And so it begins. Also, Memory's Lane.

I've officially started packing. I have one suitcase totally packed (so much so that I wouldn't be able to fit another sock into it).

You probably can't really see, but I have three 500 packs of Q-Tips in there. France has the crappiest Q-Tips ever. I also have six packs of Glide dental floss. They have the crappiest floss too.

So I'm pretty much ready to go, lol. Other than having enough clothes and some books and what not.

Should I bring my flask? It's little. And chances I'll use it more in Europe because I'll be living on my own. It's light. Sold.

So I was in Border's this weekend. I was there with three friends, two of whom are teachers, one of whom teaches 4th grade. So, naturally we swung by the children's section. It's so much fun to visit the past versions of ourselves. I remember so vividly things like The Chronicles of Narnia, The Very Quiet Cricket, The Little Red Caboose, etc., etc., ad infinitum.

The whole kids' section is innocent and fun. I actually bought "The World of Pooh," a collection of stories by A. A. Milne.

I loved The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh when I was little.

It has two books combined. I've breezed through the first one and it's absolutely delightful.

"Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometime he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it. And then he feels that perhaps there isn't. Anyway, here he is at the bottom, and ready to be introduced to you. Winnie-the-Pooh."

I've been struggling with a lot of weighty things lately. Mostly politics and family stuff and the move and what not. I feel very helpless with things happening as they are in the world. I spent last weekend with my mom's sister's family and my uncle basically insulted my intelligence and told me that my political opinion is the result of unscrutinized media consumption. I wasn't really offended at first but the more I think about it the more angry I get. It's just annoying that because I disagree with someone I'm not thought of as "wrong" but "unintelligent and ignorant."

So I've been dealing with this by reading Winnie the Pooh! It's incredibly comforting. It helps take my mind off of the "heavy things." Thank you A. A. Milne. Thank you for easing my mind.