every single day the two liner emails would go back and forth.  he was always asking, “what are we doing tonight?  what can i look forward to while i work in this cement block?”  we would come up with all sorts of grand plans that undoubtedly fell through.  upon returning from church i would fall asleep on the couch at home and at some point he would come in from his day that started much earlier than mine, sit down in one of the armchairs and join the snoozing office worker.

eventually food would be had and sometimes we would actually keep our original grand plan and do something exciting and interesting.  not most of the time, but sometimes.  whatever we did though, i could guarantee that be it silly goofing off or sitting and talking about what the Lord was doing in our lives, i would have fun doing it.

he’s taught me much.  last summer’s lesson?

“all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”.

i’ve not been playing much recently and as much as i might like some days in the office… there isn’t much play involved there.  i don’t have anyone emailing me throughout the day reminding me to loosen up and enjoy something now and then so i’m caught trying to find this all on my own.

i’m convinced that we’re supposed to find joy in our time here on earth — that we are to eat and be merry — and that just because i’ve decided to follow Jesus doesn’t mean i need to dislike most everything about my life.  where’s the goodness of God in that?  i’m sure there’s a reason He’s wired each of us to find happiness in some earthly rather hobby-ish part of living.

my goal was to do something i enjoy this fall.  dance lessons were thrown around but i’m not sure it will actually happen.  this morning though i remembered.  i liked blogging.  i really liked blogging.  dance lessons or no dance lessons blogging must take place.  i’m not a grand writer and i don’t have too much that’s interesting to tell, but my high school years were happy years as i did something i really really enjoyed.

first step would be to grow up and purchase my very own laptop.  i’ll get right on it.

second step would be faithfulness in this endeavor.  i’ve tried in the past, but i want to stick to it this time.  hold me to it, k?

so a sigh and a start…

a rather large box with my name on it arrived at the house today.  this isn’t shocking to family members.  i have a bad habit of purchasing much and returning even more.  zappos was made for a person like me.  but this wasn’t from zappos and wasn’t another pair of shoes that i would open, take one look at, and decide that i’m just not that into them after all.  this was 13lbs. of white metal to house my very own bird.

i’m not in the mind of doing too much other siblings haven’t done first.  going to germany for a whole year would not have happened if others hadn’t first gone to various countries for months at a time or if my mumsie wasn’t so convincing and me so easily swindled (and for not eating the first few days because of nervousness, germany ended up being so amazing i returned 40lbs. heavier!).

but back to the bird.  no one in my family has ever had a pet and many of them have tried to convince me to not do this.

but the fact is, although i’ve got more than enough sinclair blood in my system, i want this bird.

so tomorrow i’ll go and pick up this tiny thing and welcome a little yellow parakeet into my world.  she’ll be in the office on weekdays and home with me on weekends.  i’ll call her (i think it’s a her) amarillo (should it be amarilla?  it sounds a bit more pretty and delicate).  she’ll be my pet and i think i’ll like it.

sometimes i get antsy to move on in life.  i dream of cities to go and places to live.  as exciting as those dreams are the idea of newness always makes my heart beat quickly and my stomach do a somersault.  i don’t know when any of that will happen, but when it does amarillo/a will be with me.  she’ll be a bit of home that comes along.  and i think i like the idea of that the most.