serendipitous

i have nickels buried all over the world. friends on vacation take my nickels and plant them in beautiful and interesting places i'll never see. it's a long story, but this has been going on for years and years.

my two most recent nickels, just placed weeks ago, were buried by three dear friends on two separate trips to nepal. all afternoon, i've been reading the reports of the earthquake, looking at photos of the devastation, and sending up prayers for the good people of the country - and also thanking heaven for keeping my friends safe as they traveled.

here's the spot in kathmandu where my friend gretchen buried my nickel. she said it was beautiful, and i would love it there.

the shift to daylight saving time brings erratic sleep patterns, crazy dreams, and general feelings of internal disarray. i am having a hard time shaking it this year. but i can again walk - nay, mosey - in the evening, and that is good.

a christmas eve gift from the little girl, fashioned by her own hands. it's a centerpiece, she tells me. no, it's a treasure, i think.

a rainy, windy wednesday before thanksgiving, a good day to be warm and dry inside, baking and prepping for the holiday. we make turkey cookies, leaf cookies, and the isolated squirrel, all sporting m&ms for color. we roll with my mother's rolling pin and i tell the little girl about the thanksgivings of my childhood. we reminisce a little about her thanksgivings past, few though they may be. and we talk and laugh and sing, two happy bakers making a thanksgiving memory to recall in years to come.

so many times today, i smiled and thought to myself, this really is an amazing day. i was up and out early, my walk finished in the clear early light of morning. it was scarf and glove weather, the first such day this fall, but skies were cloudless and blue with brilliant sunshine. by midmorning, a problem weighing heavily on my mind had been lifted. later i made a bit of a dent in christmas shopping. a frame i bought at 40% off was eligible for my 20% off coupon. during lunch, i read four chapters because the waitress brought me a whole pot of decaf. i received a wonderful email from an old friend. a wrong turn took me to the cutest little consignment shop and a sweet little basket. i visited a new bookstore. i listened to my thanksgiving playlist several times, whistled a lot, and felt grateful for all the good things in my life. and, on the ride home, i watched the first star appear bright in the sky.