WASHINGTON, D.C.

MARCH 27 - APRIL 11, 2010

www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org

Three years, he said. Sometime within the next three years, he’ll be leaving.

“You’re going?” I asked him. His eyes – confused – looked into mine, the image of panic. 

My husband and I like to stay in special places when we travel.  Well, I guess it would be more accurate to say that I like to stay in special places when we travel.  Mark isn’t particularly aesthetically oriented.  We’re talking about a man who didn’t notice that we’d had the entire interior of our condo painted until two weeks later.  Lucky for me, he loves me and is happy to indulge this passion of mine.<

I rented the movie, "Precious" yesterday.  Wonderful performances by Mo'Nique and Gabby Sidibe. I had a couple of friends say that they could not watch it as it was too hard. I thought about not renting it, but then I knew that from the previews the performances looked quite powerful and I didn't want to miss them. It was difficult to watch and made me jump a couple of times (if you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about).

I went to see a movie today with my daughter and her boyfriend. That's an awesome thing in itself, because we all love each other and have fun doing things together, but that's not the point of my blog today. The point is that Daughter and I were delighted by "Repo Men," with its over-the-top premise and loving, lingering shots of spurting blood and human organ removal.

I'm staring at a lovely purple plant on my counter right now. It's so cute and little. I adore it...

Especially because I beat some old lady out of it last night at the reception.

It was being held for some friends of the family, and there were centerpieces galore. Truth be told, that was my first experience in the "race for centerpieces." I'm suspecting it's strictly a female sport? There's just this certain instinct that kicks in when they announce "the centerpieces are free," and all Hell quickly breaks lose.

What an amazing day.. I couldn't believe it when I stepped outside this morning!  It was the first time that the car thermometer read a higher outside temperature than inside temperature this year..  Amazing.

We definitely took advantage of it.. After cooking breakfast for the whole bunch, I packed the kids in the stroller and headed off for a little run.. I must admit that my legs are a little out of shape.. I guess that commuting to work 9 miles each way on a bike doesn't really translate too well into running fitness...

While working on the computer in my office, I have the benefit of looking out a wall-sized window that faces onto a skyscape of beautiful trees and delicate clouds.

 Like Oprah Winfrey, I have been many sizes. Anywhere from a size 6 to a size 20. I have struggled with my weight when I have allowed myself to live life without being totally engaged. When I am in retreat mode and emotionally turtle into myself, I find that is when I start to pack on the weight and have to sausage myself into my clothes. At the moment I find it interesting that I have unintentionally lost 10lbs, because I don't feel totally engaged with all areas of my life.

I'm reading Cormac McCarthy's "Blood Meridian" on the stairmaster this morning at the gym, this beautifully, terrifying, horrific story about "the kid" and his journey through the south during the 1850s and the horrifying acts that took place during that time on the Mexico-Texas border.

There are so many things to figure out, I can hardly identify a beginning point. Did you have a miserable childhood? O, what  relief--I did too. You say your mom died before you reached puberty? Um hum. Got that. Your sister died in early middle-age, the one you meant to live with into your old age, to walk around the town with, holding hands and speaking cheerfully to strangers? Yeah, I hear you. Father and step-mother abandoned you when you reached eighteen (making your child negative-two-months, but still an entitity to be reckoned with)? Um, yes.

It's scary being alone at night.

Every bump you hear is something out to get you. Something changes when the lights go off, almost like the darkness is a license for all things bad to happen. It's amazing how much difference turning on the light makes. The only problem with the lights is that they keep me awake all night.

Hello friends,

It's been so long here, and I was barely here to begin with, that it seems oddly delightful and a bit unfamiliar be back--like wearing the pair of gorgeous navy blue stilettoes that I own and have only worn once.

This time I hope I'll be sticking around and making a fairly regular habit of sharing things with you...