Monday, August 31, 2009

Breathing

This past week, Michael and I spent some time breathing. We enjoyed our first vacation since visiting Michael's grandparents in Florida in February, and boy did we need it!

Michael and I rented a condo in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware with my mom and brother. We spent the week visiting, relaxing, reading, lying on the beach, playing put-put, and eating. Michael's parents and my godmother joined us for a couple of days in the beginning of the week, which just made a great week even better.

The whole week was such a treasure. It has been over a year since I've seen my mom - far too long. And this week we were able to catch up in a very relaxed way. It was nice to know that we didn't have to squeeze everything into a 45-minute lunch, but that we had a whole week to spend together. Henry, Mom and I are morning people (much to Michael's dismay), so we were often awake and sitting around a kitchen table together at 8 every morning. We enjoyed leisurely meals and... well, leisurely everything.



Michael and I would take walks around Rehoboth in the early evenings, often ending up at Royale Treat for an ice cream sundae. We would walk around in this small but energetic town, listening to the sounds of summer - cicadas, crickets, bullfrogs - and dream about leaving New York City for something smaller, quieter, with a slower pace. I am so grateful to have had the time with my husband, away from the hubbub of everyday life.

The View from our Deck

Monday, August 17, 2009

Grandma

A couple weekends ago, I met my brother, dad and cousin in Orlando to visit my grandma. She's a beautiful, impressive 91-year old woman who sends text messages to her family and updates her Facebook page. We went down to see her because she is moving out of the apartment she and my grandfather moved into in 1990 and is getting set up in an assisted living facility.

Aspects of the trip were somber and heartbreaking. Grandma is saying goodbye to the last home she shared with my grandfather. She is losing weight and isn't quite strong enough to move freely. She is handing down the jewelry that she's collected over the course of an amazing life. When my grandfather passed away, she put his wedding ring on a gold chain and put it around her neck. She's hadn't taken it off until she gave the chain to me, and the ring to my brother.

But I was surprised by how inspiring the weekend was. As Grandma went through some of her things, she shared stories about where they came from. Each had an amazing story, representing another exotic country, another love story between her and my grandfather. This 91-year old woman has been to just about every place you can imagine, and lives to tell the tale. She would not let a single detail slip and frequently pulled up dates and locations faster than my dad. She is utterly amazing.

If I live half the life she has, I'll consider myself a lucky lady.

Happy Monday!

This picture is from my aunt's blog, and for whatever reason (perhaps the pink glasses), I love it! Totally makes me smile on this Monday morning:

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Peas in a Pod

Last night, Michael and I celebrated our three year wedding anniversary with a cake!

We also celebrated with gifts. But you know the crazy thing? We bought each other the exact same gift: tickets to the play God of Carnage! Michael’s gift to me was for Friday, September 11th and mine for him was for Saturday, September 12th.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Night Walk in Florida

Sounds recorded during a walk with Miranda and Henry in Florida. You don't hear this in New York City, that's for sure!

Monday, August 10, 2009

Why I Love My Job

Today, I had a ridiculous meeting with my boss. The goal: to make sure I'm happy in my job. I've been placed on a new project and have a bit too much on my plate, so I brought a list of the things I'm working on and asked my boss what she would like me to focus on. Her response?

"No, Lillian. You need to think about you. What do you want to get rid of? We want to make sure you're happy."

Then I looked at my list, and realized I don't want to get rid of anything. I love all the projects I'm on! How insane is that?!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Weekend Joy

This past weekend, Michael's folks joined us for a fabulous couple of days. The highlight was our "Obama Date Night" - dinner at Blue Hill followed by the theater!

Blue Hill was out of this world - a farm-to-table restaurant, the meal was an event. We spent 2 hours enjoying the Farmers Feast tasting menu. The highlight: a farmers salad with cherry tomatoes, grilled peaches, black cherries, microgreens and a tomato sorbet... Or maybe the strawberries with marscapone... Or maybe the summer bean salad in a basil and mint sauce... or the black raspberry truffles...

Some shots of our wonderful weekend:


Dana & Marty

Dana & Michael

Marty, pooped after a great trip!