March came in so mild and sweet here, that it had us fooled into thinking that spring was here to stay. We have had 70* weather already which is ridiculous in South Dakota in March. It’s bound to change and only for the worse. Well, it did. We have just come though a couple days of snow and wind with temps in the single digits again. But the sun is shining now and the snow is melting, so I think spring is thinking about coming! It feels very strange to have snow and ice and when you go outside you hear meadowlarks and geese overhead. I think they must be feeling a bit chilly these days!

I love seeing the geese come over in the spring. I love the high V pattern in the sky. I love to hear them honking, it sounds so cheerful: like they are cheering each other on. That sent me down a rabbit trail of why geese do what they do. This article was interesting and I learned a thing or two about the habits of geese.

Standardized tests. Achievement tests. Iowa Basics. Whatever you call them, they are common in schools in the United States. When I asked my girls why they thought we do these tests, they thought it was to tell whether they passed or not. Technically, they are more of a test for teachers and curriculum than grading the student. When I was young, we had a man come out from the Iroquois school district to administer the tests. He always wore a blazer, and he always said things in exactly the same way. When I taught school and administered achievement tests, I always thought of Mr Stofferan when I said, “look at the directions at the top of the page. Read them to yourself as I read them aloud. Directions say:” It was a given that we played softball on those days and he would come out and pitch. If you are wondering, like me, exactly why we do them, read the reason here.

Easter just barely sneaks into March this year. We are looking forward to going to my moms with family and friends for ham and gourmet potatoes. Devilled eggs and pie. If your children are like my girls, any time a different holiday comes along, they want pictures printed to color. They are prolific artists, be it coloring or drawing. My fridge is constantly covered and I finally decided I needed a binder to keep at least some of their art work. Some of it is really good!

I offered to make the pie this year for our Easter get together. This pie is light and springy. Perfect for the beginning of a new season. It is not complicated and I have made it many times and it has always turned out! Give it a try this Easter (or sometime soon!) You will not be sorry! And if you don’t know about Mel’s Kitchen Cafe yet, follow that link and explore her site. She has some delicious food there!

Does your garden need some whimsy? Here are simple directions from Hobbies on a Budget for painting old bricks to look like books. You can find lots of images or different ways to do it by asking google. Tuck them into secret places in your garden for a delightful discovery for visitors.

Or you can buy them for a price from Whimsically Angie, an Etsy shop.

Don’t have a green thumb? Try this garden!

Would you think it? Spring has come,
   Winter's paid his passage home;
Packed his ice-box -- gone -- half way
   To the arctic, they say.
-Christopher Cranch (1813-1892)

And that’s it for the March Collection. Tell us what you like to garden -rocks or plant? Also, what’s your opinion on standardized tests? Do you think they are helpful?