Dear Friends,

Are you opening yourself up to spring?

"Nobody knows exactly where spring begins," naturalist Edwin Way Teale wrote in his 1951 classic, North With The Spring, a journey of 17,000 miles by car with his wife. "The season has no starting point like a sprinter on a track. Somewhere south of Lake Okeechobee, in the watery wilderness of the Everglades, it comes into being, swells, gains momentum. Its arrival becomes more abrupt, more striking, its line of demarcation more evident as it progresses north. Here, in this southern-most part of the United States , there is no dramatic spring awakening as there is in some New England valley, suddenly rich with bloodroot and hepatica. Here, changes are gentle. The pendulum of the seasons moves slowly, and the arc of its swing is restricted."

What spring are you in?  It depends on where you live and when you read this. You could be gazing at snow and ice in northern New England, or looking at azalea buds in South Carolina. But wherever you are, to to help you open yourself up to spring, in this issue we will share the season with:

Energizing, Colorful Ideas for Spring

Spa Director Betty Loiacono has a wealth of suggestions to make your spring memorable and mindful... read more

1. Paint something bright…a front door, a room, a canvas, a piece of furniture.Buy a vivid color nail polish and give yourself a manicure.
2. Take a walk with small children to a playground and share their exuberance. Bring a camera with you on an outing like this. It will help you to see the everyday world in a different way.
3. Blow bubbles, fly a kite, ride a bike, jump rope, go birding, walk to the beach, make a butterfly house.
4. Clean a closet and give away unused clothes that someone else can enjoy, while you enjoy the space you've freed up
5. Write a  poem or  start an activities journal to get your creative juices flowing
6. Take a voice lesson. Or choose a dance class -- anything from line-dancing or classical ballet, as long as it makes you happy.
7. Rent a new exercise video and see if you like the change.
8. Change your soap and see if it doesn't perk up your morning ritual!

Housekeeping

Spring Cleaning Tips from Executive Housekeeper Mary Ann Rodino.

On the first nice day of spring, open all your windows and give your whole house a good airing. 

As you are doing that, take a look at your screens. If you find holes, or if they are starting to look shabby, take them to a local hardware store and have them re-screened. You'll be surprised by how much you will enjoy the look of new screens.

Inside the house, clean out closets and discard or recycle unused items. Flip and vacuum your mattresses. Vacuum all your window treatments and clean your window fans.

If a morning cup of coffee helps motivate you to get started on your spring cleaning, here's one more tip. If you have burnt coffee in the bottom of your glass carafe, put salt and ice cubes into the carafe and stir, and off comes the burnt coffee.

Boutique

Important Spring Dates to Remember

Retail Director Cheryl Urso reminds us that there are two important dates to remember this spring: Mother's Day, May 13, and Father's Day, June 17.

Treat your Mom to a Make-up and Waxing Service! She will have the opportunity to learn some great tips and techniques and experience the newest seasonal colors. Our professional make-up artists can custom blend a foundation and concealer that matches her skin tone perfectly! In addition, our artists are experts at facial waxing.Did you know that the brows are the frame of your face? The shape is so important! 

And for Dad... He likes to be pampered too! How about our best seller – The Spa at Norwich Inn's Men’s Facial Wash or Soft Shave Cream? Check them out on this  site under "Boutique." We also have tees and comfortable polos in an array of colors. Give us a call at 1-800-ASK-4-SPA and we will help you select.

For ordering, and to see more products, click here.

From Chef Daniel's Kitchen 

Having an herb garden is like having a pharmacy... aromatherapy and gourmet shop all-in-one!  Not to mention the beauty it lends any garden or kitchen window. They are easy to plant and many stores will soon begin to stock them from seeds to fully matured plants. If you’re planning to plant your herbs outside, wait until the passing of the last frost. Check with your local nursery. Find a place for them where they will get plenty of sunshine and protection from extreme winds. If you have pets, use small barriers to keep them out; remember that some animals like to mark their territory.

During the growing season you can enjoy your herbs in a variety of preparations. For example thyme is very common in most gourmet kitchens. It is available in many varieties such as English thyme (good for meats), Lemon thyme (good for fish and seafood) and Silver thyme (good for poultry), among others. This versatile herb seasons all from poultry to meats by adding a robust fragrance and strong element of freshness. As an infusion, thyme has been documented to have antibacterial as well as decongestive   properties. Infusions have also been used for shyness and relief of gastrointestinal parasites. In the battlefield, thyme oil was medicine to keep infection out of wounds.

Another favorite is rosemary. It is a very vigorous herb and tradition holds that tall-growing rosemary means that a woman heads the household. We always have plenty of this herb at home. I like to use it with roasted, garlic-studded chicken.  In ancient Greece , students wore rosemary garlands while studying for exams, believing it would help their memory. As an infusion it is used as a natural carminative, as well.

Italians tradition holds that when a woman puts a pot of basil outside her bedroom window, she is ready to receive a suitor. Times have changed, but that doesn’t change how delicious basil can be. Basil grows everywhere there is plenty of water, humidity and warmth. Basil is a delicate herb compared to thyme and rosemary, but it makes up for it in flavor. There are many types of basil. As a child, I can remember walking the streets of my mother’s home town, Tepic, in central Mexico during the summer. The basil plants grew wild in the streets and the aroma was so pervasive that the smell of it today takes me back to that time.

Basil comes in many varieties, each with its unique variation of taste and aroma, but all undeniably basil. I do not have a particular favorite, because each has its perfect match. My choice of basil depends on what I’m cooking. Anise basil is great on meats and Lemon basil or Vero basil for very good in pasta sauces and lighter dishes. All types have wonderful aroma. Infusions of basil are believed to have a calming effect on the bowels to ease cramps and constipation and similarly help with headaches and anxiety.

Whatever you decide to do with herbs, they will undoubtedly enhance you life.