Allie Pleiter on Spring in Chicago

Spring is SERIOUS BUSINESS in Chicago!

We suffer—and I do mean suffer—through this region’s cold nasty winters only to dig our heels in for March and April’s wildly fickle weeks.  There was a time earlier this month where we got snow, rain, sleet, and sunshine in repeated cycles all in one day!  It was a different season every time you looked out the window.  Thirty degree temperature drops.  Snow on blooming daffodils.  You don’t know which clothes to keep in your closet, or whether to take the ice-scraper out of your car.  It can make a gal crazy.

Then, finally, Spring puts her foot down and declares her arrival.  It was 80 yesterday, and I did doing the very favorite thing about my work—writing on the deck.  Those are the day where I love the nature of my job, where writing feels like the best profession on the planet.  Sure, it’s 50 again today, but I know Chicago’s on the upswing of Spring.

I’m currently writing the fourth book in the Blue Thorn Ranch series—one you’ll see next year. But this month has also been filled with lovely letter and emails from many of you who have taken the time to let me know how much you’re enjoying the Blue Thorn Ranch series.  Books one and two are out and ready for you to read, and book three will show up in August.

Spring is my favorite time of year.  It’s optimism season.  Dog walks are happy affairs instead of bundled-up endurance tests.  Grass is emerald green and soft, flowers poke their perky noses up everywhere in celebration that Chicago’s winter is long gone.

What’s your favorite thing about Spring?

New Home at Christmas

Merry Christmas from Merrillee. I just noticed that my name is kind of merry. I'm not going to talk about my name, but I had to make that observation. I'm visiting with my daughter and her husband because they have just moved from Chicago to Tucson. I'm here to help them move in and be here for my granddaughter's first birthday.

Moving into a new house at Christmas can be a challenge. We did it once when our kids were in high school. We bought a tree on Christmas eve for very little because they were trying to get rid of them. Organizing a house after a move is a job in itself, but adding the Christmas decorating along with that can make the job even more difficult. We could have skipped the decorating, but what would Christmas be without a tree and at least a few decorations. So today I went shopping with my son-in-law. We bought a tree. It looked like the perfect tree, but when we got it home, I decided that it wasn't as wonderful as it looked at the store. However, once we get it decorated, it will be wonderful. We bought garland for the bannister on their stairway, and we put up some of the decorations that they already owned. We are hanging pictures and finding places for all of their belongings. When I return home in a few days, hopefully, they will be somewhat settled.

I would have included some photos, but they still don't have internet access. That will be installed on Friday--too late for this post. I'm having to use a borrowed computer. I went to the public library to use the computer the other day. I'm so used to having internet access that I'm having to get used to living without it.

I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas.