We have entered my least favorite time of year in Maine: March and April. These two months are pure torture. They’re cold, wet, gray, muddy, and increasingly snowy. You can’t work in the garden yet, and being outside is mostly unpleasant. But you’re kind of sick of being inside, so you go outside till that’s really no fun and then it’s back inside. It’s Maine’s version of March Madness.
In the past two weeks, we’ve had nearly two feet of snow and we’re bracing for another storm coming tonight. The weather reports say we’re likely to get another foot of the heavy, wet variety. That’s the kind that snaps tree limbs and makes getting down my driveway nearly impossible. Talk about squashing your dreams of spring!
There’s a lot to love about Maine, but March ain’t it. I suppose the long winter makes us appreciate the warmer months that much more, but I believe I’d appreciate those months just as much if they started earlier. Now, I don’t expect beautiful spring flowers blooming in March up here, but a gradual warmup and an end to the snowfall would be wonderful. My inner gardener is losing her mind.
So what’s a gal to do during this time of year in Maine? This gal makes a lot of lists and project plans. If I can start getting organized around my warm weather projects, it helps me from going stir crazy. I also focus on celebrating small, but meaningful events, like walking the dogs on a sunny day and planning my Easter tablescape.
Practicing gratefulness is another must-do this time of year (well, all times of year, but especially now when the weather-related grumpiness sets in). It’s easy to take things like health, safety, and security for granted. Every morning I wake up in my home with good health and my husband beside me, I am reminded of my many blessings and thank God for this life (despite the month!).
Before we know it April will be here and we’ll be celebrating Easter. I’m looking forward to sunnier days and warmer temps (around here, that would be upper 40s and low 50s). I know we have many more weeks of mud to deal with until May, so I am getting mentally prepared. It’s all part of Mother Nature’s process and you can either fight it or roll with it. Since fighting is useless, I’m rolling with it. I’m sure I’ll hit a few speed bumps along the way, but that, too, is part of the process.
Bring on Spring!