In spite of the snow and hail that keep passing through… and the continued temperatures in the 30s, signs of springtime surround the observant ones here in Seattle. Swelling buds on trees and daffodil stalks. Wild violets blooming. Lenten roses braving the cold. And deciduous catkins popped open, lengthening out and pendulous.

A year ago, after enduring a long, gray, cold, wet winter in Milano, I felt we had all earned our Spring! We’ve earned it here, too, and these little emissaries of warm-days-to-come thrill my spirit.