Mailbox happiness

I always get a mild rush out of checking the mail. This dates back to my decades-ago pen-pal obsession and persists even though most of what I get these days is bills and junk mail. Having a baby just as property taxes come due will really put a hurting on your bank account, I'll tell you. But that's beside the point. Today Claire and I checked the mail and I had a package from Ally containing three CDs!

Technically I don't know Ally, but I've been reading her blog for a while now (I'm not sure how I found it, but I think we have a mutual friend of a friend of a friend or something). In general I don't read blogs of people I don't know, but I really like hers and think we would be friends if we lived in the same town. After she ran a four-mile race in May she invited people to guess her time; I was the closest (I guessed 37:33, actual time was 37:56) and these CDs are my reward.

Which is very appropriate, because even more than mail, I love CD mixes that people make for me. Amanda has always made the greatest mixes; she can totally nail the kind of music I'm going to like, plus she always throws in some of the so-bad-they're-good songs from our childhood and adolescence that I love so much. Most recently she produced for me a labor CD, with such appropriate titles as "Push It," "I Will Survive," "Three Is a Magic Number" and "Sweet Child of Mine."

Betsy also makes reliably excellent, eclectic monthly mixes, with the bonus of creative titles. When she was in town for Lauren W.'s wedding last month I told her I was suffering from Betsy-mix withdrawal since her move to Asheville, and she happened to have nearly a year's worth of her mixes in her car -- which she gave me! Jackpot. (Meg, remind me to pass them on to you next time I see you!)

I haven't listened to all of Ally's mixes yet, but I'm working on it and so far I love what I hear. She even threw in her favorite Tim Keller sermon -- a woman after my own heart. Thank you, thank you, Ally! You made my day.