This March I started early with a Day of Practice at a beautiful nearby community retreat center.\u00a0 On March 1st me and 4 of my friends gathered with others for 6 hours of mindfulness and mediation.\u00a0 (Of course I invited my friends.\u00a0 All public events can be hijacked to serve my birthday purposes during Birthday Month.\u00a0 Just because it’s your<\/em><\/strong> retreat center doesn’t mean I can’t make it into my <\/strong><\/em>birthday celebration.\u00a0 Just watch me.)<\/p>\n There was some controversy about this, too.\u00a0 One of my friends called The Other Half ahead of time.<\/p>\n “I’m not sure she knows what she’s getting into,” she told him.\u00a0 “Does she know there’s no talking?\u00a0 No talking!'”<\/p>\n The Other Half was nonplussed.\u00a0 He had no idea what a Day of Practice was or that I had any plans to attend such an event.\u00a0 Generally, he has no idea what I am up to on the days that he is at work.\u00a0 Which makes for an eventful dinner discussion when he arrives home for the evening.\u00a0 I believe this is called “adding spice to your marriage” and it is highly recommended by marital therapists.<\/p>\n For the record, I am quite capable of sitting still and being quiet.\u00a0 When I’m reading.\u00a0 Or sleeping. Or….., um….huh.\u00a0 That might be it.\u00a0 I’d say I’m quiet when I’m working in the barn and garden, but really, there’s always someone following me around to talk to.<\/p>\n In any case, we had an incredibly lovely spring day….<\/p>\n and the meditation included both yoga and mindful walking in the relaxing practice space.<\/p>\n There was also “aimless wandering” around the bucolic property.<\/p>\n Plus, we only had to sit completely still and focused for a maximum of 20 minutes at a time.\u00a0 So I had an enjoyable and relaxing day despite the large amount of silence and the “essential speech only” lunch.\u00a0 (Shudder<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 I’m pretty sure it is “essential” to the discuss the delicious cookies and the seasoning in the carrot soup with your friends during lunch.\u00a0 Also, that silent lunch is just supposed to be for the bad kids misbehaving in the cafeteria.)\u00a0 Besides, I might have cheated a little bit by chatting with some friends during the aimless wandering. But that was also “essential”.\u00a0 Because as one of my friends pointed out gently, as we exited the practice room,<\/p>\n “Are you OK?\u00a0 I can actually feel<\/em><\/strong> you not talking.”<\/p>\n It’s so lovely to have that friends that really get you.<\/p>\n After all that mindfulness, it was important to check back in with the busyness and boisterous reality of everyday life.\u00a0 So when a friend invited me to her theatre group’s fundraising event at a local bar I made sure I was there to check it out.\u00a0 Remember every event is really about me <\/strong>during the Birthday Month.\u00a0 We noshed on Mexican food, sampled a few spirits,<\/p>\n and then went to pick her daughter up from dance class.\u00a0 Because you can run from your chauffeur duties during Birthday Month but you really can’t hide.\u00a0 Sigh.<\/p>\n Soon after that it was time for the peak of Birthday Month revelry.\u00a0 The annual and much-anticipated Beach Weekend.<\/p>\n For moms only.\u00a0 No kids, no husbands.\u00a0 No finding the empty roll of toilet paper still on the holder.\u00a0 Just sun, sand,….<\/p>\n and an oceanfront hut tub.<\/p>\n Oh, and massages for all.\u00a0 Plus, a day at the nail salon.<\/p>\n Even at the beach they were celebrating my birthday.<\/p>\n Or St. Patrick’s Day.\u00a0 Same difference.<\/p>\n Regardless, there was funnel cake and even a petting zoo.\u00a0 Best hijacked-event-for-my-birthday ever.<\/p>\n Of course, it wasn’t all about the parties.\u00a0 There were lots of awesome gifts during the month.<\/p>\n I got these socks from a friend at the mediation retreat.\u00a0 Which I immediately wanted to put on and wear around the practice room.\u00a0 Except it seemed a little off-message.<\/p>\n The kids got me an American beauty berry bush which I requested because I must, must, must have those branches of berries to add to winter wreaths and Christmas decor.<\/p>\n I bought myself an emergency digital television with a gift card from my brother.\u00a0 So that we’re never stuck without local news during an emergency again<\/a>.\u00a0 As long as we all sit quietly and listen to it.\u00a0 Because we’re sure as heck not going to be able to see anything on the 3.5″ screen.<\/p>\n There were intangibles, too.\u00a0 My parents watched the kids for me on the Day of Practice.\u00a0 And took me to breakfast at my favorite diner on my birthday.\u00a0 Because the free range eggs at my house are good, but they don’t come with cheese and hashbrowns all folded into a scrumptious omelet with pancakes on the side.\u00a0 I don’t know why the people at Grill Worx don’t realize that pancakes are a whole other breakfast, not<\/em><\/strong> a side item, but please, nobody tell them!<\/p>\n The next day the schools were canceled due to inclement weather.\u00a0 Since the roads were completely clear (go figure), we spent the day at the mall.\u00a0 The kids spent their Christmas gift cards at the stores and I used my Red Robin gift card to buy us all lunch afterwards.\u00a0 Which means we successfully traded in a cold drizzly day at home, with the kids begging to play Wii, for a day of shopping and lunch.\u00a0 Without even spending a dime.\u00a0 Oh, is there no end to Birthday Month goodness???!!!<\/p>\n On the random occasions when school was in session I also caught a few breaks.\u00a0 For example, Little was Johnny Appleseed in the annual Wax Museum.\u00a0 Johnny Appleseed!\u00a0 After years of borrowing or building astronaut costumes, hunting for acceptable cowboy attire, or tracking down prairie dresses, I was rewarded with the simplest get up of all: a flannel shirt, rolled up jeans, an apple, and a pot for his head.\u00a0 I had all of those things on hand, in the house, with about 3 minutes of preparation the night before Wax Museum.\u00a0 And now that Little is done, we’ll never have to do Wax Museum again.\u00a0 Happy Birthday to me!<\/p>\n To wrap up the Birthday Month we all went to one of my favorite places on March 31st.\u00a0 The zoo.<\/p>\n Which all means that for me, March came in like a lamb….<\/p>\n and went out like a lion.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/ruffledfeathersandspilledmilk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/DSCN3924-001.jpg\" "\\"DSCN3924-001\\"")
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