An island of calm

I am sitting at my kitchen table, sipping my coffee, still in pjs. It is a island of calm in a sea of activities, obligations, and the daily stuff of life. This is a slice of my life.

The weather has finally gotten nice in the Chicago area. As I look out my kitchen windows (which comprise most of the back wall) I can see that nearly all the snow and ice are gone! I have the window open, though it is a little chilly (48 degrees) because my cats got into a loud fight a few minutes ago and I used the open window to distract one of them.

[Digression: We have two cats, who tolerate each other but aren't friends. Ironically, we got the second cat to cheer up our original cat after his "brother" died at 10 years of age. They had been together since they were kittens and loved each other dearly. Our old cat, Smokey, is playful, affectionate, and lively, even at 15. The new cat, Fafner, is 5 years old an entirely different personality. He is skittish with people and mostly enjoys eating and sleeping. So when Smokey wants to play wrestle, like he did with his old buddy, Fafner thinks his life is in danger and he howls at the top of his lungs, punctuated by snarls and hissing.]

I'm still in pajamas, a most unusual occurrence for me at 10:30 on a Saturday, because we went downtown last night to see The Magic Flute, Mozart's charming opera. The DePaul School of Music is presenting it this weekend and our daughter is playing in the pit orchestra. It was a lovely evening, a casual dinner with Jamie and friend, followed by Mozart's glorious music. We got home really, for us anyway. So I am still basking in the glow of my daughter's accomplishments and the sounds of Mozart.

I am inhabiting this moment. Though I know I have a lot more going on this weekend and then it's back to school for one more busy week before spring break, I am just enjoying this quiet moment, the sunshine, and my coffee.