One loaf all ready to go to back to school night, the other happily transformed into the humble yet holy grail that is a late summer tomato sandwich. A little unexpected delight of its own.

This week was full of little, unexpected delights.  To be fair, it was full of other things too that border on the more mundane, annoying or trivial, but cataloging the fun and lovely parts seems like a better way to spend my time.

First, I got caught up in a novel this week.  Or rather, got lost in one.  Was it my favorite ever?  Nope.  Was the hero of the book the most amazing ever?  Nope, but the language was amazing and beautiful and I greedily turned each page wondering about the author who could string these words together and create a character out of thin air.  Getting lost in a book is such a wonderful indulgence that I am glad I have never grown tired of.

Second I had occasion a few times this week to be driving at sunset.  I am generally a morning person.  Not even generally, I really am.  I love getting up early in the morning before the house is awake and drinking a cup of coffee curled up on the couch with a book, or reading the news.  What is funny is that even though I love early mornings, if I had to choose, I would say I prefer sunsets over sunrises.  Why?  Maybe it is because I have always lived on the west coast and watching the sun dip into the ocean is such an amazing pleasure.  Or maybe it is because I have always felt that there is something almost magical about driving west at sunset.  It is like you are racing the sun to the very horizon and you feel a little like you are flying.  Like anything is possible.  I am not normally overly poetic in life, but this feeling is the closest to living poetry I can imagine.  Two times this very week (thank you soccer practice!).

Third, and this one is important, the weather was cooler, and I glimpsed fall.  Yes, I am one of that fall obsessed rabid tribe you hear talking about it so much.  But for me, it is not the pumpkin spice lattes or pumpkin spice anything really.  I don’t genuflect at the altar of ugg boots, or football.  Instead, it has more to do with the air and the light.  It finally starts to cool down.  There are crisp mornings where you have to put on a sweatshirt in our house and maybe a blanket when you drink your morning coffee.  And the light in the afternoon?  I guess I am feeling overly poetic today because I keep thinking of that Dickinson poem, “There’s a certain Slant of light.”  But unlike Emily, I don’t find it oppressive or an affliction at all.  It is softer.  Like the earth just used the best soft focus filter on everything and everyone.  The harsh glare of summer with its raucous fun is easing into a subtler and quieter joy.

And finally this week, I felt the familiar (but not anywhere near exhausted) thrill when I handed over a loaf of bread at back to school night.  There is still a small moment, especially when I am doing giveaways to people unknown to me, where I wonder if they will look at me askance and question why they should take the bread from a virtual stranger.  Once that small mental hurdle is overcome, watching the confusion, understanding and (generally) delight wash over their face is truly a joy.  If the bread is not accompanying a longer visit, I like to make my getaway before they have truly settled on an emotion.  Maybe that is a little chicken on my part, but I like to leave before they think there is anything expected of them, or even thank me, if possible.  I want the gift to sit on its own as an act of love and one that does not need to be returned in any way.  I thought I got away with it completely this week, but the lovely front office registrar did ask who my child was, and I should never have underestimated her ability to ferret out my email from just my son’s name.   Of course, she could!  And so I was treated to a thank you email titled Delicious Bread.  Now I am bragging, but that was a bit of a shot in the arm on a Friday evening.  I loved hearing how busy the office toaster was and that even the never-indulging-P.E.-teacher ate some.  Heh.  If that isn’t an endorsement, I am not sure what is.

I hope your weekend is full of little gems of joy as well!