Two Years

 Two years ago my baby sister got drunk as a skunk, we smoked packs of Thai Clove cigarettes a groomsman brought back, Mary told me 4000 times that I didn't look like a mob boss's wife, we ate cheese and chutney sandwiches my mother and cousin made,  we drank whiskey sours that David and I spent 5 hours making the sour mix for (and about 10 people have told me since then that every time they have a whiskey sour they wish it was half as good as those ones).  Two years ago we bored our friends with an extremely long, latin filled nuptial mass and six of my very best girls waved us-made bouquets of snap dragons and lavender around like it was going out of style.

One of these days I want to have an anniversary party with all the gorgeous people back again.  I've spent two years with David every day but the people I think about on our anniversary are the people who showed up for our big party and who I don't get to see everyday.  This means you, all you alcoholic friends.

Projects

I like projects more than anything else in the universe.  What with all the moving to dos I haven't gotten to do any recently and it's a bummer.  Before we leave I would like to some of these.

I have a bunch of terra cotta planters that had pansies in them before I killed them off.  I think I might colour block them in gold.  Mary thinks that this is a bad idea.  I think she's dead wrong.

We have two pieces of curb furniture that I would like to refinish.  If you have any brilliant ideas about fabric for that crazy chair, let me know.  I'm torn between something crazy and something more subdued. I was thinking of just rocking some crazy stain stripper all over both pieces and then seeing if I felt like painting/or staining the table.

And one that I definitely get to do.  Change of address postcards.  I love this postcard from the fifties and I think it might be a nice change of address.

To Do

To Do Before We Move in 28 Days:

Cull clothing
Cull books
Cull fabric and craft supplies
Dry clean green dress for the last wedding of the season
Clean house before sister J arrives
Visit from J, then Mum and F
Take pictures of clean house for posterity (first house together)
Get boxes
Get hair done
Pack all the things
See J & B to say goodbye
Sew owl as goodbye gift for baby
See new baby of old friends
Get anniversary gift for Dave
Make reservations at Vin Rouge for anniversary
Get flea medication for pets
Apply for 10 jobs a night until I get one
Buy suit for potential interviews?
Send wedding gift to E & C
Frame S & R's gift
Arrange rental truck
Get oil changed/ car serviced
Take dog to groomers (its 102 and he's shaggy and hot)
Have farewell brunch/dinner with Best Friend From High School and BFFHS's boyfriend
Final acupuncture appointment
Decide about refinishing free chair and end table - possible refinish as we won't have outdoor space in DC
Decide what furniture to take, what we can fit in small apartment.
Change of address postcards
Mail forwarding with Post Office
Spackel all the holes in the walls, touch up paint
Clean all the things
Fly to Boston and back for E & C's wedding
Stop smoking
Change address on all magazines, bank accounts, Netflix etc


I am trying to do lots of breathing and trying to sleep through the night.  Writing down all of the things helps a little bit.  Not on the list are eating dinner that isn't pizza every day and also saying goodbye to the gorgeous baby and not crying to much.  If you pray, pray for us.  If not, just hold us in the light and send us happy thoughts.

Summer and Tall Ships

They go together well. 

We walked down to the Seaport last night to see the last few Tall Ships docked in Boston Harbor for the Fourth. Talk of purchasing a ship in a bottle for our apartment may have followed.

Summer

Summer colds are the worst ever. All you want are loads of blankets and tea. Instead it's sticky and warm and little people want to swim.   Today the citronella candles are melting without being lit.  I think I'll take Ida to the pool.  Maybe get some popsicles.  Have a good weekend.

Holiday

Wednesday and Thursday have turned into a lovely staycation.  We grilled out, we went to a cafe, we made fancy dinners and breakfasts, we surprised ourselves and went to a movie with no planning ahead and we took Roger on lovely long walks around Durham.  We will miss it here.

The movie we saw was (in keeping with our age and demographic) Moonrise Kingdom and we enjoyed it but David's allegiance to Rushmore and mine to Tennenbaums are unshakable.  Some of my smartest, film-lovingest friends hate Wes Andersen but I can't help but love the Americana  and the weirdness.  Mostly what I loved in Moonrise was Frances McDormand and her costumes.  I love me some Frances and I love me some long-sleeved-Lilly and cat eyes.  I feel like at twenty-five I'm too young to embrace it completely but I can dream of being a quarter as cool as she is.

IRIS VON ARNIM long knit cardigan / Casco Bay Windbreaker Jacket / Kate Spade handbag / Cezanne white pearl earrings / Versace silk shawl / Jeepers Peepers vintage retro sunglasses / Lilly Pulitzer - Cassie Dress / Tretorn Skerry Rain Boot Women's

P.S.

And no matter what happens next year I will still be able to make fried rice and salad for a late night dinner with David.  That is all.  

Apartment Found

David and I have signed a lease in DC.  We have a corner flat with one bedroom and a pretty arch.  It's teeny weeny and we haven't seen it yet.  My parents went to look and took these pictures  That's my dad looking into the kitchen.   I'm concerned about fitting our beautiful couches in and our diningroom table, which was my parents diningroom table when I was growing up and my grandparents diningroom table when my dad was growing up.  

I'm trying to remember that we will be fine.  That I will find a job and that I will make enough money to pay rent.  That so many people go to law school without spouses to support them and they graduate with tens of thousands of dollars of debt and they are okay.  I am trying to remember a good friend in small town practice with a hundred thousand dollars of student loans hanging over his head.  Trying to remember smart David's full ride.   I'm trying to forget leaving sweet Ida and to remember that my mother will be an hour and a half away and my smallest sister will be on our couch all the time.  I'm trying to remember my brother in college in Philadelphia, my middle sister moving to the city, my father a hop, skip and a red line away and my Oldest and Best working half an hour from our new apartment. The train to Boston isn't hard and there is an easy bus.  I'm trying to remember that moving again is worth it and the stress will be over by Christmas.

Right?