Rejuvenation Weekend...In Pictures

A Birthday...For The Dog

Merwin's birthday brings out the crazy in me. The reality is, September 19 is not even his birthday. We have no idea when his birthday is. But it is his "adoptiversary," and to me, that is ridiculously worth celebrating. In years past there have been pointless decorations, doggy cakes, "treat trails," etc. Over the top for a creature that doesn't have a clue. I can admit it. It's all for me.

This year, we headed up to the lake Friday night, I woke up Saturday and thought "whoops, it's Merwin's birthday. I've done nothing." PANIC ENSUED. Then I realized I could concoct a little birthday treat and he would have no clue that it was a last minute grasp at making the day special. So here is a glimpse at his birthday (basically like any of his other days) - a walk, a canoe, a nap and a big old frozen peanut butter yogurt cake. Yes he is sitting at a table. He's not an animal!

Last Call

I've been in denial since Labor Day but I suppose this was really it. The end of summer. The last summer weekend at the lake. No more early sunrises with coffee on the deck, no more sunning on the floating raft, no more outdoor fires and smores, no more trying to get the dog to chase his tennis ball into the water, no more late afternoon light slanting on the vibrant green leaves of my favorite oak tree, no more stream of visitors eager to relax in our little slice of heaven. 

But as all of that fades with the warmth, we get to crank up the wood stove, cozy up with the sound of the crackling fire, pull on thick sweaters and enjoy the peace that fall brings. The lake post-Labor Day is extra special without hordes of weekenders and their boats and jet skis. It's just a few of us who choose to linger with the loons as the trees get a golden tinge and everything becomes crispier. It won't be the same, but it will be nice.

True Confession - Stitchfix #8

I had an out of body moment and before I knew it I was logged onto Stitchfix ordering up another shipment. I think I blacked out. Anyway, it arrived as we were scrambling off to who knows where and I barely had a chance to try stuff on much less document the madness. I returned three items and kept two.

My stylist, Claire, faithfully honored each of my requests. I needed a pair of dark wash skinny jeans to go well with boots. The "Just Black" pair she sent were the perfect color but way too snug, low waisted and "ankle-length" which should just be called "awkward-length." Returned! I also wanted a cozy, warm, high-quality (wool, cashmere, aka material warm enough to keep me defrosted during February) sweater. She delivered with two. One was an oddly shaped "cross-over" number that clung to the wrong places, was baggy in the other wrong places and looked like it was designed for a non-human. The second sweater was almost a keeper...soft oatmeal color, warm, cowl neck, slouchy, fun zipper detail at the wrists, but it was slightly too big even accounting for the loose style. I knew if I kept it, I would never reach for it in the morning.

I snagged two great transitional tops that will hopefully be good for layering as it gets chillier. The first one, as Simon says, is "just a grey tee shirt." He's right. Until you see the back. Surprise! When I pulled the second top out of the box, I wasn't sure what to make of the pattern. But I tried it on, it worked, the material was super comfy and it fit well. Keeper! Whether or not I keep Stitchfix is another question...

While I Was Away

While I commuted home from Boston Monday night, Simon and Merwin enjoyed a solitary beach romp. The clouds were just right, the tide was just right, the tennis ball was bouncing just right and it all seemed just right. Well, except I wasn't there. Or maybe that too was just right, haha!

Meet Your Friend The Podcast

I spend nine hours in a car during the typical work week. At the beginning of this commuting life a year ago, a friend recommended "podcasts." At the time, podcasts were this vague, slightly "techie" notion encased in a haze of complication. What are they for? Why would I want them? As I always do with something out of my comfort zone (I once made a friend give me a lesson on how to use an elliptical machine) I forced her to spell it out step by step.

I am eternally grateful. Podcasts (basically radio's equivalent to TV) present a seemingly endless supply of entertainment in nearly every imaginable variety. I found TWO fictional (duh) podcasts about the apocalypse so if that exists, there is truly something for everyone. It's also life-changing in terms of making the long rides actually enjoyable.

I have a routine. The drive begins with The Writer's Almanac, a daily five-minute "this day in history" summary followed by a poem, all read by Garrison Keillor who soothes the soul with his deep, magical voice. On Mondays, I follow that with Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, a hysterical current events and news quiz show, and This American Life, an hour-long program featuring 3-4 stories held together by a weekly theme. Those are the go to's, but others are quickly joining the ranks. And Apple's Podcasts app allows you to easily search for new content, subscribe to your faves, and sort them into playlists. If you're interested, here's what I would prioritize.

• Serial - This took the podcast world by storm, apparently breaking new ground with its serial format. 12 episodes detail the murder case of a teenage boy accused of killing his girlfriend. You're going to want to binge listen. Season two comes out soon.

• Snap Judgment - Similar to This American Life with its story telling format loosely connected by a weekly theme. A little edgier.

• RadioLab - Created by WNYC, this is basically an hour-long, weekly radio documentary covering a range of topics from week to week. The most recent episode dove into regulated trophy hunting as a form of wildlife conservation.

• Mystery Show - Fairly new with just 6 episodes available. The host solves mysteries, regular every day ones, and her tone is charming and addicting. Lots of lag time between new episodes, which is kind of a bummer.

• Selected Shorts - Famous stage and film actors read short stories by both established and emerging authors. Yum!

• Various NY Rangers and hockey related podcasts - I won't provide links because I realize no one cares, but I mention them to demonstrate that if a team or sport is your passion, it is nearly 100% guaranteed that there are people creating podcasts dedicated to discussing them. 

So many others and seriously things that would cater to just about any interest you have. It's a world worth diving into. Go for it!

Beautiful Day For A Wedding

Whew! What a fun few days. We returned yesterday from a long weekend outside of Pittsburgh celebrating the nuptials of J and J. I met Jessie working at Paul Taylor Dance Company in New York eons ago. While she and her now hubby have since moved to the West Coast, we've kept in touch with the help of modern technology and I was thrilled to participate as a bridesmaid.

Simon and I expected we wouldn't know anyone else at the party. We'd met Jessie's cousin a few times, but other than that, it was hard to think of a wedding we attended knowing fewer people. The introvert in me was a bit nervous about 4 days among strangers.

Didn't matter for a second. It was all such a blast. They have the warmest, funnest and funniest group of friends I've encountered. The other bridesmaids were such a pleasure to spend time with and after three days together, I find myself missing them today. I didn't snag a lot of pictures of the festivities but trust me when I say the entire affair at the Succop Nature Park was just perfect. I have never in my life heard such perfect, thoughtful, and original vows, spoken to each other as the skies briefly opened in a sort of affirmation that beauty in life may not take the form you think, but it's there. It was a stunning moment. Here's a little taste of the weekend. Congrats J and J and have a fantabulous time in Mexico!

A Poem For A Thursday

Season
W.S. Merwin

This hour along the valley this light at the end
    of summer lengthening as it begins to go
this whisper in the tawny grass this feather floating
    in the air this house of half a life or so
this blue door open to the lingering sun this stillness
    echoing from the rooms like an unfinished sound
this fraying of voices at the edge of the village
    beyond the dusty gardens this breath of knowing
without knowing anything this old branch from which
    years and faces go on falling this presence already
far away this restless alien in the cherished place
    this motion with no measure this moment peopled
with absences with everything that I remember here
    eyes the wheeze of the gate greetings birdsongs in winter
the heart dividing dividing and everything
    that has slipped my mind as I consider the shadow
all this has occurred to somebody else who has gone
    as I am told and indeed it has happened again
and again and I go on trying to understand
    how that could ever be and all I know of them
is what they felt in the light here in this late summer

Posting a W.S. Merwin poem seems like some sort of pseudo blog victory. In the beginning of Merwin and Merwin (holy catfish 5 years ago), I felt slightly more skilled at connecting the seemingly unrelated Merwins, barely held together by their existence on my list of "obsessions." Not that I will in any way bring this back to the dog, but regardless, I've basked in the glory of included Merwin's work here, so let's move on to why this poem is so great.

We find ourselves at the end of August, and even though I'm not going back to school I always get a little introspective, retrospective and generally just "spective" at this time of year. Blue that summer is nearly over, a tiny bit amped for fall coziness, and terrified of those impending long winter months. Merwin's narrator seems focused on the season and its passing, sort of contemplating (to me anyway) how all of the tiny moments he describes happened to someone else, many others, again and again throughout time. 

We come, we go, others come, others go and late summer light continues to lengthen across all of it. I know it's so much more, but the final lines seem to reflect how I've been feeling the last few weeks. How could all of this that I see and feel and am part of also be seen and felt by others before me, with me and yet to come after me? How are these experiences not just mine? I'll never know anything about all of them except that they too feel the seasons and watch the light shift. All we really share is this universal passage of time, as daunting as it is to imagine.

Tidbits Of Happy

We were in Northern Wisconsin this past weekend reuniting with what I refer to as "the original lake." I grew up taking summer jaunts to Deep Wood Lake visiting my great aunt and oodles of extended family; I first sat up there (milestones people, milestones), learned to swim there, and while I likely fell in love with him much before then, a canoe ride with Simon clarified that feeling way back in 2004. This incredibly special place explains a lot of my infatuation with our Round Pond gem and the things these places can provide.

Anyhow, the point of my rambles is that while I was there, I was ambling through the books on an old shelf and picked up 14,000 Things To Be Happy About. Kind of silly, honestly, but at the same time, inspiring. The book was literally a list with entries ranging from "flannel sheets" to "strawberry ice cream" to "the Chicago Blackhawks" (vomit) to "making faces at the dog." Really ran the gamut but they all shared a specificity that made it a unique collection. It wasn't "love," "my dog," "rainbows." It was more than that.

I got to thinking that I wanted to try it - create a list of happiness tidbits. The process of articulating, compiling and re-reading those milliseconds would hopefully remind me of all those small slices to be savored as well as how to really savor them down the line. No idea what format it will take in the long run or if it will actually become practice, but I started. Try it!

Listening to The Writer's Almanac
Fresh zinnias on my desk
Water lapping at the dock
The dog's happy squeal dance
First sip of coffee
My parents' 43rd anniversary
Thinking of my niece flying a kite
When the plane touches down

Impromptu Beach Stroll

I felt sloggy all of yesterday and was desperate to move around. When I got home after a particularly congested commute, Simon was a man with a plan. We loaded ourselves and our hound into the car and ventured off to nearby Wallis Sands Beach. They allow dogs off leash after 7pm so Merwin had a chance to frolic a bit while we savored the sand and sunset.