The perfect snow is heavy, easy to pack into snowballs, slippery for sledding and causes the cancellation of school. For the perfect snow day, the wind dies down to the extent that the children and hounds can be released from the house to expend their energy outside. This perfect day ends with homemade comfort food and a last rousing ping-pong tournament before bedtime. For all of us who have recently experienced this "perfect day", let us cherish it as spring begins it's teasing dance.
Thoughts of spring brings to mind Tennyson's famous line,
"In the spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love." During the upcoming month of March, we will expend hours attempting to decipher what the weather has in store for us. The dance of romance is similar in nature with each participant tentatively advancing and retreating while attempting to discern the object of their affections' intentions. Fortunately, there are a variety of resources to help the romantically-challenged.
Looking to catch the eye of that certain someone? Take some tips from a classic love story. (A classic is a story of enduring value to readers and lasting quality. They're often unfairly maligned due to the fact that they routinely become assigned reading.) A universal favorite classic romance author is Jane Austen. While many readers are familiar with
Pride and Prejudice and
Emma,
Persuasion is an over-looked gem of a love story. The title reflects the major theme of the novel, that various pressures and influence of family, friends, and the world around us can cause one to choose unwisely. As in her other titles, Austen's book is populated with a few characters who are caricatures that provide comic relief while speaking against the restrictions of the society of the day. In contrast, the main characters' story has poignant moments of grief, heartache, and hope. This lovely little book is about a subject near and dear to the romantic at heart, a second chance at love.
Charlotte Bronte's
Jane Eyre is another title that has been used as a standard for romance. The young orphaned heroine is abused and rejected by her aunt and cousins. Eventually, she is sent off as a charity student to a boarding school to learn her place in life and prepare her for a life of servitude. While at school, Jane's resilience is further tested and developed. When she finally strikes out on her own as a governess, the only position available is in a lonely, isolated location. Due to her background and upbringing, she is able to endure the solitude but everything changes when her employer, Mr. Rochester, finally makes an appearance. The May-December romance was not uncommon during that time period and the reader remains undisturbed by it.
The Flight Of Gemma Hardy by Margo Livesey is a modern retelling of the tale. There the reader may have a more visceral reaction to the idea of the relationship between the two lovers. In modern times, many relationships with a large age disparity tend to make one recall Hugh Hefner and his girlfriends which is not anybody's idea of romance.
In a romance, the characters develop a relationship while learning to trust one another or regain trust in one another. There is always a problem that must be overcome for the relationship to blossom. For a magical twist on romance,
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen will get you in the mood to start that spring planting. The reader may find it to be a gentler version of Alice Hoffman's
Practical Magic. Lisa Kleypas is another author who provides magic and romance in her
Friday Harbor series. For those looking for a second chance at love, there's Mary Kay Andrews'
Spring Fever. Susan Elizabeth Phillips'
Wynette Texas series of interconnected novels also uses the themes of forgiveness, redemption, and second chance relationships as well.
You can't ignore it. Spring is in the air. While we may not be able to go outside in the sun without our winter coats and boots, our thoughts have definitely taken a warmer turn. Time to spice up your reading. Maybe it will make the snow melt that much sooner.
People are quick to dismiss the evidence of the widespread zombie affliction with terms like "snow fatigue" or "winter fatigue". Symptoms of these syndromes range from insomnia (zombies don't sleep) to the inability to concentrate (zombies can't form words or sentences, much less read them) to overall clumsiness or a feeling of physical malaise or fatigue. Ask yourself, is it winter depression and lack of warmth and sunlight that is ailing you or it is the thought of lurching through life like a zombie while you watch your various body parts wither, decay and fall off? Anyone who has had to drive in the past few weeks knows that there are zombies driving on our roads terrifying the rest of us. (Evidence: They can't read or follow road signs. They pass when they shouldn't. They aren't able to slow down on ice-covered roads. They forget how to use the gas pedal and turn signals. This list is endless.)
Thankfully, Isaac Marion has written a book filled with zombie hopes and dreams. Zombies are not eternally doomed to a life of mindlessly attacking humans and eating their brains. With will, determination, and education, they can get better. In time, they will recover. (This is the same advice given to the parents of teens.) They can relearn how to feel and dream and become a useful part of society. How will you know that the zombie working in the cubicle next to you is recovering? They will stop trying to eat your brain every chance they get. Grunts and one word replies will eventually become complete sentences. Motor skills will slowly but steadily improve. They will start to remember their old life. They will respond to their name. They will vow to keep you safe from the other zombies which means they have feelings for other people again.
While we await this day of recovery, we need to arm ourselves by studying informational literature about zombies. In the past several years, it has become clear that this virus is sweeping our nation but we have been reluctant to admit it. Perhaps "The Walking Dead" is actually reality television, not a fictional drama/horror series. (After all, it's on TV and they can't put anything on TV that isn't real, right?) Max Brooks has even written a book about the zombie war and a zombie survival guide. (If it's in a book and it's labeled non-fiction, it must be true, right?) The reality check for non-believers is that there are zombie action figures being made for children to play with. (A conspiracy of socially functioning zombies, perhaps?) 
Time to check your teen for a pulse and a temperature. If they lack either of these essential signs of life, head to your library for an instructional manual on how to care for them. Teens seem to be the group most vulnerable to this disease. Zombies won't laugh at your jokes, they won't eat your food, they certainly won't listen to you, and they get angry if you tell them you don't like how they're driving. (When they do eat, they attack their food voraciously.) Zombies spend copious amounts of time sitting or laying in one place but when they want something, they are relentless. Does any of this sound familiar? Better hope the zombie instructional guide is checked in.
