This Is Friendship

Not too long ago, I emailed my friend Karen and said:

I have to be in DC for a few days in June--want to join me?

Since our friendship is defined largely by phone tag,
we had been longing for some time.

This I knew, but still I did not expect:
Her answer to my query was--yes!


So, Saturday, I packed my suitcase and drove myself down to our nation's capital.  I parked my car in an underground lot, checked into my room, and spent the next few hours hearing smart people talk about smart things while Karen boarded a short little plane ride.

Not long after, we were together, in a cab, headed to Georgetown.

We stuck our noses into Clyde's, who offered us some glorified pub fare and a (rather heavy) pewter vat of "filtered water",

and stuck around in order to offer each other some smiles, some giggles, some details of life that phone tag doesn't allow for.

We left Clyde's and embarked on a walk around town, including a lovely bit of stroll along the Potomac, and some irresistibly and unusually flavored Argentinian gelato.

We found a precious little market tucked away in a side street, picked up a bottle of wine, and took it home to lounge with us in the comfort of our hotel.

The next morning I headed back to my conference so that I could say a few smart things, and then the real fun began.

First stop Chinatown, 

for some yummy Chinese snacks.

Pancakes, dumplings, pork buns,

yum.

Lack-of-lunch pangs satisfied,

 we made our way around the block to take in the National Portrait Gallery.

We wandered in the hum of the paintings on the walls and of our own thoughts, and met up in the Courtyard for some rejuvenating caffeine

 and some 

(hot!)

silliness...

When we were finished amusing ourselves, 

we departed on a self-imposed (and very long) walking tour of DC that included

the National Gallery Sculpture Garden,

the Mall and its Monument,

the men atop the White House 

(aiming either binoculars or rifles at the on-lookers, 

I'm not sure which),

and a few moments of 'where are we?'

until we arrived at our chosen destination:

A luxuriously drawn-out dinner of more than one course at Bistro la Bonne--restoring our souls with Lillet Blanc, assorted cheeses, french onion soup, and mussels drenched in wine and garlic--

and more talking, more laughing, and the making of friends with our waiter from Spain and Jose the busboy.

After what was simply the loveliest of times, we boarded the metro and headed home (through the underground city that appears to be most of Arlington...) where I fell into slumber sweet and profound. (There is nothing--if you ask me--like the luxury of a pantheon of hotel pillows....)

This morning we breakfasted in the lobby, waiting sadly for my very dear friend to be shuttled back to the airport.

The rest of my day was spent dwelling on the ways that children make music, trying not to dwell on the fact that I prefer the real Karen to the inevitable phone tag that will now ensue.  

Tonight my room service burger and I will enjoy the quiet of a night away, doing the work that my life distracts me from on a regular basis.  Tomorrow will involve more conferencing, and then I will drive home in time to pack up the rest of my belongings and wait for my big moving day.  

Life is moving fast, and how did I get such a charmed one?

The living of (a packed) life

Every once in awhile, Amy and I will call each other up and have a conversation that goes like this:

I: "Hey!"
II: "Hey!"
I: "want to run some errands with me?"
II: "Yes!"
I: "ok!"
II: "great!"
etc.

It's called: living life together, and making the most of our time.

One of our favorite places to errand to?

Ollies.  Where we can wander through all the extraneous items we don't need, and find some things we do--for cheap.


[For better or for worse, it is a defining factor of our friendship that we both find joy in finding needed things on the cheap...]

This past week included one of these errand-running days, but it also included an extra layer of living life:

First and foremost: A pit stop at Dairy Queen.

But, most important?

Packing.


If you haven't already heard, here's the official announcement:

In less than two short weeks I will load up my car with box after box and move myself across town, for a brand new living adventure.

So, since those two weeks are closing in, I am happy to say that--with the expertise and aid of dear Amy--the packing is under way.

Stay tuned for an ode to this apartment that I love:
Though the adventure is a good one, this place will be missed.

The Song Sings

 I think the poet William Carlos Williams would have fit very nicely into my little circle of friends, based on his penning of this small line of elegant wordage:

"In summer, the song sings itself."

We are elegant people after all,

and on Tuesday we dwelt in the beauty of a summer's eve, gathering spontaneously for a supper made of grilled turkey burgers and fruit salad.
The perfect summer evening supper, when accompanied by

comfortable conversation and a bit of summer ale.

It had been a long day, after all, what with the moving of all of Emily and Aden's belongings into a nearby storage unit in preparation for the sale of their house and the eventual buying of another.

We were tired.  We were glad for the ease of each other.  We were loving the simplicity of a spontaneous and summery supper.

So, as Amy and Aden relaxed,

Emily and I prepared the food.

Elegantly, of course:

What is it about a summer evening, a fruit salad, and an avocado that makes us just a little giddy?

I think it's really just the company,

singing its' song.

The star of every show from here on out

Just take a moment to look at this precious itty-bitty bundle...

...and you will understand why we Kooistras have been ruined for any familial moment that does not involve her presence.

Since I was in the NYC area, how could I not spend some time cuddling her,

singing to her,

enjoying her?

Of course,

I enjoyed the other members of my family as well,

and appreciated the time to spend in their presence,

but nobody can deny:

she's the one we want.

So what does she think about all this fuss?

That itty-bitty face says all we need to know.

Nuptials!

This would be how I found our bride this past Saturday, when I wandered into the Harvard Club in NYC as an elite member of Yu-Chen's wedding party.

I smiled and thought about how lovely her skin would look on her wedding day.

Little did I know:

Mine was in for the same treat.

Our preparations paid off, and by the time we got to the church 

each and every one of us looked as radiant as the roses we carried,

and as elegant as could be in our delicately flowing lavender dresses.

Yu-Chen and Eric said their I do's during a simple and beautiful ceremony,

and I was personally grateful for the lack of tripping down the aisle--a phenomenon I was almost positive would happen in my rather high 

(but oh so pretty) heels.

We left the church as the drizzling rain wished the couple good luck and the gathered crowd wished them good wishes,

climbed into our limos,

and made our way to Central Park for a brief photo session (umbrella included)

and a soiree at a nearby hot dog stand for the famished bride and groom.

After some fun pictures upon our return to the book-lined halls of the Harvard Club,

it was time to party

(under the auspices of this giant elephant head and his wild-creature friends...),

and so I made my way through the tables laden with delicious food and delectable drink on my rather high (but oh so pretty) heels  in order to find my department friends,

to share in the celebration together.

After some good eating/talking/laughing,

we entered the dining room for more food,

more fun,

more laughter,

more love.

Congratulations to Yu-Chen and Eric--
thanks for a special and beautiful day!