In my seventh grade English class, our teacher would have us do "free writing" every Friday.  It was our time to write about anything we wanted.  She didn't grade content or spelling or punctuation.  All she was looking for were words on the page.  They could say anything.  She didn't care.  She just wanted us to write freely.  Often times, my classmates would complain about not knowing what to write or not having anything to write.  Her reply was always the same.  She would say, "Just start writing.  Write one word over and over, or one sentence over and over.  Once you start writing, the words will come." 

Lately, I have been experiencing a bit of a writer's block.  Every time I sit down to update my blog, my mind just goes blank.  It has been many weeks now and I have written nothing.  So, taking my seventh grade English teachers' words to heart, I decided that it is time I just sit down and write anything that comes to mind.  Here we go...

Sometimes I say to my husband, "I want to be reincarnated as one of my cats."  He always replies, "How is that supposed to work?"  Well, I don't know.  I am sure in some parallel universe, time space continuum there is a way that I can come back as one of my cats, living here in Darby (or a parallel universe Darby) and owned by me (clearly a parallel universe me) and lead the life of one of my cats.  My cat name would be Heather (although I don't have, nor have ever had, a cat named Heather).  I would spend my days lounging in the yard in the sun or out in the field hunting mice.  When I felt like I was deserving of a nap, I would make my way through the kitty door, into the house, up onto the bed, and snuggle up into my little kitty bed for a nice long nap.  When I woke up from my 13 hour nap, I would casually stroll into the living room and barf up the half digested mouse that I had eaten earlier all over the carpet.  Then I would go back outside and nap in the warm sun until dusk, when I would do more hunting in the pasture.  At about 1:00 in the morning I would make my way back inside, hop up on the bed, and snuggle under the comforter for a nice long slumber, purring contentedly the entire time.  Doesn't that sound lovely?  I sure think so...

And speaking of wine, I love it.  I actually remember the first time I tasted wine.  I was on Christmas vacation from college and had gone to stay with my brother for a few days before we both went to our parents' house.  My first night at my brother's house, we made a delicious dinner and he poured me a glass of Cabernet.  I was used to drinking Midori sours and Zima with Jolly Ranchers at college, so when I took my first sip of wine I nearly gagged.  "This tastes awful!" I said to my brother.  He looked at me, straight faced, and replied, "It's an acquired taste.  Keep drinking it.  You WILL like wine."  Since my bro was then and still is my hero and role model, I did what he said and kept drinking.  I made it through the first glass and asked for a refill.  Halfway through the second glass I was sold.  I've never looked back.  I love wine.  I love everything about it.  I love the bottles, the labels, the process of opening the wine with a corkscrew, the POP when the cork comes out.  I love pouring the wine into the glass and seeing the color and smelling the aroma.  I love the first sip, whether it's a new wine I've never tasted or a wine I buy regularly.  I love savoring every drop, and I am always sad when my glass is empty.  The only drawback to wine is the alcohol.  Or maybe it's a good thing.  If wine could taste like wine and not have alcohol I would probably drink it all day every day.  So I guess it's good that it does have alcohol and I have to limit my consumption.  Wine without alcohol is basically grape juice, and I don't really like grape juice.  Maybe that's an acquired taste too.  My bro never told me I had to like grape juice.  I think I will just stick with my wine.  It is the best ending to every day.

I think my seventh grade English teacher was right...