Spring

I never burned sage, but I would like to try it. In my younger days, I burned a variety of green buds though. How did I spend the first day of spring. I did some grocery shopping, and talked to a few family members. I wrote an article for Border's Favorite Teacher contest, and spent awhile trying to get it online because Gather was geeked out again. It sounds like your day was better. But, I'm serious about the sage. I wanna try it.

I haven't made it to your site or read your favorite teacher story yet - however, I will. If it's like the rest of your work, it will be a fabulous read. Sorry I've not ventured that way yet. I'm getting tired so may read some of it and finish in the morning. Thanks for commenting Ron! Salud.

Mariana - Happy Spring to you! Tomorrow I will make it a point to go work in the garden, if only for a short while.

Happy Spring to You Mariana! Today, I raked my front yard and cleaned out around the flower beds to let some warm sunlight shine though all the leaves that have collected since the fall! I placed the leaves in my huge compost garden and played around in it a bit! I discovered I had onions growing in there from where the kids had thrown in a bad onion! I'm not sure but I think potato plants are coming up too! They would have gotten there the same way!!!! I had to chuckle...if I'd planted them on purpose they'd never grow!!! LOL Anyways, I plan to work on it all some more tomorrow! It counts as exercise and it makes me feel alive! Can't beat that feeling!

It was a beautiful day here in NW Arkansas, however I spent most of it sitting at my computer writing letters to the Senators of this State. Our elected officials are doing what they do best, writing stupid laws. Hopefully, I'll get a little free time tomorrow to get outside and enjoy nature.

I was exhausted as I have only had 4 hrs of sleep each night recently. So I went to grandparent's day at my grand daughter's school, then took care of my 4 yr old grand son for the morning and took a nap with him. Then I went to work and just got home at midnight. If it warms up, I need to rake up the leaves in my yard. Still too cold here to plant outside.

Mariana. welcome to spring. Unfortunately my crocus is the only flower to bloom thus far. My Dafidols, and other bulbs are showing there stems but some are still buried under snow. we are expected to have warmer temps as the week ends, so I'm excited to start gardening myself and will be posting questions and articles to the Pregnant Onion Club as soon as spring offically kicks in here in the upper Northeast region.
warmest regards,
Charles D

when i get home from work tonight i plan to dig a hole in the snow until i can stick my hand in some grass and dirt. welcome spring!

So Spring actually begins today! I thought the Vernal Equinox was yesterday, as I was born on the last day of antipodean summer. I guess times change or something.

I'm at work today, and won't be able to do anything in the garden for a while. I have accumulated almost three full buckets of kitchen scraps for composting over the winter. I have to get some compost out of my three composters, and thus make room for the kitchen scraps. They accumulate faster during the winter than they do during the summer because they reduce in size with the summer heat in the bucket, but they just freeze during the winter.

Anyway. I should have planted some sweet peas on St. Patrick's Day, and didn't, so maybe that's a task I'll set my mind to for the weekend.

It's too cold and is also raining out here so, no raking or gardening yet. I want to go check if the daffodils are out and if the Lenten Rose is blooming yet but I'd just sink in MUD out there!

Rituals... Sage and candle to welcome spring, huh?... Sounds fantastic!

Following some ancient Indian rituals, I burned sage in my fireplace before we moved into this house and carried a white feather around the outside of the house while silently chanting a blessing. It is supposed to comfort any unhappy spirits still tied down to this place. You know, I think it worked...

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Far from being an arbitrary indicator of the changing seasons, March 20 (March 21 in some years) is significant for astronomical reasons. On March 20, 2007, at precisely 8:07 P.M. EDT (March 21, 00:07 Universal Time), the Sun will cross directly over the Earth's equator. This moment is known as the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. For the Southern Hemisphere, this is the moment of the autumnal equinox.


Equinox Means "Equal Night"


Translated literally, equinox means "equal night." Because the sun is positioned above the equator, day and night are about equal in length all over the world during the equinoxes. A second equinox occurs each year on September 22 or 23; in 2007, it will be on September 23 at 5:51 A.M. EDT (09:51 UT). This date will mark the autumnal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and the vernal equinox in the Southern (vernal denotes "spring").
Peter dear, I'll comment to you first and get back to the others. I always think of March 21 as Spring Equinox but it was on the 20th (yesterday) - but today is actually the first Real Day of Spring!!! I love that you compost. My compost heap is 25 years old and actually steams. It's very rich. The husband takes very good care of it. I hope your sweet peas are planted soon and I appreciate the comment and the inspiration!
Pearl, I'd love to see pictures of yoru Lenten Rose. I am totally into many rituals and I burn sage for purification especially in new buildings. I normally have a smudge stick made of the purple sage. I think my photo is both - you see the white is the larger sage and the purple the smaller. Thanks for commenting, Pearl.
I'll bbl folks - I need coffee. Salud.

Mariana~ Nice article to bring happy thoughts:) We usually scrape the mud off the bottoms of our boots because it is officially mud season here...LOL!!! We don't actually get to celebrate spring until late April, but that setback truly makes me appreciate spring even more:) I do take some cuttings from the forsythia tree into the house and watch them bud..does that count???

I don't know Mariana, I'm was just too worn out from everything I did last week to think about spring and gardening ;-) Seriously, it was drizzly and rainy here just in time to quench the thirst of all of the plantings I did! So I wrote At The End Of The Garden Path, had a terrible time publishing it, then it showed up 5 times this morning! Between the publishing struggles, I actually ventured out in the drizzle and walked the garden path and I swear I could see everything growing! I love it!

Uhh about the only thing I did today was be in a lousy mood, and it's only getting worse. Our garden is already plowed, just waiting for that next cold snap to come through then we can hopefully plant.
I am searching for loads on the internet to no avail, so here I sit at gather trying to make use of my time. Of course, I should be cooking or vaccumming, but that can wait, I think I need a nap.

The last day of winter was the first day of snow here, and today I had the pleasure of spending three hours on the road, driving back home from work through snow, rain, sunshine and everything in between. I didn't spot a rainbow, though.

Happy Spring! I've been out gardenin' most the day~~my magnolia and forsythia are in bloom, oh happy days!

I woke up late, went to Gather and ran into the glitches (those sons of b*itches), had to post and then read and comment. Battled with the gas and electric company for overcharing me since they've estimated my readings the past 6 months. Came back to Gather and it went down, so I took a nap to recharge my energy and came back to write, read and comment some more. Hopefully, I won't forget to eat later seeing how I haven't all day...then it's off to dreamland so I can get up and do it all over again tomorrow.

I was grumpy today, but am in happy mood now, Having a go around with a kidney stone, so if it isn't rainy tomorrow I will do some yard work. We are still cleaning limbs from the ice storm, but I have a lot of flowers coming up.
Happy Spring Mariana!

Yes, today was the first day of spring and so I took my kindergardeners out through the fence and through the woods to the cranberry bogs behind our school. Beside every cranberry bog there is usually a big sand pit....and you can have fabulous fun "Jumping into Spring". I love to watch their eyes light up when I tell them the rules to this Annual event....they can't believe a grown up is actually telling them to jump and roll down a sand pit. Wish I had a video to show you.....later we wrote in our journals and of course the activity really inspired some good writing!

I am looking forward to the days of Spring it is my favorite season.

That's right, it is the first day of spring! But you wouldn't know it here in the Baltimore-DC area.

I spend my day working --writing.

AND, I published my first weekly "Lit Bit" as a Gather Correspondent! Check it out on the front page!

nice miz. m!! love it! let's see, we have a pan of green grass growing, and it is so springy. the lake is slowly melting, a little bit of an inch on the edge is open water now. i can't wait!! :)

Hello kids, I am thrilled to be here thanking you for these comments:
Miz Jessie: it's always good to see you and I am looking forward to some of your gorgeous springtime photographs!
Eric, I am keeping my fingers crossed that you'll be in round two for the contest! I'll try to go to read "Lit Bit" soon.
Miz Louise M. It's mine as well - new beginnings.
Miz elizabeth - you must be a fabulous teacher and I wish I were there jumping into spring with the kids!
Miz Tomi - I'm glad you are in a good mood!
Rob, thanks for your gracious comment and I hope things get better soon!
Jeannie, Happy spring to you my friend
Hajo, always nice to hear from you!
Stephanie, I hope you're feeling better.
Cecile, I look forward to hearing some more garden stories in The Pregnant Onion club.
Debbie, when spring comes to Maine you are going to be sooo happy and I can't wait to hear what you're growing in your garden.
Thank each of you so much for visiting me today! Salud.

Happy Day after the First Day of Spring...! (it's kinda like 'birthday week..!') Mariana - great article. I celebrated by taking my coffee out to the big swing under the walnut tree and smelling the orange blossoms first thing in the morning. Delightful. Then I gently pruned my lilac. She's been rather shy ever since we planted her, and in her 5 years has only produced one ever-so-tiny flower. So, she and I had a good long talk and I set about pruning her and thanksed her for her tenacity! I'm a Barnabas when it comes to plants...offering encouragement where I can, and carrying them to the compost heap, when they finish their course. Ahh, spring. Enjoy your garden, my friend. This is such a beautiful time on the Central California Coast. How are the poppies doing...any word?

Miz Judy, you've never given your lilac bush a name - if she has no soul - how can you expect her to grow - name her. She'll go crazy thanking you with blossoms. I love my plants as well...they're part of my family. Enjoyed this very much - Happy spring. Salud.

celebrated my daughters b.d.

I admired the tulips and longed for iris when I got home from work today. Happy Spring Mariana!

I don't know what I did on the 1st day of spring, but I have been doing a ton of planting so far this year. More to do this weekend. I look forward to your organic tips....

hi sweet lady... i cannot believe how many articles i have missed since the new upgrade??? here's a 10 for this great article... love you...


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Marianna, I ran across this old post of yours when I read a new post by Devaa called Spring. I am inspired to plant this Spring. I don't care if my allergies "act up", they'll "act up" anyway. So I'm gonna plant and if I have to enjoy my produce from my window, so be it. Thanks for sharing this lovely thought.

Your friend,

Lexa