MARCH MEMORIES

In like a lion; out like a lamb(?). March 31st departed gentler than March 1st and 2nd arrived. Calling it a lamb may be a bit of a stretch. Everyone I know expected and hoped for balmy warm, and sunny to be the norm entering into April. Both weather apps on my phone show snowflakes by the end of the week. Humph!

Well, we won't know the NCAA Champions until tonight. My hubby and I have tied in this little bracket game. But I've made some interesting observations. Right after a round ends, he starts reminding me to make picks for the next round, which is how it has always been. However, I noticed he's now urging me to pick before "father and son." When I inquired, he claimed he knows "they" will take care of it, but that I won't think about it unless reminded. That part is probably true. But isn't it funny that on Saturday afternoon I peeked at their Final Four picks and they're exactly like mine. Coincidence? You decide...

Moving on. I must admit I've gotten a kick out of Loyola's Sister Jean sensation. Early in the tournament, I caught a glimpse of a young female sports announcer interviewing a sweet elderly lady. So I started paying attention. How fun is this? A 98 year young nun decked out in her team gear, including "special" athletic shoes, has been the Loyola men's basketball team chaplain since 1994. And she's one very faithful fan! Somewhere around the Elite Eight games, I mentioned Sister Jean to my husband, and that I planned to root for Loyola because of Sister Jean. (Remember I have many unique criteria for making bracket picks.) He remarked that he figures much of America felt the same way, except probably Michigan. But Saturday night Michigan and Villanova got the W's; Loyola and Kansas got the L's. And that's just the way the ball bounces sometimes.