reason to celebrate: week one of another new start.

Oh great joy! I think this is an inkling of what it must feel like to be a mother with a day off from mothering. Louis, the lovable and rambunctious pup, went to work with V. today because the first Thursday of every month is "dog day." It never seems to work out because of holidays or business trips, but today it did...which is perfect because it is also my first Thursday of a new schedule. Unfortunately, I'll be adding Sunday to my work week in exchange for having a weekday to myself, but the vast expanse of "Thursday" stretches out before me with wondrous potential. I love my husband; I love my puppy--but no interruptions? Umm....heaven!

At the moment I'm sipping a lovely espresso in my troll cup (reserved for especially wonderful days). And after this wee little moment with you (dear blogging friends) I'm headed downtown on my bike with some paints and a camera. I'll stop at my favorite art store (the one that's independently owned, looks small from the outside, but stretches backwards into an art-filled infinity); then maybe the Center for Book Arts (oh, I love that place!); and somewhere along the lines I'll stop for coffee where there's outdoor seating, pull out the paints, and see what becomes of it.

I water colored while camping (as I hoped I would be able to) and being surrounded by so much endless nature made me think about the different environments that I find myself in. Sometimes I feel like I live with my feet in several different worlds all at once. It made me think about where I find comfort, inspiration, irritation. It made me think about what makes me feel the most alive--and I came to the conclusion that I am a woman of extremes. This can't be helped.

For now, I'm cutting this post short in order to enter this day a little bit further from home. I'll probably be back again later today. Why? Because I can! :) Oh glorious Thursday off!

later,
j.