Rainy Days and Mondays

For the record, today is neither rainy nor Monday.

In fact, today is supposed to be 74 degrees.  So I wore a wool skirt and a fleece vest.  Yes, I am smart that way.

On Sunday poodle and I went for a three mile run.  It was sunny and a bit breezy.  On days like that I find I am unable to sit still, so then we went for a three mile walk.  And to round it all out, we went for another two mile walk.  Plus poodle played ball twice, so she got about a week's worth of exercise in one day.  Monday was sunnier and warmer, so we went for a four mile run.  I'm trying to break out of my three mile rut.  Too nice to be inside, so we walked another two miles.  Then I came to work at 4:00 to prep for a meeting, was a guest at a meeting at 5:00, and hosted a Museum board planning meeting from 6:00 - 9:00.

Today is sunnierest and warmerest, but I need to go to my part-time, part-time job after work so may not be able to enjoy the weather.  Except from in here, with my nose pressed to the window.  Roxie is out working on her tan.  She just heaved a great sigh.  I know she wants to be running and playing ball -- it is hard for her to wrap her head around the concept of a full-time job.

I haven't painted anything since last week but I have a few ideas percolating.  I'm still waffling about that barn painting.  Do I leave it alone, or do I mess around with it?  Can't decide.  Maybe I will try another one, see if it comes out any better.  Some night this week, since it is supposed to be fabulously warm all week, I might haul all my crap outside and paint in the yard.  Any bugs that fly onto the wet paint will just add another dimension, right?

Maurice Sendak died this morning.  This is very sad news.  My uncle forwarded me something on facebook that I think perfectly sums up Sendak, the way he thinks, and the effect his work has on people.  It is an excerpt of an interview with Terry Gross of NPR:

Terry Gross:  Can you share some of your favorite comments from readers that you've gotten over the years?

Maurice Sendak:  Oh, there's so many.  Can I give you just one that I really like?  It was from a little boy.  He sent me a charming card with a little drawing.  I loved it.  I answer all my children's letters - sometimes very hastily - but this one I lingered over.  I sent him a postcard and I drew a picture of a Wild Thing on it.  I wrote, "Dear Jim, I loved your card."  Then I got a letter back from his mother and she said, "Jim loved your card so much he ate it."  That to me was one of the highest compliments I've ever received.  He didn't care that it was an original drawing or anything.  He saw it, he loved it, he ate it.

Beautiful.  Just beautiful.