There are two things that make an interminable Zoom meeting slightly better.

One is a standing desk. Being forced to stand through hours of talkingheadedness gives me time to engage different muscle groups. If I’m not standing, I’m usually lounging. I rarely sit. So standing is good.

The other, which I discovered quite by accident today, is keeping a vase of flowers nearby—preferably in the sightline of your webcam so that you can gaze at your blooms without your eyeballs straying and betraying the fact that you’re no longer paying 100% attention to whomever is speaking.

Today I spent quite a long amount of time admiring the intricate small ruffles inside a peone. It’s quite beautiful how small and frizzly they get inside the softer, larger petals around the rim.

I found myself wondering how I might paint them—realistically or no. Studying the shadows, how the color changes with the light.

I’ve been carrying this bouquet of peones around with me, from my after-work station in the living room, to my standing desk in the kitchen. I feel quite indulgent doing so.

One of those habits that makes life feel a little more luxurious.