Tuesday, March 04, 2025

Marching Forth Again

I had a full teaching day, talked to my parents on the way to work, got lots of birthday visitors at work, and just... a lovely birthday! 

Friends, thank you for your wishes--I felt surrounded by love all day and your wishes in multiple places helped... I am so blessed and so, so grateful.

I wish I'd come to appreciate the serendipitous significance of my March Fourth/March Forth birthday earlier, but I'm running with it now. This year, apart from fighting fascism, I hope to prioritize working meaningfully on some of my longer projects. This was a new year's resolution that didn't quite take, but this is a good time to reset, I suppose.

Big A texted to say he'd "fucked up the cake." (He usually makes the chocolate cake from the recipe on the back of the Hershey's cocoa box, but there was no Hershey's in the store... and chaos!). It was just terrific, BTW. Went out for sushi with the fam, Nu made me a Kandi bracelet, At gave me books, Big A gave me a leaf blower of my very own so we could have leaf blowing duels and the now-customary card scrawled with all the dear details of our year that makes me cry every time.

(Now I can't wait for tomorrow and to be allowed to do stuff again. My parents used to do this, so I probably brought this tradition with me, but the birthday baby isn't allowed to do *anything* over the birthday weekend and sometimes it makes me feel a bit like I'm on a rest cure.)

Pic: Clockwise--Kids (Nu, At, Max, Huck), cake, me.

23 comments:

Nicole said...

Oh, my goodness, this all is so wonderful. The rest cure! The duelling leaf blower! The fucked up cake (lol, I am sure it was delicious). I love that your birthday is March Forth, because it's just so YOU. Love you! xoxoxo

Gillian said...

Nice.

StephLove said...

Fighting fascism is time consuming! It's no wonder some other resolutions are falling through the cracks. I'm glad you had a nice b-day and also that the rest cure is over. Wouldn't want you looking too hard at the wallpaper, would we?

NGS said...

What a lovely photo of you with all your kids!!

Anonymous said...

The photo is glorious! I really like At’s outfit! Also, cake!

Happiest of birthdays to you! (I believe in the birth month, so MORE celebration of your fabulous life is in order! But hopefully with a more tolerable-to-you level of doing. :))

Lisa's Yarns said...

I’m so glad you had a special day and felt surrounded. I love that picture of you with your babies. Those red high waisted pants you daughter is wearing are amazing!!! I’m laughing visiting your leaf blowing battles! When you’re my dad got my mom a leaf blower for her birthday and then he commented that maybe she could use it to dust around the house. Lol. My mom is a neat freak so the thought of her using a leaf blower to blow dust off tables and such made us laugh so much and we still laugh about that.

Jeanie said...

It sounds like a fabulous birthday! And I'm delighted you didn't have to "do anything." It's a great tradition and hopefully you are rested after your big week. The photo is great, too. Sounds wonderful!

Nance said...

Great photo--it's a riot of colour and a celebration of love.

I HAVE MY OWN LEAF BLOWER, TOO! It's electric and makes very little noise. So exciting!

J said...

All of these couples with their individual leaf blowers! We have a broom and a rake, our yard is so tiny that's all we need. I'm glad you had a wonderful birthday, celebrating you!

maya said...

Love you, Nicole! xoxoxo The cake was delicious... it was what's for dessert today, too.

maya said...

Thanks!

maya said...

I snorted my tea so hard when I read this, Steph. Yes to the levity, no to the insanity. Thank you <3

maya said...

Thank you, Engie... I treasure these...

maya said...

At's shirt used to be mine, but At loved it so much and wears it every chance she gets!

Oh, I certainly believe in birthday bossing all month long ;)

maya said...

Haha, Lisa, this joke will make me smile every time I pull out the leaf blower, too!

maya said...

Thanks, Jeanie!

maya said...

I challenge YOU to a duel too, Nance!! :) (Very little noise?! Wow. These are rechargeable, but not exactly quiet.)

maya said...

Jules--I was surprised by that, too! Maybe it's a rugged midwestern trope of our middle age :). I find rakes and brooms more meditative than vacuums and blowers... but in some seasons, it's impracticable.

And... thank you!!

Jenny said...

I'm very late here but HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Your birthday is the same day as our wedding anniversary. Yes- we must march forth!

Nance said...

Mine is made by EGO, and is rechargeable as well. I should have said battery-powered, not really electric. It makes about as much noise as a blowdryer.

maya said...

Makita, I believe... Pick up the gauntlet, Nance :)!

maya said...

Thank you, Jenny! And Happy Anniversary to you!! XOXO

Lisa's Yarns said...

Oh geez, talk to text failed me again - clearly I meant to say "one YEAR". Sheesh.

that it's only a doorway, that I'm only a door

So I go bravely before memory pet my parents so gently and secretly check  that they breathe the day begins or it does not I can no longer j...