Pink Dobby and other stories

First things first: I've spoken with Masha and Christie, and the Harry Potter Book Club is cleared to move on to the Chamber of Secrets! Look for the first post right here on Monday. :)

* * *

I left the shopping bag on the table for her comfort. At least,
that's her theory.

* * *

Some Fridays, I have lots to say in a post. But then, some Thursdays don't involve having a mocha and mojito cake for lunch*. The latter fact may not appear to correlate with the former, but the equation series looks like this:

2 shots of espresso
+ lemony frosting
+ 0 protein outside of the mocha
+ flaming hurry
+ serious case of nerves preceding having to talk/conduct music in front of people for 2 hours
= too queasy to eat anything else all afternoon

1 case of too queasy to eat all afternoon
+ serious coffee jitters
% a great deal of prayer, careful preparation, and half an hour of peaceful piano music
= 1 relatively sane substitute choir director, for approximately 2 hours

1 relatively sane substitute choir director
+ huge amounts of residual caffeine
+ 1 small plate of spaghetti
+ bedtime
= 2 wide-open brown eyes and 1 hypercaffeinated, racing mind

Which meant I was up till two, and then my brain forced itself awake early. I didn't dare have more coffee—I still feel like I have jitters—so I fell asleep on the couch a little while ago and then chose to fight my way out of the resultant sleep paralysis. (No hallucinations, though. And I didn't follow the mocha with bad whiskey. I promise.)

All that to say: I feel super weird. And I still have to clean house and go to a cookout tonight, so yeah. Unless you count this not-very-interesting ramble, I haven't got lots to say.

* * *

I'll let the garden talk for me.

Crocosmia

Fennel

Oregano, leeks, pumpkin vines

Oregano

Daisies

Non-invasive morning glory

Cinquefoil, dahlias

A rose of splendid color.

My little poppy bloomed! Depending on angle, I think it looks
like a pink Dobby. Or Yoda. Something with huge ears.
Not Jar-Jar, though.

* * *

Music of the week: Maria brought this song to my attention on Facebook. It's soothing, and it's not often you see a violin strummed.



* * *

Happy weekend!

* Courtesy demands that I mention I was invited to help myself to a perfectly good restaurant menu. I turned it down, planning to get home in time to eat before the next event on the day's schedule, but I couldn't tear myself away from my nieces. They're adorable. So, the whole thing was totally my fault.