This March in 2012...
March has never been my favorite month. It always seems like something horrible happens in March--a break up, a financial woe, some bit of family drama--and as each February comes to a close, I begin to feel a sort of dread over what's to come.
This year, I tried to start March out right. After all, it's festival month, with Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Carnival in Brazil, and beautiful Holi (the festival of colors!) in India. So, on the 3rd, I bought two tickets for Sierra Dawn and me to see the Carolina Ballet perform Balanchine Rarities. Unfortunately, Sierra got wrangled into working that night, so we had to leave the matinee performance early, and the dancers seemed a little off their game. We had so been anticipating this (or at least I had), and the disappointment seemed a bad omen--that my distrust of March was warranted, perhaps. But here are a few positive things:
Some old friends of yore celebrated birthdays this month--Bryenne on the 8th, and Breana on the 14th! May this year be glorious for them both.
On the 14th I signed up to join a CSA-type program with a farm in Benson. Likely, I will write about this ad nauseum here throughout the summer, so be prepared.
I was summoned for jury duty ("jury service," stated our informational DVD, as "duty" has a negative connotation) on the 18th along with 300 other residents of Wake County. But, luck was with me that dreary Monday morning as I was among the first 40 of that 300 to be called to a court room, then the first 12 of that 40 to be called to the juror box to be interviewed by the D.A. in a marijuana case. And, as providence would have it, not only am I married to a musician and a listener of NPR/reader of the Independent Weekly, but I was wearing a tie-dye blouse that day! I was deemed too liberal and quickly dismissed from duty, and a few days later received my $12 check in the mail for my "service."
On the 22nd I had a preliminary meeting with the director, new treasurer, and resigning treasurer/secretary of the Apex Arts Council to be briefed on my duties, etc. (You are looking at the blog of the Executive Secretary of the Apex Arts Council). Discussed a bit April's Artists for Animals Fair which should be so much fun, and such a joy to be involved in.
Then, also, I'd be remiss if I did not mention Scintilla, and how utterly and completely fulfilling having a writing project during such a rough two weeks truly was.
Now for the bad: Wolfman broke his thumb on the 18th, which doesn't sound too devastating on the outset, I know. But, he makes his living as a musician/coffee roaster. Also, there's that teensy little irritant: we don't have health insurance. So, major bummer, right? But, he's only in a cast for the next month and a half, and he won't need surgery (though Grandma reminds me that it's likely he will suffer arthritis in his thumb in later years; I'm not mentioning this part to him as Wolfman's already sad enough not being able to play guitar for hours at a time daily). And then, because Wolfman filled out a 1099-Misc last year when he taught at a studio, rather than getting the tax return we rely on year to year, we actually had to pay taxes this year. Believe me when I say we are totally not a family that can afford to pay taxes. I ranted and raved for an entire day--am still ranting and raving given the opportunity, in fact. I let my anarchist flag fly, you can bet.
So, we may be surviving on peanut butter & jelly at the moment (not literally of course, because I'm such a diligent woman who has two months worth of meals saved in her freezer at any given time), but my seedlings are growing strong. Things are happening at the Cigar Vault and on this blog. And, I'm wealthy in love, always.
Some favorite photos from this month:
