1. The Dale Chihuly glass sculpture in the lobby of the Bellagio hotel.  Did I say that already?  Well, it’s still grace in small things, even though it’s a 20-million-dollar big huge thing.

2. This Dale Chihuly sculpture.

3. And this one.

4. And this one.

5. Blondie, Heart of Glass

Battle against embitterment and take part in 365 days of Grace in Small Things.

1. Connecting with a friend who moved away on a weekend trip

2. Maggiano’s chocolate zuccotto cake

3. Face painting!

4. Separating eggs

5. REM, Driver 8

1. Same trip — talking your husband into a pedicure for two!

2. OPI Malaga Wine (on me, not him)

3. Jo Malone fragrances.  We visited the store several times to try different scents — they are unisex and they encourage you to layer them — so we ended up with Pomegranate Noir, Sweet Lime and Cedar, White Jasmine and Mint and tons of samples!

4. Cirque du Soleil “O.”  It’s hard to even write about because it’s so different and amazing — just go see it if you can!  Still my favorite Cirque show.

5. Suzanne Vega, Widow’s Walk

Battle against embitterment and take part in 365 days of Grace in Small Things.

1. Las Vegas, baby.  We took a long weekend there, just Shaun and me.  Now I must say that it’s an interesting place for a person in recovery — because the booze is practically spraying up from the sidewalks! However it’s also a place where there is so much to see and do that one can easily steer clear of the cocktail staff throwing drinks.

2. The Wynn Resort.  We got a two-night stay here free — I guess Vegas is really hurting right now and the hotel owners need warm bodies there.  They would probably prefer warm bodies who drink and gamble (Shaun and I just EAT) but all the same.  They put us up in grand style.

3. The spa there was possibly the nicest place I have ever been.  I loved the decor — certainly in the top two or three spas I have been to.  Every different room and water feature and light fixture and wall hanging and musical selection was just crazy perfect.

4. Couples massage, complete with a fireplace and aromatherapy!

5.  Jamiroquai, Half the Man

Battle against embitterment and take part in 365 days of Grace in Small Things.

1. Etsy.com.  I can get totally lost on this Web site — it’s full of handmade treasures and awesome creativity.  My first experience with it was to try and find a tissue box cover that matched my decor — because no matter how fancy the tissue companies get they are just never very interesting.  So, I found three!  They are great little accents in the living room.

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. ‘Til Tuesday, Coming Up Close

Battle against embitterment and take part in 365 days of Grace in Small Things.

1. Busboys and Poets at Shirlington Village

2. Eating dinner on a fluffy couch

3. Reading quotes while deciding on your meal

4. “Think of this gravestone, as a long low chair, strategically placed, at a turn in the stair.” — Paul Muldoon, Moy Sand and Gravel

5. Dire Straits, Brothers in Arms

Battle against embitterment and take part in 365 days of Grace in Small Things.

1. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving.  Someone wrote it into a play, which was a mistake, and the movie “version” was dreadful, but the book doesn’t have an equal, IMHO.

2. Curious George, although I do always feel compelled to give The Man in the Yellow Hat a name.  Would that make him less gangly and creepy?

3. Shel Silverstein.  This dude is still turnin’ ‘em out.  Where the Sidewalk Ends?  Well it doesn’t — nor does it end here, or here, or here.  Bravo.

4. Tater tots, extra crispy.

5. Coldplay, Viva La Vida

Battle against embitterment and take part in 365 days of Grace in Small Things.

1. Laughing on the train.  I can’t help but crack up at these shows I am watching on my iPod Touch, this morning it was sort of infectious and a woman across from me started laughing, too.  I think once I watch all 38 Arrested Development episodes, I need to download some of The Office.

2. A text message from Zambia!  I sent my friend who lives there a text weeks ago — she is abominable about email and it was just another way to poke her and let her know I was thinking about her.  This morning, ohsofar away, she finally saw the message just sitting there on her phone!  I can imagine her laughing in the African sunshine and wondering how long the message had been there.  When she zipped a message back my way, it came at the perfect time for me too.  She said I was the most clever girl in the US!

3. Boston terriers, specifically Moose and Merlin!

4. The “shortcuts” Ruby is learning, or hints, about how to write her letters.  Numeral 5 is something like “draw down, go around, put a hat on top” and I love “to make an eight, draw an S and close the gate.” Oh TRY IT.  It makes sense!

5. Royksopp, Happy Up Here

Battle against embitterment and take part in 365 days of Grace in Small Things.

1. Cool Ranch Doritos.  They’re old school!

2. Land of the Lost, the movie.  There won’t be anything about this movie that’s right — but there’s no place to go from the old one but up.  And Will Ferrell?  Come on!

3. Ehrmantapestry.com.  I was looking for needlework to do to make the perfect pillow to match my living room decor.  Of course, I found the needlework project just after I had purchased the perfect pillow.

4. Perfect needlework project number two.

5. Chester French, She Loves Everybody

Battle against embitterment and take part in 365 days of Grace in Small Things.

So am I pulling one over on you by post-dating these posts?  Pre-dating?  Keying in the entry for February 19 on what, March 4?  I am determined to be thankful for five frappin’ things every day, and to rise to this challenge that Schmutzie put out there (damn you evil temptress!).  I usually write in my notebook on the train and then promise that I am going to post said musings later that night.  I’m what, 10-15 days behind?  Crap.  Ola.

Don’t give up on me though.  I’ll catch up if it kills me.

(thud)

Disney’s Alice in Wonderland, I’m Late