March Madness

It seems almost impossible that March has come and gone with only a few days remaining on the official calendar. I don't know why I should seem so surprised as every year without fail, this particular month zips by for me ending the first quarter of the year. Perhaps it's due to a myriad of activities.

One such event is my birthday. Yes, I am officially one year older although looking in the mirror from one year to the next I see very little change. It's funny that when you multiply that one year by 10, I can see a vast change and I feel it as well. I have a few more aches and pains than I used to, but I'm just grateful that I can still do just about anything I want to and feel the aches. By nature, I'm an active person; I cannot sit still and hold my hands. I can always see and find something to do and if I'm not busy, I feel guilty that I'm not a good steward of my time. And on that note, every birthday reminds me how quickly time is fleeting. I think I was just 16 yesterday. Frequently, I tell Collin that there is an 18 year old trapped in this body just dying to get out.

I've reached a point such that with every birthday I reflect on my life and the blessings that God has provided for me. First, I'm just glad to still be here. I've had a successful career, a wonderful marriage, and raised two precious children. I feel that I've reached a major milestone to help them to be successful, independent, happy adults. Neither of them drink, smoke, do drugs, have numerous tattoos or body piercings, and I've never bailed either one of them out of jail. Now what more could a mother ask for. Micah has made it and Bryan will only be home two or three more years. His college days will be complete before I know it. Now once a mother, always a mother. I think they still need me from time to time, (I certainly hope they do), but their survival doesn't depend on me quite like it used to. The house is a lot more quiet these days and the hustle-bustle of school activities has long since ceased. I miss some of those things, but time marches on and I wouldn't want my children to miss out on what life has in store for them with families of their own.

Another wonderful thing about my birthday is that Mom and I get to celebrate together because her birthday is the day before mine. Dad took us out to eat this year at Colton's. We had a great time. The next weekend, Collin's parents took us out for a celebration at Whiskey Creek in Paragould. I partied for a whole week. On Wednesday night when I got to church, my dear friend, Vera, had brought a cake along with a card and a garden statuary. I have another frog for my collection. (Frogs--another story for another time.) What would life be without friends.

Spring break came along and Collin and I made a four-day trip to Branson. We had a great time shopping. We slept in getting some much needed rest and ate at three very nice restaurants. We had a hot breakfast every morning compliments of our hotel and at night, they served blackberry and peach cobblers along with ice cream. Did we ever enjoy that. We don't want to get on the scales for a while until we get those pounds worked off. I also did a little work on my plants and flowers. Collin arranged for me to have a massage as a birthday present and I went into town Thursday for that special treat. It was wonderful.

And now, I return to work on Monday. So as you can see, with all this to-do in March, it slips by quickly and I'm always in a quandary as to what happened to this month of the year. I better hurry; it will be tax day before I know it.

Marcia

From One EXTREME To Another

Weather is so unpredictable in Arkansas. I've heard all my life, "If you don't like the weather, just stick around; it will change shortly. This winter has certainly been no exception to that old adage.

Last Saturday began the first weekend in March and it was really nice and fairly mild. We reached near 70 degrees. The boys and I worked out in the yard (again) all day long cleaning up limbs from a thunderstorm that passed through and a snow the weekend before. We built another fire and raked and carried debris. Another huge goal for the day was to get down the remaining tree trunk that was still hovering over the shop that had damaged the roof from the ice storm. You'll note in the photograph that we were successful. One of our neighbors came over with his tractor and helped get it to the ground. Although Collin has cut up and moved a large portion of the wood, we still have a number of large blocks in our yard that will require the use of a wood spliter before they can be handled. The good news about all this is that our wood pile for next winter is really looking good. We'll be set.

As we moved into the current week leaving behind 70 degree days, you guessed it; the weather made a big change. Wednesday night, Collin was rebuilding a new fire in our wood-burning insert because the temperature was dropping fast into the 30s with wintry mix and snow on the way. Sure enough, the white stuff was here again Thursday morning, but at least it didn't stop traffic and school.

Now as we look forward the next week, we're shifting again. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday promise to be in the 70s. And may I add that the Easter flowers are beautiful calling to Spring.

They say its a woman's prerogative to change her mind, but I have to wonder about "ole man winter. " Somehow, I don't think the female gender has the corner on this particular market.


Thinking green,

Marcia