CD

I feel so grateful to have someone in my life that I can be completely open with, whose words mesh with my own, whose ideas inspire and motivate me, whose brilliance in living makes me notice things I might not have, and whose love is steadfast. Despite living many miles apart, I always feel her bond to me. And I hope to for many, many years to come. I suppose this is what sisterhood feels like.

To a great week...

5 Gratefuls

1. That my body got a good workout, and I am starting to feel strong again.

2. Walking with Robin and doggies in the crisp air, the sun on our faces.

3. The sun...please stay!

4. That it is Friday!

5. Laughter. How it makes everything lighter....

Jewels

I wrote in my journal today that I want my days to be reflected back to me as if they were jewels, sparkly, unique gems that stand out. I don't want my days to blend together in monotony and routine, with me not noticing my environments, what gifts I have inside me and at my fingertips.

So I am going to try to be more observant, to record both in journal, notebook, and mind what happens over the course of a day. The additional day away from work, away from the computer and the office and the desk, will hopefully help me in this awareness and creativity. 

September 1. There is snow in the mountains already. We can see our breath when we go outside. The flowers have all curled inwards, all adopting a slightly gray color. They match the sky, whose grayness is like a heavy blanket. Not an uplifting color, but definitely a color that makes you want to put on your sweatpants and cuddle down to a movie. Maybe summer will come back, just a little.

Our Day....Looking Back

**I started writing this when I first got back to Jackson. Things have gotten in the way of writing, but I am working to change that....

I have been meaning to write all week, to get back to this place that was part of my life "pre-wedding". Now the wedding has passed and I am feeling a little blue, sad that all of the activity, anticipation, preparation, and excitement has passed, leaving behind lovely memories of one of the best days of my life.

Saturday, July 24. Butterflies in my stomach when I wake up, mixed with the stress that always seems to reside in my stomach when I have a lot to do in a short amount of time. Rain, sometimes in cold sheets. Flowers from Sue, dutifully picked up by my brother, ready to be arranged by my mothers' and Jamies grandmothers' deft hands. A white tent that takes up the whole lawn, aglow in the dark morning with Christmas lights. Direction of Claire, Kate, and Bryn, who take my needs and gracefully run with them. The tables start to come together, with votives, centerpieces, table numbers.  A vision is starting to become a reality. Periodically wondering what Jamie is doing, whether he is nervous, excited. Sweet Marit comes with bobbi pins and hairspray in tow and proceeds to not only soothe my mother, help dab a last minute stain out of my wedding dress (!), but make my hair look absolutely gorgeous. I begin to feel the realness of it all. Bridesmaids fill the upstairs of my parents house. Anne arrives to snap the activity, taking photos of my minimal makeup application. I feel like a celebrity, but also prefer when just my mom and I are sharing the bathroom mirror to apply mascara. Jamie is spotted out the window. He is wearing the straw hat I gave him and looking adorable, as usual. Giggle, mimosas, tears....I love all of the ladies who are getting ready with me so much. Adornment and then I get in the dress. Ahh, the dress that I love so much. So much. Fun, but slightly dangerous pink shoes on, I am ready to go. The rain has stopped and the air is a soft grey, cool enough so I don't get hot in my heavy dress and perfect for photography. The woods look magical as I walk down the path with my parents, who put so much into its existence and created a truly perfect spot for a wedding. I hide up the path with my parents, watching the bridal party move down the path, Olive walking beside Claire and Luke, not wanting Jamie to spot me prematurely. At Last begins and the moment is now, my parents and I walking down the wood chips, crossing the bridge and working our way up the incline to the arbor and my groom. Kisses to my parents and then I am there with Jamie, aware of the people all around us. Not feeling nervous that all eyes are on us, because these are eyes that love us. Fays kind words, Bryn reading an excerpt from The Gift from the Sea, everyone's cheers of support....then our words. My voice trembles a bit, but I take the words slow. Jamies turn...more misting. Olive is summoned and she works her way dutifully through the crowd, finding her parents, bringing us the rings like the best little dog. Ring vows and then our kiss and it is over, we are moving down the aisle as husband and wife. It went so quickly. It really was one of the most amazing episodes in my life. The people, the setting, the weather, the happenings. All formed together to make the experience one I will never forget.

More to come....

Birds

It was so warm today. By nine o'clock I was in a tank top and my workout pants. I took Olive down to the dike for a run/walk (I had already worked out with Augie) so that she could stretch her dog legs.

Immediately we were met with bird chirps and the honk of geese. The swallows were diving in the air, a duck was bobbing in the river, and a flicker was perched on the fence post. Hawks were soaring above and the robin, whose tune is so lovely, was singing in the high trees.

My mind immediately went to the list of birds I heard named on Democracy Now the other day, birds that  my mom has pointed out to me in Florida for the past two years, birds who have supplied so much pleasure in their beauty, mannerisms, and overall presence. Now they are all threatened due to the ineptitude, disfunction, and greed of big business, namely BP, although our government has been slow in a response as well.

It makes me so happy that the birds are singing where I live, that I am fortunate enough to have birds that want to sing and be bird-like, and my heart goes out to all of the species that are being effected by this disaster.

Sex and the City: old memories, new memories

The movie theater was all women tonight; women of all shapes and sizes and ages, some boisterous and cat-calling, some dressed to the tee and chic. The energy was invigorating. And we were all gathered to watch Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte take the screen yet again in the rather embarrassingly entertaining sequel Sex and the City 2. Not quality film-making by any means, but rather a decadent display of fashion, frivolity, and relationships, the movie reminded me of how much I loved getting lost in the TV series.

Memory: I remember my first year in Jackson, sitting on the basement couch in our Cache Creek Dr. house, eating popcorn with C. and watching episode after episode of Sex and the City. Characters with worlds so different from our own, yet the messages in the series often spoke to our own lives. And the fashion was always so much fun to witness and drool over. Carrie's bravery when it comes to dressing remains an inspiration to me to this day.

Don't go to this movie for content, great plot, or witty writing, but rather for the nostalgia it invokes and the escapism that it provides.

Memory: I now have a great memory of leaving the Pearl St. theater with A and S, dressed in my Marc Jacobs shoes that I got at Browser for a dollar (Carrie would approve of the brand, maybe not the method secured) that match my jacket, big earrings, tight jeans, feeling happy to be a woman yet again. The air is warm, all the ladies exiting the theater are laughing, and I feel like I have gone on a journey.

Sunshine

Sunshine makes all of the difference. Yesterday peoples faces looked filled with tiredness and conversations inevitably turned to the weather, and how dismal it has been. Spring in the mountains but it feels like winter. Today though, the sun was shining and despite the still cold breezes everyone seemed a little lighter.

I started my day out on the dike, one of my favorite runs, with my favorite dog. Even the birds were ecstatic, all singing and chirping, swallows diving in ribbon-like patterns catching rejuvenated bugs. The sun made me feel light and quick on the trail.

I had one of those days were I just wanted to smile and talk to everyone. I am usually a friendly person, but today there was a renewed feeling of being lucky to live in a place where people look you in the eye, say hello, and genuinely acknowledge you.

J and I rode our bikes to see some friends off on their next adventure. Although still wearing the light down coat, it felt great to be on my bike, pedaling myself to my destination. On the way home the sky was tinged with pink and a white, feathery almost full moon was rising above Cache Creek.

A good day. Weather please stay.