OOJ: Chocolate Penguin Flock

chocolate penguins, L.A. Burdick, Cambridge, MA

god, these guys are gorgeous. dark + white chocolate with a limoncello ganache inside, 

plus almond wings. but at $32 for 9 of them, i'm happy to just ogle.

i splurged on a bag of single source ecuadorean drinking chocolate powder instead.

OOJ: Fancy Water Cooler

not quite sure why this tickled me so much, but i busted out laughing when i noticed this in my chiropractor's office. it seems so sad it's funny, that someone came along and forcibly decorated this humble little water cooler, as if dispensing water without festive clothing was somehow not enough. i guess you could say the same about pine trees, children, and pets- all are things that look just fine as they are, but we insist on dressing them up in artificial materials just because it's that time of year. on the other hand, i think houses do *not* look fine just as they are, and should be draped in lights and luminarias all year round. 

OOJ List

it's been a while since my last OOJ. december is rough going for me, so most likely i haven't been looking around me closely enough to notice beautiful things in my path. but in my constant effort to stay mindful of the many gifts in my life, here is a list of everyday OOJs:

• putting on a clean pair of underwear every morning (ok i won't lie- most mornings)
• friends who call/txt me back even during times when i'm not especially fun to be around
• my down comforter- it's cold in ABQ! these nights i sleep under a pile of blankets: flannel, quilt, 2 sleeping bags, 2 down comforters
• my friends' kids- how did they produce such amazing little ppl? i can't wait for them to get old enough to come visit me on their own
• the endless expanse of blue sky in ABQ + the crystal sharp stars at night
  
• black lace on beige satin; i'm loving this combination right now + wish i could wear it every day, but it's not exactly school appropriate
• performing with a tango band every friday night- there's something otherworldly about the sound of shoe soles swooshing across the floor in time to music coming from me
• every day that i don't have any car drama- no one hitting me, me not hitting nobody, no break-ins 
• my sense of humor- i'm damn funny!