I’m happy to say that when I look at the weather app on my phone (which has a 10-day forecast), there are no longer any snowflake symbols, and the projected daily lows are no longer sub-freezing. Progress! There are, unfortunately, some more rainy days in the mix, including today. Still, doesn’t it look all green and lush and lovely out there?
Surprises make me happy – the good kind, of course. This week I had three happy surprises. The first was a letter from my dear friend Heidi. I’ve written here before about how I am always on the lookout for what Anne of Green Gables calls “kindred spirits” – people with whom you just click. Kindred spirits can be hard to find, though, and sometimes you don’t realize a person is a kindred spirit until you get to know them better. Such was the case with Heidi. We met in the first of my five years living in Illinois, and found out we were kindred spirits about half-way through year three. That’s another thing – I always seem to meet a kindred spirit right before moving away. But still. We are friends forever now, and I know that someday we will see each other again.
The second surprise was a small package with my name on it that arrived from Amazon. I hadn’t ordered anything, so it was a bit of a mystery, and an even bigger mystery when I opened the package to see a book on minimalism accompanied by a sweet (anonymous!) note inside expressing gratitude for my blog. Fan mail! A book to read! I was thrilled right down to my toes. I’ve since found out who sent the book, and having that mystery solved makes me even happier.
The third surprise was a text from my brother suggesting a podcast he thought I might like. We’re not in the habit of texting each other on a regular basis, so it was especially nice to get that text out of the blue.
After a long work week, the weekend stretches out enticingly before me. There will be
long walks,
jigsaw puzzling,
take-out from a local wings place,
some Detectorists,
an episode or two of Tales from the Loop,
a podcast on Monarch butterflies,
and a book on minimalism.
I can hardly wait.
Have a wonderful weekend, friends.
xoxo