Smiling

Margi at Zupan's, cooking up yummy samples and smiling.

Everyone's smiling today. Everyone's eager to chat. 
The ice is melting and the streets are almost clear and we're free at last!
My car started right up and I drove for the first time since Jan. 9, 
smiling like Margi.

With freedom comes responsibility. Old tax receipts to shred, new tax receipts to file, utility payments to record in my checkbook. It was kinda nice not getting mail for a while.

I've been chatting by email with NamaKris, who said, "We have a food supply but nothing I want to eat"! That's exactly how I felt. Now I'm stocked with delicacies from Zupan's—Napa chicken salad and kale salad and ceviche and bread with walnuts. I think I will be smiling for a while. 

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Blessings for the people in other parts of the Portland area who are not smiling because their streets are flooded, or out in the Columbia River Gorge where it is still solid ice. 
Blessings for people who had to sleep outdoors in the cold.
Blessings for people who needed to get to the hospital to get urgent care or have a baby, and were cut off by the ice and snow.
Blessings for the children who lost many days of school as well as (this news brought tears) free breakfasts and lunches they were entitled to.
Blessings for the workers who do dangerous work in bad weather.
Blessings for our departing President and his family.
Blessings for our future, all of us, all over the world.