the system is a joke

Lauryn Hill, I love you with all my heart.

ps. if you've never listened to her live MTV unplugged album, you must. must. must. it's one of those that i count on.

i love my wife

this is my wife watching fireworks.

oh Caitling, how I love you...

to live by, pt. 2

"there is only one clear problem between a man and a woman: when one is in love and the other isn't. After that, it's all mechanics. "

--I copied this quote in an email draft, which makes me think it's from a movie I was watching at a moment when my laptop was handy, because if I had been reading I would have written it in my quote book. Anyway, dumbledy dumb that I am, I forgot to write down from whence it came. Anyone know?

"people like us were meant to go round in pairs"

Right about now, four years ago, Dan and I were falling in love, becoming an Us, in complete wonder at the seamlessness of our connection with each other. My memories of that era are inextricably bound up with a song: Summerbreeze, from Love in the Time of Science, by Emiliana Torrini (a Great Favorite of ours). I've had it running through my head lately, and I wanted to share it partly because it's Ours, and partly because it's such a luminous little gem. Enjoy--

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB3WrodLKCg

First Anniversary-- August 9, 2009

Our anniversary fell on Sunday, so we went to church and were sung to-- good ol' LPBC is rather spunky about the "Happy Birthday" song and adapts it to all of life's little occasions. One time we actually sang "Happy Blessing To You" when a couple announced that they were expecting a baby. Anyway, when we got home, we celebrated with tasty snacks and the long Pride and Prejudice, which we watched all the way through. It was lovely. Our snacks were the top layer of our cake, fancy cheese and bread, sour patch kids, gummy worms, fancy chips, chocolate covered pretzels, cherries, and espresso beans, champagne, and nice beer. We thought it was a most successful anniversary.

Dan's phone screen, with the counter he started to count down to our wedding showing 365 days since. How has it been that long, and longer? We've been so happy together-- God is unfailingly, abundantly bountiful to bless us with a life this good.

the newlyweds come to visit, May 21-22

Before they got married, Molly and Daniel proposed a Wonderful Idea to Dan and me. Fiddler on the Roof (Topol's last tour) was going to be playing in Dallas the week of their honeymoon, so they asked if they could come spend Friday night of that week with us and all go see it together. We were very surprised and most excited about the idea, and said 'Oh, yes yes, do!' while jumping up and down with glee.

So on Friday we got the apartment squeaky clean, turned on some lovely music, and waited for the Gooches (as we could finally call them!) to arrive.

(Aw, these pictures are making me all nostalgic for the apartment. . . dear little place, how we loved you.)

Molly and Daniel had a few odds and ends of food left over, so Daniel offered to cook supper for us.

Our delicious meal-- spiced couscous, prosciutto-wrapped chicken, sauteed mushrooms, salad, and baked apricots (my idea). We ate supper, and then somehow all managed to get ready on time in our one little bathroom (very cozy) and drove to Fair Park for Fiddler on the Roof. Dan drove the wrong way on a one-way street, but then he managed to find free parking, so he was a hero once more.

Fiddler on the Roof was wonderful! The cast had a lot of energy, and the choreography somehow managed to look free-spirited and folk-ish without being chaotic. And Topol is every bit as cool in person as you think he's going to be. Dan's been trying to figure out the wiggly dance thing he does ever since, with little success. The only not-completely-wonderful thing about the evening is that, wouldn't you know, we just so happened to have seats right next to those of a homeschool family we know who once suggested an arranged marriage between me and one of their sons. Awwkwarrrd.

The next morning, after a leisurely breakfast of berries, yogurt sauce, toast, sausage, and tea (I tried to make Claire's inimitable oven pancakes, but they didn't rise. . . Claire, I need a tutorial!), we visited and looked at wedding pictures on facebook until 'twas time to leave for DFW

At the airport. . . not really sure why Dan is standing like that. . .

Thanks, M&D, for your Wonderful Idea, and for being willing to share the end of your honeymoon with us. We enjoyed being with you so much.