I know that those words usually conjure images of college basketball players and brackets, but this year the phrase “march Madness” has a new definition. It’s the emotional state that those of us who are stuck in a place where it is (as CS Lewis said) always winter and never Christmas.

There is a spot of snow in our front yard that just won’t melt despite several days of above 50 temps and rain. It’s like a reminder that winter will do with us as she pleases and will leave when she darn well chooses.

In fact, it is snowing as I write this.

 Hide the knives.

This March madness is so bad that I yearn for pollen.

Ah, pollen…that colorful powder that blankets the outside world in spring. It signals new life and new growth and warmer temperatures. It’s a prelude to summer and all things blooming. Never mind that it causes sneezing and itchy eyes…it’s a small sacrifice to be rid of snow and cold.

I dream of the yellow stuff clinging to outside furniture and me having to wipe down rockers and tables before the massive power wash at the end of pollen season. At least that means it’s warm enough to sit and eat outside.

We have had 3 months of gigantic heating bills due to the formula: Poorly insulated old farmhouse + super cold weather= huge heating bills. My hub and I are preparing already for next year’s winter by getting heat radiant barrier estimates for the attic. And in preparation for that I have been working in the middle section of our attic, gleaning and purging items from yesteryear, 3 boys’ college stints, one boy’s first apartment leftovers, beach stuff, and overflow of dishes and kitchen things.

#3 son is moving to Denver after he gets married in Oct (for one year only they promise and I’m holding them to it) and we started sorting things into boxes bound for Colorado and those that will wait till they get back.  I took a huge load to Goodwill and another one to our church’s mission thrift store.

It feels good to be paring down. It’s a long overdue purge that will be good for all of us and help the insulation workers access the attic easier. But in the process I found where the stinkbugs have been hanging out all winter. Think “Stink Bug Club Med”.

One more reason that this March is truly madness.