In between

Announcement: This is my 50th blog post. Officially. Since June, when I started this whole thing. If I was an itinerant blogger and wildly popular with lots of ads, I would host some sort of glitzy giveaway. But I'm not. I'm just here to tell you I wore my cherry apron all day and listened to Spoon. 

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Yes, I am back from Texas. And leaving tomorrow for St. Louis. And getting back on Sunday, and leaving two days later for Utah. And I worried about being bored during Jan term. 

So in the two days between Texas and Missouri, I have produced my own version of the famous Page coconut spice cake, cleaned my room, and caught up on blog reading (of course). 

I also attended Ms. Betty's funeral (and gosh, it's weird to write that). But I don't really want to go there right now. You know those people that are so brimful of life and energy and passion? Because of her life, it's easy to see her death in the light of truth. I'm not grieving that she's dead, because she is alive. But what's left is this terrible sadness, the prospect of life without her quick wit and vibrant stories and just - her. 

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So thinking of Ms. Betty makes me think of Jim.  I just called and interrogated him about his first day back at school. And he told me they are living like hobos with a shopping cart full of ratty clothes parked in the main room. Other than that, he is normal. When I get back from Utah, I am going down to Tuscaloosa to see his dorm and go to RUF and basically pester the life out of him. And fatten him up with a loaf of chocolate chip pumpkin bread. 

Oh could you tilt in so you're leaning down

Or would you pull me back inside . . .

So carry me home, to the door beneath the sound

So carry me home, to the sound of angel bands

-Wild Sweet Orange, "Tilt"