March — The Promise of a World Waking Up

March is complicated. I love winter and I’m not ready to let it go. But something about this month is impossible to ignore.

March, it is not quite one season or the other — it is the in-between. Some days the sun is warm and the temperatures are unseasonably high, other days the morning air is crisp with the faint scent of winter still in it. I still find myself ending the day snuggled by the fire with a book and a pup. I am not complaining about that last part.

I will be honest with you. I am never ready for winter to end. I know that puts me in the minority but I love to be home and winter is not only my refuge it is my excuse to be a recluse. Truth be told I am not the most outgoing person — I am an introvert and winter is my cover. Most people are counting the days by February, longing for warmth and the bright colors of spring and summer, that feeling that the world is open again. I understand that. I just do not share it.

Winter is my season. The quiet of it. The permission it gives you to stay inside, to hibernate, to read by the fire with a pup on your lap and a pot of chocolate. In March I have to start letting that go and I always do so a little reluctantly.

But then something happens and there is a shift. Some morning in early March the light comes through the pines at a different angle and the bird bath is filled with a plethora of happy birds splashing and playing — their enthusiasm is infectious. The garden, which if I am being truthful is really just a circle in the drive and the front beds, begins to show little pops of green peeking out from under the layers of mulch and pine needles. I cannot explain it exactly. It just feels like the world and me — waking up after winter.

This does not make me love winter any less or begin to count the days until next year. It just reminds me that the world works on its own clock and that spring, whether I am ready or not, is on its way.

What I Am Looking Forward To in March

Planning the garden. This is the part of spring I love most — the planning, the dreaming, the catalogs and the lists. The vision of what I hope to create. A colorful circle of cosmos and zinnias and other wildflowers swaying on a gentle breeze. On paper and in my mind’s eye it is all beautiful and possible. And then the reality of my deer herd sets in. These beautiful, albeit annoying creatures have decided that my circle drive is their personal endless salad bar. I try my best to protect my flowers but it’s an ongoing struggle. So far, the deer are winning but maybe this year will be different.

St. Patrick’s Day. I am part Irish and love Irish soda bread, Guinness brownies, anything with Bailey’s in it and all things green. St. Patrick’s Day — like the Irish — is one of those warm and comforting celebrations that boosts your spirits and pulls you out of the winter doldrums.

Refreshing the house. Although my house and decor live in perpetual fall and winter, there is something about those first March days when you can open the windows and doors and let the fresh air in. Here those days are a gift — because hot on their heels is pollen season, when everything outside is covered in a fine layer of green dust. Everything. The cars, the porch, the bird bath, the dogs and even me if I happen to be standing under a tree and the wind pick up.

The longer light. I do not love what it means for winter but I will admit that the late afternoon light in March is something special. It comes through the back windows at an angle that makes everything glow.

On The Blog This Month

This month I am sharing posts about intentional living, the morning ritual that sets the tone for my entire day and the drinking chocolate recipe I have been perfecting for the better part of forty years. I am also starting a conversation about midlife identity — not reinvention, but something that I think rings truer. Remembering.

I hope you will pull up a chair and stay a while.

What To Cook This Month

On my March table — Shaved Asparagus Salad with Lemon and Parmesan — the first real taste of spring produce — and Roasted Cauliflower and Caramelized Onion Soup which is rich, creamy and comforting on a cool March evening.

For dessert a Lemon Tart with Shortbread Crust — sharp and buttery and exactly right for a month that cannot quite make up its mind. And Traditional Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting I will be sharing these recipes soon so be sure to keep a look out.

What To Read This March

On my March reading list — two very different books depending on your mood.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is a book I come back to again and again. It is perfect for this season — a world slowly waking up after a long cold winter, a garden doing the same. Every March it feels like it was written specifically for this month.

If you want something a little more escapist — a book that will make you want to pack your bag and head off on an adventure — A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena de Blasi is the book for you. She is one of my favorite authors and Venice is one of my favorite cities. Not to mention the romance. I am a romantic at heart — which I am sure you already know from the books I suggest. This is the story of a woman who packs up her life and moves to one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the world to be with a man she met on a bridge. It is the perfect book for a grey March day with a cup of tea or chocolate.

One for the garden. One for the soul. You cannot go wrong with either.

A Small March Joy

The morning you wake up and realize that your alarm clock is the chirping of birds — and that they have been bathing and carrying on since before you even lifted your head from the pillow. They know something is coming before we do. Nature has a way of announcing the seasons long before we are ready to listen or in my case even acknowledge them.

What does March feel like to you? Are you ready for winter to end or are you, like me, holding on just a little longer? Tell me in the comments.

I hope that you enjoyed March-The Promise of a World Waking Up. If you like the post please share and don’t forget to follow along on Facebook, Instagram or X (formerly Twitter) or Pinterest.

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The Best Spring Bucket List Ideas to Enjoy the Season