The Ides of March
It’s a well-known fact among my family and friends that I hate the month of March. It’s a long and cold and miserable month. There are no work holidays to break up the monotony. There is still snow and ice. And if there isn’t snow and ice there is mud. And, for the cherry on top of this pity-party sundae, my mom died in March. I think my hatred of March is justified, don’t you?
However, a conversation I’ve been having with Margene has led me to look for things to like about March instead of focusing on the things I hate about it. Maybe, just maybe, if I focus on the positive, even March can become bearable. So, I hereby present . . .
The CaroleKnits Top 10 Things To Like About March
10. The goldfinches are starting to turn from olive green back to vibrant yellow. I observed this firsthand at the bird feeder this morning.
9. The red wing blackbirds are back! While I haven’t observed this firsthand, I have it on good authority from my sister-in-law Mary, that they have indeed been spotted around town. It’s only a matter of time before I hear their glorious chirp myself.
8. March is Women’s History Month. This may sound dorky but I love women’s history.
7. St. Patrick’s Day. I’m not Irish but any occasion which encourages me to eat corned beef and drink copious amounts of Guinness is one I’m happy to celebrate.
6. Margene’s birthday is in March. The only thing that’s almost as good as a birthday of your own is the birthday of a dear friend.
5. March Madness. I’m a huge fan of women’s college basketball and it’s on constantly this month and that makes me happy.
4. Sock Madness. I’ll have wonderful new sock patterns to entertain me while I watch all that basketball this month.
3. Daylight Savings Time starts in March this year. Longer days are definitely something to celebrate.
2. I will most likely be able to roll up the rear window in the Jeep before the month is over.
1. The arrival of Spring. It’s my favorite season, you know.
Granted, all the things I really want to experience, like the true warmth of spring and blooming flowers and sheep and wool festivals are still yet to come, but they are only just around the corner, I suppose. Maybe March isn’t so bad after all.
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I was excited when I found out I was going to have a baby in March, because my first had been born in January, and I’d hated being trapped in the house with him for all those months. Then Her Ladyship was born … and spent the next eight weeks in all her brother’s winter baby clothes because it was just SO COLD.
March can be tough. But I appreciate your list of “things to like” … I’m going to look for a few myself.
March is my least favorite month too. If it wasn’t for St Patrick’s Day I’d say let’s skip it this year;)
yeah, we lost my grandmother and my grandfather in March, so not my favorite.
On a positive note: EVERYONE is IRISH on St. Patrick’s Day (not just the fortunate few born into the heritage!) I’m Irish and Norweigan … oh. That means I should be able to knit better. ha ha ha
I was so excited when I first heard that Daylight Saving Time was starting in March this year. I hate it when it gets dark early.
And I love corned beef and cabbage! Yum.
those are all good reasons to embrace march!!!
Must admit when you say you hate March it upsets me a bit. I am sorry you lost your mother during this month…any month. Your list is wonderful! I especially like #1. We rarely see goldfinches in the valley and they are here only a short time. How fun to see their golden coats.
also the whole “in like a lion out like a lamb” is kind of cute and windy days are pretty cool.
March also had The Ides, which makes me feel somewhat smart for knowing it even if everyone else knows it too.
It is inspirational to see you try and work yourself out of the March doldrums. It is all about our attitudes, isn’t it? Maybe you should plan something to make March more special — maybe a luxurious knitting project, or a special night out/adventure with Dale?
If it wasn’t for my birthday, I wouldn’t like March much either. I saw a few Yellow Finches this morning too. My favorite are the wood peckers though. You know Spring is around the corner when the squirrels come out(to eat at the birdfeeders no doubt)!
I have the same feelings as you Carole – March is just so long and damn cold up here in New England! But I am starting to view it as a time to finish up winter projects in knitting and planning ahead to warmer projects. I do love the spring.
Hey, I didn’t know that the goldfinches changed color! When we moved up here from LI 10 years ago I saw a goldfinch in my back yard and though somebody’s parakeet was loose! I had never seen them before. That explains what all those brownish little birds have been at my birdfeeder this winter. Ya learn something new every day!
Yeah, March is a rough month but I’m happy to see Sock Madness listed as a reason to like the month. Margene’s birthday is another good one. Months without holiday are really rough.
As I was driving into work today I was thinking about March. One of the guys on the radio mentioned that it was the first day of March and I sort of groaned, thinking about what a long, tiresome month this is. I never have a good March. maybe I should make a good things list too.
I think lambs start being born this month, too. 🙂
March is the heartbreaker. You get through February, and think it’s over, then it’s not. For 31 long days.
But at least we are on the correct side of the grass. My mom died in March too. But my husband was born in March. There is some cosmic balance there.
Sounds like you woke up on the right side of the bed to start the new month, and are takin’ a walk on the sunny side of the street — AND makin’ your own sunshine while you’re at it!! ; ) Way to put on a happy face…
That’s the spirit! Birds and longer days – two of my personal favorites as well.
The redwing blackbirds are sure around here. And all of my cardinals. Like 9 pairs of them. I love my birdfeeder. Yea for March and an early Daylight Savings!
and don’t forget. march goes in like a lion (it seems like that will be the case this year) and goes out … you know what i’m going to say, don’t you … LIKE A LAMB!!!
i’m very excited about the early daylight’s savings time.
I’m generally so buried in work during March that I barely notice it. Here in Minnesota and Wisconsin it is the snowiest month by far — the massive blizzard that always seems to hit on the weekend of the boys’ state basketball tournament is a tradition. We all have to look hard for those signs of spring but they are out there.
Thank you for the look at the bright side of March. It is especially bad in S.E. Mass, I think. We pay for the nice long warm fall with a very slow cold spring.
Every month is a great month…sometimes its just harder to see it.
My 3: my son’s birthday (he’ll be 13! how in blazes did that happen?), Ostara aka vernal equinox, less snow=cats outdoors more=less litterbox usage.
When I was little, my favorite books were about historical women, esp. Florence Nightingale. That was before I realized I wasn’t cut out to be a nurse.
My birthday’s in March, too, but that usually just makes me cranky. I started getting cranky-in-advance yesterday just thinking about it.
My mother was born in March, and died in March a mere four days after her 70th birthday. What conflicts me is that I was BORN on her 21st birthday, so I love March because I have a birthday, although I didn’t much care for the idea of sharing that as a kid! Now I can’t share the day with her, but can with my daughter-in-law whose birthday is six days after mine. I’ve always felt, too, that people expect too much of March: it’s still winter till the bitter end, after all, daylight savings notwithstanding!
Great list. Someday I’ll get around to making a positive things list.
BTW, I really like any history, but especially women’s. A great book to satisfy both your fiber and women interests is Women’s Work by Elizabeth Wayland Barber. A book all about why cloth and such fell to women in early society. My girls and I just got books at the library about Amelia Earhart and Amelia Bloomer. Starting the month off right.
You definitely have a good attitude!
One of my favorite things about march is seeing the cherry trees blossom. A couple days ago I noticed that hint of pink popping out and had that internal sigh of relief that the long dark of winter really would give way once again to spring. Of course this morning those lovely pink blossoms were covered in snow… Hang in there!
I am not a big March fan either, though I do find that the sun really is warmer in March. The weather might continue to be awful, but when the sun does manage to shine, you can really feel it (as opposed to its impotent rays in January and February).
I hope the month speeds by for you!
I hate and love March.
Hate it because MIL passed away and for the same reason you said.
Love it because first son was born on the 7th.
Wonderful list!
March is squishy. Yes, I know. I need to work on a happy list. *L*
Looking forward to daylight savings time, too – and hey! The Celtics are playing the Rockets next week on Wed night at 7:30, there’s a Friday night game too that I probably can’t make…will update blog & see if anybody can go.
TTFN
Goldfinches change color? I never knew that!
And I love March, chiefly because it is Not February. 😉
what a great list highlighting March. I’m happier already- even though it’s still snow and ice.
Sunday, March 4th (March Forth!), is my grandmother, Big Sylvia’s birthday. Number 97. And she thinks it’s silly to celebrate, that we should wait for a significant number, like 100. We’re all showing up at her house with gifts anyway. She said to make them things with short shelf lives since it’s crazy to give an old person something that will last forever. We’re going to get them things like bread and milk and flowers and Dove Bars. She has always made March fun!
When my kids have a bad day (or sometimes when there’s a conversation lul at the dinner table) I say “Tell me three nice things about your day.” We love doing “three nice things”. heh Maybe you could do “three nice things” once a week and it can help make March seem less rotten?
Sorry about your mother passing in March. I read your comment on Margene’s post – that makes it even harder. xoxoxox One nice thing is that April comes after March. 🙂
I am sorry you lost your mother during this month, but you may use it to remember all you loved about her.
For me, March has always been a time of great hope. Though it blusters and blows, you somehow know that no cold snap will last. Nothing can break the back of the inevitable and glorious Spring to come. Not to mention the sweet new lambs, the pleasures of coaxing forsythia and flowering quince to give up their sweetness indoors,the undaunted daffodil and crocus….
Ah yes. But I have lived through New England March’s and wish you great vigor in holding fast to the promise…and tall (L.L. Bean) boots for the mud!
Blue skies, Lark
Good job finding the silver lining! Though I can’t say “hate” about March and there are lots of things I like about it, it is also the month when my spring allergies kick in…
My birthday’s in March, and my daughter’s is, also. 🙂 I like the windy-ness of March, too.
For me, Spring only means allergies (which have been pretty much year round this year, since we didn’t have a hard Winter).
I can see why you wouldn’t like it, though. I’m sorry you lost your Mom in March. 🙁
Just when you think it’s a horrible month, you just have to go and prove it’s really not! Now THAT is the power of positive thinking! Besides, if all the colder months (like March) passed by quickly, you wouldn’t be able to wear all your beautiful warm winter knits as long!
March is one of those durned ‘between’ months – not winter, not spring, not much…. it sounds like you’re on a roll towards changing how you feel tho’ – despite having very good reasons for not liking it much…. sorry that it is the anniversary of your loss.
How’s about we find a way to celebrate Margene’s birthday in style (despite being miles apart !) ? and perhaps create a new tradition?
Well, MY birthday is in March! And a bunch of other people I know…we figure Sept is a busy month for the parents! A couple of years ago I got the best bd gift, a whole flock of robins landed in our (crab)apple tree (it’s really an apple tree, but they are soooo tiny) that still had some apples. It was snowing, the big fluffy stuff. The birds looked like a Japanese print, so vivid! They scarfed the apples and took off. My birthday falls between St. Pat’s and St. Joe’s days…funny story about St. Joe’s day another time!
WHAT???it’s march already . ..jeesh.
hehe just kidding. but thanks for the tip on EST; i really didn’t know that we are changing our clocks on march 11 this year. i had a vague recollection of something about the time change being different, but didn’t know it was in march. in 10 days . . .
That’s a great list.
I love women’s b-ball too! (I grew up in CT when the women’s team was beginning their amazing ascent, and it’s something the whole family has really enjoyed.) Whom do you root for?
I’m not a big fan of March, either. I am glad you are finding some good things about the month, though :o)
Excellent top 10 list. But as for the whole “no holiday” thing, you should make your own. You’ve got days you could take from work, right? Just pick a day and celebrate “March Martini Day!” Or you could pick one of these:
http://library.thinkquest.org/2886/mar.htm
I love the positive attitude! And yet I still have some understanding — my dad died Feb 2005 — so that is my most disliked month…..and the snow and yucky weather — although the Colts superbowl win was in Feb – so that is a plus.
But good for you for finding the good things – I will send positive March vibes — my dear dad was born in March 🙂
And who doesn’t like st. Pats day!?!
Hey, my birthday is the Ides of March. When I first started reading your post I thought this sounds like my February – the month of my father’s death when I was 16 and my father in law’s death. I’m always glad to have Feb over so I know what you are talking about,
Li
My mom died in March too so I used to hate it until Supergirl was born. Now I have her birthday on the 20th and then mine on the 29th so it’s not too bad….
My birthday is in March, but I could take or leave the birthday celebration unless I can make it an “event”. The thing I love about March is Spring Training–I’m going to be in sunny Arizona watching baseball in a couple of weeks, I can’t wait!