Good morning everyone and welcome to Thursday’s Morning Open Thread.
Morning Open Thread is a daily, copyrighted post from a host of editors and guest writers. We support our community, invite and share ideas, and encourage thoughtful, respectful dialogue in an open forum.
I’ve come to think of this post as one where you come for the music and stay for the conversation—so feel free to drop a note. The diarist gets to sleep in if she so desires and can show up long after the post is published. So you know, it's a feature, not a bug.
Join us, please.
Thursday is payday, so that’s a plus; but rent is due, so I guess it’s a wash this week. I got my place cleaned up pretty good these last few days because my sister’s dogs are coming to visit for a week. It’s not ideal, but her house is being painted, is running over a week over schedule, and it’s a mess in there—which means while she is out of town next week the dogs will be here. They’ve spent time here but it’s been years and honestly it will take them most of the week to get comfortable and by then my sister will be back in town.
The beautiful part of this story, though, is that this whole dog sitting gig is because two of my sisters are taking my niece* on a trip for her 16th birthday: a week in Paris and they leave Sunday morning. I think it’s a wonderful present and we’ve been sort of planning the thing for some time. My niece has been a few times, but now she’s going to be old enough to enjoy some of the things she’s grown into and to do it with her grandmother and great aunt (my sisters) that are definitely not her parents. Her short list are the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, and Shakespeare & Company. That and she want’s to buy a piece of street art, a book, and a bottle of perfume—which I think is a wonderfully achievable goal for the trip.
But long story is that I’ll be dog sitting starting this Saturday evening and I’m sure that’s going to be a hoot and a half. Now to figure out how to introduce them to the stray cats that hang out on my patio now and again.
*More specifically she is the first born of my nephew (who himself is the firstborn grandchild in my family and my godchild) so would be my grand niece; but in my family we skip all the grands and greats for convenience and so we don’t feel either old or even more self-important.
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Be well, be kind, and appreciate the love you have in your life.
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Grab your coffee or tea and join us, please.
What's on your mind this morning?