Church on a Friday Night

I'm breaking out of my usual 5-Things List. Too constraining. I find I often don't post because I don't have exactly 5 things to share.

Last night we went to a dance at our church. There is something so warm and lovely about evening church gatherings. The mixing of age groups, the soft light on folks' faces, the laughing, the eating. Sometimes people are so tender, you can hardly imagine why you might ever feel cross with any member of the human race.

Dancing with my husband was a joy as usual. I love his flirtatious way. Someone observing us told us it is like we are still on our honeymoon.

Quiet

1. The hum of my monitor in a quiet warm home.
2. The very slight scratchy feeling in my throat, telling me a cold is forming. I drink airborne. The fake citrus taste lingers, not exactly unpleasant, but also not welcome.
3. My feet, chilly in clogs, the uniform of my people.
4. I judge my own writing harshly after talking to my students today about "good writing".
5. Anticipating a hot shower and restful sleep.

Midnight

1. My husband and I, after a long day, reading news and blogs and snacking after midnight.
2. Walking home today, the way the fading sunlight hit the trees, the scent of the new fall air.
3. Anticipating the visit of a very dear friend tomorrow.
4. Just being, gently.
5. Newlywed life. I hope it lasts. Or at least gets replaced with something as lovely.

Sunday morning

1. Sunday morning with my husband. We're sleepy after a weekend of participating in my friend N's wedding. It was beautiful, but exhausting. It's cloudy today, and we're delighted to rest in our calm, warm home.
2. Hurricane survivors. A friend of ours lost her home and all of her belongings. She's on her way to California with her family.
3. Judge Renquist has passed away. I am braced for what will happen next - how this will play out on Washington D.C.'s grand stage.
4. My neighbor practices piano. I get a free concert almost every day. One of the benefits of urban living that I can't live without.
5. The leaves are already turning. Cedar Street is awash with gold and for a short while driving to the freeway is a magical experience.

Sleepy driving

1. Sleepy. My husband and I driving home from my parents house. Watching the sunset from I-80W,listening to George Winston's "Lullaby". We were just married last month. He wasn't in the mood for a long car trip, but he came anyway. Somehow, these moments are even sweeter now.
2. My mother, recovering from a liver biopsy, taking time to visit a friend who has the same illness, proudly showing her the wedding pictures.
3. My father advising me on care of my car, as he's been doing for me for the last 16 years.
4. My husband's mother just moved. In her new home, she made a photo wall - pictures of my husband and the rest of the family. In another room, she displays pictures of herself as a young dancer. Her new house, at 9600 feet, has a beautiful view of the mountains near Denver.
5. A friend I've known for two decades is getting married this week. We took her out for a few drinks over the weekend. I was enchanted by her happiness and the warmth surrounding her. I felt this at our wedding, but it was almost too overwhelming to absorb, and I am grateful to observe the rituals again from a slightly more detached perspective.

Just five things

I used to do a lot of creative writing. Years of grad school seem to have sapped my creative writing abilities. I know a lot of jargon, but have lost my knack for beautiful language.

At the same time, I'm finding it difficult to stay focused on the present. A lot of wonderful things are happening for me, and I like to look forward to them, but I want to take some time to remember today.

Which is what Just Five Things is about. I'll try to record five memorable things about my day - mostly the beautiful things, but also the strange and the sad. And I'll try to write the way I used to before grad school turned me into an acronym-spouting robot.