I’ve been inspecting our new front yard trees – two desert museum palo verdes – for signs they are healthy after being transplanted in January. This past week I saw tiny new purple-red leaves, which will turn bright spring green, emerging from the tips of branches. I felt giddy. I’m eagerly awaiting the bloom of yellow flowers, set against green bark and a blue sky, that proclaims spring in the desert. But for now, a first hint of spring.
This month marks one year since I gave my notice at work ahead of quitting my full time job. Wow! I was so nervous about telling my boss, even though I knew she would be great about it. I didn’t like dropping such a big change on her and my team. I felt such relief when that talk was over. Now my “new” schedule isn’t so new although I still find myself stopping to appreciate the flexibility and time to produce exactly the content that I want to. I wrote a post several years ago now (so strange to be able to say that!) about how spring is a season of change for me. What’s so funny in reading that now is that within a few weeks of writing that I would have another big spring change: finding out I was pregnant with Cedric! I also have two really good friends going through or contemplating big changes in their work lives and it’s fun to relive the excitement that I went through, and even a bit of that fear, as they go through it, too.
The end of the school year, and my self-imposed deadline for a book proposal, is starting to loom. I have plenty to do on my book proposal but I’m also being smarter with my time this semester compared to last. It’s just taken me time to figure out my rhythm. I knew that would be the case even though I chafe against it; I like routine, efficiency, and predictability from the get-go. But I am learning to embrace the seasons of transition and after experiencing many see that new normals and routines do in fact emerge. Spring seems like an annual reminder of that. Things change but beauty often follows.
Big things happening in March:
+ Good friends will be in town, a concert with Chris, seeing Anne Lamott with friends. Fun things!
+ Spring break! The boys have one week plus the following Monday off. I’m looking forward to a low-key week. Plans include a kids movie at Alamo Drafthouse (we’re getting one in Gilbert soon!!) lots of park play time, Lego building, and maybe a trip to IKEA, among other things.
+ Chris takes a woodworking class. My ever-creative husband has taken up woodworking! To further his new passion he’s taking a two-week intensive class that will meet in the evenings and on one weekend day.
+ Gilbert Trader Joe’s opens! Couldn’t not include this, obviously.
March goals:
+ 9 p.m. bedtime. This is my March daily health challenge. It’s also the first challenge that will have several planned exceptions. Every Monday night I go to my High Fitness dance-cardio class and it lets out at 9 p.m. I’m also always up later than 9 for book club plus I have the few events mentioned above. But other than planned exceptions my goal is to have lights out at 9 p.m. I consistently get up in the 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. hour so I really need this sleep and feel so much better when I get it. Usually what keeps me up is reading which is better than scrolling on my phone or zoning out to television but I’d like to teach myself to put my book down a bit earlier.
+ Finish planning Dashiell’s SIXTH birthday party. The location is booked now I need to do invitations, decide on what cake to make, and his gifts. Also curious, how do you feel about birthday party invites with “no gifts please” requested? Personally I have loved getting those because it’s one less thing to do. We’d still happily accept gifts from family who I know will want to give something but these and gifts from us would be opened at a smaller family celebration.
+ Get feedback on my two sample chapter drafts. Chris is serving as my early editor and I’ve sent one chapter to him already. I’ll send him the second chapter next week.
+ Finish a draft of the credentials section of my book proposal. This section describes why I’m qualified to write this book.
+ Get quotes for backyard work. My vision for changes to our backyard is coming together and we might be able to do a portion of it relatively soon depending on price.
+ Evaluate the boys’ spring/summer clothes and buy what they need. The warm weather gets here fast!
What are you up to this month?
Happy March!
Goals – March 2012 (organizing my office and the laundry shelf is clearly just going to perpetually be on my list hahaha!)
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