Happy Leap Day!

It’s almost over! February that is. Whoo hoo.  Moms all over the country, particularly the snowed in parts, are heaving a sigh of relief that the shortest month which oddly, takes forever, is finally concluding.  The February cold, gray days are leaving and there is the promise of blue skies, new sprouts full of green, springtime life. We will shortly be able to open the windows wide and flush out the house with fresh air. Hopefully we can get rid of this never ending cold that has plagued us throughout the month. I would like to, at some point in my life, stop coughing. Really. It’s been a long time now and I am truly sick of coughing. It’s enough already.

March, finally.  In like a lion here if the weather forecast is to be believed.

Well, since I’ve been remiss in posting lately I thought I would update you on what we’ve got planned for National Peanut Month.  Really, peanut month, who’d a thought? Well, obviously we’ll have to eat a lot of peanut butter.

I’m going to steal borrow the list format used by my good friend Dawn, so here we go…

Family

• Kevin’s "Thomas the Tank Engine" birthday party.
• Kelli turns six.
• I will be driving myself and the children to visit their Savannah Nana and Peach of a Papa.  Dave will hold down the fort here for a few days and then fly down to meet me for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. It’s held early in deference to Holy Week.
• Meeting up with some much missed cousins in Georgia.

Special Events

• St. Patrick’s Day parade and festivities. (3/14)
• Ryan singing at Mass on Holy Thursday and Easter Sunday
• Katie’s last basketball game (3/3)
• Soccer season begins.
• The girls dance in a local St. Patrick’s Day parade (3/8)

Nature

• Start seeds for herb garden
• Keep feeding earthworm terrarium (more on that another time)
• Plant shamrocks
• Full Worm Moon (3/21)
• Maple Sugaring
• Look for the first robins of the season
• Force forsythia
• Muddy puddles all over the yard.
• Spring arrives, officially (3/20 @ 1:48 a.m.)
• windy, blustery days

Food

• Maple Syrup
• French toast (to go with the syrup)
• Oatmeal, the real stuff
• Maple mousse
• Irish soda bread
• Colcannon (good for a meatless Friday)
• Irish stew
• Baileys Irish Cream
• Jamesons Irish Whiskey
• Potatoes
• Irish breakfast tea
• Irish Coffee
• Corned Beef and Cabbage
• Bubble and Squeak

Liturgical

• Last half of Lent
• St. David (3/1)
• St. Katharine Drexel (3/3)
• Sts. Perpetua & Felicity (3/7)
• St. John of God (3/8)
• St. Joseph (3/15 – moved for this year only due to Holy Week)
• St. Patrick (3/17 – removed from the calendar this year due to Holy Week)
• Palm Sunday (3/16)
• Maundy Thursday (3/20)
• Good Friday (3/21)
• Holy Saturday (3/22)
• Easter Sunday (3/23)
• Divine Mercy Sunday (3/30)
• Annunciation of Our Lord (3/31)

Home

• Create a permanent family altar in a place of honor
• Stock up on bird seed
• Start a wood pile for the new fireplace we are installing
• Continue interviewing contractors
• Clean out garage and store room
• Turn over compost
• Empty earthworm terrarium into compost pile
• Order mulch for April delivery

Fun and Festive

National Bubble Week (2nd week)

• Johnny Appleseed Day (3/11)
• National Potato Chip Day (3/14)
• Ides of March (3/15 – Beware!)
• National Goof Off Day (3/22)
• Waffle Day (3/25)

Crafts

• Model Magic shamrocks
• Celtic Cross
• Holy card shrine for Saint Joseph
• Dye Easter eggs
• Resurrection cookies

I want to add a book list as well but it’s late and I’m tired.  I’ll leave you with this…

Dear March, come in!
How glad I am!
I looked for you before.
Put down your hat –
You must have walked –
How out of breathe you are!
Dear March, how are you?
         – Emily Dickinson