There’s a particular talent in giving a good gift. It’s one part knowing someone very well, another part hard work and a third part creativity. It’s not always easy to combine all three, and it’s fair to say that I’ve been known to freak out a bit with the desire to get it right.

That’s why I find it so impressive when people get it right for me. My response to “What do you want for anniversary /Birthday /Christmas /Groundhog Day /etc.?” Is typically: “Nothing”. I don’t consider myself to be materialistic. And to top it off, it doesn’t help that -in the rare occasions I want something badly enough to go shopping -I buy it immediately.

And yet, I got these four great gifts from four fantastic people:

The tree swing is a jewelry holder that was given to me for no particular reason by R.

The beautiful scarf in the background was given to me by my friend after she returned from Africa

The chicken is a sort of inside joke from a friend and former coworker for my birthday…

And finally the Farm Girl shorts are from my sister who knows how much I want to live on a farm!  I just found their website - and is it just me or are these pillows hilariously cute?

I was thrilled to find out that Sarah Harmer’s new album “Oh Little Fire” will be available in June. Sarah’s new single “Captive” can be heard on her website. I pretty much figured out the lyrics (below). I think it’s a good single, but I’m looking forward to hearing the rest of the album, especially since some of my favorite songs by her weren’t the ones that got the most air play (Greeting Aisle and Lodestar, for example).

I want to be held captive (Oh oh oh)
Forget the way I acted (Oh oh oh)
It’s just I’m out of practice (Oh oh oh)
and d-distracted

Hold me to this thing
Darling
Bring light we’ll
Climb to the rafters
As long as there’s a view to look to
Fence me in and keep me close to you

I want it for a long time (Oh oh oh)
I forgot my light-t
You threw me a lifeline (Oh oh oh)
Pulled me out of the dark night

Hold me to this thing
Darling
Bring light & we’ll
Climb to the rafters
As long as there’s a view to look to
Fence me in and keep me close to you

There will always be a lamp lit
Look how far the light is casting
Soft and steady you can see it
Glowing
With the feeling
This feeling

I want to be held captive (Oh oh oh)
Look at the way I acted (Oh oh oh)
I’m just so out of practice (Oh oh oh)
And d-distracted

Hold me to this thing
Darling
Bring light & we’ll
Climb to the rafters
As long as there’s a view to look to
Fence me in and keep me

Hold me to this thing
Darling
Bring light & we’ll
Climb to the rafters
As long as there’s a view to look to

Fence me in and keep me close
Fence me in and keep me close to you

BIG ENORMOUS WONDERFUL NEWS: R & I are moving out on our own. Just the two of us. I am elated. If there was a picture version of the happiness this manifests in my brain, it would be the picture above. Flowers and sun and beauty. That’s what would come out of the printer attached to my brain.

You know that movie with Brad Pitt - The curious case of Benjamin Button? I KNOW YOU DO. It’s the one where he’s born an old man, and he reverses in time until he’s a child.

Well the last year of my life with my former roommate would follow a similar chronological order… When I moved in he was probably 17. Still immature enough not to clean up after himself, but JUST mature enough to be able to carry on a conversation. A year goes by, and suddenly he’s 10 years old. The really annoying 10 year old who screws everyone else over but refuses to take any accountability for his own actions.

IT. WAS. HELL.

I really could care less about him. Unfortunately, he’s R’s friend and that just made me want him to keel over and die EVEN MORE. Because he kept being a jerk to R. And I can’t handle when people hurt those I love.

I’m surprised my subconscious didn’t kick in at night and allow me to sleepwalk to his car & slash his tires. So I’ll thank my frontal lobe RIGHT NOW, because it stopped me from doing such a thing while I was awake, even though the thoughts were definitely there.