She walked out of the gray woods holding this pot. She found wild snow drops under a shaggy mat of brown. She freed them from leaf bones and dried tangles, then plopped them, dirt and all, into discarded plastic. Now the pot sits on our front steps and makes Mama happy.

He tried the yarn’s length around my neck after each trim, over and over again. I put Fray Check on the end of the yarn to keep it from unraveling and told him I wasn’t peeking. His little man hands gently crowned me with his most precious possessions, strung with care.

I participated in my first creative exchange recently. Nancy of Round Rabbit ceramic jewelry fame sent me a really sweet, blue, handmade heart dish, and I sent her a clutch that I made for her.

I sit down at the table with a perfect cup of coffee: a preheated mug filled three-quarters of the way with Freedom of Espresso’s organic blend, finished off with really long pours of both white sugar and heavy cream. As I take my first, second, and third sips of the morning, I can feel my mood lift from conscious to maniacally chipper. High on caffeine and eager for conversation, I look over at my seven year-old as she works on her spelling. ...

I had $3 in change in my pocket, scrounged from various change jars and couch cushions in the house, so no buying for me that day. It’s more fun to look, anyway.

We stopped at Varsity on the Syracuse University hill for some pizza last week. We were surrounded by lots of college students, hospital staff wearing scrubs, and blue collar dudes. People didn’t seem to be able to deal with a lady with two kids and a camera. I think I scared them a bit.

I half-finished a purse. Mostly we talked, and ate, and drank, and pet the cat, while the wonderful smell of Jake’s Polish soul food cooking in the kitchen drove us to further distraction.