Denim and Feathers

Today I was reminded of a few of the small but meaningful enjoyments of life:

A favorite lunch. Music nostalgia. Jeans I can breathe in. The promise of a good night’s sleep.

While out running errands today, I stopped for lunch at Calypso Café, a small chain of Nashville restaurants featuring a pseudo-healthy menu of Caribbean inspired foods. As I munched down my rotisserie chicken sandwich with its curious lemony-mustard sauce, and pureed sweet potatoes sprinkled with coconut flakes, I thought about how fortunate I am to live in the town of Calypso Café. I often whine about missing the plethora of fabulous dining choices that Houston had to offer…but as far as I know, Houston does NOT have Calypso, and therefore, no boija muffins, no refreshing fruit tea mixed to sweet perfection, and no Lucayan salad with plump little segments of orange.

Back in the car, I flipped around the radio and heard an old favorite from The Wallflowers. The Wallflowers. What a great little band they were... Are?...Were. I loved that One Headlight song, and Three Marlenas. Today it was 6th Avenue Heartache...a great driving song that requires you to turn it up and sing along, which is just what I did.

I headed for Planet Exchange--one of those shops that’s a step up from a thrift store, where you can bring your unwanted clothes and trade them for other people’s unwanted clothes, or a smaller amount of actual cash to spend on more boija muffins if you’d like. After our closet-cleaning binge, Jeremy and I purged quite a few undesirable clothes (tragically, his oversized jean jacket [circa Michael J. Fox on a skateboard] did not make the giveaway pile, despite my pleading.) Still feeling full from lunch, I passed on the cash and traded our old shirts for two bigger-than-usual-sized pairs of jeans with extra room to grow. I am not really one for the atrocious pregnancy panel-pants, though I did break down and order one pair from Gap.com that are actually quite comfy.

Which lead me home, to a large cardboard box on the front porch. Inside was quite possibly the most wonderful gift I have ever received. My kind mother-in-law sent a gigantic body pillow shaped something like one’s inner ear canal, but so fluffy and lumpy and squishy and magnificent that it immediately became my most prized possession…especially since I haven’t slept well in at least a few weeks, and toss pillows from the sofa are not really cutting it for back support. I hugged the pillow for a long time, curled up on our new bed. Then Jeremy tried it and was envious. I feel silly writing this much about a pillow, but I know there are people out there who understand my elation. Tonight I will sink into blissful sleep and tomorrow we catch a morning flight to Boston. Oh if only the giant pillow could fit inside my carry-on.