"The enthusiastic, to those who are not, are always something of a trial." -- Alban Goodier

 
It seems I somehow sort of missed spring this year.  I was so busy complaining on my computer about winter that I forgot to go outside and check out what was actually happening. 

Going on vacation forced me to do a little de-winterizing, however, and with my toenails finally painted, I have begun fraternizing with my sandals again.  It's amazing how there are some friends you can pick right up with, even after a long winter, and hardly miss a beat.

On loan from the amazing sketchbook of Hannah F. Hinckley, 2011

Of course, the optimists in MN were wearing their shorts/sandals while they took down their Christmas decorations.  True story.  I saw it on my own street.

But I guess I tend to live on the glass-half-empty side of the street.  I'm more likely to wear my parka on the morning of the day I almost die of heat stroke on a sweltering afternoon run.  Then I can complain about the cold and the heat IN ONE DAY.

The power of accurate observation is commonly called 

cynicism by those who have not got it.

-- George Bernard Shaw

Yes, I'm a definite cynic and even a curmudgeon, by some standards. Fast on my way to becoming a grumpy old person.

Therefore it is some kind of anomaly 

that I was actually a cheerleader in Jr. High.  

Rare footage of young Susan  in a strangely upbeat role

To this day I have no idea what would have possessed me to become involved in such a thing:  sickly-cheerful, smiley, uber-social, LOUD.  Actually, it would not surprise me to undergo hypnosis and discover in my regression that my motivations were really subversive --

destroy the cheerleading squad 

from the INSIDE . . .

I once wrote a poem that contained this line:

Suppose I were to tell you all the things

you do not see in me now

It's amazing sometimes to stop and think of 

where we have been, 

what we have been capable of, 

what could still be possible, 

and why we make the choices we do.

I like to be good at things, for instance.  Or I don't like to do them.  It's one of my main character flaws.  It has kept me from doing many worthwhile things.  It continues to hamper me in important areas. That's why my Creativity 365 challenge for this year has been so darn hard to kick off.

Yeah, it's the "do a drawing a day" thing.  I know we've talked about it.  Ad nauseum.

So here it goes: 
I am going to start on my birthday (that's Wednesday) and every day for the next year (starting Wednesday, which is my birthday) I'm going to do a little drawing of some kind.

Maybe I'll start an on-going little comic strip?  Maybe I'll repeat the ubiquitous kitty I drew to entertain my young children 365 times ? . . . I don't know.  But one year from Wednesday (when it will again be my birthday!) I hope I will be able to pronounce myself cured of this particular bit of foolishness and ready to complain about something else. (Hannah bought me a nice moleskine to commemorate the event, but I believe I'll start with a pile of scratch paper, if you don't mind.)

Oh yes . . . and did I mention it's my birthday on Wednesday?

I figure it's been awhile since the last Small Works Birthday Spectacular, so if you'll stop by Wednesday, I'll announce a blog giveaway at my birthday party!  And we can have cake together.  Which probably means I'll eat cake while sitting at my computer.

In front of you, but you won't mind because you won't see me, right?  

Which means I can have at least TWO pieces.

In the meantime, I'll try to poke my head outside and check out the lovely late spring action that is going on around here.  Maybe I can find something easy to draw.  Like a  tulip:

(Can that count as number one?)