Nothing to do with rebirth or resurrection, but not a spring of my life has gone by, I think, since I was about 8 years old, that this song has not popped into my head. I sang along gleefully as a child.

This was the week that it snowed and rained and warmed up and froze and rained again, and now the world is sprouting and greening and twittering and I have to get going on my garden.

Saturday, April 1, was my official original deadline to turn in the manuscript of my biography of Amelia Bloomer. That is okay because last December I realized that there was no way I could make it and got a six month extension. I am, this week, a little over halfway done so, correct call.

I was invited to speak about the origins of the reform dress trousers to an undergraduate class (Fashion and Aesthetics) at Cornell, which gave me the chance to try some ideas and images out on a live audience of about 120 people. It went well! They even asked a few questions! Pretty good for a morning class. And now I have the talk written and illustrated.

My animator kid sent this trailer to me the moment it went live I think (they are a night owl). I am not a superhero person, but I am also not 100% anything and the first of these movies is one of my favorite films ever. Emotional, funny, endlessly clever even if you don’t get all the references, and mind-blowing artistry, especially with an animator to point out everything that is going on. I’ve seen it at least 8 times so far, own it, and looks like it’s just possible that the sequel will not disappoint. A definite plan for June.

I have not been reading a lot of non-work books, but I have been reading Don Quixote. I’m a little over halfway through. I did not realize just how old it is, and I did not expect it to be as funny as it is. Though one of the funniest parts is that the famous windmill incident takes place so extremely early it very much tells on everyone who built that up into the emblematic scene of this book over the centuries.

I will admit that I picked it up because I think of it in a trilogy with War and Peace and Moby Dick — major doorstops of historic literature. I have read the other two twice each so far in my life, and hope to read Moby Dick once or twice again, so I had hopes for this one. Finishing books is something I rarely do out of a sense of duty, but I will totally pick them up for that reason. If a book has survived so long, I’m curious as to why.

It’s written in short chapters, like many a long old book, so though it does take a long time to get through it, it doesn’t require too much at a sitting, and how many TV shows have I spent years watching in 20 or 40 minute sessions, I say to myself. Can I recommend it? Helps if you enjoy historical anecdotes, Shakespeare-style comedy, and love to be taken someplace you might never (or cannot possibly) visit otherwise.

Anyway, sun and flowers and renewal to you!