There are times that I feel I'm not very good at thinking on my feet - in other words, coming up with a thoughtful response when I'm caught off-guard. Then there are times, like this morning, when I'm reminded that that's not always the case.

I was asked an unexpected question: "Who do you relate to more, a sponge or a duck?"

"A sponge, because a sponge does its job, and it does it well, and it doesn't need to announce to the world what a terrific job it's doing. A duck, however, is there, following at your heels, saying, 'Quack! Quack! Look at me! I'm a duck!'"

The questioner was thinking along the lines of: A sponge absorbs things and a duck lets things roll of its back. My answer obviously caught him off-guard. He liked my response better, he said, and it caused him to re-think his question.

This is how my three New Year's resolutions are going:

1. The Gospel According to St. Matthew: I've recently finished Chapter 7, the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount. There are only 21 more chapters to go. (This is slow reading, even though I already know the plot.)

2. My present situation makes formal Spanish classes difficult, but Phillip gave me two books for Easter: La Historia de la Creación and Mi Mundo (un compañero de Buenas Noches, Luna). Then Pet surprised me with a book: El conejo. I'm having fun translating those.

3. I drank tea number 14 this morning.

1. yerba maté, 1 January
2. genmaicha, 9 January
3. South African Rooibos (with honey crystals), 10 January
4. chamomile lemon herb, 15 January
5. Northwest blackberry, 17-19 January
6. lime herbal teasan, 6 February
7. aged Earl Grey, 17 February
8. black cherry tea (organic Ceylon tea with black cherry flavor), 5 March
9. black tea blend (organic), iced, 17 March
10. oolong, 19 March
11. iced green tea with apple, peach, ginger, and elderberry juices, 21 March
12. artificially flavored "raspberry tea", iced, packed with dyes, preservatives, and possibly tea, 24 March
13. True Blueberry™ herb tea, 19 April
14. raspberry yerba maté (iced), 6 May

I've been lax in posting to this blog this week. I've been stumbling around somewhere between happiness and sadness. Things wrap up, and other things appear. Books get read, and others get put on hold. Some things are a struggle to get going, and others just won't go away. The future looks cheery and feels grim.