We've been hit by several eleventh-hour snowstorms here in Virginia over the past few weeks. And we discovered a few things - one of which is that we have a perfect sledding hill right next to our house, and that sledding under a full moon is something everyone should do in their lifetime. Our little tri-colored terrier, Pearly, even hopped on for a ride. She knew what was good for her. Nothing shakes off cabin fever like flying down a slope into the dark and screaming your head off. Also, if snowed-in, blood oranges work nicely for a whisky sour.

And, honestly, the rest of it is a blur. Lots of reading and movies and the small 'track' in our house was well-worn with running, squealing kids. March is the month of birthdays around here, too. Two, seven and forty-four!

I can tell you, though, what was not blurred or clouded in any form was the elation we all felt yesterday, when it was sixty degrees. Things are smelling good out there in the big, wide world. The earth is warming up and green shoots are pushing their way up through the soil. We are being pulled to the unfurling of springtime, and it is most welcome.