Looks Like We Made It

Lunchbox meal of turkey sausage, barley and mixed vegetables.  I quick dash of chicken stock to the hot pan at the end and a pat of butter created a drizzle, enough to hydrate the grain and add moisture when reheating in microwave.  

It seems so unimpressive after the leaves and flowering take place, but the first signs of buds on trees, after months of gray and bareness, always takes my breath away and this was that moment.  It was hyper-induced by a Polar Vortex upswing but you take what you get these days.  I was speaking with my mate and looked up to see these bright flowering newbies stretching out as if to greet me.  As if seeing an old friend, whom I love, I gasped, You're back!.  Signs of spring tell me we've all made it out of a darkness. No matter how much I cherish my hibernation, its great to take in color again, fresh air, feel that light breeze on your skin.  And there is and will be much more suffering, but for now, these buds represent hope.