things that please me lately

Because I can't seem to make Thursday Thirteen about anything other than me, here are my [occasionally shallow] blessings during the past week:

1. Lunch out & pedicure with my sweetpea daughter
2. Watching my Cub Scout boy proudly race his Pinewood Derby car
3. Best friend making delicious dinner for everyone Monday night
4. Warmth in my classroom (at least in the vicinity of the space heaters; midroom can still be rather chilly)
5. 32 short story students (23 male, aged 15-17) under reasonable control and actually participating in class for two days in a row
6. Finally cleaning up my secret hideaway/kids' playroom/Christmas gift-wrapping central
7. Continued awe about No Country for Old Men
8. Downloaded the soundtrack to Juno, an absolute delight
9. LOST resumes tonight! (Even though the title now refers to me and my grasp of the storyline...)
10. Good husband doing all of the dishes
11. Three new books to read
12. Being the Mystery Reader in my daughter's 2nd grade class
13. This. Sheer, hysterical brilliance:

it makes the world go 'round

...and the ride worthwhile

Nominees for Best Heartwrenching, Tear-Jerking Platonic/Lamilial-love Relationship in a Movie are:

• Aurora & Emma (Shirley Maclaine & Debra Winger) in "Terms of Endearment" (I'm afraid I am only small steps away from this kind of mom-mania)
• Damian & his dad and mum (Alex Etel, James Nesbitt & Jane Hogarth) in "Millions" (I hope my son is this brilliant & kind-souled if I die young)
• Frankie & Maggie (Clint Eastwood & Hilary Swank) in "million dollar baby" (Mo chuisle! *sob*)
• Billy & his dad (Jamie Bell & Gary Lewis) in "Billy Elliot" (the hugging, the weeping)
• Wilbur & Charlotte in "Charlotte's Web" (I adore her tough-love attitude about the inevitability of death)
• Chief & Randle P. McMurphy (Will Sampson & Jack Nicholson) in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"
• Guido & his son (Roberto Benigni & Giorgio Cantarini) in "Life is Beautiful"
• Jumbo Jr. & his mother in "Dumbo" (can't listen to "Baby Mine," can't watch with kids - too much sobbing, they get scared, and I start to curse at the mean lady elephants)
• Elliott & his extra-terrestrial (Henry Thomas & alien) in "E.T."
• Travis & that dog (Tommy Kirk & Spike) in "Old Yeller" (why WHY do I do this to myself?)

Sure, you'll disagree with some of my choices (bff Jen, hater of sad endings), but these make my heart knot up in a necessary way, and that makes them worthwhile in my world.