A flock of seagulls, a few falcons and other assorted singing birds

After several months of hot pursuit, 1.5 years of dating, a kick-ass wedding, a beautiful, funny, sweet daughter, and 11 years of marriage, my husband rolled over in bed Friday morning, caught my eye, smiled and said. "This has been the best week of my life."

I won't sicken you with the details of my currently highly happy marriage, I just felt the need to brag. Of course, it's not bragging if it's true.....

Jeff is suspicious of this somewhat sudden return to the hey days of our courtship. He suspects that my recent obsession with Christine Fehan's GhostWalker series is contributing to it.

While I'm not trying to dissect whatever it is we've done lately to be so in sync, I would bottle it if I could. I'd even give it away to anyone who needs a little jolt. It's not that we've been on the brink of trouble -- we've just had more moments where we irritated the hell out of each other in the 12 months than either of us want.

We have been working harder to really partner on dealing with the vagaries of life; getting Alison off to a good start in life, including keeping her clean, fed and out of CKS Detention; and keeping the house a little less grimy. I've been putting effort into making time for me and me alone rather than taking on more than I want to do and then unfairly complaining about it. (Yes, I know I can be a highly-toned bitch.)

I struggle with my penchant for domestic martyrdom, though, and I blame that damn Pentecostal church where I spent too much of the first 16 years of my life. It's probably not a totally accurate recollection, but there were few remarks hurled at me from the altar that I can't seem to shake. It was a real fire and brimstone kind of church, and we all got singed a little bit over the years.

One of the take-aways from the whole thing (again, it might be my personal twist) was that even if you're a rotten person, if you put others first you still have a shot at the upward pull instead of the downward slide to Hell. If you step in front of a bullet for someone, it's a guaranteed shot straight up.

I've got a lot to answer for. So I'm always looking for a loophole.

Right, now, in addition to making time to read trashy novels, I'm remembering other lessons from the church. Those about being good to others and getting your priorities in order. I'm pretty sure the priority they were talking about was a little red brick church in the country and the Almighty.

Me, I'm thinking about my family and making it work. And that means doing a little bit more for me, which makes the time I spend with them that much better.

My new focus has the birds singing ahead of the official start to Spring. There must be something to it....

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