The truth is,

making handmade cards out of a garage sale find

I waited on a charmer from Texas tonight. Shook my hand twice, god bless him. He was cruising along in his mid-seventies on vacation with his lovely wife. He was 47 years in, working a job he assured me, he was still crazy about. He told me he could honestly say in all those years he had never woken up and thought: “Man. I do not want to go to work today.” He sat back just then, contented, feeling the full meaning of what it was that he just told me. That man had ease and a way about him that made you trust him. He knew a secret. He was contagious.

When it came time for him to pay the bill, he asked if I was a gambler?

He proposed a flip. One quarter, I call it. I could walk now with 20% in my pocket OR I could gamble it on the chance to double it. All or nothing. The stakes at hand were 22 bucks, which struck me as significant. There’s that 22 again. Seems to be following me. How could I resist the synchronicity? It felt lined up, lucky. And it was.

Moments like these are the small graces that line my path lately. I am feeling gratitude for time to lay low and sleep. Oh delicious sleep, you are my friend. There’s also a freshly weed wacked lawn that is a recent source of pleasure (yes. I did say weed wacked. A mower? Hey, who needs a mower when you have a perfectly good weed wacker? (It’s involved folks. 2 hours worth, 3 if you do the hills).  Homemade pesto made from basil we grew waiting in the deep freeze to remind us of summer in the darkness this winter. There’s my messy studio that I am currently so okay with (as in it IS messy! which means, I am in the throws of making things. And whatever. ‘Tidy’ and ‘Un-tidy’ is a life long cycle anyway. The motions between the two only know circles. There’s no getting around it).

 The desk 

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I wasn't kidding. Organized chaos for sure.

Oh and there was looking up just now to see the moon on a dark sky. I can tell light is leaving. She’s slipping out of this town six minutes at a time. There are these earrings that make me think of all my favorite parts of Arizona and a serious daily countdown – 12 days – until vacation and not just any old vacation.  Wisconsin, Germany and then – Italy! Where a yellow villa waits for me and my family, sitting high on the hill of the tiny town. There’s a swimming pool and French doors. Oh lord. A cozy kitchen to cook in and windows that open out. There will be twenty glorious days of it and I need every second. We’ve all had the lesson: Travel = Fresh Eyes.  And I promise friend, I will bring it on back to you. Color, scent and morning, I will be recording it for you.

Amplify what it is that lights you up and leave lightly on that jet plane, k?

well loved