Banter Bites

Spring Has Sprung. Spring Has Science?

The start of spring is more than a date on a calendar … it's like the start of a new year, except with Mother Nature joining the celebration.

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Yes, today's the Spring Equinox and official beginning of spring – but how could we look at the start of longer days, warmer temperatures, trees budding, flowers blooming, and birds chirping so differently?!

"All of the above" is why Red likes having a specific date to mark the start of the season … and the feeling of starting fresh and new. And even when Black sent her an article about how spring cleaning became a tradition, that didn't change her good mood. Red, like most of us, isn't usually a fan of cleaning and can certainly think of better things to do with her time, but there's something about "spring cleaning" that's different. Maybe it's just a different mindset, but armed with just the right kind of cleaning tips and checklist (pretty pictures help, too), Red's definitely inspired.

Black, of course, has a very different perspective that doesn't include cleaning (although she can explain how vacuuming can be "therapeutic"). She finds the Spring Equinox to be, if not inspirational, at least scientifically satisfying,

What can I say? I like the preciseness of the Spring Equinox (equinox means "equal night") in that day and night are equal across the entire planet. Plus, there has been a great deal of research on how spring improves our mood and energy levels.

If you’re looking for a reason not to mow, there’s logic behind letting it grow …

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: As is often the case, Red hadn’t heard of the latest trend, “No Mow May,” which is all about lawn maintenance (or the lack of it) until Black started sending her articles about it.

Keep Reading ...Show less
It’s hard to imagine one holiday celebrates … spring, women’s fertility, workers, and labor rights. But it shouldn’t surprise you that even though it dates back thousands of years, we each “dance around” different aspects of May Day.

If you’ve never thought about May Day, don’t worry, most of us haven’t.

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Red appreciates that some holidays have historical significance, some have ancient traditions, and some are opportunities for one of Black’s unexpected, but often amusing and clever, comments, but May Day checks all those boxes.

Keep Reading ...Show less

Spring’s supposed to be full of optimism as it represents a new beginning, with longer days, the trees and flowers blooming, the birds chirping, and a general feeling of rejuvenation. So, whose idea was it to rudely interrupt it with Tax Day? And the fact it’s April 18 this year instead of April 15 (when we ran the article below in 2021, we got two extra days) hardly makes it any less, well, … taxing.

This quote is perfect, except that we don't know who said it, "People who complain about taxes can be divided into two classes: men and women."

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: It's probably a safe bet (yes, the IRS even has specific rules on how to handle gambling income and losses) that no one looks forward to Tax Day, but it would be easy to make assumptions that how people approach this potentially stressful day would be impacted by how much, or how little, money they make …

Keep Reading ...Show less