The house was colder than outside this morning. I was surprised how warm it felt when I went out to the yard to get the papers. There are a few clouds, but the sun is wonderfully bright as becomes a spring morning.

When I was little, I had easy decisions to make like what I wanted for breakfast, what I wanted packed for lunch or where I wanted to go on a Saturday. None of my choices were life affirming. I didn’t even know what life affirming was. On school mornings, I had to decide whether I wanted cereal or eggs. I figured that was a big decision, a seriously big decision. How did I want my eggs?

The first real decision I had to make was where I’d go to high school. The town’s high school was not in the mix, only Catholic schools were. I had to take entry tests for every one to which I was applying. Some schools were co-ed while others were all-girl. My friend Jimmy and I made a pact to fail the single sex school tests so we could go to school together. We did and nobody was the wiser. Nobody wondered why we got into all the co-ed schools and only the co-ed schools. After we were accepted, we talked it over and made our choice. That was my the first hurdle out of childhood, the first one that counted.

My college choice was all mine. I stayed with co-ed. I stayed in Massachusetts. I stay with Catholic, but that was not really part of my decision. It was just happenstance. I always thought my college decision was sort of my first adult decision, one with impact moving me closer to adulthood.

The most life affirming decision I ever made was to accept the invitation to join the Peace Corps and to go to Africa. The rest of my life has flowed from there. I found my life’s passion in Ghana. I became a teacher.

As for now, I’m back to whether or not I want cereal or eggs for breakfast. Should I go out or stay home and be warm and cozy? What’s on my dance card? The most difficult decision I have to make is what I’m having for dinner or do I just order a pizza.

The morning is a delight. It is a bit cool, but the sun is strong and quite bright. A breeze is blowing the leaves and the small branches on the oak trees. It is the perfect day to be outside.

This is a quiet week for me. I have only uke practice and a lesson, but I do have a few house and yard projects I hope to finish. Nana is a hole digger, and the last few days she has dug a few deep holes. I want to fill them in before I step in one and break a leg.

Last night I went out on the deck to turn off the white lights on the rail and fence. The timer doesn’t work. It was around 1:30. Everywhere except my yard was dark. Everything was quiet. The dogs followed me out, and they went into the yard. I stood on the deck taking in the night. It was lovely.

When I was a kid, I read everything. After I found mysteries, I read Trixie Belden, Donna Parker, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. I read all the classics. I remember the Christmas I got Little Women. I started reading it to the exclusion of everything else. I didn’t even hear my mother call me to dinner. I was totally absorbed into the pages of that book. Jo was my hero, a strong woman who bucked convention. Treasure Island was another book which held me enthralled. I didn’t want Long John Silver to be a bad guy. I read all the Doctor Dolittle books. I loved the pushme-pullyou. I always wished I could talk to animals. I wish it even now. I imagine the conversations Nala and I would have. I expect she’d be sassy and whiney. Henry would be personable. He has a constantly wagging tail. His whole rear end wags with it. He likes life. Doctor Doolittle proved he could talk to animals in a court case. He had the judge’s dog on the stand and questioned him in dog speak. By the dog’s answers, the judge believed Doctor Doolittle. I’d have Nala take the 5th.