A to Z Blog Challenge: Day 1 A is for April

No, Mr. Eliot, April isn’t the cruellest month–unless, of course, you county the income tax deadline–or allergies.  I’ve always liked April, the month of my “half birthday.”  I prefer the moderate seasons autumn and spring so much better than the heat of summer or the cold of winter, and since I’ve spent most of

my life living by the school calendar, spring means summer vacation is near. As soon as the daffodils (or as we always called them in Alabama, buttercups) push through the ground and the hyacinths bloom, as soon as I can pull my sandals out of the closet and put away my real shoes, I’m a happy woman.

Every April for the last 8 years, I’ve also participated in Robert Lee Brewer’s Poem a Day Challenge on Poetic Asides, where I’ve made so many poet friends from around the world.

This April, even though I maintain my book blog, Discriminating Reader, I plan to use this blog site for more personal posts.  I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how many women, like me, are reaching those years when calling it “midlife” is perhaps misleading (unless I plan to live to 116, which I do).  With all the “mommy” blogs these days, I’m interested in our particular demographic–with children and grandchildren and jobs and hobbies, bucket lists far too long to complete in this lifetime.  During this A to Z challenge, I think that’s the direction I plan to take: the mid-menopause set, proud of the silver in our hair or beholden to Lady Clairol.  Either way is great.

For now, I have to think of an April Fool’s Day joke that will work.  No one buys my standard “Guess what?  I’m pregnant!” anymore.