Christmas in the East

Missy tells me I should make a pre-New Years resolution and write a Christmas blog entry before the clock ticks midnight. Since we're heading out the door to Mezza Madness at Lebanese Taverna in less than ten minutes, here goes. We spent Christmas with my family this year in Mount Vernon, Ohio. Since I took the Thanksgiving week off work to travel to Idaho this year, I got stuck with the Christmas shift this year. So, we left the Wednesday before Christmas to make the 7-hour drive west across I-68, by far my favorite national highway. My parents packed an action pack 5 days for us, including a trip to the Longaberger basket factory (where Missy won a free basket and we both tried our hand at crafting our own), to Malabar Farms -- the home of famous author Louis Bromfield and the wedding site of Humphrey Bogart to his third wife, Lauren Baccall. One evening we traveled up the dark country road to Nashville, OH to take in the most auspicious house lights you can possibly imagine (signs of snoopy and Bart Simpson put most of us over the edge), ending with a drive-by live Nativity scene. The weather unfortunately was mostly grey and wet -- the snow seems to have located itself all in Denver this year. On Saturday, we visited some old college friends of mine, Jason and Erin Moorman (and daughter Grace, a loquacious 3 year old, especially with Missy), and Chris and Buffy Fleece and kids. Missy also attended her first Christmas Eve candlelight service. Christmas day was filled with turkey, gift-opening hilarity, and the traditional viewing of the classic film, Independence Day. Much more to say, but it'll have to wait until 2007. Happy New Year!

Christmas at the Concert Hall

Enjoying the Nutcracker, Washington Style
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

We got dressed up last week to take in a little Christmas in Washington, theatre-style. On Sunday night we went to see "The Nutcracker" at the Warner Theatre downtown (Jason's first ballet experience!). The Washington Ballet Company put a twist on the seasonal favorite by turning the characters into familiar figures from American history--the Nutcracker was George Washington, the Rat King was George III, and the dances included wilderness men and Anacostia Indians. It was a fun twist and we both had a great time.

On our way home we drove past the White House and decided to stop by to see the tree. There were lots of little toy trains running around the tree, and we traipsed (dress shoes and all!) around the Ellipse checking out all the state decorations and the manger scene.

The next day we threw on our fancy clothes again and headed to the Kennedy Center. The Choral Arts Society of Washington, in which one of Jason's colleagues sings, was doing it's annual Christmas concert. We went for the first time last year and really enjoyed it, so this year we made a repeat appearance. For me, it is still a little close to Crusader Choir memories... (or is that 'Sader Choir now?)

Okay, that's enough of pictures of Missy and Jason for now...

Major Tragedy Overted

Wow. Last night we somehow lost all the pictures on our memory card--to the tune of about 300. This included a ton of Christmas pics from the last week that we had not had a chance to download yet. Luckily, my husband is a computer genius and managed to slowly recover almost all. Phew!

Gingerbread Construction

A Finished House!
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

Jason and I were wary when the invitation to the Crossons' annual gingerbread house building party popped up on email. We both remembered all too clearly last year's party, how our house refused to stay standing; how, after the third collapse, Jason was either fired from the construction crew or threw up his hands and quit; how we weren't quite sure our brand-new marriage could withstand the storms of gingerbread construction. But last weekend we threw all caution to the wind and said, yes, we and our questionable cooperation skills would love to come!

And...success! Part pre-party internet research, part overt politeness to each other, part really good chili provided by Mrs. Crosson to keep us patient, we managed to stand up this nice little gingerbread home. And eat lots of marshmallows and M&Ms while we did so.

(Note: It is possible that our success was in part also due to proper delegation of tasks--Missy made the house and Jason took the pictures.)

We finished off our weekend by throwing our first Christmas party--mostly work colleagues and a few other dear friends. It was great fun, and we now know we can fit about 40 people semi-comfortably into our place. Let the partying begin... ?

Christmas Tree Hunting

Timber!
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

We went crazy this year and decided to get in touch with nature instead of just finding a tree at the local Home Depot. To our delight (and, it must be confessed, surprise), we had a wonderful time "tree hunting" and came home with a perfect little tree to decorate with lights and things. We also felt pretty pleased with ourselves at being able to get it in and up without a) displacing most of the furniture, b) tainting everything we own with sap, and c) failing to get it into the stand multiple times.

Our house is feeling pretty Christmassy now, and I actually ALMOST have all the gifts wrapped and under the tree (I'll try to get "Our Home at Christmas" pictures up in a day or so). I really have no excuse, as I have only had two days of work in two weeks. It is really remarkable how little one gets done when one is home all day. And it is really remarkable how relieved one is when one's husband gets home in the evening...

Cole-dorable

Cole-dorable
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

I'm sorry, but this is too cute for words. It's like having a really sweet doll. That laughs. And cries. And poops (at which time he can be given back to his mother).

We went out to dinner tonight. When we left the house it was 72 degress outside and I carried my jacket. We got home about 20 minutes ago and it is now 55. Apparently the weather realizes that we cannot go get our Christmas tree tomorrow wearing shorts. I appreciate its sympathy.

Class of 2001

Class of 2001
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

"Our Trip to Idaho," Part 2. We left McCall and drove down the mountain, straight to Nampa and the campus of Northwest Nazarene University. There we donned nametags and shared hugs (and introductions of spouses) with my old college cronies. I must confess, I'd been looking forward to our five-year reunion for quite a while, and we had a great time. It was fun to see old friends and reconnect with people with whom I'd spent four significant years of my life. I loved the moment when, watching "Grandma Dave" take to the drums just as he did many times starting our freshman year, Amanda turned to me and said, "Yep, it's still funny."

After our reunion lunch we spent some time catching up with old friends--cheering on the basketball team at the homecoming game, discovering new coffee shops in Nampa, drinking tea and eating at Red Robin, adding to the collection of "Senate Pictures" and dissecting "Tess" during our "reunion bookclub," confessing that I've been reading other people's blogs, and reliving ridiculous memories. I've said this before, but it is so wonderful to discover that you still connect with people you knew in a past life.

Thanksgiving at the Cabin

The Family in the Prow
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

Our most recent trip out west will have to be spread over a couple entries. According to our pictures (again, posted at the right), we should have a separate entry simply entitled "Cole," as he is the subject of about 90% of the pictures. I blame Granny, who stole my camera for a while. And Cole, for being the most adorable creature on earth.

We have added a few people to the family this year, and after all the hoopla and chaos settled down it seemed like Thanksgiving was a good time to take stock of things and, basically, count off. So we packed up, shipped out, and landed at the new cabin for a week of being together...in a calmer sense than we have all year.

The cabin, of course, is beautiful. It was like a dream come true to have us all there and all healthy (yes, it's been that kind of year). We had a really relaxing few days centered around Cole, and then the aunts, uncles, and cousins joined us for a festive Thanksgiving celebration. Deee-lish! This was my first Thanksgiving home this millenium, and I enjoyed every bite. And the leftovers.

As we curled up on couches with our full bellies Thanksgiving night, snow was falling softly outside the windows. I wished we could have stayed just one more day, but on Friday morning, Jason and I packed up to head to Nampa for the long-awaited five year reunion of NNU's Class of 2001...

Shutting Down Shop

Team Otter in the Capitol Dome
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

Strangely, I find it hard to believe that this long ride with Team Otter is coming to an end. Today Congressman Otter cast his last votes in the U.S. House of Representatives. As he begins his tenure as the 32nd governor of the great state of Idaho, the rest of us are packing up shop and preparing to take a dive out of the nest--for most of us, this is the first real job we've held.

To mark the end of things, today the boss took the staff on a highly-coveted tour of the Capitol Dome. We got up close and personal with the Apotheosis of Washington and became intimately reacquainted with our fear of heights! DC law ensures that the Capitol remains the tallest building in Washington, so we had a spectacular view, despite the lingering haze from the morning. It has been an honor to work for this boss and a pleasure to work with these people. They have been my family here for the past five years, and I can't help feeling a little homesick when I think that we only have a couple days left together...

Someone This Way Flies!

IMG_0790
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

Another flight to and from Idaho--but this time it was Mom and Dad coming our way instead of us going theirs! They stayed with us last weekend, and we had a wonderful time--a few touristy things, like the International Spy Museum (Missy's pick for Favorite DC Spot), the National Portrait Gallery (recently reopened, and turns out there's a reason they named the metro stop "Gallery Place"), and George Washington's home at Mount Vernon. Just a few weeks ago the new interpretive center and museum at Mount Vernon opened up, and we closed the place down on Saturday...and made ourselves hungry enough to eat a buffalo. We also went to a Caps game and just hung around some. Though Mom has made a habit of visiting me a couple times a year, recent family events have made it impossible for her to come since she was here with Grams and Gramps last November...and it's been years since Dad was here. It was wonderful to have them, and I must confess that, even though we will see them next Friday as we wing our way back west for Thanksgiving, I was a little sad to drop them off at the airport.

I am currently enjoying the first day of a delightfully long weekend. With the election behind us, my colleagues and I spent yesterday tossing papers. I think I filled the first dumpster by myself, throwing away five years of work (turns out I'm quite a paper rat, and an old intern stopped by yesterday to say hi and bemoaned that all the filing she'd done for me two years ago was sitting in the bottom of said dumpster). When I told Jason last night that I felt like I was afraid nothing would be left to show for my time in the Otter office, he suggested that I write my name on the wall--"Missy: 2001-2006." A thought... Now that Team Otter is actually moving on, after months of treading water, I am getting ready to move on too. Actually, I really should get moving on my novel, but unfortunately I decided to read all six Harry Potter novels again before I started. I finished book six a couple days ago, but I still find that when I close my eyes I am really at Hogwarts...

note: Jason really was part of this weekend, despite the picture. Blogger has refused to attach additional pictures to this entry, so go look at our flickr album for a more complete visual recounting. Sorry Jason!

Look who's going to Grad School!

Admission Letter
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

I am pleased to report that Missy received her admission letter to George Mason University's Master of Arts in English program, with a concentration in Professional Writing and Editing. GMU is in nearby Fairfax, VA, about 11 miles from our home, and classes start in late January. There was never a doubt in my mind that Missy would be admitted -- she certainly has an exceptional writing style as often evidenced on this blog -- and I can certainly play the boastful husband. The best part is that as a Virginia resident, she qualifies for the much discounted "in-state tuition" rate, which make me think I paid way too much for my graduate education. I suppose now we might become GMU Patriot fans, which as those of you who follow NCAA action will remember, turned out a surprising yet stunning performance during last year's March Madness. Now if only the Redskins could play to inspire ...

Halloween

IMG_0751
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

I have to admit, I was pretty excited for Halloween this year. No, we did not dress up as Napolean Dynamite or the Two-Headed Michael Scott, and we did not party raucously around the Beltway. Instead, we have been holed up in our little condo waiting anxiously for miniature ghosts, witches, and Elmos to come knock on the door. I have never had trick-or-treaters come to my door before. (Well, that's not entirely true, as a few came last year but I had not been planning to be home and didn't have any candy, so I had to turn all the lights off and hide. I watched through the peephole as little girl cursed our door in spanish. Yikes!) It was like an epoch in adulthood.

Plus, no cursing of our door, so we can expect a pleasant 2007.

On Saturday we went to Elizabeth's for her annual pumpkin carving party. The party was full of artists, and our little pumpkin (top in the picture) felt much less self-conscious once we got him home away from all the fancy pumpkins. It was fun to see Elizabeth, who recently moved back to town, and the night was blustery and sort of ghoulish. Dawn and I agreed that it was very Halloweeny. I was full of extra shivers, as I finished reading "Dracula" last week. Incidently, Jason would not let me read it a) before bed, or b) any time he wasn't home, as I once woke up screaming about vampires. But it was very good.

NaNoWriMo

Okay, Scott, you've convinced me:

Where We've Been

Your turn...

Breakfast with the Riches

Breakfast with the Riches
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

Last week I got one of those emails that makes me smile a little wider--Oxford friend coming through town! Ryan Rich and his wife Lindsay were headed back to Charlotte, NC, from Pennsylvania, and they stopped by for breakfast on Sunday. It was fun to reconnect. I really enjoy discovering that old friends are not just friendships from the past caught up in "remember whens" but are also friendships very dear and relevant to the here and now. Plus, it was delightful to get to know Lindsay better.

Our weekend looks pretty unexciting to outsiders--well, and to Jason--but it was a pivotal one for me, as I finally cleaned out and organized the hall closet. The hall closet has been the bane of my existence since we got married--you know, that one closet stacked so high with unlabeled boxes shoved in haphazardly that it is impossible to get to the one thing you need right. over. there...? Well, now it is vacuumed, neatly organized, and, thanks to the inspiration of Andrea, labeled. I'm so happy.

AppleFest

Apple Festival 2006
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

"...Please meet your party at the Big Red Apple."

My favorite catchphrase of the weekend. Dawn and I took our husbands (we have husbands!) up to Pennsylvania on Saturday for the annual National Apple Harvest Festival. We drank cider, ate fried apples, and got our picture taken with--what else?--a giant apple. It was good fall fun. I didn't know that Pennsylvania was the Apple Capital of the World. (Since they were using Washington State apples to make cider, I am still quite skeptical...)

The Fest was outside of Gettysburg, so we took a little spin around the battlefield. Dawn and Brian had never taken the tour. Plus, I've been anxious to go back and see the view from Little Round Top in autumn ever since I was there in the spring ten years ago. It was absolutely lovely, and we came back with red noses and fall-happy hearts.

In other weekend news, Jason and I rented the first 12 episodes of "The Office" and proceeded to watch all of them within two days. We laughed so much and so loudly that I'm surprised our neighbors didn't come a'knockin'. It more than made up for the embarrassing loss by the Redskins (perhaps our football interest is waning...).

Idaho 2006: Take Nine

Cole and Aunt Missy
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

Needless to say, Cole and I had a good time getting to know each other. His aunts and his granny spent a lot of time passing him back and forth, especially during his lunch at Red Robin (first of many). Shaanti is doing great--I was complaining to Jason that when we went shopping she, brand-new mother, looked so put together and I looked like a scrub! (it IS nice to be back into the same state as my wardrobe!) :)

After smothering Cole with kisses, Jenny, Mom and I drove up to McCall to check out the new "cabin." I put that in quotes because it is more like a lodge or a villa than a cabin. (Jenny stood by the door to give a proper sense of scale in this picture.) It is soooo amazing, and we are going to have the most lovely Thanksgiving there next month. When we got there we found a mountain bluebird in the fireplace, and, after many screams and ducks, we finally got it to fly out the door.

Oh, and the IHA conference was good--especially with Mom there. But not as good as my adorable nephew...

Columbus Day Weekend in Ohio

Small Family at Fiesta Mexicana
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

While Missy headed to Sun Valley, Idaho to present the latest on healthcare legislation to the Idaho Hospital Association, Jason flew to Ohio to visit his family. His brother, Justin, is the operations manager of a new Candlewood Suites hotel in Polaris (just outside of Columbus). Jason and the rest of the family got the full tour -- including the privileged behind-the-scenes exclusives, such as the pump, fire, and phone switching rooms. Justin exudes pride in the successes he has had in working to launch the new property, despite all the kinks including 120 alarm clocks going off at midnight (two nights in a row), leaky dishwashers, and other hazards associated with a new start. He is clearly on his way to the top -- he secured a substantial increase in reservations the day of the tour (and associated revenue) landing a 20+ room reservation for 30 days while his sales manager and general manager were on leave.

The balance of the weekend was spent viewing dad's latest property acquisitions and renovation projects, lunching at Landoll's Mohican Castle, playing a rousing game of Scrabble, and watching the Washington Redskins embarassing defeat to the NY Giants. We also went to see The Guardian at the Mount Vernon movie theatre (a compeling tale), and wrapped up the visit with lunch at Fiesta Mexicana.

It was nice to get away and spend time with the family again, regaining those Ohio "roots" (Justin bought me an OSU Buckeyes hat and blared the fight song in his truck on the way to the airport), and enjoying time out of the hustle and bustle of our daily life in the nation's capital.

At the Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkin Picking
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

It's finally October, the best month to be a transplanted Washingtonian. We ventured outside of the Beltway today and into the Maryland countryside (lots of Maryland for us lately, huh?) to our favorite farm for some produce pickin'. There are lots of little "fall festivals" around here, places you can take your kids to give them a little exposure to the countryside--hay rides, pumpkin patches, farm animal petting zoos, etc. Our country excursions are a little tamer, and we usually head up to Rock Hill Orchard at least once a year to pick berries or apples.

Besides, I don't pet cows. Just ask my dad--if the cows get out, I will be hiding under my bed.

As it's the end of raspberry season, pickings were slim, but we managed enough to make a pie or so. Then we picked a couple bags of apples (now that Congress has FINALLY recessed for campaign season, I have great ambitions of making applesauce) and a couple nice little pumpkins.

I love fall here. The tree outside our window blooms pink in the spring, and now its leaves are trembling with anticipation at turning brilliantly red and gold. Autumn makes it worth living here during the rest of the year.

In other news, the Redskins just won. And Cole has opened his eyes...

On the Point

Biking Beauty?
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

Last weekend we loaded up our car with bikes, picnic equipment, and books and drove down to southern Maryland. Destination: St. Michael's Manor. The bed and breakfast is 200 years old and perched right on the edge of Point Lookout State Park. Point Lookout was once a Union prisoner-of-war camp, and we biked on a thin sliver of land between the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. In the afternoon we visited St. Mary's City, the first settlement in Maryland, and we ended our visit with a canoe trip, ala Lewis and Clark. It was really peaceful and relaxing...and especially nice to not have to take a plane :).

Of course, by now we are amazing plane travelers. The highlight of Jason's week was when TSA announced that we can take liquids on planes again. He dug through his travel bag with unbelievable excitement to make sure that everything he owns is under 3 ounces...

Another Cole-fest

I'm sorry, but if you had a six day-old nephew who was this cute, you would paste him all over your blog, too. Right now this picture is up on my computer screen so that when I am frantically moving from document to document during this crazy last week in session before the election I occasionally accidentally run across it and grin all over again.

Cole and His Mama

Cole and Shaanti
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

Of course I knew Cole was beautiful, but I love having pictures to confirm it. Do I have to wait two more weeks to snuggle him close? In the meantime, Jenny and I have taken to calling each other "Aunt." It's fun.

He's Here!

Cole Adam Bucher ushered in a new era in the Johnson family when he made his grand entrance into the world at about 5:45 a.m. MDT today. His granny describes him as "so sweet" and his grandpa says that by one view he looks like his mom and by another angle his dad (though granny suggested that he might have his Aunt Jenny's wild, stick-up hair! :)). He and his great-grandad share a birthday, 87 years apart. And, in my three hours experience as an aunt, I'm convinced it is the loveliest job in the world. Pictures will, of course, follow shortly, but the news is too precious not to share.

Eastern Market

Eastern Market
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

We have been meaning to go to Eastern Market for many months...or years, since sadly neither of us went even when we lived in the District. So on Saturday we got up early and headed out. (Clarification: When I say we "got up early," I mean Missy overslept and we got out later than expected and then once we were in the car Missy spilled her tea all down her front and made Jason turn around and go back home so she could change her shirt. So really we didn't get out early at all and certainly missed breakfast at the famous pancake house in Eastern Market.)

Eastern Market is an outdoor market on Capitol Hill, and we had a splendid morning eating chocolate croissants and picking out flowers and vegetables. We had so much fun, in fact, that we briefly considered throwing all caution to the wind and going to a Smithsonian museum or something. Too bad we had fresh produce in the car. Perhaps this weekend...

Remembering

I'm sitting at my desk on this grey day and through the window I can see the flag on top of the Library of Congress flying at half mast. On the news they are replaying the footage from this day five years ago, and I still feel horrified as I watch it. There will be a lot of "where were you when you heard..." today, and, like all of you, I have a story to remember. September 11, 2001, marked the end of my first week interning on Capitol Hill, and I watched the second plane hit the south tower from an office mere yards from the U.S. Capitol Building. When the third plane hit the Pentagon, I felt a wave of panic. A news clip of the President today quoted his response to seeing the Pentagon burning--"The mightiest building in the world is on fire"--and those were my thoughts as I wondered what could possibly be next. I also realized afresh that I wasn't in Idaho any more, Toto. Suddenly the Capitol Building, one of my all-time favorite places, looked like an ominous bull's eye.

I remember going to sleep that night with the sound of blackhawks and fighter jets in the air, wondering if this was a taste of the new "normal." I remember the next day, driving past the Pentagon on the way to work and the smoke was still billowing, the ragged gash clearly visible from the freeway. I remember reading the September 11 papers on September 12 and how strange it was that the front page article had been about Britney Spears. I remember sobs of emotion catching in my throat unexpectedly at the slightest provocation--a flag flying on a bridge, a picture of a soot-covered first responder, a thought of those who waited in horror for their plane to crash, any mention of family or love or loss. I remember finding out a few days later that Flight 93 had indeed been headed toward the Capitol Building and a cold sweat broke out all over me.

I remember my first post-9/11 flight a couple weeks later and how everyone was so friendly despite the three-hour security line. It was as if they realized that the people they were standing next to might become their comrades in arms. I grabbed a sandwich at a restaurant near my gate, and there weren't enough tables so I shared with a stranger. In response to my saying I was from Idaho, he told me how he and some colleagues had rented a car and drove through Idaho on the way back from Seattle after 9/11 when their flight was cancelled. He thought Idaho was beautiful. I remember visiting Ground Zero two months later and ending up in Brooklyn because the trains had been rerouted due to the destruction in downtown Manhattan but there hadn't been time to change the maps yet. When we finally found our way there, how quiet it was! I remember choking up in December when one of the children whose father had died in the Pentagon on 9/11 flicked the switch to turn on the lights for the White House Christmas Tree.

Last night Jason and I watched some of the tv specials recalling that day. I wrapped myself up in blankets to feel safe. I feel eerily grateful to those people on Flight 93. Occasionally the unbidden sob still surprises me, and I can hardly believe that it has been five years. Of course it has changed my daily life in DC, where the word "security" has taken on a life of its own. But I think it changed me, too, making me more sympathetic. Things still feel more real. It roughly threw life into clarity and perspective. And today it is very important to me to remember.

Art - An Anniversary Meal

As a wedding gift, a former co-worker gave us a gift certificate for dinner to celebrate our 1-year anniversary at Le Paradou. The restaurant aptly describes itself as an “adventure in intense flavors,” as well as "DC's finest contemporary French restaurant," and it does not lie on either score. We made reservations several weeks in advance (August 12 was a Saturday) and prepared ourselves for an exotic culinary exploration. Besides its unobtrusive exterior (on the ground floor of an office building a few blocks from Capitol Hill), the elegant and contemporary interior design was warm and inviting. Reviewing the menu of options is always a challenge -- despite our growing familiary frequenting similar restaurants in DC with diplomats and lobbyists over the years -- as the menu descriptions are rife with advanced food preparation terms without any deciphering for the culinary layman (more on this later). With a robust gift certificate in hand, we chose the four course option -- start with a salad, share an appetizer, select an entree, and then have dessert accompanied by tea. Coupled with the intense flavor of each dish (we kept grappling for the right words -- regularly using terms such as rich, explosive, coordinated, and balanced) was the presentation. Each plate and/or bowl seemed designed for the dish, and each dish was worthy of hanging on the wall next to any art deco masterpiece (like tourists, we photographed each course before devouring it). On the suggestion of our waiter (who, seemingly as a natural part of the motif, spoke only French to his fellow wait staff) we selected the duck foie gras as or appetizer. While we had both heard of foie gras, ignorance is bliss, and in this case -- that's true. We probably would have been more reluctant to eat it if we had googled it before ordering it (do this at your own peril). Overall, the experience was delightful and one worth repeating -- but not too often. A great way to celebrate year one.

Bragging on our kitchen again

We put in new countertop yesterday, which looks fantastic (and when I say "we," I mean not me but Jason, his dad, and the nice men at Counter Intelligence). The little piece of countertop that we stuck in front of the sink but could not (a) attach properly or (b) fit properly is gone, replaced by nice, clean, new stuff. Our old countertop was tan, so this stuff is still looking very white to us (the on-sale color options were quite limited, turns out), but we love it.

Today the high is supposed to be 76, and it is pleasantly rainy and fall-ish outside. My office-mate has taken her first vacation of the year, so I'm free to listen to country at my desk. "The Boys" in the front office (who are a nice and relatively recent addition to a formerly all-female office) are listening to the office voicemail and laughing at the 6 profane messages left last night by a man who had way too much to drink before calling and cussing out his Congressman. This is a weird job.

The Last Johnson Bride

In her dress
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

Isn't Jenny so pretty? She made such a beautiful bride on Friday night, and we were so glad to share in celebrating her marriage to Chad. The wedding was beautiful, wonderful, perfect. What a wonderful day!

I can hardly believe that all four of us have been married off--it was the last time the twinkle lights will sparkle in my parents' yard. (After three receptions there in 371 days, however, they might be a bit relieved!)

Now Jenny and Chad are relaxing in the Dominica Republic, and Jason and I are relaxing at home. Finally. No more trips until I go back later this fall to meet my new nephew (I can't miss that!). We are officially putting our suitcases back into the closet and settling in to stay. It is kind of exciting, thinking about living in our house instead of just doing laundry there.

And fall is just around the corner. It is worth living in Washington DC just for fall.

Halfway to Fifty-four

Last year Jason's birthday was overshadowed by The Wedding, so this year we're celebrating for days (as Missy does every year for her birthday). Today's the real day, though, so dinner was salmon ala candlelight, with a side of white pasta that we (who have been faithfully eating whole wheat pasta) ate like it was candy. I am ashamed to say that we literally licked the bowl clean. Present opening, which I anticipated perhaps even more than Jason, followed. The Isaacson book mentioned as being on Jason's nightstand was a favorite. Tomorrow we're celebrating with friends from church, which we are really looking forward to. Jason's a good sport and lets me lavish birthday on him, and I like celebrating him and and the fact that we get to head onward toward 54 together.

Arg, me matey!

Arg, me matey!
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

We're back from Jamaica, suffciently tanned/freckled and trying to get used to sleeping less than 10 hours a night. It's a lot harder than you'd think, really.

Our list of "favorite things about Jamaica" includes:
* snorkeling through schools of vibrantly colored fish
* reading 4 and a half books (between the two of us) in beach chairs
* "red-flag" drink service on the beach
* five-course meals
* sailing (especially when the wind actually blew)
* sunsets
* palm trees
* pirate stories
* rest, rest, and more rest

Check out our photos for more of the story. And beware of blinding white skin, especially near the beginning...

August

Today I took the metro in to work, which I like doing on a not-so-regular basis. I like the intricate commuting dance and the way you can tell the tourists not so much by their fanny packs and cameras as by the way they are out of step--they stand on the left side of the escalators or crowd into the metro car without waiting for people to get off or, most of all, talk to people. The non-tourists can find their way onto a metro car flawlessly, moving platform to platform without so much as taking their eyes from their books or papers. In August you can tell who is going to get off at the Capitol South stop because they are wearing badges (like everyone else) but not suits (like everyone else). It makes me feel more "in tune" with this city than I ordinarily choose to be.

More vacation photos and insights soon, but I accidentally left the camera at home today.

A Pleasant Fiction

What does one need after a first year of marriage that included putting a condo together, finishing a kitchen renovation, and traveling worldwide and multiple trips to the Northwest (for work and not-so-work)? -- Jamaica. It is a pleasant fiction. The best part is this vacation doesn't involve much thinking or decision-making beyond determining which of the three resort restaurants to select for dinner and how much time to spend on the beach. Missy has described the place as a summer camp for adults -- and indeed in many ways it is. We have opted to avoid the "partying scene" for the more reserved "relaxing scene" -- one that doesn't involve raucous pool volleyball and late night dance parties in the piano bar. Missy did take a private tennis lesson from the resort's "tennis pro" -- part of the all-inclusive package. We decided to play a bit this morning, but with the high heat, we only lasted about a half-hour (see photo). Besides an afternoon of rain when we arrived, and a bit of rain one evening -- the 80 degree weather plus high humidity beats back home for the present -- which CNN tells us is 100 plus high humidity. Washington is rightly reclaiming its reputation as a swamp. Our room has a very effective air conditioner -- which is needed for restful sleeping. The beach water here is like bath water (very similar to Puerto Rico's Vieques), and we so far have avoided major sunburn. Indeed, this is a welcome respite from the toils and triumphs of the past year. I highly recommend it.

Finally

When you think of us tomorrow, imagine us surrounded by palm trees and white sand, swimsuits securely fastened and books in hand. Imagine that you can hear the almost-audible groan of relief and relaxation emitting from us as we lay down in loungers, sipping fruity drinks.

And don't hate us, please.

Jamaica may be a bit warm this time of year, but it will be positively pleasant compared to the record-breaking temperatures expected in Washington this week (ew, ew, EW!). I'm so giddy that a coworker just told me that I'm only allowed to talk about our upcoming trip to Jamaica three more times today. In other news, while the weather is the worst part of a DC August, the best part has just begun--congressional summer work period, more commonly known as August recess, is (finally) here. And, yes, August recess is better than elementary school recess. It is what makes the fact that I was at work until 9:30 on Friday night worth it. It is why we work for Congress. It is, in essence, what we live for.

Okay, perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the point. Hooray for August.

Ah, Virginia.

We got our 6th wedding invite of the summer today. I suppose that if a person has 50 or so cousins (as I do), one should simply expect that sooner or later they will all decide to get married at the same time. Also, the Honorable C.L. "Butch" Otter has graciously invited us to his nuptial event. It speaks highly of Jenny (?) that we are choosing her wedding (same day) over the wedding of the (fingers crossed) future governor of Idaho.

(Of course, it was no contest.)

In other news, we are at home. It is lovely, absolutely astoundingly lovely, to simply be here. Next week will be my first full work week in over a month. Today we slept in, cleaned house, organized things (mmm...) and sat by the pool. You will see here a picture of our growing balcony--the prettiest one in our building, if I do say. (Jason is currently laughing at me for putting these pictures on here.) I tried to coax our plants back to life--it seems I finally get them to recover and then we go away again! If only the 8 tomatoes growing on our plant would just get ripe over the next 7 days so that we can eat them and let the plant go! One is reddening, so there may be hope... As you look at this picture, please disregard the dried, dying leaves (boo).

This evening we ate Lebanese. We sat down at our tiny table and stared at each other for a few moments, and I commented about how little we had to say to each other. Then the food started coming and we remembered why we are such poor conversationalists--the only words that we had room for were "oh man, this is so good" and "mmmmm uh wahn mawh" and "don't eat all the hommos special." If you are in the neighborhood this summer, come over to swim in the pool and eat mezza dishes with us. But call first, because we still have two more trips to make before Labor Day...

Wed by the Lake

Dawn and Brian
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

In our quest to spend more time in Idaho than in Washington, DC this summer (not a bad idea, as today in DC the humidity is making it feel like 108 degrees outside), we spent a beautiful weekend in Coeur d'Alene helping Dawn and Brian celebrate their marriage. Dawn and I shared a lovely two years in our tree-house home until we both left to live with boys--she moved to Reston with her brother and I changed my name and moved in with Jason.

The wedding was perhaps the prettiest one I've ever been to. It was outside overlooking the lake, so the setting was perfect, and the ceremony was touching and beautiful too. I got to read Shakespeare's 116th sonnet (as Dawn did at our wedding).

Jason and I also had a great time hanging out in Coeur d'Alene and Spokane, WA. We actually stayed in Spokane, and as an Idahoan I am quite of the opinion that the scenery automatically gets gorgeous when you cross the state line out of Spokane and into North Idaho. But I was pleasantly suprised with Spokane and its Riverfront Park, and we got some good "vacation" time in on this trip. Plus, we got to see "Superman" at the IMAX theatre, which (as I'm a huge fan) was pretty much the coolest non-wedding highlight of the trip...

"Our Little Brother is Married!"

Kim and Casey
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

There were three of us who kept saying that incredulously over the past weekend. During the ceremony Casey and Kim gave their mothers roses, and Shaanti whispered to me, "Why don't they give us roses, we're giving him away too!" We laughed, but we both felt it--there is something quite different about marrying off your little brother than even watching your sister get married!

Pictures can be found by clicking on this one here, and you will see that it was an absolutely beautiful wedding. The backyard at the Johnson house was again transformed into a fairyland. My favorite part of the wedding was the slideshow, with pictures of Casey dressed up as every imaginable super hero. People lightly chuckled at the picture of him as Superman, but as we went through Batman, Robin, the Green Lantern, Flash, and finally the Penguin the laughter got louder and harder. We all remember the boy who would only wear clothes with a cape.

Best of all, Kim is now officially the sister-in-law. I always felt a bit sorry for the girl Casey married, knowing that his three older sisters would be quite overprotective and hard to win over. But then I met Kim, and I instantly loved her. They headed off to Mexico to recuperate. In the meantime, Jason and I are trying to fit two weeks of work and sleep into three days before heading out again on Friday to quote sonnets at Dawn's wedding. And here I thought everyone was already married!

Bye Bye.

The Wave

Missy and Krystal, Nats
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

Actually, we did not get The Wave effectively off the ground. And actually, we did not try to start the wave--some people on the lower level did, but then the Nats hit a spectacular home run and The Wave sort of fizzled into applause and cheers and a neat little fireworks show. That was the eighth inning, so it was the last effort.

Krystal came out a couple weekends ago to relive our old glory days in DC. Only this time we had a car. And air conditioning. And, well, did not live in DC. It was deeelightful. I like it so much when Krystal comes back. It makes my heart smile.

We hit RFK stadium on Sunday for a Nats game--a first for Jason and me (so embarrassing). Baseball is fun because you can watch if you want or you can talk and lose interest when you feel like it. Dawn, are you totally offended?

A Different Kind of Graduation

IMGP5159
Originally uploaded by jmsmall2005.

Uncle Don put it best--Grandma Johnson graduated. And today she is laughing in heaven instead of hooked up to tubes and trapped in wheelchairs down here.

I'm a little delayed in blogging this entry, so I beg your patience with me. We were certainly not expecting the call from Mom and Dad when we got it June 11, and in the hours following it was a flurry of travel plans, leave of absence prep, and, of course, emotion. Most of you know how deeply I adore my Grams, and her sudden departure left a vacuum in me that was hard to express in words for a while. But then we got to go to Idaho and laugh big laughs and cry hard tears with the people who also loved her. I cannot express how cleansing it was to cry with my parents, my sisters, my grandpa. To look at old pictures and remember. To laugh--hard--at our millions of memories. The things that I would tell my Grams if she were still here are that she made way better BLT sandwiches than I can get at the cafeteria at my work, that I want to know what is in the Russian tea she made for me because my box of it is all crusty now, and that I need to know the best way to make shadow boxes, could she help me? All that to say that I was so lucky to be able to tell her how much I love her over and over. Not a bad way to end things, I guess.

Mom and I, between bouts of tears, talked about how easy it is to be sad because she was so wonderful and we miss her so, but also about how easy it is to smile through our tears because she was so wonderful and we have just the best memories. Even now I am laughing to myself over a picture I found tonight of Grams opening this random Christmas gift from Gramps--old scissors, scotch tape, staples--that we have yet to figure out and laughing until she almost turned inside out. There is also a picture of Casey, Jenny, and me laughing that is even more telling. No one could laugh like my Grams.

As we continue through this grieving/celebrating process, I am reminded how incredible God is that He can and does redeem us. That He desires to wash us clean and clothe us in holiness so that when we lose our breath in this world we can catch it in eternity with Him. I love that even though Grams, stuck in ICU, didn't get to say goodbye to Aunt RaVae, got to say hello to her forever two weeks ago. That seems like a lot to celebrate to me.

Taking a Turn for the Worse

Any suggestions or tips on how to save a strawberry plant that turned brown and died literally overnight would be greatly appreciated.

Have a Magical Day

That is what they tell you at Disney World, and I love it! Last week the girls (Mom, Shaanti, Jenny, Auntie Fay, and cousins Katie and Kristine) and I jetted down to Florida to partake of all things Disney. We had a wonderful, wonderful time--even though we were faced with the tragic fact that the Pirates of the Carribbean (best ride ever) was closed all week. Still, we Splashed down Mountains, traveled the Small World, and crashed down the Tower of Terror. Fantasmik.

It really is so delightful to be surrounded in twinkle lights and castles, Disney songs playing softly in the background all day every day. I wish the whole world were more like Disney World. Can we go back soon?

Attached are pics of the crew (and a stranger who didn't bother to look where he was walking) at the entrance to the Magic Kingdom, the cousins with Sleeping Beauty's Castle, and me with a character from my favorite Disney movie--Robin Hood, of course!