on beauty and sinuses

This spring, as I mentioned in my last post, is astonishingly lovely. I feel as though I'm noticing for the first time that Chicago in the spring is really and truly magical, with its greens and blues, its new life, its tulips, its birdsong and squirrel play and children glowing with the joy of bursting out of their radiator-heat winters. (Though I will admit, May usually strikes me as magical.) Last night I spoke with some friends about it, and they agreed: this is an incredible spring.

It is also an incredibly pollinated spring. I've read that this is the worst year for allergies on record, and my own itchy eyeballs and stuffy nose and forehead aches are telling me it's true. I've been wanting to switch to cloth hankies like a good maker-of-granola, especially ones with lace and embroidery, but not until this allergy season is over...

Which leads us to the pithy conclusion: breathtaking beauty and pain, all mixed and mingled. As usual. In this case, I have to say, it is absolutely worth it.