Hopefully March will offer signs of spring

Hooray! February is almost over. It is not the calendar that tells me this. It is the paperwhite narcissus that has finished blooming and is now drooping slender leaves over everything in sight. It is the tiny tete-a-tete daffodils blooming in a pot on the library table. It is the scent of hyacinths freed from the refrigerator and beginning to unfurl their petals. And lastly, it is the kalanchoe’s tiny red blossoms reaching toward the nearest window. Those are the things that tell me that I have survived another February.

Although winter is not over yet, the blue skies and warmer weather beckon me outside. The lawn is begging me to pick up the trash that the wind has left behind. The trees and bushes are reluctant to give up the assorted debris they have amassed and will fight to keep every stray bit of refuse they have collected.

I hope the weatherman (woman?) is correct that it will be relatively warm this week. This means I can begin the never-ending task of removing grass and weeds from the flowerbeds, the better to showcase the crocus and other early but small flowers. Plus, I can relocate the spent paperwhites to the garden before they take over the house. They may bloom again next year or not but at least they will have a chance to go on living.

In addition to spring cleaning, I have the overwhelming urge to finish the myriad projects I have started and abandoned. Unfortunately, I am in a losing battle with a winter cold. I thought I was being careful to avoid anyone showing signs of the virus but evidently I wasn’t careful enough. Thankfully, a cold doesn’t last forever and there are medicines galore to treat the symptoms. None of them actually cure a cold, they just make it more bearable.

Even though it is just a cold, I know that it will cause my energy to plummet halfway through anything on my to-do list. That won’t stop me from beginning the spring chores. If I don’t begin spring cleaning early, there is no hope of ever finishing any of it.

I wonder if other people get the urge to clean when the weather changes. I wonder if other people feel the need to finish lingering projects this time of year. I do know that those who drive vehicles while broadcasting their music loud enough to rattle my windows patrol the streets after the snow disappears.

I find it interesting that weather and sunshine have such a huge impact on my life. Cold, grey skies make me want to hibernate. Sunny, blue skies give me energy and make me restless. Rain and snow compel me to dig out a good book and huddle under the blankets. Clear and warm weather draws me outside.

In a few days it will be March, the most fickle month of the year. Traditionally, March can never make up its mind whether it is a winter month or a spring one. One day there will be ice, the next day there will be sunny flowers waving in the breeze. One day short sleeves will be too warm and the next will require several layers of clothes.

The few days left in February offer us a glimpse of spring even if the calendar says otherwise. I plan to enjoy it while it lasts. I  hope you do, too.