cold ceili night, hot ceili evening, beginner's ceili fun

Last Saturday night was my main ceili/set dance group's costumed barn ceili.   This is what I wrote but couldn't get entered to my journal for the Cold Ceili Night:

I'm SOOO tired now, thankful for an extra hour.   I slept 2-3 hours extra this MORNING, didn't even wait until afternoon when I felt like a nap again but ignored it.   Finally admitted, alright, I am sick not worn out, clues included too much sleeping this week, waking up normally even.   Too dark out, but I wasn't tired.
The ceili was great:)   This family has a large property with a barn they've converted half of into an office.   He sells artwork; she's a dancer.   That part was heated, and the upstairs opened up so some heat got into the barn.  The four musicians played up there, the acoustics actually pretty good.   The floor perfect for dancing, my red shoes not even looking red by the time I got home:)   Somehow, I never changed into my dance shoes.   I did occasionally put my coat back on.

I didn't think I'd dress up, didn't feel inspired to blah blah, but it started sounding exciting after talking with a few friends.   I went into M's closet of dance items and the large plastic bin with dress up and costume ideas.   Maybe something would work.   When M was a toddler, my aunt Beth and uncle Len sent M a black fake-fur headband with soft ears and a red bowtie with white polka dots on it, along with a Minnie Mouse pillow case.   Grabbed the white headband with large beaded unicorn horn on it that I'd gotten her, also.   Hmmm, what the heck -- M's Minnie Mouse costume from last year was hanging there, taken out with her Tinkerbell costume she's wearing this year and sent on with M to her dad's.   Oh my the MM one actually fits, mostly, short-waisted but as Minnie Mouse, that still works.   Made it a bit festive, really, fitting in more, too:)

Windy night, clear sky with visible stars and no cloud cover.   I pulled on jeans under the dress before I went home.   When dancing, though, I'd warm back up, my hands last.   We were cracking up on the 4-hand reel -- I see M do this weekly and yet somehow I still forgot the entire figure that my group does not do in performances.   Seems we all forgot!   The waltzes were fast ahhh but still a waltz:)   I could float away on a waltz..... The "Father" told me he'd not danced with a mouse before, and I told im I'd not danced with a priest before.   (Wait, I dated three guys who bacame pastors, did I dance with any of them?)   "Well, not a Catholic one."   I also waltzed with a Rabbi, who I first thought was an Amish man except the curls were to be the giveaway.   I could float away with E, my favorite of dancers.   We danced two together, Siege of Carrick which many couldn't remember lol, and the concluding Cashell Set that was fun.   He's smooth, he's a fantastic dancer and in a style I love.   I just try to relax and move along with him, or as he leads me, keep up with the fancier things he throws in and when swinging, just relax into it, and swing (fast).   A girlfriend of mine pulled me into Sweets of May, lol, I told her she owed me!   M and I both dislike that one, for in performances and rehearsals, there are such dour faces for Sweets of May.   Then again, guys and others were also dancing it tonight, having fun.   North Kerry set wait, I feel as if I danced that one with E, also, did we get THREE in?   NO one seemed to be sweating tonight.   A few guys were wearing wigs of long hair and two kept having trouble, playing with the length, finally I put E's into a ponytail which he was quite grateful for.   I swear it looked like an Ozzy Osborne then.  

SO's former girlfriend whom had been one of his best friends wives, but SO got so emotionally close with her, that SO broke it off with me and she and her husband broke up (headed that way, anyway, admittedly).   She and I are fine, even if I'd not had a chance to chat with her or dance with her since SO and her broke up, so this was nice to do both briefly, a short bit, and then across from each other in the 6-hand fairy reel.   Last local ceili I got to, her STBXhusband was there, and he felt awkward at first, but I got to say I was sorry to hear of their breakup, and really, he and I were both the jilted parties.   I suppose I'm fine with all three then.

YAWN.   I wish I'd reached M -- I had to call there three times before I got past some message asking me for my mailbox #or press star (hmmm could I have listened to their messages but I don't want to, just want to leave one, reach M).   I talked about the horse show, certainly they've seen the brochures this week for it, her clothes for it, yet C will simply ignore if it's not brought up........   I feel for her and just hope she'll stay growing stronger about talking with him about what things she wants.  

I'm so tired, I'm not feeling super well, but I'm feeling great, too.  I love dancing!

Then Sunday, yes, another ceili SUNDAY, I hadn't been to even a mini-ceili since summer, and now two in one weekend.     

Sundays ceili, by my other dance group, was held in conflict with a fundraiser my main dance group was asked to perform for, and many did.   I knew I need to just DANCE, both would be fun, but to the ceili I went.   I'm smiling to think of it now -- different musicians from Saturday, all good ones.   E stated his costume was Ozzy Osborne this time, instead of a "I don't know," and he and another friend of mine who dressed as a (male in drag) witch, both won, lol.   I'd spent a long time at my father's, squeezing in extra work I'd neglected during the week.   No costume for me, not even dressing up like I normally do for this one.  Jeans and a red "snow angel" t-shirt, lol, but I was thrilled to know I'd be dancing Lancers with P to conclude the ceili, and some other one with E.   A new woman from my main group was there, so I talked with her some, helped get her paired nicely for a couple dances.   We have a potluck dinner there, yum.   Some of course still pig out, some eat healthily with some snacking.   Danced a few with women, no biggie, better to dance than not, eh?   Good people.   I only know P from this group, yet a couple years ago when we figured out we like each others dancing style, and that we have just downright fundancing together, that we click, we'll seek each other out (usually he spies me).  I finally figured it out, we often dance the Lancers together, perhaps always.   Nicely, these groups know that dancing with others isn't a "hitting on" others, it's dancing.  He, like others, certainly choses favorite dances with his wife, like I would do with SO when he and I were a couple, or the two times BJ joined me for an Irish dancing outing.   P and I will be partway through Lancers when we really get flowing with it, it's fast, it's exhilarating, and we move so well together.   That "high" must be like a runner's "high," it makes it all so worth the while.   The Christmas' (joining in a circle and spinning everying around), and the lineups are highlights of the Clare Lancer's.   And, yes, a fair amount of sweating at this ceili:)  lol   Some guys will change their shirts.  Having gum or mints helps, too, after eating -- we can get close enough to breathe off of each other at times.   As always, this one ends with a playing of the Ireland national anthem, and then the US one (with singing).

Tomorrow will be a dance school ceili -- mostly stepdancers and their families, only some of them familiar with ceili and set dances.   M is SO excited, hoping a couple of her friends will come.   I've helped advertise it.   M wanted to dance Irish stepdancing since she sat on the edge of her seat at 2 years old for thee entire Riverdance performance.   Lacking any too close that I knew of, I started her in my ceili / set dance group and joined her.  Now she's moved on to the stepdancing.   But, we can both do these on Saturday:)   It is good to be able to share some thing.   She doesn't believe her dad will come, can't imagine him coming (he has typically not been too pleased M was doing Irish dancing, another reason to ease her in, and yet now Si is, also, who has zero Gaelic blood in her, not that it matters but it may to him).   Then, M says, maybe they'll bring Si.  AH, yes, never bringing M, but perhaps Si.  Whatever.   It's still something M and I can share with, while knowing others.  I'd asked another parent if she'd be up for the 4-hand, and she is!   (I'd practiced it in my class on Tuesday, while M was over a friends, so should do it correctly this time, ha, then again, I'd be in good company if I don't.)   I've gotten the names of the musicians, so I can advertise this, but I don't know which dances there will be.   Ah well.

Sanity.  I got to my father's on Sunday, after the chilly evening ceili, and the morning hours spent at the barn waiting for M to show for the horseshow and bringing her boot straps, etc., (he didn't bring her), then hours at church in the nursery and talking with others.   It was chilly but warm enough.   I felt human again:)   For me, going dancing, and going to church, helps keep me sane.   Guess I should remember that.  Heck, it was actually nice to just talk, socializing talk, while I spent probably an hour sweeping Dad's family room carpet.   In the midst of the "have to do's," remembering the "make life sane and worth living" do's, too.

Tags: ceili, Irish dancing