So make sure to stop by and give it a read! I was aiming to have it done this afternoon, but my sweet Old Man Gatsby is sick today.
We’re trying to take good care of him, so I’m a little behind. But, life happens, and tomorrow’s only a day away. And hopefully Gatsby will feel better by then, too.
September is the month of gold –
the leaves,
the light,
the hours.
And there’s nothing quite like
a September night,
when the magic of
the harvest moon makes
lovers and poets of both
the young and the old.
I always feel a little melancholy seeing September come to an end. And yes, I know we’re not quite there yet. I’m thoroughly enjoying the slant of the light, the slightly cooler temperatures, the way the leaves have just started to turn… I love it all. And I just had to share this moment.
This is the sunset today, on the (small) mountain behind my house. I can’t get enough of it. And I know that soon enough, it will be dark at this time of day. But with the winter comes the stars, so I’m not complaining. I always have loved winter best. But for now, I’m soaking up this special September magic.
It’s been raining on and off today, and it’s nice and cool outside, and the sky is pink and purple, and the trees are starting to turn gold, and I just really think September in Virginia might be one of my very favorite things in the entire world.
Y’all, Graham and I have forgotten our wedding anniversary no less than four times in as many weeks. We keep reminding each other. It’s tomorrow, by the way, and we’ll have been married for eight years.
So why do we keep forgetting? Life. That’s all I got. Life’s just been busy, and we’ve had a lot going on, and it’s been really hard to focus on making plans with just each other. And I don’t think this is an uncommon thing for couples. I think it’s easy to get caught up in the outside world.
But at the end of the day, we only have eyes for each other.
So, this week, I’m planning to make some time (forcibly, if I have to) for just Graham and me. Maybe we’ll even go on a date! (I can’t remember the last time we actually went on an actual date…) But no matter what we do, if it’s the two of us together, it’ll be special and lovely and fun, and we’ll probably laugh a lot.
So, to my Graham, my guiding star and my favorite human: I love you. I choose you. I’d marry you all over again. Thanks for choosing me, too.
…for a whirlwind couple of days, to attend the wedding of a dear friend. A couple of thoughts here:
Thought the first: Every time I’ve come to New Jersey (which, granted, is only twice), I’ve been so pleasantly surprised at how nice and pretty it actually is. New Jersey, like Florida, or for that matter, the Appalachian Mountains of southwest Virginia where I grew up, is often the butt of mean jokes about bad hair and rude, unintelligent people. I’m sure those things exist – they exist everywhere – but my experience here in the Garden State has been nothing but lovely. And, having dealt with them as a mountain girl from down the holler, I’m pretty much totally and completely over ugly, unfair stereotypes.
Thought the second: I’m so happy for my friend and his bride to be. It’s wonderful to be able to celebrate with them, and to share their special weekend. I feel very fortunate, and I know that not everyone has the opportunity to see their loved ones and be together right now. This last year and change has been such a trying, awful, scary time, and COVID doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. I don’t really know what else to say. I just feel lucky, and grateful. I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m doing my best to treasure these happy moments, knowing that everything could change in an instant, and has, for many people all over the world.
So, that’s what I’ve got for today. I try not to ramble in my posts, but my mind is just feeling too many feelings this morning. And I’ve only had one cup of coffee, which is apparently not quite enough. I’ll leave you here, then, with a wish for you that your weekend is fabulous, that your coffee is hot and made just the way you like it, and that you are happy and well.
Just a quick post today to say happy Labor Day! Here in Northern Virginia, it’s sunny and breezy and just the right temperature. We’d already planned to spend the day out in the countryside with friends, but even if we hadn’t, I couldn’t think of a better thing to do with this beautiful Monday off.
Y’all! This little blog that I started in 2016, unceremoniously dropped about a year later because I was too afraid to actually write anything, picked up and lovingly pieced back together in 2020 when I got over myself and decided to just write what I wanted and let the world read or not, and now post on three times a week (as consistently as I can) officially has 400 followers! (Plus a few more, which is just the cherry on top.)
I am so happy! How happy? This happy:
(Okay, to be fair, that photo was actually taken in the fall of last year, when Graham told me my hair looked good and to smile for the camera. He ought to have learned by now that I am mostly incapable of taking a good and/or serious picture in all but the most important circumstances.)
Anyway…
I am, in fact, very, very happy! And so, so grateful to each of you (who I will likely never meet in person but love nonetheless) who read my work and keep coming back for more. It is one of the great pleasures of my life to put words together in just a certain way and make something that didn’t exist before. It’s the closest thing to magic I can do, and I’m glad you’re along for the journey.
So, in conclusion:
THANK YOU! Really, truly, thank you. This is a wonderful community and I’m glad to be part of it.
Today’s my birthday!
I’m 35. Which feels an awful lot like 34. But five-ier? To be clear, I didn’t expect any life-changing revelations when I woke up this morning. And my goals for the day are pretty modest. I just want to enjoy the sunshine, read some books, eat something sweet, and hang out with Graham.
So, this post will be a little short so I can get on all of that. I think it’ll still be fun, though. Last year, I posted 34 fun facts about me. This year, I present to you, in no particular order, 35 of my favorite things.
Feel free to share some of your favorites! And if it’s your birthday today, too, then I hope it’s a fabulous one! Or, more precisely, I just generally hope you have a good birthday, whenever it is, and a good day today, too, even if it’s not your birthday.
I know it might be hard to believe, but this is actually the face of a supremely happy cat. He always misses us when we’re gone, and doesn’t want us out of his sight when we’re back.
It’s nice to be so loved.
(P.S. – We’re both playing catch-up this week. Me and Graham, that is. Gatsby doesn’t do work, because, well, he’s a senior citizen and a cat. Graham’s busy season is finally over, and an issue I’d been pouring my time into is hopefully resolved. So, we’re getting back to life as usual, if such a thing even exists. And we’re working on several old house priorities that piled up over the spring and early summer. Any interest in hearing about them? Let me know! Otherwise and either way, I’ll keep things interesting around here. I promise. 😊)
We’re going on a little beach getaway for the next week.
I’m super excited, but the process of packing and getting ready has been sort of stressful. (I wrote a little about it in Monday’s post.) Normally, I’d have a reading list ready to go, but I haven’t had a chance to even think about it this week.
So, help me out! What are your favorite beach reads? Anything I can’t miss? Anything that just makes you think of summer? Give me all the recommendations, y’all! And thank you! 🙂
A Virginia Writer's Diary 