i choo-choo-choose you

man, i never get tired of simpsons quotes.

been keeping busy. putting feelers out there, making contacts, working the angles. i remain hopeful. i am pleasantly surprised at myself with this.

i'm in the process of jumping through hoops to volunteer as a writer coach/tutor at a junior high school in berkeley that my church has chosen to partner with. i'm looking forward to some interaction with kids. any activity on the horizon is good.

another round of book sorting yesterday. i helped sift through the christian books to determine which ones they should keep in the library. part of me wanted to slip some books into my bag when no one was looking, but i decided that more people should have access to them. also, there are some crap books out there. there was a lengthy debate as to whether or not we should keep a copy of the prayer of jabez in the library - even writing about the book right now puts me on edge - and we ultimately decided to keep it just to have it around. i hope it gets stuck in a dusty corner somewhere.

but the best part of the day was afterward, when i walked out into the sunshine clutching my free copy of the cloister walk. i set eyes on a small lemon tree (more of a shrub size) hunkered down at the end of the long hedge. on a whim, i reached in and picked one. the sharp fragrance jumpstarted my senses. the skin was bumpy and the dirt on it was a satisfying sight compared to the shiny smooth waxiness of the grocery store produce. i showed it to my friend carol when i stopped by her office for my customary hug and piece of chocolate (or as i like to call chocolate "cheap antidepressants" mmm... serotonin. i suppose hugs are good for that too). she pointed out that the recent freeze in california has jacked up the price of lemons a lot. so on my way out could i pick her some? i cheerily agreed, further plundered the shrub and filled her office mailbox with the spoils. nothing says ... anything... like a box full o' citrus. moments like that make me happy to live in california and discover such things. small blessings.