Dear _____,

Half-frozen orange…  Okay, that’s just plain weird.  Time to turn the fridge down (or up, I guess).

 

Time sheets (for language learning)…  I was a little anxious about having to fill out and turn you in on a weekly basis.  “What if I forget to write stuff down?”  Turns out it hasn’t been a big deal, and it’s definitely been helpful to see exactly how much time I’m spending in French.

 

Teacups…  Because you are capable of both reasoning and communicating, I know you’re interested to know why I always put you in the cupboard upside down.  To keep the cockroaches from crawling in you, that’s why!  (Actually, in the absence of cockroaches I’d still probably do the same thing.)

 

 

Crochet hooks that arrived in the latest package from home…  Yay!  Now I can make use of that lovely Fall-ish yarn I was given the other month.

 

Planner (also in afore-mentioned package)…  What a relief that you’re finally here!  I’ve realized in the last few weeks how utterly dependent I am on a good planner.  (It’s kind of like having a second brain.  Or…no, it’s like having a backup of your hard drive!  You don’t have to worry about losing all your information/ideas if something happens, because you’ve got it somewhere else.)  Planning for a week at a time with only sticky notes is far, far from ideal.  For me, anyway.

 

Little boy kicking a dog…  Stop.  Stop!!  He didn’t do anything to you!  Haven’t you ever heard the saying, “Let sleeping dogs lie”?

 

Candy Cane Lane tea…  You know your one - your only - problem?  You’re seasonal.  I don’t understand why you can’t be available all year long.

 

 

Ginger jelly…  I added you to my “tasty culinary discoveries” list this week.  Sweet, but still very gingery, and all-around delightful.  You’d be really, really good on pumpkin scones or something.  (And my mouth is now watering at the thought.)

 

Pioneer Woman…  Thank you for making me laugh, inspiring me to get out of my rut where meals are concerned, and making me hungry for all things cheesy and bacony.  (Bacony.  It’s now a word.  You didn’t know that, did you?)

 

Sweeping and dusting…  You have to be two of the most thankless chores here.  No sooner are you completed than I turn around to find yet another layer of dust beginning to settle.  Again.

 

Guy with a star design bleached into his hair…  That’s very, um, unique.

 

 

Cockroaches…  The untimely and tragic demise of my little Rue (sniffle, sniffle) has unleashed many fierce and evil feelings within me.  Now, instead of my shoe, I often reach for the Baygon.  Die.  Die!!

 

Four flights of stairs…  In spite of what some people say, yes, one can get used to you.  Although it’s a slightly different matter when lugging a full gas can is involved.  Huff, huff.

 

Two little boys happily tossing an empty tomato can back and forth…  Ah, imagination and contentment.  Beautiful.

 

Pick-up with six or seven dogs in the back…  You make me curious.  What exactly is the meaning of this?

 

Sister and brother-in-law…  I thought of you this week when I learned the word pyromane.  No idea why.

 

 

Gala apples…  This week was the first time I bought you from a supermarket here.  I discovered that for the same price, I have a choice of mealy-and-unflavorful golden apples (who put the “delicious” in golden delicious?!), or crisp, tasty gala apples.  I pick you.

 

Strong gust of wind…  Whoosh!  You blew a whole bunch of sand right at my face (and into my eyes) just as you lifted the cap off some guy’s head and flung it into traffic.  That wasn’t very nice of you.

 

Bus that broke down right in the middle of the road…  Nice.  What’s next?  A tow truck?  A jack?

 

Guy wearing a t-shirt that said “There’s room for all God’s creatures”…  When I saw that, I immediately had the overwhelming urge to break into song.  All God’s creatures got a place in the choir, some sing low and some sing higher, some sing out loud on the telephone wire…  But because I’m not the belt-out-songs-randomly-while-walking-down-the-street kind of person, I just sung it in my head.

 

Christmas CDs that arrived after Christmas…  Hurrah!  Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!  Er, I mean, let the celebration continue.  (Thank you two for them – you know who you are.)