Okay - I do my best to avoid bandwagon-jumping, but the poetry meme that's going around ('when you see this, post some poetry!') is an absolutely positive one. And it's a chance to share something I love, and this poem has been in the forefront of my mind lately, so I figure it's as good a chance as any to put this out in the public eye...

(I got it from wcg who got it from browngirl who got it from.... and so on. Share and post your own favorite poem, if you want....)

"Listen to the Mustn'ts," by Shel Silverstein

Listen to the Mustn'ts, child; listen to the Don'ts.
Listen to the Shouldn'ts, the Impossibles, the Wont's.
Listen to the Never Haves, then listen close to me -
Anything can happen, child; anything can be.

Okay. Playing along because I've enjoyed coming up with questions for other folks, and imagining what my own answers would be, and because all the cool kids are doing it....

Fill in the blank.

"Hey LadySprite, what is your favorite____?"

And I will answer. Possibly creatively, and within the limits of what I feel like sharing with the world at large, but I will answer.

Okay. I know this one went around a while ago, and I didn't jump on the bandwagon then, but.... well, I could use it now. Because I'm stumbling hard on my goal of being nice to myself, and I know that I'm not seeing myself through unbiased eyes, so I need y'all to help me. I don't need pandering, or stroking, just... an outside viewpoint.

If you had to pick one word to describe me, what would it be?

I don't usually participate in memes, or jump on bandwagons - I like reading them, but they're not exactly my own personal cup of tea. But I kind of like this one, and since I was tagged to play along by my own dear sister, I might as well join in.

You've all probably seen the rules elsewhere by now - I'm going to post one thing a day that makes me happy, for the next eight days. No tagging anyone else, though; play along or not as you please.

Today, what's making me happiest is holiday baking. Every year I bake cookies for my friends; it's one of the holiday activities I look forward to more than anything else, and today was the start. I've got a pan of butter almond toffee chilling in the fridge, cranberry shortbread bar cookies cooling on the counter, a huge tray of peanut brittle is just starting to set, and thumbprint cookies are in the oven as I type this. Tomorrow I'll candy a batch of orange peel to go into a batch of chocolate-orange biscotti and make fudge and gingerbread and macaroons.

My kitchen is a wreck. My sainted husband has washed the same poor, overworked heavy-bottomed saucepan at least three times. Flour and sugar are scattered over every surface, I have managed to use over two pounds of butter in three hours, and destroyed at least one spoon. There is not a single clean knife or rubber scraper to be found and the beautiful potholders pagawne made me have seen hard use. But my house smells heavenly and I've managed to wash the powdered sugar out from under my fingernails in time for the party I'm going to tonight, and I have gifts to share with my friends and I'm finally starting to feel like the holidays are on their way....