that rich, dimming color that everything takes on as the sky pales and pinkens

1. It's that time of evening. It's a beautiful thing that it's that time of evening and it's 8 o' clock at night. What a Divine bear hug.

2. Tonight it's supposed to thunderstorm. Weather.com told me about it in theory, but the wind that blows Kayla's papers off the patio furniture is the true harbinger. Pre-thunderstorm humidity is like the deep breath before the plunge. You already feel wet and everything becomes hushed. Mmm, it's exciting and calming at the same time.

3. There's a certain sound that I've liked since I was 8 or 9. Indistinct chattering and mumbling from people in the distance. I feel wrapped-in-a-blanket content when I'm in a comfortable environment and I hear people talking to one another. When I lived in the white house with the navy blue shutters in Michigan, I would wake up in the morning to the sound of my parents making breakfast, drinking coffee, and speaking in don't-wake-the-children voices. I liked this sound. I couldn't hear what they were saying and their tone wasn't overtly pleasant, but it was... snug... calm... relaxed. What a gross misconception -- that people always need to be happy. But comfort, that is a good Gift that we don't always take. I don't mean physical luxury when I use the word "comfort." I mean... psychological comfort. Contentedness with one's environment. Contentedness. What a warming sound.