presents that go poof

Two more pictures of cherry blossoms. Because there are few things as heartening as cherry blossoms against a blue sky.

What a strange couple of days. Today felt like November, yesterday felt like May. Life is amazing, incredible fun, mostly because it's often not that fun, so when fun things happen, they're sometimes more fun than can be believed. If you follow. It might seem more bizarre if every now and again a huge present exploded out of the ground and landed at your feet. But it wouldn't be more bizarre than the way life actually operates. Even if the present sometimes imploded as soon as you untied the string, it still would be terribly dull compared to real life.

I don't feel like writing about the real life events of today and yesterday and the day before. I'd rather write about the things I've decided to take away from them:

1. Always be ready to play a show, at the drop of a hat. Practice every day, you lazy ass! (These are instructions to myself.)
[As a side note, even after writing that, I'm tempted to erase it... I almost said out loud, "Every day?! Aw man..."]
2. Yes, every day. (But not today because my arms hurt and I'm tired.)
3. Get a case for the keyboard with WHEELS and make sure the sustain pedal always works.
4. Don't let your hosiery get to a state of unwearable-except-around-people-who-won't-judge-or-care-ness.
5. Always keep passport and important medications close at hand!
6. Continue to be careful about not committing to time-wasting, sticky obligations.
7. Never run out of good reading material.
8. Pray every day to the God of ever-changing-ness for acceptance of Not Having Control.
9. Imagine everything as possible and even inevitable and also forgiving.
10. Always say YES to opportunities when the heart lurches upward. Say NO when the heart lurches downward. (Do not confuse movements of stomach for movements of heart.)

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