8. Your other arm gets a big workout. Bye, bye underarm flab!
7. Free food. I've gotten all this wonderful homemade stuff from people. My faves? Homemade veggie soup and homemade mac and cheese.
6. Sleeping as long as you want (see #9).
5. Flowers. I got two beautiful pink and purple arrangements.
4. It sure beats a broken leg.
3. No pretenses. Showering and make-up can take a back burner.
2. No one can blame you for not getting that knitting done in time for their birthday.
And the number 1 Good Thing about having a broken wrist?
1. Visitors. So many wonderful people have stopped by to check on me (in person, by phone, text message, and e-mail) since I got home Thursday, and I've got my mother here over the weekend. I am so grateful to everyone. I'm feeling very blessed by my friends--all of you. Thanks. :-)
We had an ice storm Tuesday night. On Wednesday I took Roxie outside to pee and slipped on the ice and...well you can see what happened. Fractured left wrist.
On Saturday, it was so nice outside that I left the door open most of the day:
Today they've called off work because of ice covering the roads (in Texas, we're not used to this kind of weather and, for some reason I don't fully understand, the sand trucks didn't go out in advance this time), so Rox is reduced to begging to go outside. Here, she shows off her non-bark, her "hup":
(You can see there that she doesn't behave perfectly all the time. She just kept tilting her head like she didn't know what I wanted her to do.)
I've been wondering lately why I'm attracted to greens and browns in my living room lately. Then I realized:
they match the dog.
The new picture is a woodcut: "The Dialogue" by P.O. Hodgell. My dad's had it for a while. I took it and have had it rolled up for a few months until I framed it as a birthday gift to myself.
Here is a selection of Facebook status updates from my old high school friend "S." You may recall my post a while back regarding nasty comments about a picture I put up of myself in an Obama t-shirt. S wrote "More like NObama" as a comment there.
S's facebook updates started around the same time that I put up that picture of myself. The first was invitational: S reminds you to go out and vote tomorrow!! McCain/Palin 08.
Then, quickly, his hopes were dashed: S thinks America cares more about money than character... Matthew 6:24. S thinks that although he may be my president, I don't have to like it!
And they got increasingly aggressive over the next few months: S thinks it's funny how Obama is not going to implement his windfall tax on oil companies now. Hahahahaha! So much for change. S thinks Global Warming is retarded and that anyone who falls for that ridiculous scam is too!! S thinks Rush Limbaugh is hilarious!
This week, there have been a rapid succession of status changes: S will not submit to the Obamamania! It's carpe diem Monday! S thinks pork, pork, pork! It's not a stimulus package it's pork! S can't believe Obama's releasing terrorists!!! OMG!!
I really want to post a comment, but I can't think of anything polite to say; I can't figure out a way to say anything that he wouldn't just find insulting. But I have been secretly enjoying watching his postings, especially as they grow increasingly frantic and accusatory. It's fun to be on the other side, rejoicing, after so many years of being unhappy. I'm sorry that he hasn't fallen into some spirit of unity though. I think he'd be happier that way. I know the rest of us are.
I was in Houston this weekend, and oh boy, did I have a great time.
Oh yes, this cake tells the truth. (Chocolate chocolate, with strawberries, baked and frosted by my wonderful Rebecca. They were, indeed, the best strawberries EVER, Rebecca!)
Some obligatory face pictures: Heeere's Rebecca.
And Erin.
And Erin with her cat (or her boyfriend's cat, depending on who you ask...).
The best thing about Erin's cat? She plays fetch. Oh yes, Riley is a fetching machine (as long as it's that particular ball--a cat must have her particulars, after all). This was endlessly entertaining, watching the cat fetch.
And then there was Margot. Also Erin's (or her boyfriend's? the possession thing can be a bit difficult). Isn't Margot beautiful? She's a whippet/beagle mix, and she was enchanting. Positively enchanting.
I went to the coolest thing on my birthday night, "Change You Can Dance To," a collection of little bitty Obama celebrations from youtube. There were some I'd seen, and some I hadn't. My favorites? Well, you probably saw Obama Girl, but did you see Obama Girl's Mama? You really should.
And my other favorite? This deserves more than a mere link. This every woman must watch:
We saw all this at the Station Museum, hosting an exhibit on "Iraqi Artists in Exile." Click on that link for installation photos. Very, very cool.
And after that edifying experience, we spent the rest of the weekend in frivolous pursuits: shopping in hip shops, eating massive amounts of good food (I swear we got a piece of cake that was the size of my head), and crafting cupcake pincushions (not finished yet, so photo-less).
There were some other wonderful moments. The UU Minister's sermon was remarkable, totally appropriate for Martin Luther King Day. I saw a lesbian couple sitting in front of me, and one of them crying after the sermon about working together to create a new society of acceptance. It is a powerful thing to find a place where you belong, where you do not fear about being hurt. I sang loudly about justice and freedom, and it was the perfect preparation for Tuesday.
And that is the cap of my joy--coming home last night to a new year of amazing possibilities, and change, and hope. So I begin my 25th year with the words of Obama's speech ringing in my ears:
The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
Happy Birthday Benjamin Franklin! Happy Birthday Michelle Obama!
Happy Birthday Jim Carrey, Andy Kaufman, Maury Povich, James Earl Jones, and Betty White!
Happy Birthday Muhammed Ali! Happy Birthday Shari Lewis! Happy Birthday, Al Capone!
Happy Birthday Anton Chekhov and Anne Bronte!
OH...and Happy Birthday, ME.
This was 3 years ago on my birthday, but I'll be busy frolicking with friends today (pictures to follow in a later post?). I love this picture. It's my favorite birthday picture--me and the best gift, ever.
