The Grateful List

Sometimes in the late night/very early morning, you've just got to lay it down simple and straight.

Because eventually a tired woman will need to rest after:

New guitar strings placed and tightened and tuned, ready for a song tomorrow.
Songs worked through, wrestled with.
The scarves Nora and I tied around our ukuleles, singing with her, and realizing she knows all the words.
Visiting with two writers, talking over butter and banana bread (emphasis on butter), so comfortable and the joy can't help itself inside me.
Going single to see Harry Potter.  Wishing I could have left with Snape.  (Just kidding!  It's okay.  Really.  I can joke about these things, right?  Mom, you understand.)
Nora's kisses and the orphan dog train she made out of scotch tape and whatever else she could find.
A sleepover with Mom tomorrow night.
Revisiting Job.  Revisiting Jonah.  Watching God work it out for me.
Watching the Backyard Farmer, eating Cuban sandwiches and kettle chips.
Realizing that, with my Kitchenaid mixer, I can make a batch of Grandma Smith's banana bread in about 4 minutes.  Danger zone (comma) highway to the.
The woman at the theater booth asking if I was a student.  After 30, you'll understand what a gift it is to be carded.  Believe me.
Tomorrow morning: early rising and straight to the garden where some serious business needs to take place.  I've got sweet peas dying, an overturned tomato plant, green beans to pick, dill almost ready to be harvested, basil to pick for the pesto I'm going to make and freeze tomorrow, a row of spinach that's gone to seed and needs to be replaced with carrots (it may be too late, but I don't mind baby carrots), squash plants to take on with my vorpal sword.   Weed it and reap.  Read it and weep.