Longings, three

I would like to have someone make me a meal - not in a restaurant, but at home. To prepare something tasty especially for me, to ask me to sit down at the table, and to present to me a carefully arranged plate of edibles devoid of any migraine-triggering foodstuffs. A repast to enjoy, during which I would not have to attend to anyone else's needs. Just once. That would be lovely.

Night, Reflections

Herself is oddly wide awake in the middle of the night, and I am keeping her company. She has many things to think about, including the final preparations for her trip upcoming this week.

First off, the family: how can she make life easier for her Beloved and the Offspring while she is away? What groceries will they need? Has she included everything necessary on the written schedule to ensure life runs smoothly? Will they be able to take care of the pets properly? Will they manage to get to where they need to be on time? Will anything untoward happen?

Secondly, Herself: does she have the right clothes for the trip? Will the weather cooperate? Will she be able to exercise while she's away? Will she suffer from motion sickness on the flight? How will driving the rental car go? Will she be able to find the hotel, the office? Will she have anything substantive to do while she's there? Will she recognize everyone she should? How many people will she not recognize?

Herself knows that once she gets into the car to drive to the airport, all these concerns will drop away. In motion, with purpose, all that could have been done to prepare will have been done, and she will be able to enjoy the trip. In the meanwhile, she and I are looking out into the darkness and the rain of the night, and it is soothing. Perhaps one day soon we will be able to take a walk in the rain at dusk. That would be lovely.

Secret Plan, Progress

As I mentioned previously, Herself's secret plan is to run a 5K race in February. She has informed me that this weekend, she was indeed able to jog the entire distance on her training route. Huzzah! Though she will not be anywhere near the swiftest entrant at race time, she will be able to run, and that in and of itself is a small miracle.

She worries in her spare time about illness or injury between now and then that might stop her progress. Let us hope that neither comes to pass, and that she can meet her goal. It will mean so much to her.

Pilgrimage Preparations

Telecommuting: once rare, it is more and more common these days. Herself has been a telecommuter for well over a decade now. She does not set foot in the Home Office often, as there is usually no need to do so. An unexpected opportunity to make the pilgrimage to the Home Office has arisen, and Herself will be going north to do so in a few weeks.

Visiting the Home Office is always a fraught affair for Herself. While her sacrifices in relocating and becoming a telecommuter were made willingly and without regret, it is difficult for Herself to see her coworkers so rarely, and she is saddened by how much she misses interacting with them on a daily basis. Inevitably she returns home with a fresh sense of loss and loneliness.

This trip may be different, though. This time, Herself has her local friends to whom she will come home. Once more, she is so grateful for the presence of these people in her life.

Friendship needs no words - it is solitude delivered from the anguish of loneliness. - Dag Hammarskjold

Haiti, Undone

The terrible suffering following the earthquake in Haiti is nearly impossible to imagine. So many lost, wounded, terrified. Our thoughts are with them, that their pain may be assuaged and the relief may be swift. Let us help however we can.

"Can I see another's woe, and not be in sorrow, too? Can I see another's grief, and not seek for kind relief?" - William Blake

Longings, two

I would like to go camping. To pack up my sleeping bag and my tent. To select dehydrated foods with which to experiment in my tiny titanium pans. To hike to a quiet, flat spot, set up camp and build a fire. To watch night fall and to keep an eye out for shooting stars. To listen to the stillness and feel the silence penetrate my bones. To hold my flashlight as I fall asleep, just in case. To creep out of my sleeping bag into the chill of the morning, stoke the fire again, and breakfast at dawn. To break down camp, pack up and move out again. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Longings, one

I would like to go out dancing. To leave behind all worldly cares, to feel the music, to think of nothing. Who would like to come with me?

Such A Pretty Pie

We have successfully debugged the computer. Hooray! There are a few minor glitches here and there, but they are small compared to the irritation generated by the Dreaded Virus.

The only problem with computer issues, remarked Herself's sister, is that after a zillion hours of repairing them, you have nothing to show for your efforts. Indeed.

To counteract this problem, Herself and I spent some time in the kitchen. We attempted a couple of new recipes, in particular the sweet potato pie and the squash pie. While the sweet potato pie turned out a bit on the homely side, the squash pie was a marvelous thing of beauty. As it was a gift to a friend, it remains to be seen whether it was at all tasty. The satisfaction of turning out such an attractive pie, nevertheless, was immense.

A Moment of Self-Flagellation

After the Great Hardware Fiasco of a few months back, certain protocols were neglected, and that oversight has now come back to haunt us. The computer was infected was Ugly Virus, and Herself has struggled mightily over the past 24 hours to salvage, reconfigure and reboot. We are nearly there, much to our immense relief. Although there are still some issues to correct, I am able to blog (hooray!) and Herself can access her telecommuting services, e-mail and vital FaceBook friends. It has been a Very Long Day, however, full of fury, frustration, and self-recrimination for our own carelessness. We are both feeling a wee bit prickly. One more lesson learned the Very Hard Way.

Words, Words, Words

Units of language. Lexeme, morpheme. How I love words. Am enamored of them. Enjoy them. Delight in them. Venerate them. Am captivated by them. So many to use, so many I do not yet comprehend, and so many more I do not yet know. The thesaurus is always nearby.

Do I have a favorite word? I do not, yet. Do you? Tell me in the comments the word you love best (anonymously, if you would like), and I will compose a blog entry for it. Challenge me!

Rain

When I moved to the desert so many years ago, I was surprised by the distinctive aroma that emanates from the desert whenever it rains. At first, I found the smell rather unpleasant. As time has gone by, however, and as I find myself to be more and more comfortable as a desert citizen, I realize that the scent of rain is a promise: it is relief from the arid air, respite from the baking sun, and the opportunity for new growth, all rolled into a single odor.

It is the creosote bush that is the predominant generator of the scent of moisture in the desert. Imagine my good fortune to have found a salve containing creosote extract. Whenever I long for the rain, I have the scent right here with me. Ahhhh.

Resolution

All around the globe for the past twenty-four hours, individuals have been making promises to themselves and to others - pledges that changes will happen, that new leaves will be overturned, that personal betterment will begin today.

Rather than disperse my efforts among a herd of tiny goals that will be impossible to corral and maintain, I have a single overarching resolution.

My objective this year is to make myself a refuge for others. Are you hungry? Tired? Lonely? Afraid? Ailing? In pain? I am here for you. Do you need a touch of a hand? A listening ear? A quiet companion? I am here for you. I will do my very best to foresee and provide, if you do me the honor of coming to me in your times of need. You will be safe, and nurtured, here.

I am sanctuary.