Two bits

These past two weeks have had their ups and their downs. I've managed to have a few kicks & a few laughs, but more than anything, I feel like I've been endlessly toiling in isolation. I feel tired, bone tired, and the weight of all the unfinished things presses down on my spirit. I want very much to have more time to clear my head & work on the things that really move me & lift me up, but the window of time is often too short & the other more mundane necessities shout louder & drown it all out.

We are heading off to Dallas to visit the family this weekend, a very quick trip, but perhaps (hopefully?) a restful one.

Two things happened last week that really made me smile & blush. One, I won a trio of charming Ghost Academy cards from the excellent Crow & Canary. How cute is that bird card?
And two, Anna gave me a Kreativ Blogger award. Aw, shucks, Anna. Thank you! If you could only see me blush...

So, now I am to list 7 things that I love. How very good to switch gears & refocus on the wonderful things that sparkle & whizz & make me feel most alive. Not so easy to choose, but here goes.

1. Being quiet & alone, an all too rare pleasure. I think my best & clearest when I can get time like this.

2. Having time to get lost in intricate projects with no clear idea of how to do them, but to think them out as I go along.

3. Swimming laps is as close to flying as I will ever get. It's absolute, dizzying weightlessness.

4. Having fresh flowers in the house. I love bringing wildflowers & the humble flowers that grow in our yard & placing them in unexpected places. There is almost always a tiny, slightly tousled arrangement on our bathroom window sill. It makes the room so fresh & peaceful. 5. Watching a new episode of Joss Whedon's Dollhouse. Every Saturday night, we gather up everything we could possibly need & sit down to watch the newest episode on Hulu. I love all kinds of suspense/conspiracy films & this show is the nailbiting-est one of all.

6. My dear family. I couldn't imagine a more perfect morning than to bring our daughter into bed with us & all hunker under the duvet, lingering until hunger & the desire for a big cup of coffee lures us out again (well, not that the coffee lures Baby M out, the toy push wagon usually does that trick).

7. And finally, dear Internet, this one is for you. I love the Internet. I love how it makes the far, close & how it makes the flow of ideas become liquid-fast. I love how it has brought me together with people I had given up as lost & meet new people in places I have never been. My life is so much richer, brighter & larger for having this amazing resource.