Just in time for Marisa’s trip to Hawaii, she got a great reminder about why now is a good time to go:  more accumulating snow and sub-freezing temperatures here in West Virginia!

If you check out www.mydandelionpatch.com, you can follow her adventures in island hopping for yourself.  But I’ve gotta tell you, I can’t wait until she gets home.

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m very happy for her, getting the well-deserved chance to see the sun, the surf, the family — and I really hope she has a great time while she’s there.  But for me, Marisa’s return date coincides with the onset of spring.

Many people look for that first robin or the welcome splash of color from the first crocus breaking through the snow, but I’m looking for my neighbor to come home.  She’ll (hopefully) be tanned, well-rested, and up for some of that Kona coffee I know she’ll bring back home with her. We’ll dream about sprucing up the place, summer barbecues, pretty flowers, maybe even new concrete something-or-others.

Whatever it is, I’ll know that warmer days lie ahead, and we’ll share that annual optimism that comes from making it through yet another winter.

Have fun, Marisa — but don’t forget where you live!