I am surely going to get in trouble soon. For all this mindless gazing about my office when I should be editing, for reading over old stories when I should be working on the novel, for taking time to snap photos of the first bloom on my gorgeous gal tiger lily when I should be weeding the morass of crab grass growing beneath her, threatening to choke her out. And who will exact the punishment on my stealing of moments? The same threatening overlord punisher I have always feared--nebulous, nameless, a creature with the power to make good things turn bad, friends become enemies and family disown me.

On the other hand, that Lily's beauty is fleeting. The very next day her tips were curled, and her sisters' heads starting to brown. Sometimes the moment is the only sufficent unit of time for doing these seemingly pointless things. The more moments you hold off, the more you ultimatley wind up not living.

And here is a photo of my favorite pair of high-heels. Please, don't laugh at the skinny little calves, the veined, pale feet. Let me live a little longer in the illusion that when I wear these, I am beautiful.