the heralding of Spring

I smiled to greet two Robin birds this morning, then a couple cardinals flittered about. I've been hearing woodpeckers lately, too. "Good morning, Robin, and good morning, to you, too, Robin."
It may have "snow showered" near me during the day today.

Last Saturday was a gorgeous day for the Old Town Alexandria St. Patrick's Day parade -- practically 70 F degrees outside. Many of us ditched our dance group's uniform sweatshirts, and donned our uniform t-shirts instead. It was my first day feeling more well than sick. This tradition meant I missed M's gig that day -- an hour long show at a retirement community. My favorite year "dancing" in this particular parade was in March 2002 -- when the flag from the Pentagon during 9-11-01 was brought out for the first time since, and flew / marched in the parade with us. What a huge honour.

This tradition of spending a day in Old Town, for we always eat as a group and then tour about, meant I missed M's gig. I rarely miss her gigs, and this one was a really good one. They danced an hour-long program at a retirement community. They even pulled out a couple good numbers from a while ago, in part because some props were in a warehouse between "Big Show" number 1, and tomorrow's "Big Show" number 2. Unfortunately, M's umbrella prop was taken by another dancer -- thankfully, she won't need it tomorrow as they'll do the rainstick number instead. She had a real good time performing for the crowd, and being with her friends.

The Sunday previous to that gave us our biggest snow accumulations all winter, frigid temperatures, and, well, me fighting an "attenuated" version of the flu. I was so ill that day, I thought I'd miss M's "Big Show" (professional Irish stepdance choreographed performance w/ her auditioned-for performing troupes combined w/ great professional photography). Phew, I made it, and they were awesome! Even if, oops, one of the rainstick props broke, and b-b's went all over the stage. As an audience member, I didn't notice it, nor did others around me. I was very proud, and I think that all the numbers worked out wonderfully. Of course. But, it's still great to see it all come to fruition.

This past week, M asked me why it was going to be a low of 37 F and a high of 67 F degrees, in one day.

Tis the season:)

Four Provinces Feis announced earlier this week that they have closed. M hasn't been to that one previously. Her 4-hand team will go, plus other friends from her dance school. I hear it's a nice one, so we're excited. Even if it's the last weekend in April, i.e., the same weekend as the Southern Maryland Celtic Festival (awesome with a Scottish bent), and Maryland Day (University of Maryland, College Park, which I hope to get to one year). Four Provinces Feis is in Pennsylvania, but I always thought it was in New Jersey. Oh. I hear it's near Philly. And I need to see about adding traditional set to M's list of competitions.....

Comhaltas / CCE Feis announced their tentative date for opening for registration, i.e., March 28th. Most likely, whatever date that feis does open, will also be the date it closes, based upon past years. Which is also the weekend that M's dance school will have a Riverdance star give master workshops (how exciting!) I need to get her signed up for THIS week, and the same weekend as one of my ceili/set dance group's annual Spring Fling dance weekend away in Shepardstown (sp), West Virginia.

Celtic Fling Feis has opened for registration -- even if the outdoors feis combined with a Celtic Festival is still 3 months away, i.e., June 27th with a kickoff concert always held the night previous, i.e., June 26th this year.

I've looked at having M attend the Grand Canyon Feis, in Arizona, but the weekend conflicts with the graduation of the class below M at her former Intermediate (middle / junior high) school. I've heard good things about the Cream City Feis coming up -- if only we could travel more to feis. Heck, if we could, the new feis in Hawaii sounds awfully lovely.......

In the interim, I'm checking out details for various gigs, and trying to keep track of costumes. Not all greens match, and when does she need black tights and when her white bubble socks, or her solo dress, and when do I need black socks and black top, or thick red sweatshirt? Oh, and does SO need to pick up the gold tiara for his daughter to borrow? She's between dresses, and is borrowing M's "old" green solo dress with gold sleeves. Elegant, older-styled velvet. She'll dance at Shamrock Fest, at RFK Stadium. I should see if he's going to "the" ceili tonight....... he often does. I'll get there after M's technical rehearsal at the theatre..... oh, and I need to wash her black jazz pants as she'd needed them for a school dance production. For some reason, google isn't letting me do paragraphs any more GRRRRRR! There are two big parades this weekend, a local town one that's so cute and special, and grown a bit each year, to a really large one, Baltimore's St. Patrick's Day parade. M danced on a moving float last year, and we're waiting to hear if floats are confirmed for this year, too. Three ceili's, one each tonight, Saturday, and Sunday. I heard that there's a fourth, but it's not fitting in. We know where different friends have gigs -- "Mom, do you remember [SR]?" He's a boy M and L used to call Cboy, nothing negative just descriptive, but a fellow feiser, who's progressed to being a feis friend and facebook friend. "Of course." "He's dancing for Obama." We're happy for him:) M is being asked to dance at her half-sister's school, and the timing seems to be better, but unfortunately, M can't -- she's having a test at the SAME time. (Ack, a test Monday? Okay, maybe she can study some backstage tonight or tomorrow, as she'll be there ALL day tomorrow for dress rehearsal before the show, nah, she won't study then........ tomorrow night, then. She wasn't going to that ceili, anyway, just the cast party. "Just." And a gig Tuesday along with a mini-ceili, and I think she won't join me at a gig on Wednesday at a senior center..... Other dancers in the school will cover the "big" country club gig this year, so, good. This is busy enough, but with balance, it's a lot of fun. Wishing you a very merry green season, and the joy of being able to celebrate our ethnic heritage (Irish were not always well thought of here in the states), or just a dance form / music style, we enjoy no matter the heritage. Cheers!