Shaking off the world's dust

The past two weeks here have been astoundingly dreary, weather-wise. It's been rainy and cold (or at least chilly, for those of you who did not grow up in the Gulf South), and although I don't mind the rain or the cold so much as a rule, two weeks of it left me feeling kind of despairing. But! This morning I woke up early on account of The Heater Guy and The Plumbing Guy were coming to set my house arights, and the sun was shining, and it has been shining ever since, and the temperature is perfect and I am sitting out on my porch typing this with a Jones Green Apple Soda (diet) at my elbow and my legacy daffodils are just starting to bloom and the three tiny dogs who live in the house across the street are bouncing around as though their driveway has been magically transfigured into a trampoline and things are all in order and my heat is working (even though I don't need it, as of late this morning) and I have done three loads of laundry without backing the shower up once (I called my mother just so I could flush the toilet at her) and my stove is waiting patiently for me to cook dinner and I've taken my dog to get ice cream at the ice cream shop which will give you free dog ice cream if you bring your dog, and everything is fine, and I am fine (if ridiculously poor) and I hope you are fine too.

I was going to add something about the world's most depressing picture book. But I am feeling too fine for that. Maybe some other time I will share it with you.

I'm not exactly hungry, but.

You know, I could really use some cake right now.