Those were the opening words of one of the tunes I used to sing back in the day. That “Day” was when I sang with a 17-piece stage band. I loved my days with the boys. They were incredible musicians, and I was honored to be a part. More than that, I just simply LOVED jazz. That genre of music to me, Smoothe Jazz, actually, is like a fresh spring breeze.
Though our friends in the Northern Regions may not be “feeling” it just quite yet, believe it or not, Spring begins Saturday. March 20 to be exact. For those Down Under, however, Spring won’t come until September 22! You folks in the Southern Hemisphere are on an opposite track of us north-of-the-equator-types.
Spring in our neck of the woods lasts only two months – March through May. During that short time, it gives us Easter, Passover and May Day to name a few special events.
In spring, the axis of the Earth begins to tilt toward the Sun. The length of daylight suddenly increases for the hemisphere closest to the sun. That hemisphere begins to warm up which causes new plant growth to “spring forth.” Thus the name SPRING. If you live in or travel to the South here in the states, one of the famous sites during this time is that of the blooming Dogwoods. If you’re a literature buff, you may recall they used to be called Whipple trees. (Think Chaucer’s Cantebury Tales.)
I have a couple in my backyard, and I anxiously await their “showtime”. If you aren’t familiar with the flower that this tree produces, it’s quite fascinating. Interestingly as well is the legend of the Dogwood. As the story goes, Jesus was crucified on a cross made of it’s wood. To remember his death, the flowers speak to that story. If you have ever seen the blooms you’ll notice that the flower’s four petals are cross-shaped (representing the four corners of the cross) and each bears a rusty indentation like that of a nail. In addition, the red stamens of the flower represent Jesus’ crown of thorns and the clustered red fruit represents his blood.
And there you have it. More conversation fodder for that next trip to the water cooler or board meeting.
Happy Spring!
Stephanie
