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March Madness at our House

March Madness at our House

For most of the country, March Madness 2012 ended with last weekend’s championship game. For many Iowans, like my husband, the madness ended in the second round when the Iowa State Cyclones, the team that beat the reigning champs in the first round, lost to Kentucky in the second.

But for other Iowans, like me, the March madness continues, not on the basketball court, but in our flowerbeds. This year’s mild weather was mentioned in a previous post, and afterwards spring marched through March like mad. In fact, so unbeleivable was spring’s onslaught that on the last day of the month, I used my camera to make a record of the mad, mad, mad, mad spring of 2012. Crazy stuff, unheard of in Central Iowa. Stuff like

bleeding hearts blooming in March,

along with tulips,

and more tulips,

and violets.

Not to mention buds on the clematis

and the lilacs, too,

rhubarb almost ready to be picked,

and the roses in full leaf.

Only the wild plum tree blossoms, usually the first of the spring flowers to bloom, waited until their usual time to appear.

Surrounded by the many evidences of this mad spring, the plum tree nearly escaped my notice, until the fragrance of the blossoms wafted on the breeze and tickled my nose. A lovely March Madness I pray will rule at our house until the end of May.

Six Marks of a Good Weekend for Him and Her

Six Marks of a Good Weekend for Him and Her

Six Marks of a Good Weekend for Him

in no particular order of importance

  1. The unranked college basketball team you love, (ISU Cyclones) coached by a guy you admire (Fred Hoiberg)beats the 5th ranked team in the country (Kansas U).
  2. You’re at the end of the potluck line at church and there’s still plenty of food.
  3. It’s nice enough to jog outdoors even though it’s January.
  4. You find time for 2 hours of Suduko.
  5. Your wife suggests going to a movie like Red Tails ’cause she knows you love WWII era flying movies.
  6. You talk to both your kids and their spouses on the phone about how their weeks went…and they’re doing well.

Six Marks of a Good Weekend for Her

in no particular order of importance

  1. The library emails on Friday to say it’s your turn for the audio version of Sue Grafton’s newest novel, V is for Vengeance and your husband picks it up for you on his way home from work.
  2. You have the ingredients to make enough food for the church potluck so something will be left for your husband who always is at the end of the line.
  3. It’s nice enough to walk outside even though it’s January.
  4. You find time to watch a few episodes on the Scrubs, Season 1 DVD from the library.
  5. Your husband forgoes popcorn at a boring WWII flying movie in favor of really good coffee and muffins at your favorite coffee house afterwards.
  6. You talk to both your kids and their spouses on the phone about how their weeks went…and they’re doing well.