A New Cycle

Today was orientation for incoming students, and tomorrow will start the school year in earnest.

I'm too busy to say too much (and I just way overused the word "to(o)") between the chaos of starting a new year at school and the way-beyond-chaos of my personal life, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm thinking a lot about new beginnings.

A lot.

And it's really interesting how a new school year, students coming in with a positive attitude (at least for the first day) and smiles and fresh notebooks and pencils and brand new clothes and backpacks ... it's just unspeakably beautiful to me.

It makes me think about where these same kiddos will be in June, when the school year comes to a close and the cycle ends for another year.

The Power of a New Haircut

If you look at my profile picture, you'll see that it's changed (and in case you missed that, look left). The one where I look sunburned and ticked at the world (also the one that my mother swore up and down was my sister Mary and not me ... sorry about that, Mary) is no more. I just got a haircut : )

I haven't given a rat's derriere about my appearance in years. I don't know if that's one of those things that disappears when you have children, a husband, and nobody to impress or if I'm just strange. Every once in awhile, I'll get a haircut or something, but I never stick with it.

I think I'm sticking with it this time. I feel pretty (cue "West Side Story", I know ... I'm so lame) for the first time in eons, or at least prettier.

Clearly a new haircut is not going to change one's life, but at the same time, I feel incredible right now. Just incredible. Maybe it's because I got my eyebrows done, too (the salon is so much better at doing eyebrows than I am :-)).

What are the small things that make you feel like a million bucks? Why is it that some things can make you feel so darn good? Do you like my haircut (sorry, I'm having a self-obsessed moment :-))?