Oh Happy Day

                           

 

Oh happy day. It's Easter. Fabulous, soul-saving Easter.. I love Easter. I really do. Have you ever  noticed that everything around you screams Easter at this time of year? And I'm not talking about the chocolate egg aisle at your local grocery store either. (Although I admit those screams are pretty tempting...) In France, more so than in Oregon where I grew up, I feel like you can especially feel it. We have enough evergreens in Oregon to not make nature feel butt-naked but here in the Paris area life outside feels very dead during the winter months (and when you think that the majority of it is paved in concrete, I guess it kinda is...). In an oceanside state where you differentiate 3 seasons out of 4 by the amount of rainfall people learn that you might as well just throw a raincoat on it and call it good. In fact the first few months I lived over here (oh let's be honest--it lasted longer than that) I had to hide a grin every time I saw Frenchies frantically running for an awning to hide out under during a downpour. Until I realized that it actually makes sense here. In the Pacific Northwest, if you tried attempting that, you'd be waiting all day for that rain to let up (and maybe then some). Weather changes rapidly here so when it's nice out you seize on it; when it's not, you hibernate. When spring rolls around, those first tentative buds practically scream new life. Matt and I joke about how we get to know our neighbors again every year once spring hits. People venture out. Cafe's put out patio furniture and you can even find bikini clad sunbathers taking over the local parks (never really understood that phenomenon btw). Every spring Paris is reborn.

I love how everything around me reverberates with fresh new life come March and April. I love the cherry blossoms, the wild bulbs that sprout out of the most random places. I love how I come to life with every fresh start and each new time I take to soak up the life bringing message of Easter. The truth is I don't deserve the kind of grace that God has lavished on this brittle heart of mine. But just like my butt-naked trees I know that he will bring about something organic in all that brown and black should I choose to let him. Happy Easter to all of you. 

Cherry blossoms, Etta James, and Randomness at the Park

At last my love spring has come along... [insert Etta James voice] ...my lonely days are oooover.... and life is like a song... 

Ah man, if only Simon Cowell could hear me... until that day I guess I'll stick to singing to the towel bar and shampoo bottle. Such is life I suppose. 

Okay, back to the point of this post: it's officially spring! I mean, like, sun shining, birds singing spring. At least today it is--the weather is so unpredictable over here that the general motto is just to take each day as it comes. 

Spring is hands-down the best season in the Paris area and I have been way too cooped up during this pregnancy to not take advantage of any ray of sunshine that I can get (trust me, it was between getting out of the house or throttling the cat). Thus I decided to go to the mall. Haha you thought I was going to say the park, right? Well, I did go to the park but only when seeing it as I exited the centre commercial...yeah, I know, judge all you want, I've become that girl...

After basking contentedly on a bench with book in hand I decided some exploring was in order (both the park and mall are relatively new). That's when I stumbled onto some rather odd park attractions that I just couldn't resist sharing...  

First there was this raised garden bed packed with lettuce and fresh herbs... Not so odd in the grand scheme of things, right? I mean, I'm from the Northwest--I can get down with a little urban gardening and whatnot. But then I stumbled onto this...

It's fake grass, but have you ever seen a grass covered basketball court? Does the ball even bounce? I mean, I'm not the best dribbler in the world but I still make an effort. Maybe the French don't dribble? (jk, they do, just maybe not on this court...) 

But oh, this was my favorite. I have literally never seen anything like it... 

Who needs LA Fitness when you've got your local park? Don't be fooled by the bright primary colors folks--this gym means business. All the equipment of a full time gym, right next to the playground.  

 I mean, can't you just picture it? "Have fun honey on the playground, Daddy's going to elliptical it up for a bit..." Please don't ask me what the blue equipment is in the background.... Tanning and abs combined, maybe?