What's nicer than a surprise? Two nights ago Dan and I realized that leftover grilled tilapia can be used to make wonderful fish tacos (a taste we acquired while in the Florida Keys over the winter). If you've also had cole slaw for dinner the night before, then all you need is a few slices of tomato, some cilantro and lime juice to add to the fish and slaw and you're set for a tasty lunch. Yum!
And what about those relatives of the late Dr. David Sinclair who were surprised (and honored) to discover that Dr. Sinclair had been the obstetrician who delivered President Obama! Sure enough, his signature was clearly discernable at the bottom of the infamous birth certificate which the White House produced yesterday.
There are all sorts of pleasant surprises. Some of my favorites are those found in nature, those "just around the bend" experiences. "Daffodils," penned by William Wordsworth, captures one such experience. I love how the joy of the initial surprise can provide a future spring of delight when gazed upon by the "inward eye." This poem was shared by the same friend who sent the Langston Hughes poem my way.
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company!
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
And what about those relatives of the late Dr. David Sinclair who were surprised (and honored) to discover that Dr. Sinclair had been the obstetrician who delivered President Obama! Sure enough, his signature was clearly discernable at the bottom of the infamous birth certificate which the White House produced yesterday.
There are all sorts of pleasant surprises. Some of my favorites are those found in nature, those "just around the bend" experiences. "Daffodils," penned by William Wordsworth, captures one such experience. I love how the joy of the initial surprise can provide a future spring of delight when gazed upon by the "inward eye." This poem was shared by the same friend who sent the Langston Hughes poem my way.
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company!
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
