March

the most mercurial month

It’s 50 and sunny, then its 30 and snowing. Wait, let’s add rain, 20 mph winds, more snow, freezing rain and sunshine all in one day. This, is March in Minnesota, an ongoing saga of freakish weather, with teases of warm sunshine and high 50’s. March is mercurial, not ready to give up winter, but also not ready to embrace spring. It’s like Mother Nature is dancing with the idea of spring by taking off her worn out winter boots, and exposing her toes to the warm air and sunshine, but then deciding, NO! Not yet! Swiftly she pulls inward, only to cast out a touch of freezing rain and retreats back into herself.

For me, March is the most difficult month with her push me, pull you weather. You are always wearing the wrong clothing and, the wrong coat. Your outfit in the morning is a heavy sweater and flannel PJ bottoms. You get dressed for the day which starts cloudy, and the weather visionaries say it will be 40 and sunny, with light variable winds. You throw on jeans, boots, medium weight shirt and sweater. You leave the house in your down coat, with a hat tucked in your pocket, and you’re off.

That is until lunchtime and you are out and about, the sun feeling almost oppressive in its brightness and heat. You are now sweating, and overdressed with your down coat clinging to you and even the wind feels warm. Removing your coat, you embrace the warm air with your face to the sun and continue your on with your day feeling the joy of spring in your steps. Hours later, and your heading home, as dark clouds roll in, and it starts sleeting. This is the point where I just want to get home and stay there. Then, the worst question of the day pops into my mind, ‘what’s for dinner?’

Dinner. Dinner in March. Is it going to be soup, a stir fry, shrimp and asparagus with orzo pasta? Soup and a salad? How do you find the balance when the weather is anything but balanced? Soup and salad is the winner since it covers both bases; the comfort of hot soup, and the fresh vegetables and greens of a spring salad. The evenings are still cold in the 30’s, and tomorrow is predicted to be 61. Neither of these things will turn out to be accurate.

In the meantime, I/we live in a world of whiplash; from the constantly changing weather to the equally harsh and crazy of what is going in the world. There is a part of me that wants to luxuriate in my introverted ways of being and stay inward, however the other part of me knows that ‘it’ is coming. The ‘it’, in this case is the goddess of Spring with all of her birthing ways of being. From the budding of the trees, and bushes, to the awakening plants and flower, she is the seductress of all our senses.

As I being to determine what my two boulevard sections will become this year, here are some images of what spring offers, to help us all remember the beauty that awaits us. These images are also a reminder that as mercurial as March is, when Mother Nature is really ready to embrace spring, we will all be ready once again, for her grand entrance!

Until next time,

Deana~