First, three milestones to report:
1. Today is my last day home with M before maternity leave ends.
2. C has her first sleepover tonight, at MaDear’s house.
3. I had my first barrage of “But why?” from C yesterday.

Now, from Songbird:
Yesterday, as I drove past Planet Fitness on my way to Planet Dog, and remembering there is also a Planet Hollywood, I wondered, "If there were a Planet Songbird, what would it look like?" I began to envision a store selling all my favorite things, probably in the kind of house I lived in as a child, one of those late 19th-century houses with a long hallway on the side and double parlors on the other, with windows to the floor facing the front porch.

Planet Reverendmother:
Intimate tables and comfy couches populated by knitters, students on their laptops, couples, and gal pals.

Local artwork displayed on the walls.

A counter with a small menu: munchies, soups and salads, coffee and wine.

A dessert case with no coconut desserts, no dates or raisins, and no carrot cake. (I mean, really—carrot cake? Since when are vegetables acceptable cake ingredients?)

Books available for purchase—
children’s picture books, theological works, poetry, memoirs and biographies.

“Girls with guitars” music playing on the stereo. Live music on weekend nights, poetry readings throughout the week, and trivia night every Monday. With prizes!

A comfortable lounge for nursing, and one area would have a few toys, lego table and kid-comfy chairs so parents can get out of the house for a little while.