March 31, 2013

Happy Easter! I plan to spend the day alone de-boxing my new house, but delightfully family intervenes. I get a pic in an email of the grandboy’s dyed eggs, which leads to a call and a skype, where he enthusiastically shows me his new book of aliens (actually an old book of his dad’s), page by page. My son unexpectedly calls from France full of good cheer and plans for a visit before year’s end. My friend J. comes over for dinner, bringing his usual measure of good conversation, wry observation, and laughter. Perhaps less progress on the boxes than planned this week-end, but great steps forward nonetheless.

March 30, 2013

Progress is made, a long walk is taken with friends, and the weather warms and brightens. Lovely.

March 29, 2013

Errands in the morning and a fun afternoon w/ friends does much to lighten my dim mood. Life has its hard bends in the road and its glorious straight-aways, and I’m now in the former I guess. But outlook is often malleable in the moment, and if a laugh can be found amidst the ruins, so much the better. I try to remember that as time inexorably moves us ahead.

March 28, 2013

It’s the end of the work week for many of us as tomorrow is a sort-of holiday, or at least a traditional reason for a long week-end in spring. Classes are sparsely populated, students almost always taking a bit more than they are offered. I have got the brilliant idea of trying to make my house box-free by Monday. It’s 4 months since I moved in and I really need to put the transition behind me. But there’s also taxes to figure out and friends to see. So I make the pledge to at least have these next few days make a difference– in my habitat, my attitude, or the over-crowed to-do section of my brain. Here goes!

week 233 ~ when true

when true
turned false
who knew
when true
was through
its waltz
when true
turned false

March 27, 2013

Shaky and tilting, toward what? Ennui attaches its talons to my shoulder and rides through the day dissatisfied.

March 26, 2013

A snowdrop, finally, sprouting up in my own backyard. The spring flower season is still in hibernation, as am I. We are nearly out of March and I have yet to see more than an isolated blossom breaking the brown landscape. My brain is full of cotton batting, perhaps to cushion the crush of too many outside expectations. Hard to engage, to break through to joy. Come on flowers & sunshine– I really need your colorful optimism!

March 25, 2013

And just like that, cold, windy, back at school, in meetings. But, a surprise– an hour spent w/ 2 Brasileiros speaking portugues. I sink into the surprisingly familiar rhythm of the language, and its easy conversational style. Soon I’ll be back there, soon. But until then I’m here w/ a job to do, friends and family, and the northern side of my musical life.

March 24, 2013

My colleague Catherine’s recorder recital, and our group Enigmatica is one of the back-up bands. A fun gig, a lovely warm afternoon that feels almost like spring, a wonderful performance, and a great audience. Doesn’t get much better in my books.

March 23, 2013

A sunny day, but still cold w/ vestiges of snow. The snowdrops and crocuses are so late this year, and Easter will soon be here–clearly one w/out daffodils. Sometimes in New England we miss spring entirely, going from cold and gloomy to 80° in the blink of an eye, causing all the flowers to bloom at once and disappear. But I’m still hoping for the one-flower-at-a-time spring, albeit starting several weeks late.