Shhh.

Sitting here on the sofa, a cushion beneath me to defray the inevitable bowing of the cushions and my subsequent obsession with the fleeting nature of newness. The girls are finally asleep, the big girl bed for Avery has been touch and go at best. Sean has gone to the bank to deposit our checks and the animals are both asleep.

I am rapturously without chores, and find myself absolutely at peace. This week has been an arduous journey, one that I’ll soon explain, with changes at work and realizations about home and relationships. An awakening? Maybe, but most certainly a a signal from the universe that our pledge to say no and be true to ourselves in 2008 was the right decision.

I am looking forward to a trip to the grocery store – restocking our cupboards (ok, makeshift shelves one hallway and two rooms down from our “kitchen”), preparing meals with fresh vegetables and offering the girls colorful snacks as we hunker in against the cold tomorrow.

It’s a slow news day, but man, I think when you have them you ought to pause and take note.

Today, I raise my coffee mug to a slower pace and a family’s embrace.