Madness

This month has been full of madness. This photo is of the tulips that bloomed one day before the blizzard that dropped over a foot of snow in our area. The week before, days were in the 70's and beautiful; we had put down fertilizer on the grass, and now it is looking great. The tulips were brave, poking out their orange heads. But the purple crocus had beat them already, as they had appeared in late February. As life begins to emerge from the ground, another is departed into it. Our remaining uncle, Bud, passed away in the first week, setting the tone for the rest of March. He took very seriously his patriarchal position in the family, and as an old-school Dutchman, lived a life of love, integrity, and family values. While he wasn't in my life until I was in my thirties, I feel like each time I rubbed shoulders with him a bit of his shine transferred to me. I will miss him, but cherish the time I knew him.