five fabulous things that happened today

Today was full of sunshine and laughter and a few extraordinarily pleasant happenstances including the following:

1. My mom started my newest (2nd ever) knitting project for me. I'm certain I could cast on if my life depended upon it (provided I had my instruction book handy), but somehow it seems that something knitted is even more especially special if my mom has a hand in it.
2. I found the bestest piece of sea glass ever. Well, probly the bestest. I do still love the pink piece I found on Hearst State Beach by the San Simeon Pier. And I have only found two pieces of red ever and only one piece of yellow, so I can't turn my nose up at those either. But today? Today I found an entire jug handle and neck. At first glance it looked like your average brown piece (inch long, half inch wide) but when I lifted it from the sand, out came this entire apparatus. I know, some think it is trash. I think it is beautiful.
3. My dad suffered revenge. Though Erik didn't mean to torture him by driving way too fast and way too far on the winding old highway one, he did confess to catching on to his discomfort at least a mile before my dad expressed his car sickness. Oh how Mom and I chuckled hearing Dad detail the adventure. Like most of Dad's classic stories, it involved many hand gestures, whistles, and high pitched noises. He insists Erik could have a second career as a race car driver. He recalls being on 16 miles of twisty road and finally having to speak up when the sign said 11 miles of turns remained. To make things worse, their final destination (a mountain hike) was unavailable (road closed) so they went to an alternate location (Erik's secret swimming hole) where Dad was so unsettled he didn't even want a beer. And the water there was cold. So cold. He could only sometimes put his feet in. Dad made us both feel the cold wet cuffs of his jeans. But the best part? Erik shared with me a specific quote, sure to become an "old tape," which happened after Erik told Dad he didn't think he got car sick (since he always subjected his family to the scenic route...) and Dad replied, "I think it might be different if you're not the driver." Priceless.
4. O.C. got a new plant for his garden. It is cat mint, not cat nip, but he appears to enjoy it at least as much. When I shared it with him, he rubbed his face all around it, ate the tenderest, youngest leaves, rolled around a bit, hugging the pot, and gave me a big old bump on the forehead with his gigantic pumpkin head to tell me thank you. Even now he is hanging out with me by the computer (not his usual routine). I am pretty sure we are in love.
5. My sister agreed that the San Francisco portion of her pending visit might be superfluous. I was starting to dread the hours and dollars spent in the big city but I thought it would be much more difficult to convince her just to come to my quiet beach town and enjoy life. What a relief.

So life is good, eh?