Calendar...you deceptive little minx

Our summer flashed by, like a brief lightning storm on a July evening. This bums me out because for years, all those single years, time crawled. Now that we're together and really appreciating the all moments instead of racing around, trying to find Mr./Mrs. Right instead of Right Now, the days evaporate. {Hear it gets worse after you have kids}

So now it's suppose to be fall. And we took a brief drive into the mountains recently to confirm that yes, the aspens are turning gold. But our fall drive betrayed us when the snow blew in... and not just a little snow. It snowed in Colorado Springs too, mostly up north, and when the clouds lifted this morning, the foothills were dusted white. I had to coax our furnace out of summer hibernation. The butternut squash, tucked in the crisper drawer, insisted in becoming a hearty (and super tasty) soup. Paul wore long pants to work.

At work, I'm editing books that release in May 2010, back in the bloom of Rocky Mountain springtime. Last week, I had paperwork due for books that don't release until fall of next year. Our calendar says we still have a week or two before peak leaf-peeping, or farmers' market season ends, and still plenty of time to grill without wearing gloves and a scarf, yet the cold crept under our heavy comforter and woke me up last night. I'm thoroughly confused.

We're loving the moment we're in... but keeping the snowboots handy and an eye on that shifty calendar.

"You can reach me by railway"

When I came home from my most recent travels, Paul had "Get Here" playing on the iTunes. You know the song... the one with this brilliant lyricism:

You can reach me by caravan
Cross the desert like an Arab man
I don't care how you get here
Get here if you can.

And it was certainly the theme song for our summer trips to visit family in Ohio & PA and travel with an author on a booksigning tour. I don't think Oleta Adams covers Amish buggy in the song, but I used that method too. {No pics, of course. You'll just have to take my word for it.}

Here are a few of the characters who make getting there more than worth all that camel spittle.

Cardsharks Grandma and Avery.

Cookie Monster Isaac
Cale, with the big baby blues

Cameron shows how much we love vacationing at Shell Bay...

...and how fun bouncing on the Wildwood Boardwalk is, although Gavin, who was "just" tall enough this year might have loved it more.
But from the look on G's face, bouncing is really good times with lobster in the belly.

Sandi and Grammie Barb absolutely agree.
Evan Gow tells his mom that she makes a fine bounce machine, even without the fancy lights or shellfish.


At the Thurman Cafe, in C-town, O-H-I-O, the legendary burgers are all by dwarfed by the fine fellowship with the excellent Thurman...
and my wonderful host-bro with the most-est, Trent.

Author and road warrior Cindy Woodsmall, plus her big ole poster in Pittsburgh's Joseph-Beth, one of five signings where I tagged along.

Models of Domesticity

My parents like to suggest that the mister and I are all "go go go". I think this is because we both are employed in cities where we load into our cars and drive to work, and sometimes driving to work results in errand-running at lunch or going to gym after work, or stopping for groceries/gas, swinging by the farmers' market so we can have produce. I think this is the difference of living "in town" or "out of town." In both places, you'll drive 10-15 minutes to run an errand, but living in town, it just happens to be on the way home.

So they always seem surprised if the weekend was spent cleaning gutters, planting perennials, weed wacking, baking egg muffins or peach tarts. But my back porch, where we read and eat and lounge in the warm weather, is not going to summer-fy itself and I like the yardwork and gardening...a full-time job with the watering required. Paul seems to like helping, but he may just be talking sweet to get some peach tart.

This weekend, we'll have a picnic for Paul's work that will calls for some homemade dish, a picnic at church for our pastor's retirement, to which I'm bringing a salad, and having some people over on Sunday night to enojy the fruits of our domesticity. But the rest of the time we'll be going to work and coming home, to do projects, or like Buffy, sit and watch the summer roll by.

Summertime

View looking at the apex of our roof. No color enhancement necessary, but soonish, a tree pruner.


Planting projects.


Our sun says good night through our plum trees.


Beachy Paul (Kiaweh Island, SC)

Earthy Shannon - even with the Jersey hair and earrings (Marchese backyard, CO) Yes, we have lawn issues. It is the high desert.


Pretty pot.


Our roses.

Anniversary cupcakes (Thanks, Mom!)

Happiness, year one

We were with some author friends this weekend and one took this picture of us... dubbing it "anniversary picture" because tomorrow we'll finish off our first married year.

I can't predict what's ahead but if any of the rest of them are half as good, it'll be just another confirmation of how blessed we are. Because of work schedule, we are celebrating in an oh-so-appropriate bookend style, with mountain time in Estes Park, CO [pic taken outside of Smokin' Dave's excellent BBQ joint] and ocean time this weekend. We head down to Charleston, SC on Saturday, for a couple of days of beach and friends and seafood.

Since last May 19th, we married, adopted our dog, bought a house, hosted Mom Marchese twice, Thurman and Kim and Jenny and Eric visited, we traveled to Las Vegas, Orlando {SM only}, Baltimore, Atlantic City, Philadelphia, Richmonds in Ohio and Indiana, Columbus, Santa Fe, Alburqurque, the Grand Canyon, San Francisco, Browning, Montana, and around Colorado, we both turned 36, we both experienced the rocking-and-rolling of our companies by the recession. We read a lot of books, watched too much TV, cooked loads of food, most good - some not, expanded our midsections, so we exercised. We cut grass, raked leaves, shoveled snow, hired a plumber, killed ants, walked the dog, did laundry, cleaned house, had the soil tested. We volunteered at the Humane Society, helped a out bit with youth at the church, used a nail gun with Habitat for Humanity, sponsored Lucy through World Vision, we could have done more. We worshipped at Chapel of Our Saviour, partook of the elements, attended Lessons and Carols and Ash Wednesday and Stations of the Cross, chatted during coffee hour, and we are mourning our minister's retirement in July. We missed our family and friends deeply.

And we've fought and cried some, asked for forgiveness and forgiven lots, laughed even more, talked for ages. Hopefully, we have done as the Book of Common Prayer expresses, and made our lives together a sign of Christ's love to this sinful and broken world, that unity may overcome estrangement, forgiveness heal guilt, and joy conquer despair.

If not, then we know we have something planned for this year.

Bradyn and Old Bear

Our Montana niece. She is adorable... and a friend to the animals.

Pointless Post Two

That header picture, by the way, is the view from our house. It's not our house. Just what we see from the kitchen, family room, front porch, office... And there's currently snow on the mountain. :)

Pointless New Post to Get Back into the Habit

The Marchese television viewing habits are a lot like seventh grade crushes.

I like you, I ignore you. Don't sit next to me on the bus to the field trip, okay? Why haven't you written me a note lately...I wrote you five! Yes, it's true... I don't want to "go" with you anymore.

Our schedules are inconsistent and we forget when things are on. They move a show to a different time slot and we're not paying attention. Sometimes we'll catch it online... or not. We'll talk about watching a lot of things, but we watch a little of many different things and not a whole lot, consistently. Not since Battlestar Galactica ended. {Tear... Sob}

But my new crush is on Saving Grace. I flirted with this show when it first came out, but I'm never quite sure if I like Holly Hunter or find her too chihuahua-like, a tiny aggressive thing. But as we have watched a few consecutive episodes of the second season, I'm becoming such a fan of the performances and the faith/you have a purpose themes - even with the kooky angel theology, lack of Jesus, and sometimes lackluster plot wrap-ups. Paul likes it too, but his attachment is more casual. I can't recommend it to others, really, unless I know they won't mind that Grace is a self-destructive, foul-mouthed, mostly-functioning drunk. But there's heart in this crew and the Oklahoma City setting makes you thank God for big belt buckles and cheap beer and die-hard college football fans. A place more like home for the rest of us, sandwiched between coasts.

We watched the Unusuals, a new cop show, last night. Nathan Fillion in Castle is adorable even if the plots are recycled CSI shows. Dollhouse got pretty interesting when I started having busier Fridays, but getting attached to a Joss Whedon show is certain heartbreak. I still love my House but struggle to get home for it's early Monday night slot. And they don't put the shows online for a WEEK. We catch 30 Rock pretty consistently and it makes us laugh until we "liz" a little.

With our new flings... we've let old relationship fade away. No more Grey's Anatomy. The Mentalist was a bust. Ugly Betty let the guest stars ruin it. BSG is completed. I'm Iron Chef-ed out. Project Runway is stuck in legal mud and Top Chef and Leverage are on break.

Grace and Earl and Ham and Reta and Bobby and Butch might break up with me. But the beauty of a seventh grade crush is you'll also have that one slow dance to Against All Odds before you change partners.