Reasons to be cheerful

1. It's Sunday afternoon, the light is dappled, Maharishi is making his famous pork in a crock pot )"Look at this" he says pointing to the industrial yellow and brown pot "circa 1979. It's practically an antique." Fennel & cauliflower gratin in the oven. Mashed potatoes warming. Big fat asparagus in cold water in the sink. Fresh grapefruit juice for Greyhounds. J's father and favorite girly cousins coming for dinner.
2. The School Choir concert made me weep. Ridiculously optimistic glowing smiling faces. Such talented young people. A two-hour program of sheer sublime beauty. Middle school sang "Blackbird." Upper school sang "Hallelujah." Me: lumpy. Little has the longest, curliest hair in the school and she's wearing her Buddy Holly glasses and smiling at me through her braces. Friend's oldest son is back from first year at Penn. He gives me a huge hug and asks about my own spawn.
3. Only three days till N is home from Bard. Giddy. I tell you.
4. Norway won the Eurovision Song Contest. As Vivien says "Well done to Norway - can no longer use one of fave catch phrases - Norvege Nul points."
5. It's 17. mai -- Norwegian National Day, the day when all good Norwegians everywhere jump into the sea naked, gargle salt water, and eat kransekake.
6. And, today, I jumped my horse down a gymnastic, ie a row of six quite large jumps formed in a line with just a bounce stride in between each one. I did it with my eyes closed, and with no hands, which looks rather like the picture. Scary & exhilarating.
7. Almonds.
8. O, and the tomatoes are growing huge!