... A Fly By Of The Past Month

I've been absent a bit lately, haven't I? There are so many posts I want to write but they seem to require a bit more energy than I feel I have at present. So instead, I thought I'd pop in and mention the random things that have been occupying my time these past few weeks.


It started last month when I went to DC to help my boyfriend, Jeff, pack up and move to Virginia. He'd just been offered a job at the local newspaper and I was excited to have him live 5 miles away rather than 300 miles away. While in DC we spent the last few days taking advantage of various Smithsonian's, the Botanical Gardens, a Jazz Festival, and a home cooked meal with friends.


The first day back in Virginia I had a handful of friends over for dinner. Two dear friends- Dave and Libby- were moving that week to Pasadena, CA to continue on in their fairly successful adventures in film making. Jason also was leaving for Brazil to do some medical work (or so he says...).

Next I decided it was time to spring for a new car. Though ye old Escort really was holding up very well for me, I knew it was only a matter of time before I'd need to join the rest of the world in adding a car payment to my budget. Though dreams of Titans were dancing in my head, I couldn't get past the fuel prices and decided on a much more enviro-friendly and sensible Toyota Corolla. The entire process of buying a new car was so intimidating, however, in the end I think I managed to get a fairly good deal. Jeff's stern, no nonsense, face along with my lack of sense of urgency in needing to purchase a car helped us to knock a few thousand off the price. At one point I decided to call my insurance company who offers to negotiate prices on new cars as a free service. The negotiator said he wouldn't have been able to get the price that far down and we were doing pretty well on our own. Yeah for my sweet new ride!

Matt's birthday was next on the agenda. A few of us ate fried chicken down at the oceanfront and played frisbee and volleyball. Check out Cathy's pictures of the evening.

Jessica called and, in preparation for their wedding the very next weekend, asked if I'd take engagement pictures of she and David.



A meeting with the realtor (my investment house is on the market)...
Another bridesmaid dress fitting (Jessica had our dresses tailor made)...
Roof leaks (Ernesto blew threw)...
Mac issues (my laptop shuts off if not plugged in)...

A Wedding! Yes, that was fun for sure. The Rockey wedding was amazing. Truly delightful. Very Jessica. Pink Ballerina's twirling around. Oversized swings hanging from tree branches. Paper lanterns lighting the forest. Huge white circus tents housing the checked dance floor. Paper flowers. Crooked cakes. Beach bicycles. A quaint Bed and Breakfast. I will definitely post some pictures of the event, but in the meantime Cathy took some great shots....

We've been working a bit on sprucing up my yard. We spent an entire day digging through the space between my shed and the fence. We encountered a whole host of strangeness including various bugs, wood, bricks, gutters, leaves... but what we managed to unearth beneath was this beautiful soil that had been hidden under leaves for who knows how long. When I moved into this house in January, one of my hopes was to have a herb and vegetable garden. Now I have some rich, soft soil to work with. I'm excited to plan the details of the garden so if any of you out there have some recommendations for me, I'd love to hear them.

The Judd's invited us over for a fun dinner before we attended the seasons first play. We all have a season subscription to the local theatre and enjoyed a dizzying performance of "Noises Off". Mmmm... caramelized peaches for dessert. Soooo good!

Jeff and I were invited to stay at a beach house in Nags Head for a few days with the Bares, the Napiers, and the Duenkes. It was a nice treat to get away. One of my favorite parts was taking my nephew Austin down to the ocean to play in the waves.

Life continues at a dizzying pace. I'm hoping some sort of routine will settle in, that some sort of surety of the future will come. Yet, I suspect I have much more adventure ahead of me.

So off I go...