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.