Spring is in full bloom in Central Virginia, here are a few things that are making mine happy and busy;

Compost!

My current obsession with compost makes me feel both dorky and old in the best possible ways.

 

I grew up with compost (separating food waste from landfill trash) and have always made half-ass attempts to compost since moving away from home (16 years ago).  The separating is easy, it’s the turning (aerating) and the adding “browns” that I’ve always failed at.

This year is different!

Instead of a homemade, makeshift pile, I bought a manufactured composter (the black thing above).  The rolling barrel makes it easier, tidier, and more fun to turn and aerate so I am doing it regularly (every few days at least).

Adding “browns” is crucial to making good compost, especially considering that my scraps are predominantly eggshells and coffee grinds.  We don’t have the correct trees on our property to collect leaves from so this year I finally got it together to grab a few bags from around the neighborhood.

After spending too much money at the garden supply store a few weeks ago on soil I am super excited and motivated to make my own “brown gold”.

Which naturally leads me to…

The Garden!

Ahhhhhh, that sweet spot where everything is flourishing, you don’t have to water everyday because it’s raining regularly, and garden fresh vegetables taste like pure goodness after a long winter of hot house imports.

 

So far it’s all herbs, greens, and peas but very soon I will sow green beans, cucs, and tomatoes.

Dance!

[norm shafer]

My two main projects this year have been working with Harrisonburg Dance Cooperative as their guest artist.  Essentially this means that I choreographed a dance on them.  The above shot is from our most recent performance at the Shenandoah Fringe Festival a few weeks ago.

I also performed a solo at the fest.

[norm shafer]

My other big dance job of the year was as a guest artist at Washington and Lee University.  Similarly, I choreographed a dance on some of their students last fall and their big show was a few weeks ago.  It was an awesome and challenging experience to have a short time to work together (a weekend last October) and then leave it to them to keep rehearsing.

 

Self masssssahhhhhhhhge!

I have dabbled in “myofascial release” and self massage techniques (think: foam roller, tennis balls, etc.) for two decades but have upped my game recently after a weekend training with the incomparable Jill Miller of Yoga Tune-Up.   I love sharing self-massage with students as well as using it myself for all that ails me.

 

 

Other things on my mind lately…wedding season (attending at least 5 over the next 5 months!), cuba (I want to go!!), turning 36 in two weeks…a post on that coming up soon.