Wisdom of a four year old...

This morning Olivia sat with me while I got ready for work. She taught me all about the water cycle, in case I didn't know; learned a new word, evaporation; and offered me a bit of advice. The conversation went like this...

Olivia: Sissa, do you want to get married or what?
Me: Yes, I do want to get married.
Olivia: Then why don't you just take care of it?
Me: Well, it isn't that simple. You have to find someone you want to marry and they have to want to marry you back.
Olivia: Oh. Do you know anyone you want to marry?
Me: Maybe.
Olivia: Okay, then what you have to do is impress him. You have to get real fancy, like wear your fanciest clothes. Then you have to call him on the phone and invite him to go to the ball or maybe dinner. Tell him to wear his fanciest clothes or if he doesn't have fancy clothes, then his best clothes. Then you can dance and eat dinner. Try to be really nice to him. Okay, Sissa?
Me: Hmmm...is that all I have to do?
Olivia: Of course! You're nice. I think he will be impressed by your fanciness and niceness.
Me: Ok, I'll work on it.
Olivia: Good. Now can I have some smarties or what?

If only I had known that all it takes to be married is to be impressive and that being impressive consists of fancy clothes, a ball or dinner, and a dose of nice. Olivia should have arrived with this advice earlier. It is pretty impressive.

A writing badge...

My friend, Brooke, had a link on her blog today to a site where you could paste a copy of your writing and it would compare it to famous writers. I tried four different pieces. One concluded I wrote like Chuck Palahniuk and three concluded I wrote like Margaret Atwood. I will take it! Consequently, Margaret Atwood is one of my favorite authors. A word after a word after a word is power, my friends.

(You can read Brooke's highly entertaining blog at http://www.confessionsofarookie.blogspot.com/).

Vegetable love...

The thing I love about vegetables is their beauty. Deep green spread on broad lettuce leaves. Seed heavy tomatoes happily sitting red in their baskets. Zucchini nestled in for cool nap. Bright cherries ready to be plucked from the bag and placed on the tongue. Peas and beans, spinach, and pots of herbs sprout peacefully and fervently. They know their purpose. They grow towards the sun.

Farmer's markets are especially pleasant on cool July mornings when a holiday has pulled the normal crowd to other destinations. The produce stands are easily browsed and sampled. The fruits and vegetables call, wanting to be touched and envied. For a dollar you can get a huge bunch of lettuce fresh picked yesterday evening, a half a pound of fruit red cherry dark, three long tender zucchinis, or a perfect summer green tomato. Bring a bag, your mom, a friend. Buy produce. Find love.