Just another day in the universe

Today is one of those days that makes me want to chuck my regular job. There’s been nothing really mind blowing going on today, but I’m finding it more and more difficult to clear my mind of work when I am doing something else. Anything else. Reading a mystery (by my favorite mystery writer no less), writing (so that one day I might be someone’s favorite mystery writer), creating whimsies, hooking a wool rug, going to the store - anything.

Scientists talk about dark matter. That the matter making up what we can see does not account for all of the mass in the universe. What we cannot see accounts for the vast majority of mass in the universe. Dark matter is of unknown composition, but its presence can be inferred from the gravitational effects on visible matter. I submit that my job is too much in my head and, thus, is impacting my visible universe. It is, in fact, dark matter and, more and more, I feel the need to get rid of it, to tell it to take a hike.

According to Wikipedia, only 4% of the total density of the universe can be seen directly. About 22% is thought to be composed of dark matter. The rest, 74%, is thought to consist of dark energy. I’m placing my hopes on dark energy. I like that idea that most of the density of the universe is made of energy and not mass. Makes me believe my efforts can overcome any dark matter and can take me beyond, probably into the unknown. Old maps used to have warnings posted at the borders of unexplored areas, “Beyond this point, there be dragons.” So, first I’ll slay my job, then I’ll face the dragons. Time to sharpen my sword.

Magic moments #1

Those first hints of autumn in a red vine winding around a tree trunk, the joy of a grandchild’s first steps, the way a pet can look at you and you know you’re their whole world, the alchemy of heat changing flour, eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla, baking powder and cocoa into a chocolate cake, fireworks, finding a friend who laughs at the same jokes and has read the same books, the quiet and surrounding darkness of early morning, the crackle and snap of a fire in the hearth, a welcoming hug at the door of a friend’s house, the smell of baking and a shoulder on which to rest your cheek.

A day in the life........

I did not go shopping yesterday. Yesterday was Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving when the stores started opening at 4AM. At 4AM I’m happy to say I was tucked up all warm and cozy, full of second helpings of Thanksgiving dinner, cats asleep with us on the bed and my dreams full of family and food.

I usually start to decorate the house the day after Thanksgiving. We have a small yard, but there are enough varieties of evergreens, holly, boxwood, etc., to fashion a decently full wreath for the front door. I smell the pine from the wreath while I’m decorating the artificial tree. Every ornament is a memory, the when and the who and the where as I unpack a lifetime. The lights wind around the branches illuminating the entire tree, highlighting special ornaments; the elf in the small swing “repairing” a light, the small fabric and painted cardboard angel that was on my mother’s tree and the ornaments we’ve brought back from vacations or been given by friends and family. Then there is the set of bells we hang on the back, the bells that tell us one of the cats is trying to climb the tree. The same two cats who will later curl up to sleep under the tree in the quilt we use as a tree skirt. There are ornaments to hang in the windows and adorn the front door wreath and, despite the Thanksgiving leftovers which will fuel us for days and days, I have a batch of cookies to make and holiday movies to watch.

So, I did not help fuel the economy yesterday. Instead, I did my bit to fill house and home with things to delight all the senses. I don't think anyone could call that Black Friday.

To quiz or not to quiz

I, too, check out All Atwitter’s blog. Here are my totally serious quiz answers. Totally. Seriously.

1. Diamonds or Pearls? I long for a string of pearls, loathe the one pearl on a chain look on myself and I’d take diamonds any ol’ way.

2. Chocolate or Vanilla? I’m afraid I go against the grain here and vote for vanilla. For me there is nothing better than good vanilla cake with thick vanilla icing.

3. Beatles or Stones? I’m a Beatles girl, but it’s a good thing this wasn’t a choice between Beatles and Beach Boys. Or Beatles and cookies.

4. Steak or Pasta? Pasta, pasta, pasta. Haven’t had steak in a long time and I don’t miss it.

5. Revolver or Semi-Automatic? Having a husband who took me to the gun range to shoot, I have to say the revolver seems like a REAL gun. I felt very Annie Oakley firing the lever action rifle, too.

6. Feather or Foam? Foam that conforms to me as I sleep, thank you very much.

7. Republican or Democrat? What, no third party candidates?

8. Stick or Automatic? I like driving a car so I choose stick as my favorite. Otherwise it’s just aiming.

9. Table Service or Buffet? Let’s see, I go out to eat and I still have to serve myself? No way. Send that cute waiter to the table to whisper the specials into my ear.

10. Summer, Winter, Spring or Fall? I always used to say winter, but I’m beginning to more fully appreciate the autumnal run up to winter. Like a long Christmas Eve. Fall now has the top spot in my affections.

11. Sailboat or Motorboat? A sailboat when you can only hear the wind and the sound of the boat cutting through the waves.

12. Dogs or Cats? I’ve totally loved every dog and cat I’ve ever had, but all the dogs ended up being outside animals. The cats sleep on the bed and curl next to me on the sofa. Cats have the edge with me.

13. Beer or Wine? Hmmm, a toughie. The few beers I like I really like, but when a good wine is being served........ Wine wins by a nose.

14. Hugs or Kisses? There are people from whom I love hugs and people from whom I love kisses and a few from whom I love both. If it’s my birthday, I want lots of both from everyone.

15. Cary Grant or Jimmy Stewart? Since my name isn’t Judy, Judy, Judy, I guess I’ll have to go with Jimmy Stewart. Though I might be thinking about Cary Grant.

16. Pie or Cake? Of the two, I’d rather stuff my pie hole with cake.

17. Tea or Coffee? Coffee. If I were drinking tea right now instead of coffee, I wouldn’t yet be able to focus on the screen.

18. Male Friends or Female Friends? Female friends win. If this were an arm wrestling contest, the man’s friends would send him in there alone while the female’s friends would be doing their best to distract the opponent. Flashing parts of their anatomy if the opponent is male and flashing shoe sale coupons if the opponent is female. Women know their audience.

19. Pool or Beach? Pool! Just let me float on a giant blue inflatable cushion while someone fetches me a cool adult beverage.

20. Hotter or Colder? Generally colder. Unless it’s coffee, I hate iced coffee unless there is some sort of alcohol involved. Would there be alcohol involved?

Blinded by the light

There is a store on my way from home to work that, as Em says, rhymes with Smarget. Yesterday I stopped there to get some of their coffee and I came away with the realization that geniuses work there. How else can I explain a relatively sane woman’s first reaction upon entering through the double wide automatically opening doors, “Ooooo, pretty!” Somehow, though, I made it past this first display still heading directly toward the coffee. The problem is, on the way to the coffee aisle, I’m glancing down all the other aisles, and what do I see? Nothing in the aisle itself, but stacked before the wall at the far end of the aisle, trios of red bowls. “Ooooo, pretty.” I turn and head toward them. It was early in my shopping trip so my sane internal voice still had some control. “You don’t need three plastic red bowls.” I put them back, but the damage was done. I’d been pulled off my direct route to the coffee and into Aladdin’s cave.

Lights everywhere. Displays of Christmas trees lit in all different colors, different sized bulbs, lit wreaths, lit garlands, lit displays of reindeer, Santas, snowmen and gingerbread houses.

“Ooooo, pretty.”

They also have coordinating rolls of wrapping paper, Christmas cards, gift tags, ornaments, holiday packaged candy, cinnamon and peppermint scented candles and all of it reflecting the lights.

“Ooooo, pretty.”

The sane little voice in my head tried to regain control. Really. I even heard it repeating one word over and over, “coffee,” which was fortunate because I won’t be going back to that store for a while and I would have been really embarrassed if I’d forgotten to get the coffee before I left.

Maybe I should go back sooner, though, to study how they do it. It would be research for our chocolate truffle company and I’m sure the IRS approves expenses for research. Don’t they?

A good sense of direction

I’m always surprised by people who can’t read a map. To me, this means that when they travel, they don’t know where they are and they can’t find out. They’ll have a vague notion that they’re somewhere in Montana. They turn the map this way and that and stare, befuddled, waiting for the “You are here” arrow to appear. These are the same people who can’t tell where East is even when the sun is rising. The same people who feel lost every time they must negotiate around an unforeseen obstacle.

There is a flipside, though. It might be that I just like to know where I am. I believe I have a good sense of direction, that I know where I’m going and at least some of the steps I need to get to my destination. Other steps or twists and turns won’t be clear until I’m on my way, the unforeseen detours, the washed out bridge, the decision to follow a trail not on the map, trusting that because I do have a good sense of direction, I’ll be able to find my way even without having plotted this particular path toward my goal or back toward home.

This is not to say I’ve never been lost. We all have moments when we panic because nothing is familiar and we’ve screwed up or burned a bridge before we realized we needed to be on the other side of the river. But there are many times when being lost is a blessing, a chance to explore something new, to see new vistas, to find a new way, perhaps a better way. Opportunities for us to experience things which may change our itinerary completely. Chances to explore those places which ultimately change our goals, our direction toward those goals and even change where we call home. With a good sense of direction, you can find your way even when you’re lost. Especially when you’re lost.

Indulge

There are many ways we pamper ourselves; bubble baths, massage, manicures and pedicures, savoring a perfect piece of chocolate, etc. There are as many ways to pamper ourselves as there are selves (times infinite as we all have more than one way to do said pampering).

Here’s my favorite way. Room service. To me this is the height of pampering, of indulgence and of sheer spoiling myself. Dial the phone or hang the ‘breakfast in our room’ tag on the door before going to bed in a good hotel. Voila! A knock on the door at the appropriate hour and someone rolling in a cart holding china plates covered with silver domes, pots of coffee and cream, a rose, ice water and orange juice, a rack of toast and tiny little jars of different jams and jellies, crisp white cloth napkins and real silver. Room service is not something I get to do with any regularity, but, when I do, heaven.

So, however you pamper yourself, do it. Take a break, take it easy. Indulge.