It's building up now, heading for the grand moments

A big weekend for M is almost upon us, I saw us as I've been taking her to many rehearsals and classes, I make sure she has her things, and pay for them, I'll take her to the studio before dawn tomorrow (yawn!), help take tickets and sell snacks at her big show on Saturday.......   wish her fun for the parade on Sunday:)

If she didn't enjoy it, if she didn't want this, then, she wouldn't.   I could never push a child, my child, to do something optional (unless she'd made a commitment before changing her mind type thing).   Yet, she LOVES this:)

Crunch time is beginning, more e-mails back and forth, does anyone have full-length mirrors, and if so, can you bring them?  Yes, just like for last year.   The last costume came in last night, which looks lovely on M:)   Covered nicely, will show well on stage.  (Oh, will they need makeup for tomorrow a.m.?)

Tomorrow morning, M and her performing dance troupe will be live on a news station bit in the overall Washington/Baltimore area.  (Anyone in the area who wishes to know specifically what time and what station, please just e-mail me; I don't wish to post it publically.)   M is SO excited for it:)   She'll wear this new costume, too.

Tomorrow night, dress rehearsal!  Just, not makeup or hair done.   Typically, hair would be in wigs, but not for this "big show" on Saturday.   The auditorium seats 900 people, and last week, over 500 tickets had been sold, I think???   M is actually more nervous about THIS show.  Perhaps as they'll all be there in front of her.   One of the dances she is in, will be her Cross Reel figures dance, a traditional dance with four pairs of girls, that she and these other girls competited with in December's 2006 Southern Regional Oireachtas.

Saturday, a full show for just the video cameras, and then in front of the full live audience later.   Nicely, it's early enough, not like so many productions are, not too late like their recital nights will be.

Then, Sunday!, the big Baltimore St. Patrick's Day Parade, at 2:00 p.m.   This is what the particular news station wishes to lead into.   M's dance school will hold a party after, renting out a place downtown Baltimore, as per usual.   M will be with C and Sh, so hopefully, Si will wish to dance in the parade.   Typically, C won't bring M to any parades she's been able to be in, much to her dismay.   This year, she MIGHT be able to be one of the dancers on a float, in her solo dress, too.   Time will tell.   I took her one year, so at least she's gone in the past.   And, she went with me last weekend, to the one in Alexandria, even if Why Not? was closed early, as was Bird in a Cage, sigh.

I'm tired right now.  Juggling my father's needs (I so can't do for him everything he needs, even the things he can't do for himself, but, I' try to do what I can do, more shopping for him today, it's just getting it all done, ALL things done), making sure Daisy (and the cats) are not neglected.   Even if there are rehearsals going on, I always make sure Daisy gets a walk and fed and attention before the evening starts.  It's only fair.   Work.   Home life stuff.  Homework!  

Homework for today included M and her group presenting life as an Irish immigrant to other, younger, students in their Montessori school.   I was proud of her for having planned it sufficiently, that all that she personally had left to do last night, was pick up a few "Irish" stickers, and New York City, stickers, and we happened to find some nice Celtic cross stickers for the St. Patrick's Cathedral segment.  Naturally, a bit of garland, and some pencils to hand out, just HAD to be obtained, also.  LOL.

Next week, things will conclude.   There'll be another parade next Saturday, rehearsals and gigs and a mini ceili during the week, and of course a couple on Friday and a mix on Saturday (both M and I have turned down gigs ad conflicting with others), and two big ceili's (one M and V and another will dance step dancing in, maybe / maybe not with Si, also, cuz for some reason, neither C nor Sh can confirm with M).   The last one, we may skip.  Oh, *I* don't wish to miss it, it's with both of my adult ceili/set dance groups and a lot of fun, but, M may be burned out.   She'll get to decide.  There are always other ceili's.  

This year, M has not been asked to perform at school in any of the classes, which is a first.   She instead asked me if we could bring in an ice cream cake, as she saw that Dunkin Donuts makes one with a rainbow and pots of gold.   Ah, maybe:)

The rest of life doesn't stop.   I wish there were more celebrations for other ethnic groups, too.   Really only Chinese New Year (love those parades), and Cinco de Mayo, which I haven't seen a parade for, but I saw a Vive la Fiesta parade in Santa Barbara the summer of 1984 which coincided with the world's Olympics there, and Octoberfest's.  At least I understand a bit more now.   There were more German immigrants than any others, and then Irish.   This parade was originally an attempt to "fight" back, in a way, positively affirm the Irish  heritage against all the prejudice of the times back then.   I'd just like to have more opportunity to learn about OTHER groups, too, for all of us.

Enjoy your weekend, all:)

I could dance a jig!

Well, if I truly knew how.  It's likely best I not:)  I'm wearing M's NEW Irish stepdance hard / jig shoes to help break them in.   I tried a couple Irish dance steps I DO know, from ceili / set dancing, and almost slipped on the carpet.  (Dancers usually put duct tape on the bottom of the heels and tips specifically to avoid slipping and falling.)  Once I wore M's current pair while she practiced with her older pair.  We both just cracked up while I tried to do some of the fancy footwork I've seen others doing so often, so easily for them.

M so did NOT want a new pair.   M's TCRG (certified Irish step dance teacher), Ma, told M probably in January, that M's shoes needed new tips.   In addition to not sounding loudly enough to be appropriate, M pointed out to me some sort of other problem that occurred with them over time.  

And, to be honest, M's feet have finally grown more, so that we now wear the same size.  She also has a narrow back ankle like I do, and the width is on the narrow side.  (My feet at her age were AAA width.)   She can't wear Antonio Pacelli (sp), as their medium is too wide for M's feet.   I forget why Corr's Irish stepdance hard shoes didn't fit M's particular feet so well, or perhaps it was the style.  I ordered these directly from the New York store of Fay's Shoes, http://www.fayshoes.com which was down for a few days a week or so ago.   (Their main store is in the UK, just like the other Irish dance shoe stores are.)  These came fairly quickly, however, so I'm pleased.   There is a local dance store that carries some celtic-dance items, and we've ordered through her in the past.

But, M had broken in her current pair of hard shoes.  This new pair is comfortable, to me, yet admittedly, they do feel like shoes.  Even with the flexi-sole, which does bend, they'll need to conform more to M's particular pair of feet.  The girls go up on their toes, and the shoes will arch similar to ballet toe shoes.  It's really hard for me to bend them in quite that direction while wearing them.  I've heard of people putting them, bent, in dresser drawers.   M's current pair likely feels a lot more as if an extension of her feet themselves, soft leather.   I'll likely let her wear those for this weekend'sevents, she knows their feel, they conform to her even if a mite small now and the taps not loud enough; she won't have to think about it.   There's not truly time to break these in, yet, I'm excited them came in time, though, just in case.

The coworker who brought me over the box was curious.   So, excitedly, I opened it up to show her.   I tapped the shoes on the counter, how loud!, and she looked them over.   She's Chinese, and has not seen shoes quite like these before.   Yes, the heel is loud, but the toes also heavy and loud.  It's weird to feel something akin to a heel, also under my toes. 

The first jig I ever knew I was seeing,was one danced by my late grandfather.  His son, my father, doesn't care for Irish or Scottish music.  (My mother is primarily Scottish, with some Irish, so I'm both.)   I had to seek out this music community on my own, and still have a LOT to learn.  So, Grandad thought a moment, then decided he'd best support himself between a sturdy doorframe.   He was elderly at the time.  Arms are usually kept straight (think of the man in the movie, Babe, except Grandad didn't dance for THAT long).   Grandad instead put his hands on the doorframe, and kicked up his legs, telling me that this is what a good Irish jig is.

Sometimes, I imagine how proud he could be of M now, or that there I was, dancing in that big parade last Saturday, um, dancing I should say.   I have some relatives who enjoy Irish music, but none in the US that I know of, who play or dance to it, other than M (and my laughable but serious attempt to learn how to play a pennywhistle).  

Update:   Dancing Shoes the third style down are the ones that I ordered for M.   The ghillies, or soft shoes, are supposed to fit "like a glove," very similarly to ballet slippers.  (I just realized, she likely could use a new pair of those, too, yet, they stretch more readily.....  hmmm, when did we get her last pair?)

Their home page shoes examples of dresses and poodle socks, too. 

Each Irish step dance school has a specific dress, the "school" dress, and then once a female dancer is at a particular level, she can chose to wear a "solo" dress in competitions and other events.   Anyone wishing to see the dresses M and her school wears, may e-mail me, or check out my previous entry, (let me figure out how to add that).....  M at feis / Si' first feis

Tags: Irish jig, Irish step dance shoes, hard shoes, breaking in dance shoes

Today is Wednesday, must mean snow

Today, Wednesday. Must mean snow as it almost always snows here on Wednesdays once our springtime in January ended and winter February began.

Once I decided I'd actually get up and stop rubbing Billy's belly and scratching Liberty's neck, I peeked outside. Ha, just as I'd guessed. From the bed, the limbs still looked, well, brownish black. No snow! And, not snowing.

I surprised myself by telling Indie, "It's winter outside." Didn't I just talk of spring? "No, boy, not today, you're crazy, it's winter outside." I hold him briefly outside, let him see and smell. It didn't seem so bad.

Not until Daisy and I started walking, did the snow start sprinkling down. It's not windy today. A spring bird is chirping a song as if of hope. I wish I could identify it from the sound, yet my hours bird call studies and birding walks failed me this morning. My "ear" isn't that good, much to my dismay.  Other noises seem muffled, as if the cloud cover provided insulation.

Uh-oh. I saw two people, hmmm, boys, older boys, both wearing backpacks, walking AWAY from the direction of the high school. Were they skipping school, were they grabbing some coffee before their particular first class, or, egads, I didn't even bother checking, were schools closed?!

The one young man is wearing two t-shirts, layered fashionably with a short-sleeved one over a long-sleeved one. The other has on a heavy-looking sweatshirt. What IS it with youth and not wearing winter coats? lol    I hear more birds.

Even if it IS extra bitter cold, windchill of negative 35F degrees, in northern New England. (A quote from a teen in the aol welcome page rather sums it up, as reported by William Kates "It's the wind. It's so cold it hurts. You see the sun shining and it doesn't look like a bad day but then as you're walking you get hit with this blast and you can't breathe," said Ben Nestor, 17, who was huddled with four friends waiting for a bus in downtown Syracuse.  "We came downtown to eat lunch.I wished we had stayed home. My legs are frozen," he said.)    Sometimes, it's good to live in Maryland :)

Besides, M and I have things to do tonight, dance related, of course!, including picking up a costume needed for "Big Show" and t.v. show.  Let her know that M's dance teacher / TCRG Ma, officially invited M to be on the figures team in December's Oireachtas in Atlanta!

Hmmm, maybe 1-3 inches of snow, likely less HERE. Eh, at least she has school:) Those boys scared me momentarily, but, I checked just in case.  Enjoy, all, have a very blessed day wherever you are, staying warm.

Update -- another young man from the same high school was wearing a large heavy coat, even if the snow had stopped by then, restarted by now mid-morning.  Still light snow.   It's pretty, and, life goes on.

Tags: snow, cold, winter coats

Two by Two

Nods to Becky.  I can do this one, there are only simple questions and two at a time!  :)  Justmary answered a long reflective survey in two parts, too long of one for me albeit informative..... 

The mommy Amy at Two by two snagged this one of Becky's from Marie (with potato pancakes that look scrumptious, link to Marie's Muses in the Two by Two link), and I took this from another mommy Amy's private journal  Becky's 2x2 , who also has the public journal about her journey with Sam, highlighted on the left.

Two Names You Go By:

1.  Robin and my middle name (which I like better)

2.  Mom

Two Things You Are Wearing Right Now:
1. a pink long sleeved shirt

2.  dusty-pink clogs

Two Things You Would Want (or have) in a Relationship:
1. Honesty and Respect (okay, two in one)
2. Love

Two of Your Favourite Things to do: (oh, is Becky from the UK, she spelled it favourite!)  Not in order:
1. Be outdoors (preferably not in bitter cold)

2. Dance (what a surprise!)

3.  Read

4.  Spend time with M (so I added two to two)

Two Things You Want Very Badly At The Moment:

1.  To have already gone to the grocery store (with dinner ready, too, as I'm getting hungry plus I need catfood).

2.  Sleep.

Two pets you had/have:
1 and 2.   Robbie, an orange tabby my aunt Vesta named after me, whom I had along with his mother Erin, theee sweetest dilute-white calico.  I got Erin when I was in college at the University of Maryland, so from a shelter nearest the College Park campus.   I was told she was too young to be spayed, wait about 2 months.   She was just little for her young age, the shelter had had to guess but were wrong.   At least she seemed to like the daddy! :)   Robbie was one of four, the only male the first to learn how to crawl up steps and explore.

Robbie taught Erin how to go play outside (my cats now are all indoors, I'm in a condo, not then).   He'd often bring me presents he'd caught, once, 3 nights in a row.   Erin was observant.   She came in my bedroom window the next summer evening, carrying a bottlecap in her teeth.   Erin gave me that bottlecap, and so I fussed over her even more than I'd fuss over Robbie for every one of his presents.   Erin seemed very pleased, and felt no need to try this gaming thing again. 

I'd left them at my father's when I moved into our own place, infant M and me.  My brother was living with Dad at the time, my dad "okay," a nice house and large lawn with fields behind them.   Robbie once spent literally hours watching behind the couch while Doug read.   Doug finally moved the couch a bit, and let Robbie get that mouse.  

Then Erin got hit by a tree that fell during Hurricane Bertha, or so Doug told me (was it really a car?)  He buried her before I could see her.   Doug was going to move out, so with Robbie acting depressed, I took him back.  M was old enough then, I figured.   Ah, Robbie boy, lived with us until he was 20 and had cancer.  At age 18, the vet said that Robbie had the body of a 12-year old, or something like that.  He'd sit on our patio and the dogs would strain at their leashes, or even run away scared.  LOL.   I was known as Robbie's Mom, until we got Daisy.   I knew Robbie wouldn't live years longer, M so wanted a dog, I let them overlap.   Somewhere, I have a photo of jumpy puppy Daisy and mellowed RobbieBaby touching noses.  I did let Doug know when M and I went to bury Robbie in the backyard there, by his mom, and Doug actually came and I think tried not to cry.

WHO ELSE WILL DO THIS SURVEY:  

1. Sharon if she reads this entry; Mike if he's in the mood to; Dan if he ever returns from his hiatus, maybe; hmmmmm, not so sure Fred or Mary will, no threat of puppies dying on this one. ;)

2.  Surprise me..........

Two things you did last night:
1. Read physics of avalanches and physics of skiing with M, after we ate dinner, partially during dinner, too, I suppose.

2. Danced two! dances with my favorite dancer, E, (North Kerry Set and Clare Lancers), and a few other fun dances, 6-hand Fairy Reel, 4-hand Reel, and Siege of Ennis, in a rehearsal with my ceili/set dance group.

Two things you ate today:
1. Breyer's blueberry yogurt

2. asparagus

Two people you Last Talked To:
1. Boss as he wrapped up his day earlier (he goes on a golfing vacation, sure hoping it's not nearly as windy there, and that he gets out of town before the snow comes here!  he will).

2. Two coworkers.  One was WhinyGuy saying it's possibly the coldest day all year in Maine, and a bit jokingly that last year on his interview here March 10th there were daffodils blooming.   I told them that this year, they started budding in January, and that it's not yet Saturday (which is March 10th).  He did finally concede that it's a good day for wearing a coat, just not go far enough to say it's cold here.   Uh-huh.

Two Things You're doing tomorrow:
1.  Seeing my missy M!   Helping her be certain to have her homework done for Thursday (two projects).

2. Oh, perhaps going to a lenten class at noon I almost forgot about and I forget each year as the particular day itself rolls by.   It can be on my calendar, I can remember that morning, but noon is somehow so early in the day to be someplace for.  It's for 4 weeks.  In theory, I can do this.  In reality, I'm tired.   Where's the time?   I should make the time.   Can I do this and stop home, too?  Sigh.  Or, I'll visit Dad most likely as I'm not sure I will tonight, needing the grocery store trip first and all.

Two longest car rides: 

1. Maryland to Maine, and back.   Actually, it feels longer coming back.

2. Maryland to Illinois, and back.  Too long.

3. Los Angeles, California, to Portland / Eugene, Oregon (with stops along the way).  So I've added one.  Shoot me.  It was beautiful.  My dad's big adventure with Doug and me after my parents divorce.  My uncle Dan, lived in El Segundo (near LA), and my aunt, Beth, and uncle Len, lived in Eugene at the time, Ian just a toddler then.   Now he's about to marry, and if M and I can go, it won't be via car. :)

Two Favorite Holidays:
1. Christmas

2. Independence Day, in part as it's M's favorite, and somehow, that has me enjoying it more again, too.   It's the holiday for almost everyone (in the US), really, and I've enjoyed it in different scenarios and states, from the beaches of/near Santa Barbara, California, to the stands of Beech Ridge Speedway in Maine, and all those years with M..... it IS quite close to her birthday.

Two favorite beverages:
1. Chai tea latte's apparently, at least this past winter.

2. Flavored waters.

3.  If talking alcoholic drinks -- I don't drink much, but when I DO, a GOOD beer, or a gin and tonic with lime.

Tags: surveys

M's Fun Irish Immigration Facts

Irish Immigrant:  Fun Facts by M (with notes by me)

1. President John F. Kennedy’s grandfather was an Irish immigrant.
2. Annie Moore, a young girl from Ireland, was the first immigrant processed at Ellis Island.  (note: She came escorting her younger brother, their parents already there waiting in New York City.  There is a statue for her at Ellis Island.)
3. Between the years of 1880 and 1924, 9,000,000 northwestern Europeans immigrated to the US; this included the Irish.
4. Most northwestern Europeans, including the Irish, immigrated between 1881 and 1900.
5. There are 20,575,998 Irish people living in the United States today.  (note:  I don't know how recent a resource M used, recent but perhaps a year or 3 old)
6. The top three states that the Irish lived/live in are New York, California, and Pennsylvania. *(I have not seen this listed elsewhere but in M's notes.   I wonder if she read the stats for Germans instead, or?)
7. The children and grandchildren of people born in Ireland can obtain dual citizenshipwith the US and Ireland.
8. Most Irish immigrants stayed in New York while other ethnic groups moved to other parts of the US in search of different jobs, particularly to Boston.
9. At one time, there were more Irish living in New York City, New York, than in Dublin, Ireland.
10. The Irish are the 2nd largest nationality group to immigrate to America.  (note:  Unlike many other nations, Ireland had many women emigrate alone, as well as men.)
11. Irish males provided much of the labor needed to construct railroads, canals and roads. 
12. The Know-Nothing party particularly hated the Irish.
13. NINA (No Irish Need Apply) signs were often posted near “No Dogs Allowed” signs in past centuries.
14. Today, Irish immigrants with their white skin and English-speaking skills, are more likely to find ready employment than immigrants of some other countries.
15. note:  many of the Irish were the first to live in "slums," per what I've read of M's research and her resources.

 

Tags: Irish immigration

Because I'm Mom, and Mom is cold.

The one television meteorologist said that winds are up to 41 MPH today, another one said 44 MPH, making it approximately 1F degree outside with the wind chill factor.  

Earlier, Daisy was in a mood to move it this morning for her walk, so we walked and speed walked.   I'm glad she wasn't in a sniffing every little blade of grass and tree and the air mode, as I then don't move enough to stay or get warm.   I felt warm inside, not bone-chilling cold, yet my face was feeling windwhipped, getting chapped and colder.  Sometimes, I have to have my fingers exposed, my mittens altered to fingerless gloves, and yes they were feeling rather frozen.

I thought of my whiny coworker, who complained earlier this winter that it was not cold.   How it was x degrees colder in Maine right then.   And it was.  And Maine was, and is today, comparatively, colder.   I've lived in Maine, too.   I think he expected empathy from me.  Yet, it was in the single digits in Maryland the day Whiny Guy was complaining.  "Yes, it IS colder in Maine, but it is still cold here, it's below freezing, that is cold."  He persisted.  Wind chill calculations are not something he believes in, "Because, let's face it, who goes outside in this weather with skin exposed and wind chill factors are based upon how the temperatures feel on exposed skin....."   I offered for him to walk my dog in the mornings before he goes to work:)   He did decline.   Even if this morning, very cold and brisk even through to my legs, it felt good to really walk and move, and I'm not fully certain I'd have traded for anyone else to have taken that time.

Inside, I drink my chai tea latte, fixing M's hot chocolate and our meals.  "I want you to wear a sweater AND your coat today, honey." 

She'd continued to talk excitedly yesterday about a math project, read her seminar papers on the physics of avalanches and of skiing (and had me read them, ask her questions to get her talking and thinking), told me at least twice that she'd be painting the backdrops today for their upcoming play.  But, this morning, not moving, not going to school, having Daisy just stay cuddled by, was M's preference.  Even with the heat on quite toastily, and her hot chocolate du jour, "arctic white."   She's outgrown yet another pair of pants, but the sweater fits, yeah, and she likes it:) 

(I'm just happy that her solo dress is still long enough!  Um, I think.)   I'd checked my e-mail just in case the notice came out, stating which morning this week M and her dance troupe will be on a morning television show.   It's not there, so we re-talk about how to handle logistics if it's on for first thing tomorrow morning.  M seemed a bit anxious.  Her costumes, where are her shoes, anyway, and that if C can't/won't drive her, I am willing to.     "ppppppppppppppppppllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! she had written me, lol.   M gets her camera to show photos from New York to C, Sh, and Si.   She also took some GREAT shots from Saturday's parade!   I asked her not to delete any of those.  I forgot to send along the class photo I'd bought for C to have.   I mention to M that maybe she can take photos today, too.   M brightened, "I can take pictures of us painting the backdrop." 

M puts on the backpack, gets her coat.   "M, I think you'll want to wear your coat outside this morning."   It was quite warm Saturday, a beautiful day for a parade.   Colder yesterday.  Today, she needs that coat.   She declines to.  Walking to my vehicle, "See it's not that cold out."   Did she not catch a windy moment or what? 

"Here are my dance sneakers, oh, and back here are my dance shoes."   "Okay, good."  I know where her dresses and costumes are, and now, after dropping off M, I know that her t.v. show performance will NOT be tomorrow which makes life easier.  M talked more about various photo op ideas, and how it's hard for her to sit with her backpack still on her back.   Ah, yeah, I think so.  M gets out of the truck with a goodbye, and without her coat.   "M, take your coat."  Reluctantly, she does, without an attitude or expression, perhaps with a slight sigh, along with the bag of clothes for her dads.

She'll wear the coat or not wear it, but by golly, on a day like today?  The wind was too much for her yesterday outside at The Barn, visiting Chance but otherwise staying inside.   Yesterday, it was windy enough that I could feel it blowing my relatively stable truck.  It may snow tomorrow.   Of course it may snow tomorrow, it'll be a Wednesday.  She's at least taking the daggone thing :)

 

Tags: preteens and winter coats, windy days

Tis the Season (To Be Green)

It's March.  The mail courier wears short sleeves today; I was feeling too warm in a shamrock t-shirt and spring-green polartec I had to unzip.   A bit of rain this morning, hopefully it'll hold off tomorrow.   Green, green, green......  still spots of solid ice Daisy and, okay, *I* slipped on this morning.   I tell a coworker that I think this can count as spring, after she comes in, sighing that it's in the 60F's outside.  Coworker, "We can declare it official Spring."   Even if my aunt in Maine told me it's snowing quite a bit there today, even if I hear my aunt in Seattle got snow last night.   Ahhh, tis time for wearing of the green, in earnest, then.

M and I have been booked fairly solid with her Irish step dance rehearsals for "big show," but also for rehearsals for St. Patrick's "Day" gigs (and recital later), and class, and my rehearsals, and, well, I skipped class this week.   I danced, a bit under the weather, but enjoyably, at a St. Patrick's parade fundraiser.  

This week, 4 nights worth of several-hour rehearsals for M, in part to make up for this past Sundays rehearsal cancellations (weather).   Long, but she's smiling and enjoying them, not wanting to miss any.  The dancers tend to hang in the main dance room, some with homework spread out (M did her algebra one night that way), watching each others dances, the fine-tuning of the choreography, the dancing, the music.  The lighting specialist was there the past 2 nights, so every dance was run through, a costume per dance shown, too. 

Except for "knock-knock," whose costumes have not arrived yet.  The background for "knock-knock" will be photos of various doors, popping up and disappearing on the screen in time to the music.  The dancers also use drumsticks (which M has found hard to keep track of, finally just leaving hers at the studio along with some backup ones there).   This is a new dance this year, started on the night co-dancer Amy died in an undertow, developed to this fantastic number.   I hope, in some ways, that it honors her spirit, too.

Tomorrow, though, we'll celebrate.  It's one of thee favorite days for M and me.  We'll join in festivities, green everywhere, gaudily so at times, decorated dogs even (sometimes, dogs will wear spraypainted shamrocks), beaded necklaces, "kiss meI'm Irish" buttons, waving of mini-Irish flags that somehow don't last to the following year intact, and all sorts of merriment.  

There are two BIG St. Patrick's Day parades in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore area.   One is in Old Towne Alexandria (tomorrow's).   The other is the Baltimore parade, next Sunday, March 11.   There is also a Washington, D.C., St. Patrick's Day parade, which is fun and fine and we've been to often (I believe it's also next Sunday, March 11 this year), and only a few "town" ones that I'm aware of, one in a town nearby us, that is being held on March 17th itself! this year, which my main ceili/set dance group is in, and M's stepdance school has been in, but has conflicts this year for one thing.

Parade Info is for Olde Towne Alexandria's parade, or, go here:  2007 Alexandria Saint Patrick's Day Parade - Saturday, March 3, 2007   They have a dog show beforehand.   M has school friends, brother and sister pair, who always go with their parents who are college friends with a business owner there.   In March, 2002, the first time "the" flag from the Pentagon was seen in public since Spetember 11, 2001, it "marched" in the parade, as did M and I with my group.   I loved that:)   Of course, "the" flag was way way in front of us, but hey, I still feel honored and humbled by it.  One year recently, the now Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley was the Grand Marshall.  

Last year, M originally fussed about being with us, even walking with us, holding a banner which she sometimes likes, it's not step dancing.  No, it's not.   She's not with HER group.  No, her Irish stepdancing group doesn't do this parade, other groups do.   She was being an 11.5 year old not certain about hanging with Mom and the group that she was now seeing as Mom's group (even if it'd been her group, too, and she got ME started in it).   Other mothers smiled and told me not to worry, which I didn't, and that they wouldn't push M to participate, after realizing encouragement didn't work.  M found her friends watching along the route, however, and I agreed for those parents to keep an eye on her.  The boy thought it really cool M had been in it.  I went back after our group was done parading, chatting with the parents, and M, and us watching the rest of the parade.  Another daughter competes in Scottish step dancing, so I promised I'd look for that girl when M and I went to the Southern Maryland Celtic festival later last year (last weekend of April, typically, big Scottish-bent Celtic festival, piping competitions and Scottish dancing competitions, one of the better ones).   We didn't see her while there, but at the Irish parade last year, it felt like another fun connection.

The Irish stepdance groups who "parade" are sometimes on flatbeds so that they can dance without marching-dancing.  (M's dance school does both, depending upon the parade itself, sometimes marching a parade march, and sometimes the performing troupes dancers on a flatbed in solo or school dresses.)   One of the last groups to go at this one are trucks from the Alexandria Fire Department.  They give out GREEN plastic fire hats:)  Somehow, those don't last through the year, either, so we try to get one.  Especially useful on years it rains more than a mite.

We joined my dance group for lunch, they always go to the same restaurant annually, then M and I "shop."   We may not come home until evening, but there's a great kids store ("Y Knot" may be the name), and "our" ice cream shoppe with homemade ice cream with outrageous prices (but very good).   We'll go by the water (Potomac River, looks into DC), and perhaps the oh, hmmm, there's a large building there with a lot of art in it, and artists workshops.   It's a wonderful town, Alexandria is.  We'd enjoy hanging out there other days, also.  Pricey.   Even the garages charge on SATURDAYS, ugh.  But, I recall M smiling, eating something we'd gotten for dinner, sunsetting outside.   There are specific places she believes we visit annually, forgetting that occasionally she's with her father the weekend of this parade.  That's okay. 

M could have gone skiing tomorrow (okay, I'd have to have had money to afford it, being I not only bought M a beautiful (used) Irish step dance solo dress recently, AND just ordered her new hard shoes).   She could have had a sleepover tonight at a friends, and I would have her do that if M had a rehearsal scheduled for tomorrow, also.   Friend and mother (MegMAID) was happy to have M stay over.  "What's Saturday, Mom?"   "It's the Old Town Alexandria St. Patrick's Day Parade."  "This is the one with the little teeny cars?"   Twice, my ceili/set dance group has been placed somewhat nearby a charitable men's group (Kiwanis????) with their wonderful mini "cars."   When a younger girl, the guys would hand out stickers to children and M got to sit in one of the cars, play in it.   I'm happy that she's come to treasure "our" annual day together.  I look forward to tomorrow, even suggesting in her "spare" time, contacting her friends to see if they'll be there again, too.

I'm pretty certain I know where BOTH of our sweatshirts are, for my Irish ceili/set dance group.  I can guess where my other "attire" is, lol.   I've been so caught up in M's costumes, not focusing on my own which is MUCH simplier and doesn't vary from dance to dance, just from type of performance.   (It's group t-shirts for the warmer parades!)   M has her green/white/orange belt ready:)   Not sure if she'll wear the group attire, or just celebrating Irish heritage attire.   Maybe this trip to New York City and her studies of immigration helped her understand more just what many ethnic groups struggle with, and cherish, upon immigrating here.   Eh, tis okay either way.  It'll be "our" day again.

May the wind always be at yer back, the sun shine upon your fields, yadda yadda, insdert pleasant supposedly Irish traditional blessings here,  and may you be in heaven half an hour after the devil knows you're dead ;)  

For a couple local events, one I've never attended, Shamrock Fest, probably as tickets are $90. and up! but in the spirit (Flogging Molly is playing this year) -- St. Patrick's Day Celebrations Around Washington, DC

Or, if you hear someone insist that s/he knows how St. Patrick's Day is celebrated "properly," lol:  blog.myspace.com/dudewheresmytuna

Tags: St. Patrick's Day parades, St. Patrick's Day festivities, Irish dancing