Things that are making me happy

a longtime blogger friend is now attending college quite near me!

one night this past week I was sleepy and lonely, and then I got a call from my oldest friend in the world who needed some help thinking through her screenplay. so she told me her story, and when's the last time you've heard a story orally? it was pretty great, and then we hmmed and questioned our way through it for an hour.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

my room for this academic year. it is on the top floor of a dorm in the center of campus, with a huge closet, a slanting ceiling and a dormer window which faces WEST over the quad, meaning I get golden-hour light in my room.

short bangs + well-defined eyebrows, a.k.a. my neighbor's face

convoluted German grammar constructions

I took my flickr contacts' feed off of my reader. I still keep track of their uploads when I can, because they're mad talented, but it's much less stressful not to see their hundreds of pictures calculated into the total of unread items.

keeping my blinds partially open during the night, so that the light in the morning helps me start waking up before my alarm actually goes off.

I haven't put on any music today, and that open sensory space has been refreshing.

wonderful dinner conversations.

friends who help you find clarity just by listening.

having an electric kettle in my room. (also: I got it from the campus donation center, and it turns out it's the one that my contesserate owned last year and donated before she graduated!)

a verbal quasi-blessing.

when my family makes jokes about things they do or say appearing on this blog (or one of these lists!).

being found by my first mentee, getting to know each other, and looking forward to working with her.

recognizing the unofficial mentors I've had as such, for the first time.

starting a 365 at Em's inspiration and encouragement, and looking forward to the finished product of a visual diary of a year. of course I already take way more than 365 pictures in a year, but the point for me is to have one shot from each day that sums up that day, that mood, especially well. I haven't decided if I will post them anywhere separate from my other pictures yet, or if I'll be the only one who knows which corresponds to which day. do you care either way?