their fragrance I stopped for a moment to listen. “Are those spring peepers I’m hearing?”

Steven listened. “Sure sounds like it.”

“Oh my gosh, I love the sound of spring peepers!” I’d noticed we had some little frogs in the yard but I had no idea they were peepers. I went over to the kitchen door. “Do you want to come out and sit on the porch and listen to them with me?”

“Sure, why not.”

Once we were sitting in our chairs and had been listening to them for a while I began to wonder. “You know, the last time I remember listening to them was when we lived on the river.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” The peepers were making quiet a lot of noise now. “Don’t they have to be by water?”

Steven shrugged his shoulders. “I thought they lived in the woods.”

“I think they live in the woods but they have to lay their eggs in water.” I took my phone out of my pocket and began typing in my question. When the link came up I began to get upset. “They do live in the woods and hibernate there in the winter but in the spring they need to be by water!” I looked over at Steven. “How close is the nearest body of water?”

Steven thought about it for a moment. “I’m going to say a couple of miles.”

Now I really was getting upset. “How are the peepers in our woods going to be able to travel a couple of miles?” I cried.

Steven sighed. “I’m sure they’ll figure it out.”

“Oh, come on Steven! They’re in our woods, singing their little hearts out, looking for a mate, and they’re going to hop a few miles from here to have their babies!” I was feeling sorry for our poor misguided peepers. “They’ll never make it!”

Our son Alex came out the back door. “What are you guys up to?” he asked.

“Your Mom wanted to come out here and listen to the Spring peepers.” Steven said as Alex walked over to the glider and sat down.

“Oh is that what that noise is?” he asked. “What are they?”

“They’re little frogs.” I explained. “When we were living by the river it was one of the first signs that Spring was really here.” I held up my phone. “But I just realized that they need to be by water to lay their eggs and your Dad says the nearest body of water is a few miles away!”

Steven looked over at Alex. “Your Mom’s worried that they won’t be able to make it there.”

Alex looked over at me and started to laugh. “So, what are you going to do? Go out in our woods and started catching them so you can drive them to the river?”

Steven slowly shook his head. “I really wish you hadn’t said that Alex.”

I smiled as I looked over at Alex. “You know, when I was a kid, I was really good at catching frogs.”

“Are you serious?” Alex seemed surprised.

Now it was my turn to laugh as I got up and walked over to him. “No, but I love the fact that you think I’d do something like that.” I leaned down and gave him a kiss on the top of his head.

I just got back from a trip to the Netherlands and not ONE pothole to be found anywhere I went. Now that I’m back in the States…

“I swear I’m going to be pulled over for drunk driving!” I cried as I stormed into the house.

My husband, Steven and son, Alex both stopped what they were doing and looked over at me. Steven looked mad. “Are you kidding me?”

“What?” Now I was confused. I looked at Alex, who just looked disappointed in me. “Wait! No, I wasn’t drinking!” I cried. “And I certainly wouldn’t go out and drive if I did!” I dropped my coat on the chair and went over to give Alex a hug. “I’m sorry I scared you.” I looked over at Steven. “It’s the damned potholes! I’ve been swerving all over the roads trying to miss them!”

Steven gave a sigh of relief. “I know! They’ve been crazy this year!”

“Every day on my way to work, I see a new one.” I sat down on the couch and began to rub my jaw.

“What’s wrong?” Steven asked.

“Every pothole that I didn’t miss I realized I would grit my teeth as my poor car slammed in the hole. I’ve been gritting them so hard, for the past twenty minutes, I swear I think I’ve chipped a tooth!”

Steven shook his head. “I know what you mean. There are roads I won’t even take because they’re so bad.” He went into the kitchen and came back with a bottle of water for me.

“Thanks.” I unscrewed the cap and took a sip.

“I wonder when they’re going to start filling them?” I took another sip from my water bottle.

By now, Alex had gotten bored with our conversation. “Let me know if you need any help starting dinner.” he said before he left the room.

I looked over at Steven. “Did he just say he’d help make dinner?” I whispered.

Steven shrugged his shoulders. “I’m pretty sure that’s what he said.”

“Hey, Alex!” I called.

He came out of his room. “Yeah?” He came back into the living room.

“Did you just say you’d help make dinner tonight?” I asked. I couldn’t help but smile.

He hesitated for a moment. “Um, sure. What were you planning on making?”

“I was thinking pasta.” I pointed to the kitchen. “I’ve already defrosted the sauce, the pasta’s down in the pantry and there’s salad stuff in the refrigerator.”

“Okay.” He started to go into the kitchen, but then stopped and turned around. “Do you want me to heat up the sauce or go get the pasta?”

“I thought you said you were making dinner tonight?” I couldn’t help but smile.

“I said I’d help.” He held up his pointer finger as he corrected me. “And I only did that because you usually come right home and start to cook. But you’re pothole story was getting you so aggravated I thought dinner might be backed up.” Now it was his time to start smiling. “It was just my way of giving you a gentle reminder, because I’m starving!”

“Well, you’re stuck helping now.” I got up and went into the kitchen. “You go get the pasta and I’ll start the salad.”

Steven came into the kitchen. “Anything I can do?”

“Sure, you can put the water on.” I went cabinet and pulled out a bottle of red wine. “Now that I’m not planning on doing any more driving today, I think I’ll have a nice glass of this with dinner.” I put the bottle on the counter as Alex came back with the pasta.

I turned and looked at Alex as I reached into the cabinet for a glass. “This way I can finish my pothole story while we’re eating dinner!”

Alex gave an very unenthusiastic, “Yeah.” as he put the pasta box down on the counter.

“I can’t believe this!” I was looking at my phone when Steven came into the room.

“What can’t you believe?”

“My Van Gogh art book was shipped from the Museum yesterday in Amsterdam and I’m going to be getting it today!” I held up my phone to prove my point. “I’m tracking the shipping carrier.”

“That’s nice.” Steven said as he walked into the kitchen.

I followed him. “Come on! This is so wild!” I skimmed through the delivery feed. “It left the Netherlands last night and arrived in Germany in the middle of the night. Now it’s in New York!” I looked back at Steven. “You’ve got to admit that’s crazy fast!”

Steven didn’t seem impressed. “You don’t shop online much, do you?” He took a glass out of the cabinet and went to the refrigerator to fill it with water. “If you did more Amazon shopping you wouldn’t be as impressed.”

“But this is international shopping!” I leaned against the counter. “I can’t send a birthday card to the next town and have it get there the next day.”

Steven started to laugh. “Why didn’t you just buy the art book when you’re visiting the Museum with your sister next week?” He finished his drink and put the glass in the sink.

“Dishwasher’s dirty.” I reminded him.

Steven looked at the front of the dishwasher where the sign said “Clean”. “Really?”

“Sorry about that.” I leaned over and moved the sign to “Dirty”. “But the reason I had it sent here was because I didn’t want the weight in the luggage. I had no idea that it would get here the next day!”

I looked back on my phone and sighed. “It’s still being processed in New York.”

Steven patted my arm as he walked passed me. “Don’t worry, it will be here by the end of the day.”

“Did I tell you they’re having a special exhibit called ‘Van Gogh and Japan’ while we’re there?” I was still tracking my purchase while I was talking.

“Yes.” Steven laughed. “A few times.”

“I’m so excited! I can’t believe I’m really going!”

Alex walked into the kitchen. “Are you getting excited for your trip?” He looked at Steven and started to laugh.

“I’m tracking my art book from the Van Gogh Museum!” I looked back at my phone. “It’s on it’s way to New Jersey!” I cried. “They just sent it last night from Amsterdam!”

Alex started to laugh. “You know, overnight shipping has been happening for quite some time now.” He looked over at Steven, still laughing.

“Hey, she’s excited.” he shrugged his shoulders. “I would be too if I was going on her trip.”

“Sisters are great, aren’t they?” I had to laugh myself. “Especially ones that like to travel!”

A few hours later the doorbell rang.

“It’s here!” I cried. “It’s here!” I ran to the door and opened it. The delivery man was all smiles as he handed it to me. “Thank you!” I cried.

By now Alex was next to me. “You sure look happy.”

“I am!” I placed the package on the chair and took out my phone. “I wonder if it says it’s been delivered yet?” I scrolled through the delivery summary. “Yup! It says it’s been delivered!” I looked out the window. “And he hasn’t even pulled away from the curb yet!” I turned back to Alex. “Isn’t it amazing!” I picked up the package and cradled it in my arms. “Just think, this was in Amsterdam just yesterday!”

Alex shook his head. “I can’t believe you’re more excited about tracking your book, then actually getting it.”

“Not true.” I began unwrapping my new purchase. “I’m equally excited about both!”

I had just finished grocery shopping and was placing the last bag on the counter-top when my son, Alex came out of his room.

“Do you need help unloading the car?” he asked as he zipped up his sweatshirt and began heading for the front door.

“Thanks, but I got it all.” I called before he went outside.

“Oh great!” he came into the kitchen and began helping me unload the bags. “I thought you said you were doing a big shopping?” he looked at the half a dozen bags sitting on the counter.

“Well, I couldn’t fit anymore in the grocery cart, so this was all I could get.” I explained as I placed a box of cereal in the cabinet while Alex put away the gallon of milk.

He looked around and seemed confused. “This filled your cart?”

“Well, not this so much.” I motioned for him to follow me into the living room. I pointed out the front window at the container of miniature pansies I’d placed on the front porch. “Aren’t they beautiful!” I cried as we took a moment to watch the tiny purple flowers dance in the breeze. “I just needed some color around here to get me past this horrible winter!” I looked over at Alex barely able to contain my glee. “They were just unloading them from the truck when I was getting my cart.” I looked out the window again at my new plant treasure. “How lucky was that?”

Alex shrugged his shoulder. “Real lucky, I guess. But why did that stop you from getting any groceries?”

“Well, once I put that in my cart there really wasn’t much room for anything else.” I shrugged my shoulders. “I didn’t want anything to damage the flowers. So I only got the few things that fit around it.”

Alex looked confused. “Why didn’t you get the shopping done first and then get the flowers? They would have balanced on top of everything.”

I shook my head. “Because they were just putting them out.” I pointed to the flowers out the window. “If I’d gone back after shopping, someone else would have gotten the best one! I couldn’t let that happen!”

It was Alex’s turn to shake his head. “So why didn’t you buy the plant, put it in the car then go back and get the shopping done?”

That made me stop for a moment before I shrugged my shoulders. “I guess because I never thought of that.” I turned around and smiled at him again. “But aren’t they beautiful?”

Alex laughed. “They are, but there still isn’t anything here to eat for lunch.”

“Did you know pansies are edible?” I looked back at flowers. “Not that I’d let you eat any of mine, but they say they have a nice wintergreen flavor.” I looked back at Alex waiting for him to be impressed with my edible flower knowledge.

He wasn’t.

Instead he put his sweatshirt back on, zipped it up and went out to the kitchen to grab the car keys. “I’m headed out to get something to eat. Do you want anything?” he asked.

“Oh, I’m starving!” I cried. “Do you want to split a tuna on a bagel?”

“Sure.” Alex laughed as headed for the front door.

“Maybe when I done eating I’ll go back and finish the shopping!” I called after him.

“That would be awesome!”

“Well, I’ve always wanted to own a beach house.” I sighed as I swept another pile of sand from the living room floor. “I just thought when I did, it would be closer to the beach.”

“Hey, you haven’t slipped once this winter! Have you?” Steven handed me the dust pan. “If I didn’t sand the steps and sidewalk as much as I did you would have been skating to your car every morning.”

“I know.” I carried the filled dust pan over to the trash but before I dumped it out I held it out for Steven to see. “Oh look, I even got a few pine needles from the Christmas tree!”

Steven had to laugh. “I’ve got to say that for a fake Christmas tree that thing looses more needles than a real one!”

I took the broom and dust pan into our bedroom. “I can’t believe there’s sand in here too!” I began sweeping. “Everyone takes there shoes off at the front door, so how’s it getting all the way in here? It’s driving me nuts!” I’d already swept a little pile into the middle of the floor.

Steven shrugged his shoulders. “I have no idea.”

“Can you please sweep the steps and sidewalk today so we can stop dragging the sand in?” I asked as I took the filled dust pan into the kitchen to throw away.

Steven looked out the window. “There’s still snow on the ground. Do you want to take that chance ?”

I looked over at him, not feeling very amused. “Yes, I’m willing to take that chance. I’m tried of walking around barefoot and feeling sand under my feet!”

“Hey,” Steven started to laugh. “Aren’t you the one who said you can’t wait for the time of year when you can feel the sand between your toes?”

“Not in the house!” I handed him the broom.

Steven shook his head. “I don’t need the broom.”

“Oh, come on!” I cried. “Please do the walks for me!”

“I am.” He went to the closet and took out his jacket. “I’m just not using the broom. That takes too long.”

I followed him to the front door, careful not to step outside on the sandy steps. “How are you going to get rid of the sand?”

I peeked around the door jam and watched as he pulled up the garage door, went inside and came out with the leaf blower. “It’ll only take a minute using this.”

I watched as he blew the sand off the driveway and sidewalk. He stopped and smiled at me. “See, only seconds!”

I sighed. “That’s just great…I spent the last twenty minutes just doing the living room and our bedroom! I still have the rest of the house to sweep!”

Our son, Alex came into the room. “What are you two up to?”

“Sand removal!” Steven called from the front steps. “I’m doing the outside and your Mom’s taking care of inside.”

I looked over at Alex. “Yeah, it’s been real fair.” I pointed to Steven. “He’s done in a minute…” I held up my broom. “and I’m working on mine for the next hour!”

Steven smiled as he held up the leaf blower. “Let me inside and I could have it done in no time!”

When I hesitated, Alex looked over at me. “We’re you just thinking about it?” he started to laugh.

I shrugged my shoulders. “I have to admit, for a second, I was.”

“I can’t.” I sighed, “I just can’t.” My forehead was leaned against the glass at the back door. Outside the snow was coming down harder by the hour.

Steven came up behind me. “What are you up to today?”

I looked outside. “Clearly nothing.” My bird feeder was swinging in the wind, not a bird in sight.

“Don’t you usually like to bake on snow days?” Steven looked over at the counter and picked up the box of cake mix. “Oh, spice cake!” he put the box down. “Alex’s favorite.”

“I know, but all this snow is making me fat.” I sighed, I turned around and went over to the refrigerator and got the eggs. “It wasn’t so bad at the beginning of winter. I felt like I had some time to drop the pounds before spring.” I looked down at my oversized sweatshirt and baggy sweatpants. “But bathing suit season is just around the corner and I’m running out of time. I can’t afford another snow day!” I pulled a bowl out of the cabinet and got the mixer out of the drawer.

“So make the cake for Alex.” Steven reached into the silverware drawer and got me a spoon. “No one says you have to eat a piece.”

I looked over at Steven and rolled my eyes. “We’re snowed in and a cake will be sitting on the counter in about an hour. I don’t have superhuman powers!” I poured the mix into the bowl, adding the eggs and applesauce then turned on the mixer. “I’m going to wind up getting bored and eating cake.” I sighed as I filled a pan with the mix and popped it into the oven. “I might as well resign myself that I won’t be wearing a bathing suit this summer.”

Steven looked confused. “I haven’t seen you in a bathing suit in years.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “I’m not really a beach person, and when I do go I never take my coverup off.” I shook my head. “But that’s not the point!”

Steven looked out the window, the snow was still coming down. “Well, maybe you’d like to help me shovel out.” He turned around and smiled at me. “It’s a great workout!”

“Fine.” I sighed. I set the timer. “As soon as the cake is done I’ll come out and help.”

“I’m not going out there now.” Steven laughed. “I’ll wait until it stops.”

“But that’s not suppose to happen until tomorrow morning! How am I suppose to work off the cake I’m going to be eating today?”

“I don’t know what to tell you…” Steven shook his head as he went into his office.

I decided maybe a few sit-ups and squats were in order while I waited for the cake to be done. I pulled out my yoga mat and turned on the television. As I did a few stretches my show was interrupted for a snowstorm update. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Are you kidding me!” I yelled at the weather forecaster.

My son Alex came into the room. “What’s wrong?” he sounded concerned.

“There could be another snowstorm coming after this one!” I cried.

“It’s spring.” Alex patted me on the shoulder. “They melt the next day.”

“That’s not the point!” I cried.

Alex turned his head and took a quick sniff. “Is that a spice cake I’m smelling?”

“It is.” I sighed. “And apparently I’ll be making brownies for the next one.” I complained as I started to do my squats and watched the forecast.