So far, March has come in like a lamb, keeping consistent with the peculiar winter we’ve had so far.  I suspect she’ll leave as a platypus – a mixed bag, so to speak.

This mild, aforementioned peculiar weather, although agreeable to most, is actually causing havoc with people’s allergies.  That cold you’ve been battling for some time now may actually be the result of allergies.  Generally, the typical cold lasts about 10 days, but allergies persist for much longer.  Sure, some allergens originate inside the home, despite the weather, like pet allergens or dust mites; however, given the warm temperatures this winter, allergens are rearing their irritating heads earlier than normal.  Reports of tulip bulbs blooming are a clear and ominous sign.  Experts say trees will pollenate earlier leading to an early onset of allergies.  Dr. Anju Peters, an allergist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital says, “The biggest thing with warm weather, a warm winter in particular, means that we’ll have an early allergy season…And potentially it could be worse pollen.”  Tree pollen allergies, which generally start towards the end of March, will begin early to mid-March this year.  I guess we all knew in our hearts that there would be a price to pay for such temperate weather.

Despite the onset of allergies, March is an exciting month –  the gateway to spring, Daylight Saving’s time (I could totally do without), St. Patrick’s day for all our Irish friends and Sweeney’s customers, whom we consider family, and of course, Spring!  So be sure to remember to “spring” your clocks forward this weekend (Sunday to be exact) and pine over the 1 hour loss of sleep as I will do and continue to do until I get it back in November.   I really do feel cheated.

March is also a special time for Sweeney’s and you!  Follow our blog all month long, post a comment on any of the weekly blogs and be entered into a drawing to win a $50.00 Visa gift card.  That’s it.  That’s all you have to do.  Read our blog for the month of March, which we try and post every Wednesday, post a comment and be entered.  It’s that simple.  While you’re reading the weekly blogs, be sure to scroll down and read all the previous blogs.  There’s a lot of good information and some bad puns.  We look forward to hearing from you.

“Spring makes its own statement, so loud and clear that the gardener seems to be only one of his instruments, not the composer.”
–  Geoffrey Charlesworth

 Best wishes,

Kim Sweeney