Beauty and the Beast

We had just left our neighborhood, crossed over River Road to have dinner in a mom & pop little hole-in-the-wall mexican restaurant. As we walked from the car to the entrance, I looked at the faint hint of pink in the distant sky and knew that once again I was going to miss a flaming farewell from that ball of fire we call Sun.

We were seated at a booth which caused me to have my back to the view, so I told Mr. Fun he was on "sky patrol" and that I wanted to know if the sunset started flirting with him.

Ten or more minutes later I had pretty much given-up on any sky color appearing -- it was just taking too long. It just wasn't going to happen; it was happening somewhere, but not here. Then Mr. Fun casually said, "It's happening now."

I turned to look; then turned back to say to him, "My camera and I are going outside to see this sky wonder."

Sometimes beauty comes through all of our ugliness; comes in spite of our ugliness, certainly that was the case this evening as I looked, admired, sighed, and imagined standing on a hill somewhere with no obstructions, no wires, no street lights; then decided that I would capture the beauty with all the warts and blemishes.

Truthfully, I appreciate street lights, lighted street signs, and the electricity that comes to my house -- I can just flip a switch to light a room, power the TV, and numerous other conveniences that I take for granted.

So hooray for beauty and hooray for the ugliness of the beast.

This has been a VERY GOOD day! This was Day 2 with my two Tuesday morning classes. I enjoyed them both immensely. I love teaching. Convincing students that they have the ability to write well isn't easy, but it is rewarding. I've rarely been rewarded for something that was easy to do. Late this afternoon I headed for home absolutely spent and completely convinced that I have found my groove, my pace, my cadence. I'm sure there will be some valleys to descend and some steep inclines, and that's why the June "Finish Line" will be the cause for one tremendous celebration.

Now I'm closing the lid to this laptop to celebrate February with Mr. Fun. It was many Februarys ago that we were falling deeply -- in trouble with each other -- back then we were drowning. Today we pinch ourselves, laugh a little, sigh a bunch, close our eyes to float through the memories of all the years; then open our eyes to once again be reminded of the delight of looking into each other 's aging eyes while still seeing who we were and love all that we are together. I can't imagine what my life would have been like if he had not married me; if I had left him all the times I was discontent . . . all the times I as behaving immaturely. We have been blessed with the ability to forgive, with grace, and with the invisible glue that has held us together.

If you've read this far, you are amazing and you must think that I'm crazy. Certainly I am . . . don't tell anyone!

Good night from Southern California where beauty ignores the beast!
Rosie (& Mr. Fun), aka Carol