@corlin My husband is a big "Dune" fan (that's how my sand boa ended up with the name Shai-Hulud), and we've had so many conversations that start with me asking a question about the deeper meanings of things in the story. He tells me I should just read the books. I think I'll start with the Brian Herbert trilogy that gives backstory.

But I'm thinking about it tonight. Maybe, for a little more than a year, my high school friend group got as close as we could at that time to understanding community and unconditional love. It's silly...but also maybe not silly.

Maybe we need to learn how to share water and truly mean it when we say, "May you never thirst."

And we really believed we loved each other! We were brothers and sisters, and any disagreement could be resolved. Because we all drank from the water together. So we were one entity made of multiple people.

My husband asked me at what point did I realize I had started a cult? "A few minutes ago, while I'm telling you about it. But you've read the book! That's weirdly fitting!"

And we laughed.

I got my friends to read it. And you had to read it if you were coming into our friend group. We didn't meet up at each other's lockers. We agreed to meet up at water fountains. There was always a glass of water when we had lunch together. If someone wanted to drink from it, someone else held it for them and told them, "May you never thirst." We did it at water fountains, too. Someone else held the button and tood you, "May you never thirst," while you drank.

Today has been a scary day, so I want to console myself and maybe entertain you by sharing a story.

Last night, I was telling my husband about when I was in high school and read Heinlein's "Stranger in a Strange Land" the first time. I didn't really understand it until I read it again as an adult. At that time, I was just enchanted by how Valentine Michael Smith viewed water! Like I was on the edge of having a cosmic mystery revealed if I drank and bathed enough!

So...

@thedisasterautist I don't think I've ever read "The Willows". I'll look that one up.

It's Thursday. That's far enough into the week that I can just say this is an exhausting week.

@Alfred Thank you. I feel better just knowing you can't find it either.

@Alfred Where is the item I spent most of the day looking for in the current time? I know where it is in two past times, but I can't get to them because I don't have a time machine.

@stueytheround I just need the right color scarves and a picture frame and that could be my Halloween costume!

I'm so happy with my headwrap today that it became time to change profile pictures. Also, I like to change them every now and then because I refuse to hide my aging. When I turned 40 I promised myself I would not send the message that aging makes one less beautiful.

And I found my favorite eraser! It was in a bag I didn't look in on my desk. Of course that's where it would be. I put it there so I wouldn't lose it.

Since everything's covered with snow outside, I did find the wood for whittling that I have indoors. I'm a little concerned that I can't find the black walnut spoon I carved a few years ago. I was doing it when we moved. It's probably in a box I'll find one day and wonder how it ended up there.

@th3j35t3r I'm thankful for your work and happy that you feel happy about it!

Shai-Hulud doesn't usually rest on top of the sand like this. Maybe he's helping look for my eraser.

I walked in when he was headed to his water bowl last night. He stopped and watched like he was concerned I would want an invitation to join him.

@duglop That becomes a complex question. I mean, I didn't use it until nothing was left. So can you erase your eraser if you have to use the eraser to do it? It's like a zen koan for artists.

My favorite eraser has disappeared! It fits very comfortably in my hand and does not make eraser smudges. I've searched everywhere, whether it should be there or not. Come home, eraser! I love you!

I figured out how to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on my flute! 🐑🎼

Because, you know... that's my superpower. Being able to figure out how to play it on pretty much anything.

The real test is whether or not I will develop the necessary skill to play "Thong Song".