Y'all.
I spent the last month trying to decide if I'd come to the end of the line, whether I had any juice left to keep writing here. It feels a bit schizo to just keep living your life as if the madness isn't also happening.
May kept me busy though. Apart from work, it was a socially eventful month, every weekend booked solid, starting with my paint-and-sip birthday party slash early summer cookout, thrown for me by my girl and her husband in their Brooklyn back yard. The next weekend we drove upstate with my girl and her love to have lunch with her in laws for mother's day. The following Sunday was my choir concert, during which we sang an exhilarating 10-minute medley from Phantom of the Opera and actually pulled it off. And then the New York extended family decamped en masse to Dallas for Memorial Day weekend, to celebrate little Harper's second birthday and help her parents stage a "Harper's Beach Club" themed pool party. In between all that my son in law ran a half marathon, my daughter modeled office summer wear on Jenna and Friends, formerly Jenna and Hoda, her fourth time appearing on that morning show, and my son and his wife went to the woods, and shared pictures of their adventures. Here are some photos from the month of May, for my record here.
I guess there's some writing juice left in me after all.
Mainly, I just miss you all.
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ALBUM ONE: PAINT AND SIP
At my birthday party on May 3, the painting and wine came after we ate delicious street corn, burgers, and hot dogs grilled by my son-in-law on the newlyweds' (not so new anymore but still less than a year) spanking new backyard grill. Most of us finished (or improved) our paintings after we got home, but we had big fun getting started as we sipped. I had a wonderful time with my husband and all our heart children. Truly one of my best birthdays ever.
Heartening and lovely. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks, am, nice to see you!
DeleteLooks and sounds like you all had a wonderful month. I'm glad you explained the photos of your son and daughter-in-law because I was wondering if they had a personal photographer with them. :D
ReplyDeleteKristin, those drone photos are so awesome. It's really fascinating how that camera works! We had a lot of fun with it in Dallas, too.
DeleteSo glad you’ve posted - though I definitely connect with “it seems a bit schizo to keep living your life as though the madness isn’t happening.” On that note, happy belated Birthday - what a wonderfully family-filled May you’ve had. Miss Harper alone is a strong shelter from the prevailing winds - what a beautiful child. I have no words big enough for the magnificent charcuterie board! I’m finding balance, or something approximating it, in small daily things: made banana bread for the neighbors, cared for all the new plants I couldn’t resist bringing home from the garden center, had the joy of a very old friend coming to stay for a few days.
ReplyDeleteGeorgia, so wise of you to find balance in daily acts that remind you of what is good in life. I'm sure you and your banana bread and open hearted hospitality are helping to sustain those around you as well.
DeleteBeautiful. Both the child, the woman and the table. Loved the report. I am glad you decided to come and share it with us. And it is so pleasant, in this time of horrible news, to have a place to read about fun and food and see the demolition of a cake. That, alone, would have made my day.
ReplyDeleteMary G, I should have taken an after picture of the table--now THAT was a demolition. Almost everything was eaten by the time the kiddie party was over. The pool made for ravenous appetities. Lovely to see you!
DeleteThat is an epic charcuterie board! Swooning over this. I completely understand about the inability to write while the madness is swirling around us. It is all too much, and I know my own writing has absolutely plummeted because there are only so many brain cells. Selfishly, I hope you continue to write to us all here. We need the joy your words bring and these glorious photos of your loves. We need you.
ReplyDeleteMelissa F, I keep telling my daughters and my niece that they could open a business doing those charcuterie boards for parties! My daughter in law had one done for her wedding to my son, and it wasn't anything as elaborate as that one and it cost more than a thousand! Alas, my girls say they only do this for love.
DeleteThe fuckery continues, but so does family life. It sounds like you were busy in a very good way. I can't believe Harper is two already. Now I sound like an old lady:)
ReplyDeleteThat charcuterie board is beyond epic. OMG! Did it all get eaten?
trump and his minions are starting to lose it, about bloody time.
Pixie, believe it or not, everything got eaten, but for a few crackers and grapes and pieces of cheese, which we then made short work of after the guests left. I think the busyness of May distracted me from the fuckery a bit, but there isn't enough business in the world to drown it all out. Plus, it would be dangerous not to pay at least some attention.
DeleteSo great to hear from you! What a wonderful month of family fun! Love all of the fabulous photos. Happy birthday to you! Wishing you many more happy, healthy fun years!
ReplyDeleteEllen, thank you for the birthday wishes! It was a month of family. I saw my kids every weekend for one reason or another, and that is not typical once our children are grown, so that made the month for me.
DeleteA lovely, busy time. Thank you for posting. Happy Belated Birthday!
ReplyDeletee, thanks for the birthday wishes, and for being here!
DeleteYour photos put us there and it is a delightful happy fancy place. Lifted my spirits tremendously. Harper has got to be the most darling child ever and her Mom is incredibly undeniably beautiful. Lucky all around I would say. All of the paintings look very good from here- a gifted lot, y'all are. Loveliness all around...AND a pool! Happy Birthday Springtime child! Fabulous time.
ReplyDeleteLinda Sue, Harper was definitely in her element, she is the boss of us all, and her mom is reckoning with being blessed with a child who is turning out to be as "spicy" as she herself was and is. Fortunately, Harper's mama recognizes this spiciness as a thing not to be quashed, but enjoyed. That little one is truly "strong like mom".
DeleteI feel so honored to be able to see these beautiful pictures of your family. I don't even have the words to tell you how incredibly handsome and, well, just gorgeous your family is. And for all of you to come together for little Harper with her ageless inner wisdom, to eat, to laugh, to love to, yes, play the fool (such a phrase my own childhood) is how it should be for all families and yet, is so rare.
ReplyDeleteAnd I just have to say it- that is not a charcuterie table. It is a charcuterie COUNTRY!
And I love your birthday party pictures and of course, those drone shots are indeed amazing.
Thank you. For everything my sweet, sweet friend.
Mary, a charcuterie country, I love it! I did look around at one point in the weekend and think how wonderful it was that all these people flew from all over to be there for a 2 year olds birthday party, but it was so that we could all be together with each other, too, nourishing the bonds of family in a precarious time. It was everything, and that, I think was Harper's true birthday gift, the continuation of those bonds first demonstrated for us by the generation now gone.
DeleteFamilies rule! How good to have each other and also, that food board!!!
ReplyDeleteSabine, families rule indeed, with all our characters, everyone giving space to everyone else's quirks. That's when it works! haha
DeleteYou may think you have nothing to write about but your continuing life but that's what we want, a peek into your beautiful family.
ReplyDeleteellen, we all have no choice but to keep going about our lives, it is true, even as we keep one eye on the news and look for what we are called to do. thank you for this kind comment.
DeleteI love the drone photos! Do you know what kind of drone camera they're using? I'd like to get one but have no idea what to buy.
ReplyDeleteThe painting activity is a great idea. So glad to see everyone looking so healthy and happy despite the madness of our current world.
Steve, the paint and sip thing was an amazing party idea. You can actually buy paint and sip kits, with canvasses and paints and brushes, on amazon. All you need to supply is the wine. Re the drone, let me check with me son and get back to you.
DeleteThat was a magical post. Your family is so beautiful. It's so cool how you all like each other and enjoy hanging out. That table full of food is amazing.
ReplyDeleteKeep writing about it. I am currently re-reading my posts from his first administration and I had forgotten just how awful it was. So, even though I'm sick of documenting it, I'll be happy to have the record years from now.
Allison, we do actually like each other, thank god for that! As for 2016, what strikes me is we had no hesitation about writing whatever we felt like writing about what was going on then, i had no sense of needing to censor myself, to avoid using certain words and phrases that might draw bots on the crawl, so as bad as it was then, it is worse now, though perhaps our posts may not fully reveal it. The irony.
DeleteCodex:
ReplyDeleteWas wondering what had happened to you. Nice to see you back. Did the previous comment not get through?
I comment a little as possible on what is going on. Healthier.
Codex: Nice to see you back, too! I agree it's healthier to comment less rather than more, which is hard sometimes, because there are days when what's happening inflames the senses. Writing posts used to be an outlet for such stirrings. Not so much now. But maintaining community matters. It is good to greet you here.
DeleteCodex: What you wrote to Allyson and the response to me. I'm sad and glad that you listened. I wanted to restart my blog but know that in a moment of outrage I'll write without being careful. I too need the outlet but who would have BELIEVED that the scientist who studies burping frogs is a threat because he criticized funding cuts. When I warned people to be careful years ago, everyone was dismissive.
DeleteDid you receive the previous comment?
So good to hear from you and so happy you had family and some happy times to keep you going in this most despicable era. I'm totally with you.
ReplyDeleteMary, glad to see you here around the table! xo
DeleteWhoa, that table! An appropriate symbol of all the abundance that was your May. Happy you had a restorative month.
ReplyDeletedb, abundance, yes, that is a good word for the month that was. It was a hectic more than restorative, but I knew to be grateful.
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