Crocus, a Sign of Spring
Crocus, early blooming bulbs, are a welcome sign of approaching Spring. January and February weren’t particularly bad, except for three little storms that left a lot of ice. But, the temperatures have warmed somewhat now. Of course, the usual sign of Spring here in Desert Southwest,the wind, is here in full force. Sunday we return to Daylight Savings Time.
Some of those signs of Spring bring mixed reactions.
But who cannot help but smile at the sight of bright little crocus appearing almost overnight out of the earth to welcome the coming season of rebirth here in the Northern Hemisphere?
They are a joy to see. I am curious and excited about the DNA journey you gave the tease on. 🙂
Hi, Anita. Nice to see you!
I was a bit overly optimistic last year when I envisioned being close to done by now with the current project. At the time I still did not know how many lines I have going back to Colonial times, nor that ALL my direct lines would converge in Texas between 1837 and 1881 – with my parents being among the few to ever leave permanently. I sort of thought it would be about using DNA to learn about family. My son is a history buff, and has convinced me we have to talk about issues such as Manifest Destiny vs genocidal warfare; the Westward Expansion; the struggles of women throughout; Prohibition and its effects; etc., etc. And that is just if we stick to Texas, from the Republic of Texas, to the State of Texas. to Texas as a member of the Confederacy; to again a State of the United States. Some days I feel a bit overwhelmed, but it is always fun. It’s coming, I just don’t know when. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!
Our crocus started blooming this week. They are happy after all the rain and snow we’ve had this winter.
Hi, Tim. Yes, all the plants are looking pretty good here too. Looking at the weather forecast, it seems we are due for more moisture Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday! I love that part of the forecast, but could do without the wind. Thanks for coming by!
Those beautiful crocus are a welcome sight in late winter!
Hi, Lavinia! Yes, they are.
Thanks for stopping by. I wish for both of us a beautiful spring very soon. 🙂
A bright yellow. Finally saw several robins over the weekend. Brown and winter white is still our color of the moment. Another 3-6 inches of snow are forecasted for this week.
I was wondering about how your ancestry/DNA project was progressing. Your reply to Anita pretty much answered my question.
Mark, one of the riding instructors for my daughters, part of his family tree is rooted in the Cheyenne Nation. The present-day Cheyenne live with the Sioux nation. A few of his very distant relatives still live on the reservation in SD, but most have left. Mark heard plenty of family stories from his dad and grandpa. His great-grandpa was a cavalryman who married the daughter of a Cheyenne warrior. It’s all quite interesting.
Hi, David. Nice to see you! Your friend Mark’s story (stories!) sounds fascinating. I’m glad he had the opportunity to hear lots of family stories. One of the things both my son and I have learned is that in many ways we are creating our family narrative without benefit of family stories. In Oklahoma, it was just my father, mother, sister, and I. I never heard the family folklore and narratives that I am sure many cousins rooted in Texas grew up with. For my son, it was just his father, him, and me. My father has been dead for many years (I would have so many questions for him!) and my mother avoids talking about family as much as possible. Where we have been fortunate is that many documents do exist and with some effort can be found, and DNA tests are readily available (which has benefits and drawbacks). The lack of family stories is, I think, one of the main factors why my son wants to draw in as much history as possible. Whether it will ever get written remains to be seen, but I have had so much joy talking about all of this with my son.
Speaking of family, I’m sure your daughters are working very hard in school, and yet enjoying every moment of it!
Thanks for stopping by!