No green is visible in Northfield today–Minus 8 degrees this morning, but clear. We did hear a robin singing early, just as the sun rose, and we expect temperatures to soar to above freezing soon, and the trees are putting out buds. So, while the ground is white today, there is a green singing in our hearts!
LESLIE
This morning, I looked at the calendar and wondered, “Why is this date significant?”
I couldn’t put my finger on it. Then, this afternoon, as I was writing a scene in a novel project that Tim and I have going, a scene in which the two main characters share a piece of peach pie in a restaurant on the Oregon coast, it suddenly hit me: Pie Day!
Yup. You know me. Way more wordy than mathy.
But today, we all get to mark the celebration of math and physics,( introduced to us by our neighbors Joel and Janet decades ago when we were homeschooling.) As now most everyone knows, the Greek letter, π , stands for an irrational number that is the mathematical constant, approximately equal to 3.14159, that signifies the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. And every year, 3:14–or March 14–is cause to celebrate however you choose, rationally or irrationally, consciously or (in my case, until a few moments ago) unconsciously.
The Google Doodle today celebrates it, but I was blind to that, at least consciously. I love these kinds of coincidences, and then, when I realized that I had a photo of a pecan pie I had baked during these cold months, I thought I would share it.
Here’s hoping that your day holds a sweet surprise!
LESLIE
Dear Readers,
This year, I am returning for the tenth time to the practice of writing and sharing a poem each day in April. This challenge, which I first attempted eleven years ago, in 2016, has proven to be fun, fruitful, and sometimes frustrating for me. (In 2024, I took one year off.) Somehow or other, though, I have not missed even one of those 300 pledged days. And so, emboldened, I intend to sign on for one more set of 30 “who knows what they will be?” poems. (The pussywillows in front of our house are beginning to bloom, despite the wild weather, so who knows what poetic possibilities emerge?)
Again, I will be sharing each morning’s poem via email, with an additional April something here on Winona Media. If you previously received emailed poems in 2025, you are already on the list. (Let me know if you wish to be removed from the list this year.) If you would like to be added to the list, let me know.
And if you are someone who is also participating in the April poems this year and would like me to share that information here, let me know! The more, the merrier!
LESLIE
Just over a month ago, twenty-two Northfield poets, along with dozens of other neighbors, gathered at the Grand Event Center to share poems. Now, these poems, along with the eloquent opening remarks by Lindsey Ness, co-owner of the Grand, have been gathered together in a chapbook. I feel priveleged to be part of a community that stands up for all people, and I feel honored to have one of my own poems included in this historic collection.
If you would like a chance to read these words for yourself, copies are available through Content Bookstore. Profits go to our valient Community Action Center which serves all of our neighbors, especially those with acute needs.
With hope of better days ahead,
LESLIE
I know very little about Chinese Lunar Symbols, but when my photographer sister, Karla, greeted me this morning with a text noting this shift–from the Year of the Wood Snake to the Year of the Fire Horse–I thought I would share this image, taken in our garden last Sunday. It seems to me that the Fire Horse is galloping quite naturally out of the Wood Snake!
May your own year ahead be filled exuberance and forward motion toward wherever your deepest knowing drives you! Onward!
LESLIE
