Bringing Joy

March has been a crazy month around here.   I sometimes forget how crazy March gets,  and then I’m in the middle of it and remember, oh yes, March . . . it’s crazy in March.

Here are some things that have been bringing me joy in the midst of the crazy:

• Live performances.  OK.  So I’ve already written about how we have been exceedingly busy with concerts this month, but in the midst of all the busyness, we have been able to be at so many amazing concerts!  My favorite might have been getting to see Amit Peled play a concert on Pablo Casals’ cello.  The cello performance was exquisite. We also got to see the Minnesota Ballet performance of Swan Lake.  Although my husband doesn’t care for the ballet, I have several kidlets who are  ballet appreciators around here, and I’m pretty happy to take them to the ballet.
• Mangoes in smoothies.  Yum.  I especially like mango/orange/strawberry smoothies.
• Black current jam.  I’m on my last jar right now, and worried because the place I picked black currents at is no longer open in the summers for berry picking.  Luckily, though, I have a big bag of black currents in my freezer waiting to become jam.  It is my favorite jam ever, and I have no idea what I will do when my berries are gone!
• Warm rice bags.  I love a warm rice bag around my neck in the evening.  And it makes me fall asleep fast and hard.
• The music classes I am teaching the past few weeks are based on the theme “nursery rhymes.”  Not only is it easy for me because I already know all the music and words, but a big side benefit is that all the elderly residents know all the words to the nursery rhymes too, and at one point I looked up and saw seven ladies with memory issues singing right along with us, every word perfect.  It is so joyful to see their minds perk up as they participate with the kids.
• The tile floor in the mudroom.  From July through early January our garage was in a state of construction upheaval as we had a contractor come in and do a major remodel the space into a glorious mudroom.  It felt like it would never be finished, but now it is!  I need to post some pictures to share with you.  Right now I am especially in love with the tile floor.  It is so easy to sweep and The Banana and Mr. TOF have actually fallen in love with mopping!  We haven’t had a floor in our house that was appropriate for mopping until now, and they get a big kick out of it.
• Tulips on my table!  A student brought me tulips this week, and tulips are my favorite flower.  I just love walking past them all day long.