March - with maybe an tadbit of madnesss

March is disappearing fast. And spring has arrived - at least nominally. The past few weeks have felt quiet; mostly introspective and introvert time.

A few weeks ago Ket and I drove to the mountains in Vermont for a retreat.
5 hours in the car (each way) to think, breathe, and let the beauty of the mountains sink into me. I am truly a mountain girl - I had almost forgotten that this year. Growing up on the west coast, and spending four years in the Shenandoah valley, I should have remembered that bit about myself.  But I guess we endure where we are, forgetting what it is like to glow until we are reminded again. Being in the mountains again was a balm for my soul, a comfort I felt deep inside, and being on the ski slopes the next day brought a lightness to my spirit that I haven't felt in months. Hannah Shelly (our host and my ski buddy) joked that this was "retreaty" enough for an MVS retreat because we were finding God on the slopes - I wholeheartedly agree with that bit of banter.
Ket and I also had a day to relax, away from our computers, our work worries, and our plans for next year to read, laugh, and spend time together. It has wonderful. I read "The Red Tent" and remembered how convicted I can be by woman's lore, midwifes tales, and holistic, rhythmic approaches to living. I was also able to reflect on how thankful I am for the past 7 months with MVS and what I'm looking forward to in August when I will be setting my own course again. I came home thoughtful and refreshed.

Since getting back my life has been filled with questions of purpose, skype time with family and friends far away, and stories about demon fighting, vampires with souls, good vs. evil, and avoiding the impending apocalypse - again and again. I have been engrossed in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Angel - both created by the scifi director Joss Whedon in the late 1990's - early 2000's. This isn't exactly something I am proud of, but the character development, large ethical questions, and quest for purpose that perforates these television shows has been inspiring for me. As long as I am also living away from my computer screen, I hope that Buffy and Angel are not too damaging for my psyche.

I'm still hoping for spring. We get glimpses of it every so often, so I do believe it will eventually show up - if much later than I would like. Yesterday I had to be at a re-entry conference at the local college and so I took advantage of the above freezing temperatures to walk the mile into town. It was nice to be outside (if a little chilly still) and to be apart of the city in a way that I miss when I am only driving through town to work. The 4 cars that honked at me on my walk in were also a nice wake up call to what the privilege of driving provides me.