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.