Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!
Here in Dublin, spring has come! It's a blue sky, sunshine (though cold!) day, and it finally feels that winter has come to an end.

"COMES THE DAWN"        Veronica A. Shoffstall

After a while you learn the subtle difference
Between holding a hand and chaining a soul,
And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning
And company doesn’t mean security,
And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts
And presents aren’t promises,
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes open
With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child,
And you learn to build all your roads on today,
Because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans
And futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.
After a while you learn
That even sunshine burns if you get too much.
So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul,
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure...
That you really are strong,
And you really do have worth.
And you learn and learn."

Cleaning up my laptop this morning, I came across this little poem, that seemed apt for today. And I had noticed the first rose still blooming in the garden, it has lasted through all the winter months. I love it, even though it is old and a bit withered. It has lived, it has learned.

This second one is a new bud...aren't flowers amazingly brave; they push through, even when days have been grey, dark and gloomy, then they surprise us with this beautiful colour. It's a bit blurred because it was waving in the wind.

Have a lovely day, everyone! We will be having just a normal, quiet dinner at home, then I will go to band practice!
On Saturday, my cousin is singing in The Marriage of Figaro in the National Concert Hall, and we have got tickets for that for our Valentine celebration. Looking forward very much to that!