Sunday, February 28, 2010

family dinner

sunday, feb. 28: we sit down at a real table, to eat a real dinner. three of us are sitting in chairs -- real chairs that rise up off the ground -- and eating a real meal (beef, potatoes, veggies!), instead of grabbing whatever is quickest and plopping it down on the coffee table while the TV is on. we have a conversation and we eat and we enjoy each other's company.

posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
a(n almost) daily joy journal

poker

saturday, feb 27: laughter and loud voices fill the air. everyone has their drink of choice, and we sit down to learn how to play poker, tournament style. we play and test and learn and bluff, and most of all, we laugh. at the end of the night, i didn't win -- i was one of the first out -- but i don't mind. it wasn't about winning. it was about the camaraderie.


posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
a(n almost) daily joy journal

cleanin' machine

friday, feb 26: i finish the most pressing matters at work, just in time to join the office-wide cleaning party. i clean and organize and sort and recycle and look at old, old drawings and plans and posters (we find original plans for the office building for when it was a hair salon) and marvel at the fact that my boss -- a notorious packrat -- is actually throwing things away! we spend 90 minutes working together on an organizational blitz, and it feels so, so good when i finally walk out the door at 5 pm. nothing like a little spring cleaning to put a bounce in my step.

posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
a(n almost) daily joy journal

Thursday, February 25, 2010

old friends

thursday, feb 25: we are a disparate group, brought together over the years by a common employer. many of the group no longer work there and we are spread out across the country. coming back together is satisfying, fulfilling. we pass the kids around the table and chase them around the restaurant, and we laugh and smile. the joy of connection powers me through the rest of the day.

posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
a(n almost) daily joy journal

books

wednesday, feb 24: ash picks out a black lagoon book at the library, opens it as soon as we finish scootering home, reads it through dinner and american idol and then takes it to bed. after his normal 15 minutes of reading time, i come in to turn out the light and give kisses, and i see he only has a few pages left. "go for it," i tell him. "you can stay up late to finish the book." he does about 10 minutes later, his first-ever finish in one night of an entire chapter book. he is so excited and happy. i know that feeling, i love that feeling, i can only hope he cherishes that feeling as much as i do, and grows up to love books and stories as much as me.


posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
a(n almost) daily joy journal

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

drive to sonoita

tuesday, feb 23: the mountains rise gracefully from the desert foothills, reaching to the sky, snow covering their alpine tips. i drive the car up, down, around--i am flying over the road, over the hills, through the mountains. i imagine myself as a bird, swooping through the grasses and up, up, up through the rocks to the very tippy-top of the world.

posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
a(n almost) daily joy journal

the small stuff

monday, feb 22: it's a cranky day, and not even my writing class can buoy my spirits. i don't know what's wrong with me, but certainly nothing is right. but at the end of the day, i walk into his house and sink into his sofa and watch ice dancing on olympics and think to myself...it's the little things that matter.

posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
a(n almost) daily joy journal

nothing

sunday, feb 21: with a sick kid, i am stuck inside all day. we don't leave the house until 5pm, when it's time for him to go back to his dad's house. we spend the day lolling about the house, wearing our pjs and robes, and reading or playing on the computer, while the olympics are on in the background. there is nowhere to go and nothing we have to do and we are content with that.

posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
a(n almost) daily joy journal

Saturday, February 20, 2010

storm

saturday, feb 20: it's quiet and dark and the window blinds are open, exposing me to the elements. the rain is lashing the building, punishing it for the inexplicable reason that it exists in a place where only the rain and the clouds and the earth and the rivers of stormwater should be.


posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
a(n almost) daily joy journal

numb3rs

friday, feb 19: math may not be simple or easy for me, but i find a simple satisfaction in attacking a complicated problem, applying logic and producing a correct result. (let's just ignore the times i attack a problem and cannot produce a correct result regardless of the amount of logic i throw and throw and throw at it.) although, i suppose, getting the right answer wouldn't be nearly as satisfying if i got it at all times. it's also important to note that spending hours on math problems is much more satisfying when it's following with a blue moon beer at nimbus bistro with a group of friends.

hmm...perhaps it's best summed up as:

(spending hours challenging myself with math problems) + (getting the right answer/getting the wrong answer)+ (a beer)(friends) = joy


posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
a(n almost) daily joy journal

happy hour

thursday, feb 18: a small group of diverse people from various parts of my life gather around a table in a dimly lit bar. two manhattans, a red wine, a white wine and a beer are scattered across the table. loud voices laugh and joke and join together and bounce off each other in a raucous dance of connection and chaos, in harmony with our shared simple desire to reach out and touch someone.

posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
a(n almost) daily joy journal

lunch

wednesday, feb 17: i head out of the office, into the warm breezes of february in tucson in the sonoran desert, happy to spend a few hours with a laid-back team of geologists, hydrologists and engineers who think the best way to plan for a project is to work hard then eat a good lunch.

posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
a(n almost) daily joy journal

provisions

tuesday, feb 16: sometimes, it's the small things. like getting grocery shopping done at lunch, filling the refrigerator with orange juice and turkey meatballs and milk and yogurt and apples and when you look at all the fridge shelves full of healthy foods that will provide nutrition and nurturing and care for your family, you can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that everything's ok.

posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
a(n almost) daily joy journal

Monday, February 15, 2010

run forrest run

monday, feb 15: the blue, blue sky stretches out before me and the creosote scent wafts on the breeze that ruffles my hair. my heart is steadily pounding in rhythm with my legs that turn over and over and over again on this, my lunchtime run. i walk only to warm up and cool down, and my leg and hamstring and knee are not tight and do not hurt. i am running and moving and breathing and absorbing and alive.


posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
a(n almost) daily joy journal

Sunday, February 14, 2010

be mine

sunday, feb 14: the mid-morning sun seeps through the blinds, illuminating the cottage white bedroom in a soft glow. i sleep and read and have breakfast (and flowers) served to me. then i sleep and read some more. i embrace and luxuriate in the rare feeling of having time and space to do absolutely nothing and i smile.

posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
a(n almost) daily joy journal

busy-ness

saturday, feb 13: it's a busy day! i spend it slightly hungover from the birthday party the night before (note to self: don't drink four manhattans in one night again), but i get up early and go to the gym and then go out with my boyfriend and his dad and nieces to go see ansel adams at the tucson museum of art and then we go have lunch at the b-line and then i go shopping. i don't find a cute dress but i do find a good card for the night's anniversary/valentine's dinner at a swanky restaurant. by the end of the night, i crash on the sofa, unable to keep my eyes open to watching the olympics. i crawl into bed half asleep with a smile on my face and contentment in my bones.

posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
a(n almost) daily joy journal

submission

friday, feb 12: i search through the hallways, looking for room j112. after wandering through a maze, i find the office and tentatively ask if this is where i drop off submissions. it is. i give her the forms and my work and walk away. i did it. i submitted a short story and five poems to sandscript, the yearly pcc creative arts publication. will they choose to publish one (or more?) of my work(s)? i don't know. i'm just happy to have submitted it.

posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
a(n almost) daily joy journal

bball

thursday, feb 11: the band is playing and the cheerleaders are cheering and the dancers are dancing. the music is loud and the crowd's roar is louder. i've never attended a ua basketball game and i am having so much fun enjoying the spectacle.

posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
a(n almost) daily joy journal

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

endorphins

wednesday, feb 10: endorphins crash through my body at the end of a long day that included a stressful conversation. i work it out at the gym, pushing myself on the elliptical, the rowing machine, the stationary bike. i lift weights and i rock out to belly. i forget about everything and just let the endorphins flow.

posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
an (almost) daily joy journal

numbers

tuesday, feb 9: i'm muttering out loud, trying to make sense of this semester's algebra class, slowly but surely working my way through studying for the first module's test. i haven't done well so far and am puzzled. was my previous instructor as bad as i thought she was? i find that i'm floundering, and this is frustrating. but i find a certain rhythm, a certain joy, in untangling the puzzles. i may not get it right each time, but the act of moving -- however slowly -- through a series of formulas and logic is soothing and brings a certain peace to my hectic life.


posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
an (almost) daily joy journal

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

art

monday, feb 8: we gather 'round, in groups of three, to read and discuss material we've written. it's invigorating, hearing two people discuss your work, your art, your words. it's a new experience for me, to have someone other than my boyfriend or my family or a long-ago instructor reading fiction i've written. it's exciting. does it make an impact on other people? it does, and i receive valuable feedback in response. why didn't i pursue this sooner? why did i shut the door on this? part of me regrets that i didn't follow what this path earlier in my life, but another part thinks i'm right (write?) where i should be.


posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
an (almost) daily joy journal

Sunday, February 7, 2010

rainy morning

sunday, feb 7: i open the front door, intending to bring in the rugs I left drying on the balcony overnight, only to be greeted with rain -- and sopping wet rugs. oops. instead, i turn on my computer to check the weather and discover an email from a friend who is doing an aquathlon at the UA -- just down the road -- this morning. i check the time -- if we leave now, we might still get to cheer him on. i bundle up ash and we head out into the rain. after wandering the UA, cheering on other runners, and getting wet, we find his mom at the finish line. we haven't missed him yet. a few minutes later, he comes running through the finish line. yay! we explore around the pool as the rain gets harder and harder. ash is completely, absolutely soaking wet by this time, and even i -- under the umbrella -- can't hide from it. we are chilled to the bone but we laugh as we make our way back to our car. what better way to start a sunday than with a spontaneous adventure in the rain.


posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
an (almost) daily joy journal

Saturday, February 6, 2010

greenery

saturday, feb 6: i am filling the car with my art work, even the large pieces, to take to a friend, who will shoot photos of them so i can submit my work to a local 'artist emporium'. i stop on the sidewalk, my arms sore from the weight of two pieces, and just inhale the smell of freshly cut grass basking in the sun.


posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
an (almost) daily joy journal

spontaneity

friday, feb 5: i pick ash up from his dad and, impulsively, decide to go to casa video. let's rent a movie and eat in and not do anything at all tonight but snuggle. no pressure to get chores done, to get errands done, to go anywhere or do anything. freedom!


posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
an (almost) daily joy journal

Friday, February 5, 2010

home

thursday, jan. 4: sometimes it's the simplest of things that brings one joy. i am joyful that i got out of bed in time to get dressed and have a leisurely morning making -- and more importantly, drinking -- my coffee at home. no rush to get out of the house to drop ash off in time. no rush to get chores done ahead of time. no rush to make sure the cats are fed, watered and have clean litter. just me, in the kitchen, drinking my own coffee out of my own mug in the peace of my own house, talking to the cats who are ever so vocal this morning and listening to ash watch curious george.

posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
an (almost) daily joy journal

Thursday, February 4, 2010

going for a swim

wednesday, jan 3: i play, my fingers dancing over the computer keyboard, capturing the stories in my imagination. i let the characters tell me who they are and where they are and why. i uncover scenes in their lives and smile as i bring them to life. i float in words, swim in words, dive down, down, down, deeper, till i find the right one, or right phrase, to describe exactly what my mind's eye sees. this, this, is truly life and joy -- art and creation and stories and words

posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
an (almost) daily joy journal

afternoon sun

tuesday, jan 2: i'm exhausted. i lay on the couch, sprawled out and immobile. i let the edges of unconsciousness draft over me. there is nothing i have to do in this moment. no pressure, no expectations, no demands. the splash and sounds of the cats' water fountain plays in the background. the more immediate sound of cats purring lulls me to sleep. it's just me, the cats and the warm afternoon sun.

posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
an (almost) daily joy journal

Monday, February 1, 2010

warmth

monday, feb 1: the alarm sounds but i don't want to wake up. i am still recovering from the weekend and i just want to sleep. i roll over and feel that i am not alone. i let myself forget about stress, forget about the day ahead, forget about my exhaustion, and just snuggle up and yield to his warmth.

posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
an (almost) daily joy journal

cats

sunday, jan 31: i collapse on my couch after a second day of stress. i made it back home, and the cats are mad at me for being gone. they meow, they scold, they jump up on the couch next to me and use their sharp claws to knead my sensitive skin. finally, they curl up on me, each in their own spot, purring contentedly, and lull me to sleep.

posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
an (almost) daily joy journal

good (k)night

saturday, jan 30: i am exhausted. the day was stress-filled, people stimulated, full of negative emotions and unable to fix them. i am surprised and sad, and unsure how to sort out my own emotions surrounding the issue, when my knight in shining armor, otherwise known as my boyfriend in a beige "granny car" suburu, pulls up at the curb. he sweeps me away, or rather putt-putts down the road, and takes me to a stress-free dinner that includes a glass of soft red wine to ease the stress out of my body. he takes me through downtown Phoenix, where we walk and explore and hold hands and play in fountains and light sculptures. when we find a pianist who plays beautiful music, we listen, clap enthusiastically and buy his cd. i treasure this cd, a reminder of a magical night with a magical knight that brought such joy and laughter.

posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
an (almost) daily joy journal

flying

friday, jan 29: i fly down the hill, my spirit soaring, my skis slicing through the snow. the trees are covered in white, as far as the eye can see. i laugh at miniature icicles that form on the very edges of the tree limbs, on the needles themselves. my quads burn, my lungs pump oxygen to my body. i am alive.

posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
an (almost) daily joy journal

excitement

thursday, jan 28: i am packing frantically, full of anticipation, trying to get everything ready for the next day, the entire weekend. it is full of activity, some of it fun, some not-so-fun. i am excited as i put skis in the car. skiing! tomorrow! on mt. lemmon!

posted on onepinkfuzzysnippets.blogspot.com
an (almost) daily joy journal