Dear #Positivity Friends,

I think the month of March gets a bad rap. Named for Mars, the Roman god of war, and immortalized by Shakespeare as an omen of betrayal (“Beware the ides of March…”), March is kind of the black sheep of the Gregorian calendar. And because the weather is still kind of cold and gray this time of year, March doesn’t even get any credit for sending winter on its way and rolling out the welcome mat for spring!



It’s time to give March some props. Here are three things that I believe make this a top-notch month:

1. Full Worm Moon. The full moon in March is known as the Full Worm Moon because it signals the emergence of earthworms from the softening soil. This year the full moon is on the 7th and will share the night sky with Jupiter and Venus.
2. Daylight Savings Time. On March 12, most of us (ahem, Hawaii and Arizona) “spring ahead” and set our clocks forward an hour. Sure, we lose one precious hour of sleep that day but we gain an extra hour of sunlight every day thereafter. Think of it as being in training for summer!
3. St. Joseph’s Day. That other saint’s day in March may get all the glory, but the Feast of St. Joseph on March 19 is a party that’s not to be missed. Celebrants decked out in red sup on hearty bean soups, rustic breads, and Carpenter’s Pasta, a dish featuring sauteed breadcrumbs that resemble sawdust on the floor of a humble woodshop. And don’t get me started about those crème-filled zeppoli! 

Oh, and where would college sports (and the office betting pool) be without March Madness? My March will be focused on planning our garden at home and getting our Neighborhood Farms program up and running. I hope you’ll let me know about your marvelous March!

As always, I hope that you are enjoying my newsletter. If you missed an issue, you can find them all on my website website. Pass this newsletter along and encourage your family and friends to sign up!

With hope and positivity,

Everyday Sundae in Washington DC isn’t your average neighborhood scoop shop. Owner Charles Forman opened this ice cream parlor in his community to fill a dessert void, but along the way became recognized for his generosity to others. When Foreman noticed that some of the locals who came into the shop couldn’t afford a scoop, he gave them one for free. One customer saw him give a child a free cone and offered Foreman $100 to pay for ice cream for others. Whether or not his customers help defray the costs, he's got the free ice cream covered. Foreman said, "This is my community, and I don't want anyone to be excluded." 

An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us

by Ed Yong

Step outside your own sensory bubble and experience the world as your cohabitants of the natural world do. Author Ed Yong leads you through the thrilling discovery of how other species “see” the world around them. He puts you in the shoes (so to speak) of insects, birds, reptiles, mammals, and fish to feel the electromagnetic vibrations surrounding the creatures of the sea and the heightened sight and smells of the animals roaming the earth. He draws you into their perception of the world in a such a visceral way that you begin see things differently yourself—and feel like a proud member of the animal kingdom!