...commuting, flowers, and love...

“Love takes off the masks that we fear 

we cannot live without

and know we cannot live within.

I use the word "love" here not merely in the personal sense 
but as a state of being, 
or a state of grace–

not in the infantile American sense 
of being made happy

but in the tough and universal sense 
of quest and daring

                                         and growth.”

~ James Baldwin

This has not been the week for commuters in the area. Yesterday, the interstate was closed for hours after someone jumped to his (her?) death. Fortunately for me, aside from still being alive, it also only cost me an additional 40 minutes to my typical 3 hour commute. Does that sound heartless? Maybe. As I was sitting in traffic, what seemed like a parking lot, I sent a text to my fella that somebody better be dead. Okay, I didn’t *really* mean it.

This morning the train broke down on the way to work. It only set me back 15 minutes but still… I had to scram to my shuttle bus.

Monday was a federal holiday so the commuter rails weren’t operating. I bought an Amtrak ticket from town to work. This is the best commuting experience ever! I would do it daily if it didn’t cost a mortgage to do so. This type of luxury would really put a cramp in my jewelry habit. As I walked home through town near the Randolph-Macon College campus (I know! It’s crazy that I commute 3 hours when I live less than a half mile to another campus), I walked by this beautiful house. My fella and I actually got to go in this house during last year’s holiday tour.

But even though my commute makes me fussy, I get to come home to this!

Okay, my fella has a body but he’s private so this is all you get!

He greets me at the door with flowers and a shot of pumpkin liqueur in a Jack-o-lantern shot glass.