Slender.

I like the new arrangements in my bedroom very, very much.

Lately I have been unusually busy, considering that it's summer and I'm not officially employed. Aside from keeping quite occupied around the house doing all the cooking and cleaning (in exchange for which my parents have agreed to give me a small allowance until I find outside work), I've spent the night and many days with my married friend J. and, often, her sweet baby daughter; had a wonderful but all-too-short visit with B.; tromped through the woods (with J.), earning mosquito bites and small scratches all over my legs, as well as a deer skull that we found among the leaves; and made a trip with friends from high-school to visit another friend who has moved a little bit far away.

On Monday my family will go spend Memorial Day with B.'s family, and then I'll get to stay with him for several days. We're planning to watch movies, take walks, and go to the beach. Tonight I learned a new card game I want to teach to him. I'm so excited.

I love the new recipes I'm learning. I love hula-hooping in the late-morning and doing yoga in the early afternoon. I love wearing dresses. I love the scratches and bruises on my knees and legs, signs to me of activity and adventure. I love open windows and tall glasses of water and sighing into bed at night, soft and relaxed, falling asleep after hearing B.'s voice over the telephone. I love the prospects ahead of me.

I won't say it will because I don't want to jinx it, but I'll say that I am beginning to suspet it is at least somewhat possible that this summer will be far superior to the last two.

Here's to hoping.

Simplify.

These days my heart has been so tender I can scarcely stand it. Over and over I find myself standing in someone else's shoes, my eyes stinging with tears (and my nose going all snuffly) with sympathy for their experience. And I'm not talking about depressing experiences - I mean joyful ones. I've been reading the blogs of wives and mothers for hours a day, my heart swelling with contentment and bliss reading about the simplest of things that are the most important: being with the ones you love. Living simply, sustainably, joyfully. Celebrating love.

I've also been yearning for simplicity lately. Constantly I want to pare things down, clean things out, rearrange spaces for greater simplicity of appearance and functionality of design. All I want to wear are simple dresses in calm colors made of natural fibers. Like these from Toast:






Toast is really doing a number on me. Stainless steel picnic sets and woven cotton blankets, sigh sigh sigh.