Amaryllis sillyramA

This awesome design is by Ray Noland.

…yes, folks, it’s another very special palindrome. But how could it be more special than the Lisa and Nick palindrome? Well calm down, I didn’t say it was more special. It does make me happy though.

Amabo? OBAMA!

So in this case, special means part of it is a made up word. I decided that was okay, one more time, because I am all excited about this election. Tomorrow I am going to fill out my ballot, and then on Tuesday I am taking the little one with me to turn in the ballot at the polling place.

It is going to be a great day.

AKA Sauron, after it was banished to the stairwell. Where it watched us for weeks before deflating.

At least in the stairwell it wasn’t literally looming over us.
It was much smaller-looking in the store.

Late last night I took a shower. And for some reason I got to thinking about how that shower was possible only because of an enormous lucky stroke. Thinking of all the millions of people on the planet right now that don’t get to have a shower whenever they want. And then thinking of all the people who’ve ever lived, and how most of them could never even imagine this luxury: a warm, indoor, private, well-illuminated room, a hot cascade of water just for washing. Or just for standing in for a few minutes. So very lucky.

Taken at the Oregon coast last July.
Just now I was thinking it looked like a rill. So I looked up rill to see if it fit.

From the OED:

rill, n.1
1. a. A small stream; a brook, runnel, rivulet; spec. A small trickle of water formed temporarily in soil or sand after rain or tidal ebb.

But exactly!

Last night I dreamed I was smoking a cigarette. I often dream of smoking but I never know that it is a dream, so I always feel guilty about it. Like I have ruined something. Like the not smoking for over four years is erased and I will have to start all over again because of one lapse.

So usually when I wake up from one of these dreams, I say to myself, “If I’m smoking, I’m dreaming. If I’m smoking, I’m dreaming.” To try to train myself to know I am dreaming next time. Partly because it would be nice to be able to enjoy the cigarette. (How ideal! Smoking without really smoking!) But also I would just like to train myself to be aware that I’m dreaming when I’m dreaming. And maybe then learn how to change the dream if need be.

So last night, in my dreams, I’m walking along a path in the back yard of the house where I grew up, and I’m smoking. And it dawns on me that if I’m smoking I’m dreaming! I know I’m dreaming! I say to the person with me — hey, this is a dream, what should we do? And the person doesn’t believe me. So I decide to show them that it really is, by flying. Then I don’t know what happened, can’t remember, but wow! It worked! Yay! Can’t wait to try it again.

The beautiful picture above was taken by a very talented individual named Justin Mclean. He has graciously made it available under one of the Creative Commons licenses. I’m not sure how to do a proper attribution, so please correct me if I’ve messed up in any way.