For her birthday, I made my sister a lace-weight crocheted Alpine Frost shawl. It was more the color of alpenglow. I was extremely pleased with and ridiculously proud of it. One of the top five things I've ever made, I think. I gave it to her last night at dinner (the four of us went here, and it was spectacular). Last week, when I had finished it but hadn't given it to her yet, naturally I informed her that I was about to give her the most awesome and fantastic birthday present she had ever gotten from anyone anywhere in her entire life and if it wasn't then . . . well . . . well, I don't really know what, but something. So she was prepared to have her mind blown and I believe she was suitably impressed, which further pleased me. I do like to direct people on exactly how to feel about the handmade presents I give them. I am just so helpful like that. A helpful person. ;-)
When we got home last night — can you believe that sky? That photo is exactly what it looked like in real life. It only lasted a few minutes. I walked down the road in a long flowered dress with the camera. Click click click. The sky was changing second to second. Thunder ripped from several different parts of the sky, then lightning, then more thunder. We sat in the back yard and watched it as night came on. A faint rain fell and evaporated on landing. Eleven seconds, generally, between the jagged white strike and the thunder-roll. Andy lit all the candles. It was our fifteenth wedding anniversary. I looked up and made a wish on the first bright star in the ultraviolet sky. Oh I do love that man with my whole soul.
