this hour and that one

-Receiving the most amazing package from Jessi. (THANK YOU!) She sent me a great top, a cd of music we both love and a copy of The Writing Life by Annie Dillard, complete with her own personal notes to me in it. Her inscription to me in the book was so thoughtful it brought me to tears. Feeling that she was right there with me, I read the entire book last night and this morning. I found myself emotional when I read a sentence about dancing next to the band and saw that beside it Jessi had written "I thought of you immediately." It's a wonderful thing to be so deeply known and loved.

-Annie Dillard's wisdom and truth. I was particularly shocked into new awareness and profound simplicity when she said, "What then shall I do this morning? How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing."

-I've decided to volunteer on Tuesday evenings at my favorite coffee shop, and have already noticed the people working there treating me as more than just another visitor. Their friendly smiles, helpful information and enthusiasm ("The girls working are so excited you're helping! I'll leave a t-shirt out for you.") make me already feel like an insider.