My contribution to the Ninth Annual Blogger's (Silent) Poetry Reading for St. Bridget's Day.



Wonder
by Sue Brady

Wonder is…
A thought, a flash, a flood,
An instantaneous kaleidoscope of images,
Too complicated to define.

A rocky coast…
Balsam firs draped in fog…
A river of stars across the sky…
Haunting loon voice under the northern lights…
A wren pouring out song…
Pebbles singing as the waves wash the shore…
Sun-warmed blueberries…

Ponderosa and sagebrush perfume in July…
Ridge after ridge of folded hills…
A crescent moon sliver in the dusky coral and teal sunset…
Hoarfrost on tall grass…
Cascading rivers…
The granite bones of the earth…
So much sky…

That feeling,
That tremble in the pit of my stomach,
That catch in my breath,
It’s gestalt.
The magnificent resonance of the universe,
Every part of everything
In one word…
…the truest truth.

This. So, so this.  Watch this now.

 Emma and I got a bag of Doritos this week to go with our New Year's Eve snack-fest.

Today, I remembered that there is a vital difference between having Doritos with lunch, and having Doritos for lunch.

And that's why I only buy them a couple times a year.  Ahem.

Emma and I went to Kennewick, Washington this weekend, for our annual post-Christmas "Girls' Weekend Out".  We stay in a hotel (with a pool and hot tub!), go to our favorite craft stores, restaurants, and thrift stores. This is the third year that we've done this, and it's apparently now ~~A Tradition~~.  It's a fun time and we both enjoy it.  We did have a bit of a rough patch this year at the pet store, because they had kittens up for adoption, but we got through it.

This year, in addition to the usual thrift store haul of basically an entire wardrobe for Emma for less than $30 (will she ever stop growing??!), I scored two cool kitchen items:



My mom had several CorningWare casseroles like this, and it makes me all nostalgic to have one too.

The teapot is great, holds 32 ounces, and is a beautiful cobalt blue.  It also has a strainer insert for loose tea leaves that has largish holes but works well for large-leaf teas.  Plus it's so very teapot-shaped!

There are no scratches, dings, or chips on either the casserole or the teapot.  The best part?  Each one was only $1!  I love thrift stores.

I ordered this tea for myself last week and it arrived yesterday.  I love it.



I will freely admit that I ordered it solely for the tin.  I mean yes, Earl Grey is one of my favorite teas, but DID YOU SEE THE TIN???

It's official Starfleet-issue Earl Grey tea.  How could I not get this.

The brewing instructions are hilarious.



The tin was the main reason for the purchase, but the tea inside is a nice bonus.  I think it's Adagio Earl Grey Bravo.  A very strong Earl Grey blend with orange rind and blue cornflowers in addition to the regular black tea and bergamot.  It's powerful but yummy.  (Rather like Jean-Luc.)




And, since it's November 23, 2013 and a very special day in the Doctor Who universe, I have been sipping it all day in my Doctor Who mug.  Even though I don't have cable and won't see the 50th anniversary special today, I stand with my fandom.



Pardon me, I think my geek is showing...

Emma surprised me with breakfast in bed this morning.  She made me waffles from scratch!



I love my big growing-up girl.

I present a photo:



This picture is significant for two reasons:

Item #1. My car is in my garage. It has been in the garage for the past two weeks, and though we have had frosty nights and snow, I have not had to scrape my windshield once. I love having my car covered.

Item #2. This evening I popped the hood (in the garage!) and successfully figured out how to replace a burned out bulb in my front headlight.

All by myself! Well, with the manual. Still, I rock.

Rawr!!!