on the road

I know I'm gonna sound like a mom when I say this, but thank God, the cats are asleep. I'm extra thankful today because oh my Lord, they both went nuts earlier. Especially Milo. Don't let the above-photo deceive you. He is soft, furry, and the sweetest little guy, but you'd be astounded by his hyperactivity. It usually occurs in the mornings. I think he's happy we're up and about, he's happy to play with/annoy his brother, and generally, Milo is just joyful. He may be energetic, he may be frightened by rain (and our shower), but he's rarely sad. Harley is moody like his Mama, but he's got the most gentle disposition. And yes, we can sense these things about our pets. Everything God creates is unique.

So now, much like a parent rejoicing over a child's nap-time, I'm ecstatic that Milo curled up on his blanket behind me, and Harley nestled in his corner full of white tissue paper (he likes the texture). I think it helped that I sang along to a few lullabies ~ "Johnny Cash" by Kelley McRae and Brandi Carlile's cover of "Hallelujah" (by Leonard Cohen). OK, maybe they're not lullabies, but they are great songs. All is calm and I can blog.

I need to rest as well. Yesterday's errands were quite momentous. You see, I haven't driven a car for a few months now. I'm not a complete freak.... The deal is that for awhile, yeast die-off made me very dizzy, lightheaded, and weak. I just didn't feel secure about operating a moving vehicle. But then I started to believe that my driving days were over (not true). Johnny's been a saint, running errands all over the place and acting like my handsome chauffeur. However, knowing he'd be gone a whole week, he spruced up his Dad's car (I still can't call it "mine"), filled it with gasoline, and I had to face the fact that yes, I can drive sometimes. In fact, I believe part of my healing process is to quit listening to fearful lies and take steps (as I'm able) back to a more normal life.

Yesterday was like that. Driving the silver Monte Carlo around our lil' patch of suburbia was more than fun. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy driving and listening to public radio & music. I started out with All Things Considered, then discovered Ryan Adams' Easy Tiger in the CD player. So that's where it's been! In fact, I discovered several long-lost CDs in the car:

-Lucinda Williams ~ West.
-Jeremy Casella ~ Recovery.
-Derek Webb ~ Mockingbird.
-Patty Griffin ~ Children Running Through.
-Johnny Cash ~ The Man Comes Around.
-old Paste samplers.



As you can see there, I did find two books at The Bookworm Shop. My brother strongly urged me to read Hiroshima, and my aunt did the same with The Year of Magical Thinking. They say those two are hard/sad reads, but important ones, and both were inexpensive, used copies. As the name implies, The Bookworm Shop was a charming place. Not too small, yet not oversized, either, and full of new & used books. There were chairs and couches, and fun gift items, too. I felt like Johnny and I actually needed this on the fridge to improve our homeowner skills (it even matches the kitchen paint color):



Next door to the bookstore was a bakery called Sweet & Salty. I knew I couldn't eat one pastry inside, but I needed a hot beverage. I should've ordered chamomile tea at that point, but it felt necessary to know if their coffee was any good or not. I ordered a cup - good coffee indeed - then quickly got out of there. The aroma of Sweet & Salty was pure chocolate. It smelled like one big cookie that I could not eat. I told the kind cashier I'll visit again as soon as I'm healthy. There were cakes, cookies, cupcakes, pastries, sandwiches, croissants, and pretty much everything else you can imagine that is full of yeast and goodness.

I loved the Villagio shopping center. The architecture had a bit more flavor than is typical in Katy, TX. There was a cigar bar, a Berry Hill (oh, how I miss margaritas), a De Vero day spa, some Italian restaurant, and The Paperie, among others. Johnny should get down on his knees and thank God The Paperie was closed after I left the bookstore (I'll go back). It's still a growing shopping center - many of the spaces were empty - but it looks promising.

To round out the day, I dropped by SuperTarget to buy a Father's Day card. I ended up finding two suited for my Dad, and a few other staples:

-method dusters.
-method wood floor cleaner (for our bamboo).
-Weleda wild rose eye cream - I'm looking ragged.
-a big jug of jasmine green tea.
-box of Kleenex for the car, now that I'm driving again.

I headed home under a dusk-filled sky (my favorite) and uttered aloud, "Thank You." I was close to joyful tears. I take any hint of normalcy and progress very seriously, and very gratefully. I need to get out more often.