Welcome to the second weeklyish On my Desktop , in which I photograph something on the desktop and do a little dance about it.  This week, I thought I’d do a little time-lapse photography of the narcissus I planted in my nifty bulb-planter.

Cool how it grows every day, no?  I know.  I shouldn’t be surprised (that would be narcissistic of me, right, if I expected plants to grow at a human rate?)  It’s a fast-growing plant, and even plants that don’t grow fast do change each day.  I guess it’s just…okay, dovetailing into writing metaphor here: I face this bulb each day when I write, and though mostly I succeed in nudging up the page count by the end of the day, there’s also a lot of re-outlining, rewriting, scrapping and reconceiving.  But it’s undeniable that at the end of the week, I have gone somewhere with my story, and month after month, I get closer not just to the end, but to a story that’s sound.  It may seem like it creeps as slowly as these roots toward the bottom of the glass (“are they moving at all?  Maybe it’s my imagination.  They were this long yesterday…”)–little changes happen each day.  Stay tuned for flowering!

(ps, can I also add what a freaking pain it was to upload those photos?  Unless I resize the pics, WordPress tells me I’ve gone over my jpg limit.  Any advices appreciated.  I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today!)

I’m starting a new feature: desktop Thursdays.  Yes, I know it’s not Thursday—but I took this picture on a Thursday!  Every Thursday (….that I remember to do it), I’ll take a photo of some aspect of my desktop and do a little explanation. 

Because how could I not be inspired by what I noticed yesterday?  I was on the phone to a friend, making plans and tidying up, and I realized the armadillo—the first present anyone gave me on my wedding weekend—and the slice of cake—which my best friend sent me for Christmukkah—were destined to be together.  They were both rubber!  Both small and cute!  Both a little lonely amid the paperclips and wanting to connect.

Then—lo, fuzzy chick!  Speaking of paperclips—she’d been exiled among them because she couldn’t stand up so well on her own, and frankly, she needed a little more proppage in this picture.  And then the origami frog I made two Christmukkahs ago, to entertain myself during some slightly laggy conversation—presto.  He had a home, too.

I’m psyched about my rubber, fluff and origami menagerie.  I plan to keep adding to it.  (Ooh!  Should the bluebird wind-chime from my former advisor join the party?)  Laura Wingfield will have nothing on me….

Don’t forget to vote in this month’s Nice and Mean poll: How did you decide what to wear in seventh grade?