What does it mean when someone you baked a cake for throws said cake back at you?  or a cake, even a different one?  What if it is all virtual?  What if it doesn't even happen?  It's all something I'm considering, but likely will never happen.  Is it just a waste of time & brainpower?  As I think these things, I think of many hours of analyzing situations that have never occurred.  I can attempt to justify it by quantifying the amount of peace or sleep I had as a direct result.  I would have to counterbalance it with the amount I lost, lying there, unable to shut my thoughts off.

Then again, maybe it's just my 'I need a break from cleaning!' side babbling... ;)

Walking into the family home, smelling a certain cologne, listening to a song- they can all bring us to a distant time and place.  This time, it was a Switchfoot song- a part about "it's my birthday tomorrow... I was born this Thursday, 22 years ago..."  I listened to that song a lot the summer I turned 21.  That was over 5 years ago, and the memory is so fresh!

now I'm off to finish a list of things before socializing! 

This is an example of filling in the gaps- seeing what he had before and skimming through the rest.  I thought my friend was visiting Saturday morning.  Turns out it's tomorrow morning.  Haven't seen him in over two years.  Should sleep soon, with an early morning ahead of me.  Guess no pie.

... (Fairest Lord Jesus)
I'd like to think it's more than the start of a new day that wakes me up singing.

Here's me embracing the New Year:

What is it like to progress?  In which areas is that welcome?  I've been pondering such questions lately.  The fodder was everything from the direction of personal relationships to this head cold threatening to settle in.  In lieu of contemplating that more here, I will cover Christmas week.  I had written a whole lot, with details, of Dave's & my trip to Houston.  I think I'll downsize it and share some visuals.

We had a great time!  It was satisfying to both get what we wanted out of the trip.  I wanted to get to know some of his family and for them to know me and me to know Dave as well.  When we didn't run in different directions after landing back in DC, I knew it was a good sign.  ;)
I felt very welcomed and like I could easily fit in and see us having a family with kids & hanging out with them all.  :0  But it also reaffirmed some things I've always wanted, such as a welcoming home open to guests.

Although we spent most of the time in Houston, we also took a side-trip to San Antonio w/ Dave's bro and sis-in-law.  It was the most fun I've had in a while.  They're pictured above, but since I didn't ask permission to do so, I hope the obscure nature of the pics is discretion enough.  The one with lights is Riverwalk.  The other is in a cave!
Continuing clockwise, you will find evidence of our Armand Nature (bayou?) visit.  It may have been the most perfect date I've been on.  It was also very sunny, especially reflecting off the water.  Later that day, we continued hanging out w/ a cousin of his and her family at Kemah (harbor city), eating at the Aquarium (where he befriended this shark).  That day, we also checked out that rocket at NASA.

"Turtles and other wild creatures do not prosper on potato
chips, bread or other food anymore than humans do.  Please do not
feed the turtles in the pond, as they have plenty of
nutritious natural foods available to them."

You know the feeling of a strong lack of something?  That's what I'm experiencing right now.  I'm not sure where my head cold is hiding now, but my nose & throat seem perfectly clear.  On the opposite side of things, do you know the feeling where something/someone is there and it seems so natural & like there could be no better way, and it's a new thing?