The Month of March, by Any Other Name

First a howling blizzard woke us,

Then the rain came down to soak us,
And now before the eye can focus,
Crocus. ~~~ Lilja Rogers

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. ~~~ Charles Dickens

Spring is sooner recognized by plants than by men. ~~~ Chinese Proverb

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In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours. ~~~ Mark Twain

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Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love! ~~~ Sitting Bull

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A little Madness in Spring is wholesome, even for the King ~~~ Emily Dickinson

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Up from the sea, the wild north wind is blowing

Under the sky's gray arch; smiling I watch the shaken elm boughs, knowing it is the wind of March. ~~~ William Wadsworth

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The ides of March are come. ~~~ William Shakespeare

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Somewhere, Spring

Somewhere not too far away to the south, the green sprouts of Spring break through the still-cold ground. From my younger years, I remember a book about the "Root Children" which showed the little boys and girls clad in deep bright Spring-time flower bud colors ~ being gently awakened from their underground beds by a grandmotherly-looking Mother Nature ~ to begin their annual journey upward.

The several illustrations for this story were created in a dreamy, filmy, yet very vivid watercolor style. And the "Root Children" looked so cozy in their thick quilt-covered wooden nature beds ~ in a just-as-cozy room under a large tree within its massive knarled roots ~ that I felt sorry for them that they had to be awakened ~ but glad at the same time, as they promised the bright sprouts and flowers of the soon-coming Spring.

Spring is on the gentle mountain breezes, Winter still in the fierce March winds which blow from time to time. And on some bright days it seems as if Spring has already arrived.

Bare trees examined closely show the leaf buds already forming on some, and soon ~ perhaps not soon enough for some ~ they will be covered in the small light green leaves finally giving way to the heavy cover of Summer.

Huge sunshine yellow sprays of Forsythia will soon embellish our rooms, with generous bouquets of apple and cherry blossoms as well. Oriental style arrangements of delicate Dogwood blossoms and Pussy Willow will precede the later blooming aromatic Lilacs which emit their heavenly scent throughout the entire house.

Always around the Easter holidays, I am lured successfully by pots of Hyacinths and bury my nose in the fragrant blooms while they are still on display in the stores. After growing and fully blooming and sharing their wonderfully intoxicating aroma, they are planted outdoors as additions to the perennial beds. This is an annual occurence as I cannot resist getting new pots of them for inside the house each year ~ and luckily we have the room to expand the outdoor beds as needed.

Each year we look forward to the Easter weekend and Easter Dinner which to us is also a celebration of the coming Spring ~ the joyful welcoming of a Season of Promise, the Renewed Year. In the meantime, we closely watch for the heralding blooms of the Snow Drops and colorful Crocuses to remind us once more that Spring has not forgotten us this year.

And anxiously wait for a proper breeze-filled March day to journey to a hilltop field and send our kites soaring towards the distant clouds.

Well into my adult years and even now, I have always wondered if the "Root Children" had little cups of hot tea after arising. A cup of hot herbal tea sounds good right now ~ to ward off the chill of yet another windy March night.


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