Thursday's List

READING: Cape Refuge by Terri Blackstock, which was a really interesting murder mystery. I enjoyed it, except for the two main characters. They were sisters, Morgan and Blair, and they were so irritating that I was looking for them to be the next victims. The book was worth the read because of Sadie and Cade, although Cade spent a lot of time hoping to break through Blair's shell of brusqueness. He was laboring under some misguided notion that, like a crab, she was all shell and claws on the outside, yet sweet on the inside. Men are so adorable that way. I wanted to stick my head through the pages and say, "Cade. Honey. Give it up. She is not sweet. She hasn't had one sweet thought through this entire book. Myself, I keep hoping for someone to shoot her."

LISTENING TO: Late afternoon traffic slipping by outside the window. The temperature is a lovely 76 degrees and all the windows are open. Someone just stopped for the stoplight with Norah Jones playing on the stereo. If I had a glass of chardonnay here on the desk beside me, it would just be perfect.

FAVORITE NEW FIND: My mother brought me a magazine with an article featuring an old friend from my early twenties who grew up to write a New York Times #1 bestseller. We lost touch long ago as we both moved on from our apartment in Muncie, Indiana to get real jobs (way back when, I was a substitute teacher and she was a waitress) and get married and have kids of our own, but it was nice to see her face and read about her success.

FAVORITE THING TODAY: I'm not sure how this worked out in the grand scheme of things, but I just inherited two chandeliers that belonged to my great-great-grandmother. They were originally powered by lamp oil, but were converted to electricity somewhere early on in the last century. One is perfect for my dining room. The other may go in my bedroom. With our high ceilings and no ladder, I wonder how long it will take me to convince my husband to install them both? They're so beautiful, one done in light blue with handpainted flowers and the other in cranberry glass with cut glass dangles. I can hardly wait to see them on my ceilings. I've known them since forever.

HOURS OF SLEEP LOGGED LAST WEEK: Couple of dodgy nights around Sunday and Monday, but pretty good the past few nights.

THE CAUSE OF MY STRESS: School. School, school, school.

PRAYING FOR: Baby Lily and her family -- the g-tube surgery went well; the trach placement has healed. Young Peter and his family will be traveling home soon from the proton radiation treatments in California soon. Pray with me.