Tag Archives: marriage

New Years: the complete haul

As I mentioned the other week, it’s taken me a bit to get to all these New Years pictures.

But finally, they have marched one by one through Photoshop and out the other side.

Into the light of day.

My favorite shots are the cuddly ones. Our good friend Tyler has found the love of his life, Liz, and we just met her for the first time the day before the party. You have no idea what a perfect match they are.

My husband and I have known Tyler ever since our freshman year of college, when we were all babes blinking in the brand new sun of a world of independence. A world in which every day for breakfast I had a mocha, a yoghurt, and a piece of string cheese. A world in which I never washed my sheets. Or wore a coat . . . and then proceeded to catch the whooping cough.

But never went to the doctor or started wearing a coat. Yep, life was good.

But I’m getting off track!

Tyler and Liz! That’s what we’re talking about.

Tyler is smart. Academic. Politically driven. Idealistic, but pro-active. Well-read. Involved.

There is so much to this guy, and I wondered for a long time if he could ever find a woman who matched his political passion, his smarts, his debating skills.

And if such a woman existed, what were the chances that she could be a beautiful ballet dancer as well? (Tyler has always had a thing for ballet dancers)

Well, that woman is clearly Liz.

Ballet, beauty, brains and all.

“Are you real?” I asked her, poking her ribs.

“Hard to say,” quoth she.

Seriously, I was in wonderment that this women existed, and that Tyler has found her!

The only rationalization of this is that God planned it all out from before the beginning of time. Yaaayy for love!

Dave and Katie hosted the party again this year, and bless their hearts–it was pitch perfect.

It’s no small feat to feed a dozen or so people, organize a group game, provide beds for everyone, and cook breakfast the next morning. And then watch as everyone else prances out the door fancy-free around noon the next day, leaving all the mess behind.

But Dave and Katie did it, and did it with grace and foresight and lots of hard work.

Thanks guys!

“No, thank YOU,” Dave is saying. Or appears to be saying.

You’re welcome, Dave. I’ll show up at the New Years party, eat, drink, laugh, talk, sleep, and then go home the next day with no responsibility any year you want.

Though thinking of responsibility, I have become the default photographer–so maybe that’s enough to get me off the hook of other duties for all eternity, amen and amen.

Dees camera . . . eet ees soooo heeefffy.

We played Chinese Telegraph again (because it was such a huge hit last year), and it was hilarious.

As we have all come to expect.

And Joe and Steph–I’m so glad these guys got married.

I just wish they lived closer to us!

Joe is studying for his PhD in Economics, and if they weren’t so far away, he could engage with my husband in academically satisfying discussions on a more regular basis.

Why don’t I engage him on a regular basis, you ask?

Let’s just say that while my husband looks at and studies maps, I look at and study cookbooks. While he reads obscure books with lengthy titles about obscure historical facts, I read Kate Atkinson or The Hunger Games.

Then we gaze across the room at each other in complete bewilderment as to why the other person seems to be enjoying him or herself so dang much.

I love my husband, and we have so much in common–but he needs to have academic discussions with people who won’t change the subject to this great recipe on braised chicken thighs at the first opportunity.

What do you think, sweetie?

Oh, you think it’s hilarious that I like looking at cookbooks and reading fiction?

You find these leanings completely incomprehensible?

Great. Just checking.

So maybe I need to make more of an effort to climb into his world of thought–but anyway!

I’m not generally a party-person. I tend to feel awkward, my small-talk skills start waning after about 5 minutes, and I quickly start wishing I were snuggling at home, PJ-clad, popcorn bowl in hand. But this party . . .

. . . it’s different. I love it.

‘Til next year, everyone!

Purging Petronilla part 2: 112 things in 01/2012

And here is part 2 of our January purging efforts!

While the first half was mainly championed by me (as my husband was occupied with a series of post-burglary door-securing projects), the second half was mainly championed by him.

Go baby go!

It all took place in our 2nd bedroom, which is the residence of lots and lots of papers. Academic papers and articles my husband has printed out over the years, a file of my papers including old college stuff, childhood stuff, drawings, poetry, etc.

Papers are one of the hardest things to purge, because before throwing them away I usually feel the need to check each and every one. Which takes loads of time. And if I form an emotional connection with the paper in question that I’m reviewing because it stirs up memories of our early dating years, or my triumphant A+ in that one French class, then it becomes hard to throw away.

But we forged through! Not quite mercilessly . . . but a little mercilessly.

We got rid of well over 60 things–old checkbook covers.

My husband’s old Dark Shadows catalogue.

My old manuscript-style study of the book of Mark.

It was the most intense, amazing, satisfying, brain-stimulating study of the Bible I’ve ever done. And it involved lots and lots of colored pencils.

InterVarsity (the Christian campus organization that we belonged to as undergrads) loves their colored pencils. I remember thinking “how childish!” when I was first introduced to this technique of studying the Bible, but a mere 20 minutes after thinking this, I realized how great the color-coordinated marks are for seeing patterns in the text.

Sigh. I loved my undergrad life.

But it’s over. To the trash with you!

I also purged more old college syllabi.

Goodbye Intro to Criticism!

Jonathan Elmer did a fantastic job with that course . . . but am I really going to read through all my notes ever again? Probablement non.

When all was said and done, after this year’s purge I only kept the materials from one solitary poetry class and one lone French class. Maybe those can go next year, we’ll see.

Things that we uncovered that did NOT get purged:

My friends! Big Hermie, Little Hermie, Kaiser and Winston. I always thought of Kaiser’s name as spelled Cizer, by the way. It feels important that I should disclose how his name is spelled in my heart.

And my sheet music!

That ain’t goin’ nowhere soon.

This is just a tiny stack pictured, but there’s tons of it–a box full. Piano music, vocal music, choir music, classical guitar music, violin music. And it all must stay. That stuff’s expensive, man. And I totally want to take up the violin again once we’re in a more sound-proof apartment where I won’t die of guilt when the sreeching noise of my ineptitude fills the room.

By the end of our paper-purging evening, we had two huge trash bags going to the dumpster.

And it felt gooooood. With a couple empty file boxes, I was also able to find a new and safer place for my camera equipment.

Next year we’ll have to do 113 things, and I’m already looking forward to it. Not that we can’t purge throughout the year (we will! especially if we move) . . . but there’s something to be said about doing it as a joint project with your more-than-willing spouse, and feeding off of each other’s enthusiasm.

Until next year, Petronilla!