The Summer Day

I don't know exactly what prayer is.

I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down

into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,

how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,

which is what I have been doing all day.

Tell me, what else should I have done?

Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?

-- Mary Oliver

I will miss you, Jessica. But I won't forget.

Aspiration, age 3

"Lily, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"A chicken."

Chocolate

I learned recently that (some) prisons have gift shops and, apparently, at least two of them sell custom tins of chocolate with the prison (logo?) printed on the lid. I know this because my sister Jane sold them the chocolate. That's her job, selling chocolate. Her clients include hotels, wineries, restaurants, and most recently, prisons. She's really good at her job. I think she may be the first chocolatier to break into the prison niche market.

I suggested that she look into the mental hospital market too. She could do custom tins with googly eyes. Jane liked that idea, calling them "looney tins."

So the next time you're in a prison or a mental hospital gift shop and see custom tins of chocolate, you won't have to wonder, "who the heck thought of this?" You'll already know the answer. Jane.

Dating Advice to Boys

Sage advice from a 14 year old girl named Tibby:

I think boys are hot....but I have had my heart broken ALOT of times and here is a tip for boys: when you get asked out by someone you dont like, dont like say: "Gross!" and act like you are throwing up, ok? To actually act like a guy or a MAN then at least say it nicely like: "Well I'm really sorry but I just like you as a friend".....because you don't know how doing that can stick to a girl FOREVER. And don't just like her for her looks, like her for her personalty too.