Good Morning, World

It's 6:07 on my computer clock; I'm eating half an English Muffin with peanut butter and drinking a cup of coffee. I've been awake since 5:15 and I've had this ongoing thought since my eyes flew open like a sprung spring on a window shade...I have to buy my daughter a refrigerator this weekend to take back to college with her. It's just a random thought but I think that's what woke me. Isn't that strange? I have a friend who either can't get to sleep or wakes up early because her mind is filled with her writing, where her characters are, how to write the perfect query letter...this I can understand because writing is such a passionate pursuit (it pursues you, not vice versa). But come on...a dorm fridge? I can't do anything at 5:15am about buying one so why am I awake? I suppose it's better than the last few days, waking at 4:48am. It's said as one gets older, less sleep is required. While that may be true, when I'm not sleeping I'd really like the sun to be out when forced wakefulness is upon me. It's DARK out right now. Living in an apartment, I don't get to hear the day wake up in the usual sense. I don't hear birds singing - I hear the people in the next apartment slamming cupboard doors (I think it's their kids rummaging for cereal). I don't hear the neighbor's car start up as they are going to work, I hear ALL the neighbors and their conversations - their voices float up to my fourth floor apartment clear as a bell. That reminds me...there is a little boy, about 10 years old, who plays outside the corner apartment on the ground floor under a cluster of trees. He's usually alone but there is one younger child with him occasionally. He is very vocally abusive to the younger child, telling him that he's going to tie him up and kill him and all manner of violent things! I sincerely hope this is simply a case of too much WWF television or else this kid is going to be a serial killer. I wouldn't be so concerned as boys play out some pretty strong fantasies when young and trying to find their style of manhood but the tone of this child's voice is chilling - there is a growl to it, almost feral sounding when he speaks to this other young boy, and you can hear he's speaking through clenched teeth. The anger just reverberates. He sounds like a totally different person when he's playing by himself or with older children; he sings and says hello to everyone and plays his games under the tree like any other child. Chill bumps are rising on my arms.

Well, daylight slipped in during my second cup of coffee so I'm off to shower and go to work. It's a good day for me. My daughter is flying back from California and I pick her up this evening. Then tomorrow, it's off to Franklin early, early morning to spend the day gem-mining. We are a crazy mother-daughter pair as we love to go on off-the-beaten path adventures. We have so much fun together and we don't fight! I'm really looking forward to the few days we'll have here and then it's off to Sweet Briar to get her back in college for her last year! Whoo Hoo!!

Have a great day, everyone, and remember to be aware of and grateful for your many daily blessings. Life is good, and today I'm grateful that my main worry is how to work a dorm fridge into my budget.

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
~John Fitzgerald Kennedy