March is off to rough start

March is taking this “in like a lion” thing a little too far.

Between both of us coughing all night and the wind that was slamming the dumpster lid whenever it got bored, we haven’t had a lot of sleep lately.

Thankfully, the pond in the backyard has disappeared. The wind is still being noisy. The temperatures are warming up a tad. The worst thing is that the coughing that has overtaken us is still going strong. I firmly believe that nothing lasts forever but this cough may prove me wrong. Thank goodness that the coughing is not accompanied by nausea, assorted aches and pains or anything else that usually goes along with a malfunction in the bodily systems. 

Now I know what the youngest grandchild, Nicholas, meant when he said it felt like he had stinging ants in his throat. This was a few years ago and his malady turned out to be strep throat. Whatever is causing our problems, it seems to be going around so we are not alone in our misery.

Normally, I would go outside and see if the snowdrops are blooming but I don’t have that much energy. The tiny plants had sent up leaves a couple of weeks ago along with one or two miniature buds. Last fall I wanted to plant some snowdrops on Mom’s grave. I assume this is not allowed but snowdrops come and go long before the first mowing takes place. I did not do that but I wanted to. Perhaps one of these days I will. Other spring blooming flowers have sense enough to wait until the weather settles down a bit before beginning their show.

I go searching for something to get my mind off the noisy wind and the urge to cough. I find a writing sample that middle grandson, Jacob, had done for school. Jacob has a fascination with dinosaurs. My brother, Michael, had the same fascination when he was that age. Between the two of them we could get a lot more information than we expect. The following quote is from Jacob’s essay.

“I can also explain things very well. So if someone asked me why most dinosaurs were so big, I’d say the oxygen level was higher allowing larger organisms to survive. If they still didn’t have a clue they need some common sense because I’ve never seen anyone explain it better than I can.”

Now that is self-confidence. It reminded me of all the times I explained things to Mom. Her answer was frequently, “Well, why didn’t they say that?” I wonder the same thing.

Jacob’s birthday is coming up. I have a card but no present. In the past we have gotten plastic dragons, dinosaurs  or sharks to add to his collections.

He will be a decade old on Monday and I don’t think he needs more critters.

Today the news media showcases downed planes, the aftermath of tornadoes, and other indications that March can be a very destructive month. I give thanks that the pictures on the news sites don’t feature any place I recognize. Then I immediately feel like I should send up a prayer for those who have felt March’s wrath.

By the Ides of March the month should have finished with the “coming in like a lion” nonsense and settle down so that spring can get on with her annual display of blossoms and goodwill. Maybe by then I can quit coughing.