Going .... Going ...

March 4th

March 8 - 8 AM

March 8 - 4 PM

March 9 - 1 PM

March 9 - 4 PM

March 10 - 8 AM

March 10 - 6 PM

Sunset

Well, the snow is almost gone.

We have temperatures below freezing at night but above during the day. Tuesday's high was almost 70º but today, Wednesday, we will only have highs in the 40s.  

This morning I spied two bluebirds checking out the bluebird box.  They then flew off to a neighbor's bluebird box. House shopping I guess.

Some Words from President Obama

 These words were shared at Jesse Jackson's Memorial service.

Obama recalled how Jackson paved the way for people like him by promising everyone “that they mattered, that their voices and their votes counted. He invited them to believe. He invited us to believe in our own power to change America for the better.”

Obama continued: “He was talking about everyone who was left out, everyone who was forgotten, everyone who was unseen, everyone who was unheard. And in that sense, he was expressing the very essence of what our democracy should be, the ideals at the very heart of the American experiment, the belief that regardless of what we look like or how we worship, regardless of where our ancestors come from or how much money we got, we’re all part of the American family. We’re all endowed with the same inalienable rights to life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We’re all obligated to answer the call and step forward and take responsibility for making wrongs right and for caring for our neighbors, and bringing the reality of America a step closer to its glorious ideals.”

“We are living in a time when it can be hard to hope,” Obama said. “Each day we wake up to some new assault on our democratic institutions, another setback to the idea of the rule of law, an offense to common decency. Every day you wake up to things you just didn’t think were possible. Each day, we’re told by those in high office to fear each other and to turn on each other, and that some Americans count more than others, and that some don’t even count at all. Everywhere we see greed and bigotry being celebrated and bullying and mockery masquerading as strength, we see science and expertise denigrated while ignorance and dishonesty and cruelty and corruption are reaping untold rewards. Every single day we see that, and it’s hard to hope in those moments. So it may be tempting to get discouraged, to give into cynicism. It may be tempting for some to compromise with power, and grab what you can, or even for good people to maybe just put your head down and wait for the storm to pass.”

But, Obama said, Jackson’s life “inspires us to take a harder path. His voice calls on each of us to be heralds of change, to be messengers of hope…. Wherever we have a chance to make an impact, whether it’s in our school or our workplaces or our neighborhoods or our cities, not for fame, not for glory, or because success is guaranteed, but because it gives our life purpose, because it aligns with what our faith tells us God demands, and because if we don’t step up, no one else will.” [My emphasis added.]

Looking Back

 I started keeping a Garden Journal in 2021 though didn't post anything in March until 2022.  Of course I posted more than just garden news.

March 1st  [nothing noted]

March 2nd: 2023 Snow overnight; 2024 Maple sap boiling starts at L****es, no snow on ground, temps warm

March 3rd: 2026 Snow!

March 4th: 2023 Large snowstorm dumped 9+ inches of snow overnight & thru the day, maple sugaring started at  L****es

March 5th: 2025 Big melt begins

March 6th: 2022 L****es have car accident after picking up new puppy, Maple; 2026 Snow overnight again!

March 7th: 2023 Sprouts from bulbs visible - snow gone.

March 8th: 2023 Car shopping - bought Tucson

March 9th: 2023 Ballot clerk @ school Bd elections, snow overnight - heavy and wet

March 10th: 2022 Maple Lewis arrives home, Dan & I met breeder in Springfield, MA; 2025 50º - Sun is bright, snow is melting.

March 11th: 2025 60º today. Town elections, ballot clerk for 10 hours

March 13th: 2023 daffodil green spotted at round stone by barn; 2024 2 crocus bloomed in deck garden

March 14th: 2023 snow storm 12"+ very wet snow. Power out at 7:30 pm

March 15th: 2023 Power out. 18 inches. Power on at 12:30 pm as new woodstove fired up; 2024 New front door.

Skipping ahead we had snow again March 23, 2024, 18-20"; March 24, 2025; March 25, 2023; March 28, 2022. 

So you can see it is unusual for us to have bare ground at this time of year.  Lots of snow yet in March.

This and That plus a Thank You.

 First up, we got more snow last evening.  It must be 3-5 inches.  I walked to the post office and it was definitely different depths.

Second, tonight is Cookbook Club. We read Stephen and Evie Colbert's cookbook.  I've made this chicken salad recipe and will serve it on mini rolls.  There are 18 people coming including some non-cooks like Dan who will enjoy tasting everything.

Third, I finished this book this week.  I learned that I didn't know a lot about the Revolutionary War, the development of the Constitution, and how close we came to accepting the creed that all men are created equal. Unfortunately for that we failed because of how entrenched the southern states were with slavery. I also learned about how our treatment of the Native Americans started out with good intent with the Creek Nation but federal strength was too new to enforce the borders to prevent settlers from moving in to Creek lands.  Finally I learned that Jefferson was the biggest hypocrite of all the founding fathers.

It's a book worth reading.

Now for a thank you to Denise of An English Girl Rambles. She posted a recipe for Shepherd's Pie on Monday.  I was planning to use ground turkey in a turkey loaf but after reading her recipe decided to try the Shepherd's Pie. I tweaked the recipe a bit (don't we all?) I used ground turkey, substituted ground sage for the rosemary, added celery, and also thickened the sauce with a mix of flour and heavy cream (leftover from making a tart).

Browning stage

Mashed potatoes

Assembled and ready for oven

It was delicious and will be made again!

On the table ready to dig in

Thank you Denise!