We have all seen it.
The houses that still have Christmas decorations three months later.
The houses that were caught off guard when a snowfall delayed their plans.
Too much snow kept them from taking down the lights or the wreath on the highest eave.

What looks wonderful and appropriate during the season looks tired and worn now.
It looks out of place.
I feel certain sadness when I notice the wreath is brown and the shiny red balls are dull.
Tis the season is now another season; the former has passed, the latter is now in focus.

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It was a day to get together.
A day of reminiscing.
High school friends who reconnected after many years.
An intentional day on the calendar to assure that the time between visits is not too long.

We met at the place of gardens.
The place where spring can be enjoyed daily despite what the calendar says.
The place where tiny waterfalls and still ponds rejuvenate your spirit.
The place that smells like spring.

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One of my sons sucked his thumb as a little boy.
He not only sucked his thumb, he carried around a blanket.
It was not just one blanket he carried; it was variations of the same blanket.
I was always glad about that since it made washing the favorite blanket a bit easier.

Everywhere he went, his thumb and blanket were right there with him.
It was his built in comfort.
To me, the blanket became his trademark.
So much so, I called him my Linus.

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I enjoy the gas fireplace in our family room.
One click and the fire is ignited.
With multiple settings for both the flame and the fan, the heat given off is amazing.
It is the place to be in the winter.

Leaning against the raised hearth a corduroy bed rest is the favorite reading spot.
More often than not, the reader will soon be asleep next to the warm fire.
The fan brings the hot air back into the room, so it is energy efficient as well.
That alone sold my husband on its installation.

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I looked at my kitchen windowsill and was brought back in time.
I saw three little bears, made of clay smiling back at me.
They are there all the time, though I sometimes fail to notice them.
I remember when the bears were made.

My youngest daughter loved to do any kind of craft project.
She enjoyed making bears out of clay.
Blocks of colored clay were bought at the craft store.
She went to work designing bears for each of us.

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There is a thin coat of ice over everything.
Freezing rain fell during the night.
With the temperatures right below freezing, the ice was inevitable.
One look outside and you see a beautiful winter landscape ready to be put on canvas.

Icicles hang delicately from tree limbs.
A glaze of ice glistens on the walkway.
Everything is frozen in place.
Held down in position by the ice.

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I enjoy baking.
I enjoy cooking.
Old-fashioned aprons are part of my kitchen attire.
Aprons that cover the front of me but not the back.

Taking things out of the oven requires the use of oven mits.
Oven mits are an enigma to me.
They are usually sold, not in pairs but singularly.
They are usually made for the right hand.

Being left-handed, that presents a problem.

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Two psychologists set out to investigate depth perception.
E.J. Gibson and R. D. Walk developed the visual cliff experiment.
The apparatus they used simulated an actual cliff.
Yet a sheet of Plexiglas protected the subjects from injury.

In my psychology classes in college, the visual cliff experiment intrigued me.
The sheet of Plexiglas covered a cloth with a checker board pattern.
On one side, the cloth is placed directly beneath the Plexiglas.
On the other side, the cloth is dropped about 4 feet below.

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Seven of us grew up on the same street.
Actually one lived around the corner, but basically the same street.
We all went to elementary school and high school together.
There are pictures of us in our graduation caps and gowns on a front lawn.

In the days of neighborhoods with sidewalks and close-together houses, this was common.
There was always someone to play with or someone’s house to visit.
Most of us lost track after high school graduation when college or work took us away.
Social media has helped us reconnect.

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