Happiness and gratitudes

• spending my first night back in Wheaton happy and in the company of old friends.

• thrifted man-comfy. think sweatpants or wool sweaters, big enough to just sit inside unselfconsciously and slouch around the house in on a rainy day.

• chapbook and zine inspiration at City Lights, and fresh determination to make the eternally-someday poetry chapbook HAPPEN.

• a much-needed brain-cleansing ritual to lay to rest some regrets and anxieties.

• the prospect of hanging out with an old amiga from a dorm Bible study group. and on campus, there aren't too many friends left who haven't graduated, but running into the ones who are still here is so lovely after these months away.

• this little desk overlooking the backyard.

• a letter from Noel in my new mailbox.

• coping just fine with isolated days of depression.

• a queen-sized bed which is also oh-so warm.

• a visit with my big sister and her family before I left California. a cooking and baking day with her and some good music, and her baby (almost one year old!) crawling around our feet.

• a morning with wonderful Sui.

• CocoRosie

• the woman I'm renting this room from put some silverware and dishes in it and is letting me use her kitchen and spices. things I don't have to buy = hurrah!

• the rain motif in Li-Young Lee's Rose.