The Ink-Pot and the Palette

This happened a week ago:


Retirement Countdown

so the "My Typical Workday" meme (which I spotted on lamentables' journal) seems like a good way of celebrating, since there will only be a few more of them.

( Mememememememe )

Do you ever have one of those days where you just feel so good that it's almost like being in love?

I'm having one of them right now. I wish I could pinpoint exactly what's making everything feel so wonderful. What combination of perfect weather, adequate rest, good food, pleasant company, just-so exercise, new ideas, and fortuitous timing makes my brain full of dopamine and oxytocin and serotonin (or, alternatively, connects my consciousness to the universal field of goodness, or whatever)?

There was coffee, and more bike riding than usual. The forecast called for heat, but the weather stopped at perfect breezy warmth. I had a nice leisurely start to my day after about nine hours' sleep. A good visit with my mom at the farmers' market. There was the emergency consumption of a pint of very-ripe raspberries in the form of a bright magenta smoothie on the porch. A zillion fun emails with links to SDCC pictures and videos. Lots of reading and commenting on LJ and DW. Dishes to wash and groceries to put away and good food to prepare. A little bit of bacon. A good audiobook* and a good book-book**.

It's not like anything has really changed much from yesterday. I eat raspberries every chance I get. The weather's been gorgeous for weeks. I get plenty of sleep most weekends...I mean, there is no extraordinary cause that I can identify. And yet, I'm in an extraordinary state. Even Graydie the not-that-stray-anymore cat is feeling it. Normally aloof and outdoors, she's been by several times for hugs and scritches.

Today, the world is beautiful, and I'm at home in it, and life is good. I want to store up this apparently causeless bliss. It might come in handy on a rainy day.



*Science Set Free by Rupert Sheldrake
**Vicious Circle by Mike Carey

I have sooooo many things to say about the pleasures and delights of my UK visit so far, and soooo little leisure in which to say them. ravurian is more fabulous than I'd even dared to hope, ruric is the soul of generosity, and altariel today handed me Cambridge: The Insider's Tour complete with some of the best conversation I have ever enjoyed.

Each day so far has been packed with goodness: miles of walking, theatre, sights, museums, pubs and boats and churches and cafés and parks and birds and languages and people from all over the world. And books and whisky and ice cream and trains, and oh, I just love it here so much!

So since I've walked my feet off, and it's late and the jet lag isn't quite gone yet, and I have another full day tomorrow (and the next day...and the one after that), I wish to leave you with this selected shot of the beauties of Cambridge, taken from a punt on the Cam this afternoon.

( You're welcome. )

I never quite realize how much stress I'm under until I get a break from it (or until I start getting overdraft notices, take your pick). I took Friday off to make the three-day holiday weekend into four, and oh, the sense of healing!

( Rich days )

¹I'm enjoying it. It's the kind of slow-unfolding story with slow-building suspense that I particularly admire.
²This one in this wool.
³Ironically, we were discussing writer's block.
⁴I don't even get to work at 8:30
⁵It was fabulous, pan-fried in a bit of butter and balsamic vinegar with dill and salt.