WHAT I LOVE ABOUT MARCH

1. The Weather: Spring is in the air. I can see the cherry blossoms blooming out my office window, and my heart somersaults. This is the time of year when saplings surge through the ground, promising to replace the dreary wet carpet of winter with a fresh growth of green. Muddied boots take a rest. Sandals are fashionable again. It's fun to step outdoors and tend to your winter-weary garden. As Margaret Atwood famously said," In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt."

2. The Indian festival of Holi: "Spring is nature's way of saying, Let's party." (Robin Williams) And, no better way to do that than with the great Indian festival of colors. Also known as Vasant Utsav, Holi marks the onset of spring in India. In recent years, Holi has been celebrated with much gusto both in India and abroad, proclaiming with colors and water, the vitality of the new season. Several different types of colored powder are sold in Indian stores and markets. The idea is to grab handfuls of different colors and smear all over the nearest face, self included. The aim is on friends and family, although complete strangers in this popular block party don't mind either. A word of warning: Try not to smile too wide when they return the favor. Pink teeth rarely suit everyone.
According to the Hindu calendar, Holi falls on 27th March, 2013 this year.

3. St. Patrick's Day: "It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!" Mark Twain

I don't have even a wee bit of Irish in me but something about 'wearing the green' and leprechauns just make my heart sing. Dressed in green, my fet itch to dance and my eyes spy a full keg of beer...For people of Irish descent, and those who sometimes wish they were Irish, the festival is all about feasting, copious consumption of alcohol and numerous parades. San Francisco's annual St. Patrick's Day parade and festival attracts some 100,000 revelers and is one of the city's most popualr event.

 

4. Spring break: For most parents with kids in schools and colleges, early spring signifies a short recess. Which, coincides nicely with the upswing in the weather. Which, leads to the beginning of short trips, week-long getaways and outdoor fun. Who can quarrel with that?

5. Countdown to the end of school: Spring to me means that the end of the school year is in sight. Yahoo! That's the end of homework, carpool rides, dance recitals, soccer practices and the like, that I'm forever driving my kids to. Let the countdown and fun to the end of school commence! Bye-bye Head Chauffeur. Hello, BBQ Chef and Poolside Chaperon! But, I still have the next 10 weeks to muddle through. Sigh...

Drops of Spring