Stomates & Senses

April 6, 2025

We have this professor whose tone of voice and sentence delivery never change, whether he is lecturing, offering up off-the-cuff life advice, or deadpanning a joke. A few weeks ago in class, as we were discussing grapevine physiology, he described a slide in the most poetic way:

“Elementary school.

The sun comes up,

The stomates open,

Everyone is happy.”

Spring is in full bloom here in Piacenza. The sun has been shining, the birds have been chirping, and as Professor Poni said, everyone is happy. Who doesn’t love springtime? Something about this time of year wakes up my senses. It’s like snippets of spring send me back in time for a moment.

When I see the trees blossoming along the passeggio, I’m no longer on a run in Piacenza but in Snohomish, on a walk with my mom.

When I hear doves cooing as I’m sipping my morning coffee, I’m no longer on my balcony but I’m sitting at my grandparents’ kitchen table, with nothing to do and nowhere to be yet a full and fun day ahead of me.

When I smell the fresh cut grass, I’m no longer walking through the park but I'm in my backyard, playing soccer with my dad as a little kid, shooting a basketball with my sister as an older kid, and sitting on a lawn chair reading as a college kid home for spring break (or quarantine).

When I feel a slight breeze on my sun-warmed skin, I’m no longer on my bike but I'm on the golf course. It’s not quite skirt weather, but I'm wearing one anyway. I bought a chocolate chip cookie the size of my face and a diet peach Snapple from the clubhouse, and I'm playing a quick(ish) nine.

When I taste lemon anything, I think of a million Italian delicacies of course, but lately I’ve been dreaming of this lemon-chiffon ice cream that Ferdinand’s (the creamery at Washington State University) only ever made this time of year. They made these ice cream sandwiches called “grabbers” with snickerdoodle cookies and the lemon-chiffon ice cream, and I would look forward to April every year solely for those (and of course the Master’s). I made my own version of them this week and let me just say, I really outdid myself. Nothing will ever beat Ferdinand’s, but with the help of my favorite gelateria I came pretty dang close.

I guess I get nostalgic this time of year, but in a good way. Springtime sunshine is one of life’s most simple joys. It reminds me to take a breath and notice all the things around me. To soak in all the sights and sounds and smells and feelings and tastes. To “bloom where you are planted”, as they say.

The sun comes up, the stomates open, everyone is happy… and I’m all sentimental.