Love is...

fishing a plastic ring out of a freshly used toilet because of a heartbroken little girl.

Incidentally, plastic or not, it WAS our wedding ring. So, I guess that makes it worth it.

Whine

You know there are basically no good movies out when...

you're as addicted to movies as I am AND you have a free movie pass that expires at the end of April...

and yet you might not even use it. That's right, even for FREE the movie selection sucks these days.

Grr.

The opening act

I know how they're viewed. I know that a lot of people don’t even show up at the beginning of a show if there's an opening act. I know that if people ARE there for the opening act they often don't pay attention to them or visit with their friends during the opener's set.

But, I also know this: I fell in like with Josh Ritter when he was an opener. I can still remember the feeling and leaning over to Corrie to say "whoa, this guy’s good!" during his set. I now own more of HIS cds than I do of the singer whose show we had paid the money for. And, I've seen him sing live more times than I can remember at the moment.

And I love that feeling. I love to be surprised. It feels like a little special bonus.

And it happened to me again this week. I fell in like with someone new. Someone I’d never heard of.

Happy, happy day. Happy, happy girl.

The biker gang’s asleep now
at the midnight motel six
And I’m walking to the doughnut shop
to get my late night fix
I’m halfway across the country
feeling like I need to cry
Jealous of your pillow,
and the starlight by your side

The guy who wipes the counter says
he works the overnight
Me, I’m a singer in a traveling band,
always playing in the lights
He said, "That must be such a thrill"
but I don’t feel satisfied
I say I miss my girl at home
and the starlight by her side

Excerpt from Starlight by Chris Trapper

After a long, cold winter

If that's not one of the most beautiful sights in the world, I don't know what is.

Next time I'm 3 I want to be just like her.

1. Not even for a second does she think that perhaps her 9 year-old boy cousin wouldn't want to play with her. Her boring or too little? Of COURSE he wouldn't think that. Not even a moment of self-doubt.

2. A strange church and no parent or other 3 year-old that she knows in the Sunday School? So what! It's time to go so off she goes, leaving her parents behind.

3. It's time for her first swim lesson. The teacher is sprinkling water on each of the kids to help them adjust to having water on their faces. She? Has dunked her head under water 3 times already before the teacher even gets to her. Easily the bravest* kid in the class.**

Anyone who knew me when I was three would be able to contest that brave, confident or outgoing I was not.

* Also the most excited. Recently I've been thinking that perhaps ALL three year-olds jump for joy All. The. Time. Nope, not so much.

** And yes, this would be me bragging about my kid.