Today is the March (or Spring or Vernal) Equinox--very welcome after a cold and snowy winter. It didn't feel springlike when Jace and went for a walk this morning with temperatures in the 30s. As we approach the official start of spring at 10:46 AM, it's warming up. It's now 50 degrees.
I've been looking forward to this spring--our first in Maryland. We'll have more time and opportunities to explore all that the area offers.
We've been blessed with several days of warm weather with temperatures ranging from the mid 60s to the low 70s. The sun was strong the last few days--almost all of the snow piles were gone and the ground was finally starting to dry out.
That's all over now. I knew the 70-degree weather wouldn't last, but I didn't expect it to end in snow. It's not snowing at the moment, but snow is expected to mix with rain over the next several hours. Ugh. We've had more than enough snow this winter.
I had been seeing more wildlife in the area: the red fox that lives by the pool house, cardinals, a crane or heron, and a Northern Pintail duck. I was intrigued by the pintail; I met a bird-watcher on the trail here and he identified it for me. I've also been watching the emergence of shoots and buds. Yesterday, I saw my first daffodils. I'm excited about what spring will bring.
Looking at yesterday's grocery bill, I feel like a dismal failure at frugality. Most of my items were produce related. I also bought a few pantry items. I can't help that food prices are high, and frugality isn't always focused on squeezing every last dime.
The things that appeal to me most about frugality are avoiding waste.
Food waste is one priority. I sometimes buy too much produce or lunchmeat. I need to plan around what I buy, instead of just grabbing anything that looks good. I also have to be realistic as I read interesting recipes or see fun things as I walk the grocery aisles. Will I actually make that dish?
I'm getting better at using vegetables before they get too old and finding new recipes that use multiple items. That also helps with the age-old problem of what to have for dinner.
Buying used is another way to reduce waste. We're buying a dining room table and chairs as well as a coffee table from our downstairs neighbor when she moves. Another neighbor is taking me to a good thrift store. I hope I'm lucky.
Jeff and I are going out to lunch tomorrow for Valentine's Day. We usually don't go out on this holiday, but it's going to warm up to the 50s, and we haven't been out in a while. I was undecided at first, but now I'm looking forward to it.
I'm longing for spring, but knew it's still far off. Nothing like multiple snow piles to remind you it's winter.
I bought two bunches of daffodils last week and have seen several daffodil sprouts and buds around the neighborhood. Yesterday, I saw my first bloom on the walk with Jace in front of the hospital's old cancer care entrance on Stevens Street.
I stopped to take two photos, but they were too blurry to post here. I blame Jace for pulling the leash and me. I actually argued with him about it.
Luckily, I'll see more daffodils in the near future.
Yesterday--the first day of spring was foggy, damp, raw, and cold. It felt like winter was giving us the finger. But I'm thankful that Jace and I got a nice afternoon outside on Wednesday.
Jeff and I went out to lunch twice this week--which is very unusual. It was Sedona Tap House for St. Patrick's Day and Tengda Asian Bistro today with our friends Elaine and Marti. Jace wasn't happy with us for leaving him. He is spoiled.
Feeling overwhelmed--again--with all the things I have to do. Recently I've taken to worrying when I wake up to pee sometime in the early morning hours. Lately, I've been worrying about things related to moving.
Our decluttering efforts have been going well. As Jeff reminds me, we're not downsizing--we'll be moving into a larger place. We still have too much stuff. We've been working on clearing out our storage bin. We still have three large storage boxes to go through. Two are of Halloween costumes. That surprised me: I thought we only had one. Oh well, easy enough to get rid of that stuff.
Jeff's been on a low sodium diet for four years. We had to give up some of our go-to meals. I especially missed rotisserie chicken. Our regular store's chicken has 20 percent sodium. I recently discovered that Stew Leonard's chickens have only 4 percent sodium. Made my day. I bought two Stew's chickens yesterday. We had chicken for dinner and I'll be making broth tomorrow.
It's going to be a homebody this weekend. Cleaning, making broth, going through emails and paperwork. And I'll be starting out behind the eight ball because I left a few dishes in the sink. I better get a good night's sleep.
I started counting a month ago. We made it to the first of March, the beginning of Daylight Saving Time, Pi Day (we had a triple berry pie) and Saint Patrick's Day (we went out for lunch and had Guinnesses.)
Spring begins tomorrow at 5:01 AM.
We got a preview this afternoon. I had to drive up to Danbury to pick up our income taxes. I took Jace with me, and we visited Danbury Dog Park. I didn't see any dogs in the large dog area, so I got an okay from people in the small dog area for us to join them. (A sign limited the area to dogs under 20 pounds.)
It was sunny and warm; we were there for over an hour. Jace did a little running so that was good. And he got to smell new smells and meet new dogs.
One woman there said snow is predicted for Friday. Apparently, there's a chance of snow somewhere in Connecticut, but not near here. I don't think I could bear it.
Today was the first full day of Daylight Savings Time--another milestone on the way to spring.
Next is Pi Day, then Saint Patrick's Day, then the Vernal Equinox.
I'm ready.
Here's my Spring Forward poem.
Spring Forward
The government stole an hour from me
2 am Sunday morning
when all decent people are asleep
no witnesses.
The government stole an hour from me
they don’t admit to stealing; they call
it legislating
but the two aren’t mutually exclusive.
The government stole an hour from me
they’ve got everyone in cahoots with
them
big business, schools, and the media
I can’t fight them all.
The government stole an hour from me
they say they’ll give it back in November
But I want it now
Who knows?
In November, my time may be up.
###
I checked the dates. Spring begins on March 20. It's just one month away, and I'll be counting the days.
It hasn't been a snowy winter here--our biggest snowfall was four inches. The flurries that we're getting now are part of an originally predicted snowfall of 14 inches. Flurries are a relief.
While the snow's been light, the temperatures have been bitterly cold. At least I don't have to wait a month for relief. Temperatures will rise to the 40s beginning Sunday. Maybe I can lose a layer of clothing when I go outside.
May is my second favorite month after September. It's my birthday month, the month when the nice spring weather takes hold, the month when school years or semesters are almost over, and the month when lilacs and lilies of the valley bloom.
I was writing in my journal last night about seeing May as new beginning, another new year. Well, so far, I'm not off to a stellar beginning. I did dress to return to the gym, but was moving slowly this morning, and generally felt off. So, I blew off the gym again, quoting Scarlett O'Hara, "Tomorrow is another day." At least Jace got me out walking. I also exercised today--mostly stretching and balance work.
Tomorrow looks like a beautiful day. I need to take advantage.
One of the first things I do in the morning is check the weather forecast on my phone. It's especially important on gloomy mornings like today. The forecast for today: rain likely to continue for several hours--a similar forecast to Saturday's even though Saturday's rain was more severe.
It feels as if it rains all the time. I keep thinking of that song, "Though April showers may come your way, they bring the flowers that bloom in May..." Then there's the Mad Magazine version of the second line, "they bring the plumbers for floods in May..." Hey, it's only March, and our ground is already saturated. Can we let things dry out? Today, Jace and I were able to out for one long walk, one short walk, and two pee breaks. That was a great outcome based on the forecast.
Overall, a dull day. I did a short workout at the gym--no cardio. I canceled a lunch with my friend Elaine, because I just didn't feel that great. Truthfully, I probably would have gone if the weather were nice. The dreary rain was the tipping point. Instead, I spent the afternoon inside: did some light cleaning and paperwork with Jeff.
Waiting for the sun. Waiting for the sun.
Walking with Jace this morning, I noticed a sign "Welcome spring" on a Magnola Street house. It may be a bit early--13 days to be precise--but knowing spring is imminent helps to deal with four the bleak, chilly, rainy days in the past week. It also helps that I saw daffodil and crocus buds this morning.
I was thinking of putting my winter boots in their off-season storage spot, but I don't want to tempt fate.
13 more days.
Jace has been with us for a year-and-a-half, but today is the first time I took him to Cove Island Park in Stamford. I don't know why it took so long.
At any rate, today was the day. It was spring-like with sun and temperatures in the 50s. Jace loved Cove Island. I thought a lot about Lola because she had gone there many times before, especially when Jace jumped up and walked on the wall by the water. Lola used to do that.
We have two more months to visit this season. We'll go back.
I've been thinking about easily I let things ruin my mood, even my day. So, I want to focus on positive things for this post, starting with last week.
1. Jeff and I had a nice Valentine's dinner. I mentioned the menu here: filet mignon, scalloped potatoes, shitake mushrooms, creamed spinach, romesco sauce, with a vodka gimlet cocktail, and Faithful Hound wine. For dessert we had chocolate and mango ice creams with raspberries.
2. I had a nice lunch with my friends Elaine and Marti last Thursday.
3. Before our lunch, I went to the Greenwich library to check a reference in a book relating to Merwinsville that I missed before. I also got our favorite crab cakes from this place and found our favorite vodka in the liquor store next door.
4. Yesterday Jeff and I had lunch with my brother Jim and his girlfriend Liz. We haven't seen Jim since Christmas Eve. I'm not sure when we last saw Liz. We went to Sedona Tap House, which is one of our favorite places. We hadn't been there in a while either, so it was especially nice.
5. On my morning walk with Jace on Friday, I felt a whiff of spring. The day was overcast and rather bleak. Patches of snow lay on the grass and snow was piled in the corners of parking lots. But the whiff was enough to make me happy.
6 The Mets have won their first spring training game (after losing yesterday.) I'm not sure what to make of the Mets this season. I'm tired of them breaking my heart.
7. The new Shogun mini-series starts on Tuesday; I'm really looking forward to watching it.
Full disclosure: I wanted to make a list of ten positive things, but seven is as far as I could get. I'll be on the lookout for more positive things.
So what if it's unseasonably cold, it's May.
Maybe we're paying for the warm weather this winter.
May is my second favorite month. Mainly because it's my birthday month. I also love how spring settles in, the lilacs, the lilies-of-the-valley. There's Cinco de Mayo which we'll always celebrate as Lola's birthday. We'll have a mint julep in honor of Derby Day.
May signals that the end of the school year is near. Then there's Memorial Day, the unofficial beginning of summer, the first three-day weekend since the beginning of the year for many.
Here's to May.
Spring has really sprung over the last two weeks. Here are a few photos from my walks with Jace. Our walks have been a pleasure lately. I took more pictures, but they just weren't very good.
As of 5:24 PM. We got off to a cold start, but it warmed up enough for Jace and me to get in two nice walks. Even though we had a mild winter, I am welcoming spring with open arms.
They say the spring equinox is a brilliant time for beginnings.
It feels too early. Maybe because they keep talking about snow in the weather forecast. I won't complain about snow; I'm afraid the February weather gods will take revenge if I do.
Frankly, daylight saving time confuses me. I've heard it was designed for farmers, then for one of the world wars, then to save energy, then for something else. Right now, I don't care enough to look it up. I just don't want to keep changing clocks twice a year.
Here's one of my spring poems.
March is here and spring arrives in just over two weeks. Even though it's been a mild winter, I can't wait.
It snowed last Saturday for a few hours. I remember saying it was the most snow we had seen all winter. Soon, all evidence of a snowfall was gone. But February wasn't done with us: we got several inches of snow on Tuesday. the 28th. After one warm and several rainy days, that snow is mostly gone, but a few mounds remain.
I look forward to St. Patrick's Day. I have Irish roots, love the color green, and the day itself is special to Jeff and me--our half-way day.
