A beginning

Nervous, yet surprisingly calm, she gathers together her coat, briefcase, and book, checks her hair one last time, and exits the aircraft holding the single red rose lightly between her fingers. Finding her way to baggage claim, she looks around, expecting to find him waiting. The tensions mount when she does not immediately see him, but he must be there; he promised he would be there. She walks half-way across the room to where a man sits waiting and looking weary. He lifts his head and glances around the room, briefly resting his gaze on her without showing any sign of recognition. She is unwilling to risk the embarrassment of a mistaken identity, so she turns and walks back toward her entrance. Setting down her bag and leaning back against the cool wall, she takes a slow, deep breath and dials his number on her cell phone, never taking her eyes off of the man across the room. He does not reach for a phone, nor does he appear to be aware that anyone might want his attention. Confident that this was, indeed, not the man she sought, she looked once more across the room. There he was; not the mysterious seated man, but him! She could not, and nor did she wish to, stop the smile that painted her entire being at seeing him. This must have erased any doubt in his mind as to who she was, for before she had time to do anything, he was standing before her, enfolding her in his arms.

Off I go

So I'll be moving to Texas in about six weeks. My future supervisor offered me the job, unofficially, before I even left the library after my interview on Monday. She then took me apartment hunting Tuesday morning before dropping me off at the airport. I received an e-mail today saying that the official offer letter was put into the mail yesterday! Talk about cutting through red tape quickly...

This was my first time west of Chicago, I believe. I think I'm really going to like it; it's a different world down there. The job should also be good. They encourage professional and personal growth, and I am already seeing ways in which I can expand upon what they are currently doing. The job appears great, the weather nice, and the people wonderful. Look out Texas; here I come!

Patterns in the snow

Stepping into a shadowy paradise of pristine snow, I am greeted by the sounds of birds calling one to another. I do not see the elusive fowl, but instead find myself distracted by the stark patterns against the smooth white canvas. Snow piles high on a maze of limbs against the vibrant blue sky, leading the eye ever further while leading nowhere. Walking further along my path, I discover deep rabbit tracks intermingled with the delicate convolutions of my mysterious feathered friends. All is still in the morning coolness, and I hear only the birds' whimsical cadenzas interweaving with my steadily crunching rondo.

One of my favorite things ...

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things...

Actually, one of my favorite things is heat, and not just any heat, but heat from the oven. Even in the summer, I'm often so cold that this dry heat is a welcome change. After baking, I love to pull the door open a crack and just stand there, soaking in the heat that escapes as the oven cools. My body craves this warmth, and it makes me reconsider the story of Hansel and Gretel, where the witch was going to bake Hansel and he pushed her into the oven instead. Perhaps this was not so much cannibilistic and murderous as it was caring and a token of affection?