Simple Joy

is taking a walk home from Mass with your ten-year-old brother on a breezy Spring morning and laughing together at all kinds of wonderful discoveries.

At a squirrel that didn't realize we were near him (and nor did we, for that matter) until we were right next to his little tree, and then bolted for dear life across the sidewalk...about two feet in front of us.

At tulips with pointed petals.

At what David says he was "99.9 percent sure" were springs of poison ivy growing along the sidewalk. "Add about a million nines after that point," he said. I believe him, too — that boy has a positive knack for spotting and correctly identifying poison ivy.

At random patches of perfect violets, especially the variegated ones that are white along the edges but the loveliest pale purple in the middle. We both exclaimed at those... and tried to capture them with the cell phone camera.

At the charmingest house (I know, that's probably not a word, but it should be). Don't ask me why I've never noticed it before. It looks like it could be right out of a book, or a movie. Ivy clung to the antique yellow stone walls, complete with arches and such. The fact that it was somewhat set higher than the road added to its allure. Even the yard was unusual, with a little brick walkway along the house and things growing here and there. We felt like were looking at a kind of cross between a Victorian cottage, English Tudor, and miniature castle!

At little white blossoms growing directly from the fat limb of a tree!

At a literal blanket of petals in one yard — the work of the big, beautiful magnolia succumbing to the tugging breeze.

...At the gentle beauty of spring, bursting forth in all its splendor.