chomp

This morning I finally witnessed Calvin eating a cricket. It was a big one, too, all wiggly. I wonder what it's like to eat something whole that's alive and that's as big as your head. Do different crickets have different flavors? I might not mind a cricket if it was covered in peanuty-chocolate substance - like Reese's Puff cereal, which is basically corn balls covered in candy.

My mind's been pretty active recently (mainly the last 48 hours or so), which means I've been writing a lot, which equals good. I've been a little disappointed in the fact that I've been pretty lazy lately, thinking-wise, or feel like I have anyway. I've been thinking and writing about: death and the beauty and meaning of steadfast, sacrificial love; of not being insulated from pain and brokenness; of reading books written by people I value and learn from, some written on paper but most written on lives, on my life; and seeing lives of young women I've met here and not understanding why I'm not them, and it hurts. I've been talking about these things too, which is extra good.

i like boxes

It's true. I prefer boxes that are surprises and that contain secret contents, but I'll also accept packages that come to my door because I told them to. For example, two days in a row this week I got home from work at night and there was a box on my porch! Two days! Amazing. Of course I knew what they were - a dress for my sister's wedding, and shoes to go with it the next day - but still... I guess all I need to do to keep myself happy is to order something every week or so. Happy thought indeed.

the new me

One of the people at the Timothy House said the greatest thing to me today. We were walking up the basement stairs and he asked if I ever did any skateboarding when I was younger. That's a weird question, I thought; he can't be serious. I replied with a wary and surprised "no" - aside from my yellow Banana Board from when I was 6 or something (remember that, Em?). And then I asked, "Do I look like a skater?" and he totally thought I did! He said something about my demeanor and the way my hair fell across my eyes looking very skaterish. "No way!" I said. "Yeah!" he said. Then my friend Amanda chimed in, verifying this apparent "hipness", as she put it, that I wasn't aware of having. I think I can honestly say that I've never been involved in such a conversation before. I think I'd like to have a skater alias; any suggestions?