like a slow burn

March already. I can feel the shifting of the seasons every time I venture outdoors. I wish we could have a bit more winter! I enjoy being so connected to the earth and the cyclical nature of things. It's a grounding feeling. And I'm happy to see the back of February as it departs; that was a rough month for many people, for many reasons. Here's hoping that March is better for us all! For me, it means a return to my writing. I won't be freelancing like crazy like I was last month. It also means gardening time, and more reading time.
Are any of you reading anything great?
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I typed the above last night on my phone, on my commute home. I didn't get around to posting it. This morning I found out via Facebook that someone I was close to in college passed away in the end of February. I keep trying to write, to read, to focus on something, but I'm distracted by thoughts of him. He and I hadn't spoken in several years. I'd been thinking that during one of my visits home I would reach out and we would go for coffee, catch up. Now I'll never get to do that. What a strange thought that is. I'm sad for him, that he had to leave the world at a young age, and I'm sad for the gaping absence now in his family. I'll grieve for him as best I know how: I'll put him in a story. Sam, yours was a hard road, and you did the best you could. I hope your next road is easier to walk.

enough already!

When David Bowie passed away earlier this month, I wrote a blog post about it. And then Alan Rickman died. And the I scratched my cornea. And then a coworker passed away. And then I got a nasty winter cold. For each of these things, I thought about writing a blog post, and just never got to it. And now all I can really say is, what the hell, 2016? You're supposed to be better than your predecessor, but that was a pretty shitty start! The rest of this year better be an improvement. The bar is low. You can do it, 2016. SHEESH.
At least I'm feeling good about the writing end of things. I have two weekly online writing dates, plus the critique group, plus all my VP and WtO classmates to talk writing with/swap crits with/etc. Slowly but steadily, I do feel like I'm creating the life I want to be leading.
I've been doing a lot of cooking. Kale pesto, spinach pesto, banana bread, homemade granola, soups, vegetarian enchiladas . . . I'm trying really hard to use all the farm share produce and all the food my roommate brings home from her catering gig. It's been a little intense! But I'm really enjoying spending more time in the kitchen. There's something meditative about it, and it's totally different than anything else I've been doing.
And on that note, it's late, I should go to bed and hope tomorrow is an improvement, healthwise. Blood and kisses, everyone!

sad holiday

I just found out that one of my friends in NYC passed away quite suddenly yesterday. She was a good friend of my partner-in-crime. I wonder how her family and her children are holding up.
I don't know much about what happened. She had an aneurysm. I hope she got to have Christmas with her family first. I hope it was quick, and painless.
I don't really know what I want or need to say about this. We just got the phone call a couple hours ago. I was at her house last weekend. She gave me a Christmas gift.
I hope that I get to see her family soon and share the sorrow in the hopes that it will make it a shade easier for them to bear. And I hope that wherever she is, she's happy.