Spring Festivities Await
At-A-Glance Memorable Moments
~ Val Trotter
Spring’s arrival made me reminisce about the wonderful month of March and what it offers. I learned that March is named for Mars, the Roman god of war. In the early Roman calendar, March was the first month of the calendar year. As March brought the first day of spring with the vernal equinox, it was the start of new beginnings, so we began with a new newsletter format. I decided to research and list all the great things that have happened or will continue to happen in March.
March 4 was Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday or also known as Shrove Tuesday). Did you partake in pancakes or other carbs?
March 5 was Ash Wednesday which marked the first day of Lent.
March 8 was International Women’s Day. This day celebrates the achievements of women!! What did our men do to celebrate us, hmmm. Well in my case, we went to dinner after Laurie and I spent the afternoon in the sun.
March 9 as we learned above, kicked off Daylight Saving Time and our days became lighter in the evening hours.
March 14 was the full “worm” moon event where it reached peak illumination in the early morning hours? Did you happen to get up from a deep sleep just so you could see this wonder?
March 15 – Beware of the Ides of March. Legend surrounds this ill-fated day? Julius Caesar was stabbed to death in 44BC. Did anything bad happen to you?
March 17 was St. Patrick’s Day. Who wore a shamrock and drank green beer?
March 18 – Astronauts Sunni and Butch (and two others) returned to Earth after a 9 month period of being in space. Can you imagine the feelings in your legs and arms. Canadian retired astronaut Chris Hadfield said that there will be muscle atrophy and bone density loss. It will take on average one week before they can propertly walk again, a couple of weeks before you are able to drive a car, etc. So perhaps some of us seniors have been to space and we didn’t know it when we wake up to find muscle loss and how painful walking has become. Or is it just me!!
March 20 brings the March equinox (also referred to the vernal or spring equinox). On this day, the Sun stands directly over Earth’s equator.
March also brings March Madness (basketball), March gardening or at least gardening preparation, March spring cleaning (oh yeah—what a chore), spring fishing, the early return of snowbirds from destinations unknown, and March or spring break. Did you spend the week with your grandkids?
March 29 – 31 are known as the Borrowing Days. According to folklore, the last 3 days of March have a reputation for being stormy.
Hey wait….Didn’t March come in like a Lion? If so, won’t it go out like a Lamb?
What have I missed in my March research/list above? Send your responses to the club email advising what I missed and also what the importance of March is for you? We will attempt to post your responses on the website or at a future dinner meeting.
Fun Facts – Did you know that March’s birth flower is the daffodil or jonquil. March’s birthstone is the aquamarine and its zodiac sign is Pisces (Feb 20 to March 20) and Aries (March 21 to April 20).
Monthly Dinner Updates
January – Catered by Redneck Bistro; with 35 in attendance. Trivia followed dinner at the Community Centre.
February – Catered by Calabogie Brewery and held at the United Church Hall (as the Community Centre was busy with the provincial election). 36 members were in attendance plus there were 4 who ordered take out. Our entertainment was our local entertainer, Peggy Williams who was accompanied by a conga player.
March – Dinner meeting to be held at the Community Centre, meal to be catered by Charbonneau’s followed by a games evening.
April – Mackies Food Truck is on the agenda at the Community Centre.
May – Wraps will be catered by the Red Neck at the Community Centre. The long awaited premier of “Powar and Greed” will be showcased during this dinner meeting.
June – Shawarma’s anyone? By popular demand this menu will be offered at the summer location, Barnet Cottage.
It Was That Time Of Year Again
The age old question. Did we lose an hour of sleep or gain it?
I like to remember the saying I learned as a child “spring forward, fall back.” Daylight Saving Time began on the second Sunday in March 2025 in many Canadian areas. So at 2 a.m. on April 9, time sprang forward and became 3 a.m. The idea behind moving the clocks twice yearly apparently is to take advantage of the sun’s natural light. When we spring forward, we are not really saving time, we are just giving up a little Sun in the morning and adding it to the evening. In essence, our morning coffee or tea enjoyment time may be shortened (lol.)
Are you an early riser or a night owl—this may determine how you feel about Daylight Saving Time. Sadly, changing a number on a clock doesn’t actually add any time to our days, even though our cats would love to have an extra hour of sleep time.
Monthly Social Updates
December – Club participated in the annual Santa Claus parade with their “Elf School” entry. It was great fun. Can we outdo ourselves in 2025? Meetings will soon be held to discuss/implement ideas for the 2025 parade.
Bowling league has been underway since early September and is expected to wrap up in mid-April. Like last year, the league may decide to play “Bingo Bowling” for several weeks. As this is a non-competitive fun league, everyone has a great time regardless of ability and score. But the best part is the socializing and laughs with team mates and the team you are playing against, says our new coordinator Dan Ventresca.
Diefenbunker – our first road trip of 2025 took 14 members to the Diefenbunker in Carp. We had a fun and informative 90 minute tour in the cold war museum, said Jean. The group agreed that we would not like to be posted there. Lunch followed at Negi’s Bistro in Arnprior.
April – Sens Hockey Game. This activity is “Sold Out.”
May – Rideau Ramble trip planned for May 20.
Summer/Fall hikes are being planned. Fall Road trip is also being planned.
Mixed Bridge & Nine N’ Dine Golf – Both activities will resume in May. The opening day for Mixed Bridge is set for Tuesday, May 13 at Barnet Gardens beginning at 1:30 p.m.
Senior Games – Do you want to keep active and participate in Senior games, either mental or physical? If so, plan to participate in the OSGA games. Summer games will be held around the Renfrew Country region, known as District 5. Locally, we are continuing with Prediction Walks, Bowling, Golfing etc. All active OSGA members should receive an email from the Ontario Senior Games committee on the first of April 2025 to renew their annual membership and to enrol in the variety of games offered. For more information ask Lori Armour, Denise Lavallée or Val Trotter. Additional information wlll be posted on our club website and at various locations. You can also listen to the heritage radio station on April 23 where Lori Armour will be discussing our games.
Why Is Easter Late? Is Spring Around The Corner?
When is Easter in 2025? Easter Sunday this year, for both orthodox and non-orthodox Christians, will fall on Sunday, April 20, making it one of the latest dates for the holiday in recent memory. According to Timeanddate.com, the latest Easter Sunday can ever be is April 25—only five days beyond the date in 2025.
The reason? A combination of the moon’s elliptical, (Easter) egg-shaped orbit of the sun and the date of a rare “Blood Moon” total lunar eclipse on March 13-14, 2025. This eclipse—visible across North America—is the final full moon before the spring equinox, setting the stage for a later Easter by delaying the “Pink Moon” or “Paschal Moon,” the full moon used to calculate Easter’s date.
If Easter being decided by celestial mechanics is a surprise, you’re not alone. However, Christianity is one of many religions that use the moon and sun to decide the dates of significant annual events. Chinese Lunar New Year, Ramadan and Passover are all tied to lunar or lunisolar calendars.
Unlike Christmas, which is fixed to the Gregorian solar calendar, Easter is a lunar festival determined by a combination of the moon’s phases and the spring equinox. The rule is simple: Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the spring equinox (as it’s called in the Northern Hemisphere.)
- This year, the spring equinox is on March 21, 2025.
- The next full moon after the equinox is the “Pink Moon” on April 13, also this year known as the “Paschal Moon” in Christian tradition.
- Easter is observed on the following Sunday, April 20.
Easter in 2024 was on March 31. The long delay this year happens because the full “Worm Moon”—the full moon that will occur during the March 13-14 total lunar eclipse—falls just before the equinox, pushing the “Paschal Moon” and Easter into mid-April.
And now you know the reason….the above was taken from “Forbes Daily.” You can check out the entire article written by Jamie Carter, entitled “When is Easter?” Why a Rare “Blood Moon” Eclipse delays Easter in 2025.
A Few Quotes & Jokes
As always, I’m ending this newsletter with an inspirational word and polite humour.
Remember
Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, just remember how far you have come. Remember everything you have faced, all the battles you have won and all the fears you have overcome. Never regret a day in your life. Good days give you happiness and bad days give you experience. fearlessmotivation.com
He Wanted To Know
After years of wondering why he didn’t look like his younger sister or brother, a young man finally got up the nerve to ask his mother if he was adopted. “Yes, you were son,” his mother said as she started to cry softly. “But that didn’t work out and they brought you back.”
A Little Jury Help
A man being tried for murder happens to know one of the jurors. Before jury deliberation, the man finds a way to contact his friend and emphatically demands that he vote for life in prison with the possibility of parole. The friend agrees. The jury deliberates for a week and returns a verdict of guilty with life imprisonment. The convicted man phones his friend and asks why it took so long for the verdict.
His friend says. “It took me a long time to convince the other jurors for life imprisonment.” “Why is that?” “Because they wanted to acquit you!”.
Passwords
Apparently, you can’t use “beef stew” as a password….It’s not stroganoff!
Share with me your thoughts on any material you would like included in the summer edition. ~ Val