Random bullets of happy happy joy joy

I feel as if I've been grinning from ear to ear for the past four days, but did any of that really happen if I haven't written about it? And I'm not talking about the Superbowl, either: I've just experienced an intensive outpouring of moments so joyful that they've made me (mostly) forget all the painful ways in which my body is betraying me and the world is falling apart. Here's a sampling:

• On Saturday I saw Hamilton in Columbus, thanks to the generosity of a friend with a spare ticket, and even though I now know all the ways in which the play is flawed and historically inaccurate, it was an absolute blast. I already knew Hamilton was an amazing feat of storytelling, but seeing all the parts come together on stage made it so much more magical--even if I did have to twist myself into a pretzel to see around the pumpkin-headed man in front of me.
• As I drove north to visit the grandkids, the polar vortex moved east to torture other souls, leaving behind beautiful snow and warming temperatures that tempted us out of the house over and over. Walking along an icy sidewalk, my grandson solicitously advised, "Be careful, Grandma! It's slippery!" (Or, as he says it, "swippewy.") He learned what happens when you jump on melting ice over a puddle deeper than your rain boots, but we all enjoyed warming up together afterward.
• "I love going to the dentist!" proclaimed my granddaughter, and I could see why: Puzzles! Bubbles! And two loose teeth! Later, my grandson showed how well he can brush his own teeth, and then he offered to help his baby sister with her tooth-brushing skills. When small children take such delight in dental hygiene, someone must be doing something right.
• And speaking of doing things right, my adorable daughter has many skills that are justly lauded: she can sing like an angel, bake cookies to die for, and express kindness in so many ways that I've lost count. But this morning I witnessed two talents that are seen too rarely: she can gobble like a turkey so convincingly that the wild turkeys stop in their tracks, and she can take photos with the eye of an artist. From a distance the wild turkeys looked dark and dull, but the camera reveals a lovely range of colors and textures on their feathers.
• I've been bothered by e-mail after e-mail regarding a particularly messy committee task, but yesterday I received the best news ever: tomorrow's meeting is cancelled. If that isn't enough to keep me grinning for another 24 hours, nothing will.

 

I'm the king of the world!

Be very careful, Grandma. It's swippewy.

Such beautiful evening light.

Levitating!

Just hanging around.

Wanna make something of it?

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