Gold Cup

"The profession of book writing makes horse racing seem like a solid, stable business."
— John Steinbeck

 On Saturday before the reception, 

family and out-of-town guests went to the 86th Virginia Gold Cup Races.

We had a tent that held 100 guests which was filled with delicious food (oh, the brownies)  

and front row seats lining the race course.

However, people watching proved to be even more entertaining than the horses.

So many hats and crazy outfits.

 And Rob was officially inducted into the group of my crazy cousins...

(we missed you Kinsey and Debbie and all of the cute kiddos -

minus sweet Cord who was the lone representative)

(thanks to Blakely for sending me pictures 2 & 4)

once in the land of Dickens....

The stones of which the strongest London buildings are made, 

are not more real, or more impossible to displace with your hands, 

than your presence and influence have been to me, 

there and everywhere, and will be. 

Estella, to the last hour of my life, 

you cannot choose but remain part of my character, 

part of the little good in me, part of the evil."

— Charles Dickens, Great Expectations   

In the Summer of 2006, I lived in London. 

Studying British literature, but mostly traveling and enjoying every moment

sans computer and/or cell phone.

I miss the days of long train rides to unfamiliar countries and history-rich cities...

green scenery and gray buildings flashing by the window -

I felt completely removed from everything I had known - 

experiencing life anew. 

Mostly, I fell in love with England.

All of this royal wedding coverage in London 

has me longing to go back.

Move there maybe?

photo found here.

May Merriment!

"The night you gave me my birthday party...
you were a young Lieutenant and I was a fragrant phantom,
wasn't I? And it was a radiant night, a night of soft conspiracy
and the trees agreed that it was all going to be for the best."
— Zelda Fitzgerald

 I am really excited about our celebration in May.

Our wedding was perfect, unique and very much just about us...that was the focus and the whole point of it. 

It wasnt clouded over with expectations or some grand carried-away plan. 

It was completely us...so sacred and dear to me.

[that story - the preparations and details - soon to come]

Our May celebration is setting up to be just as unique and lovely...except the focus

this time is on family and friends and an opportunity for us to celebrate our union with them. 

I can't wait to see the dance floor set up in this very field.

Husband and I drove out to the country on Saturday to finish prepping the invitations with my parents. 

We decided to design and do them ourselves  -

I have never stamped so much in my life and I am actually quite proud of our hard work.

They are in the mail today! 

our story

"You had to be willing to fight in order 

for a love story to last a life time."
— Cristina Marrero (The River: The Unsung Love Story) 

 Sometime, I will share our story on this blog. 

I relive it often. It was hard fought and full of so many wonderful memories.

I woke up this morning, after finally sleeping soundly (thank you, Luz!),

feeling so lucky to be married to such an amazing man.

After dinner last night at Ted's Bulletin on the Hill (sooo good!),
we went on a family walk with Luz around our neighborhood.

I wish I could spend whole days just exploring and talking with husband -

about our days, the houses we like and the future ahead...

with little Luz running alongside all the while making us laugh at her clumsy joy.

Today, I am lost in happy memories...and wishing it was Friday.

Photography by Carin Davis

the now-and-always of it

"She walked on, comforted by the surf, 

by the one perpetual moment of beach-time, 

the now-and-always of it."
— William Gibson

 Husband and I are headed to Cabo San Lucas in a week

And I can hardly wait to be back in Mexico with Mr.D.

The colors, the smells and the sounds -

the way time slows to an intentional yet carefree crawl...

 

do you remember.

"Even now, all possible feelings do not yet exist,
there are still those that lie beyond our capacity and our imagination.
From time to time, when a piece of music no one has ever written or a painting no one has ever painted,
or something else impossible to predict, fathom or yet describe
takes place, a new feeling enters the world.
And then, for the millionth time in the history of feeling,
the heart surges and absorbs the impact."

— Nicole Krauss (The History of Love)

I woke up this morning feeling things that yesterday were only slivers of shadows

I wish I could remember the first time the ocean swallowed my feet

and this is what I thought when I first arose 

and felt the scorching hot water pound on my back in the shower

this morning I was running, but not away from anything 

instead toward

and it felt good and comforting, excitement swelling

and its still there as I sit with tons of stuff to get done

a steady list to check off 

but its all attainable, things I know I can accomplish 

and so I feel as though Im soaring 

like the first time you ran along the edge of the water

pushing your toes against the sand trying to lift off before you sink from your own weight

chasing a seagull you know you will never catch

running as fast as you can with arms outstretched 

and to you its not disappointing when you come to a stop

your feet still planted firmly on the ground -

sinking with the rushing sand -

because you were flying all along.

I remember that run as if it happened a single time, 

a single particular moment in my life that Ive been reliving

but now I cant remember if it ever actually happened at all.

photography by Annette Pehrsson

gifts.

"Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own."
— Robert A. Heinlein (Stranger in a Strange Land) 

 Last night, I received one of the most wonderful gifts

Mr. D turned the "other blog" into a book - bound and everything...all 365 pages of it!

Yesterday was actually full of gifts:

the weather could not have been more beautiful

we both got off work a little early and met at Estadio (a new sushi style spanish restaurant downtown)

a wonderful and honest conversation, that turned to tears and then laughter

(yes, for those who may be wondering...the tears are recorded)

bought the new iPod nano 

new red lipstick for me and a brown corduroy blazer for him

and to top it all off, Mr. D received amazing accolades from paypal for a commercial he filmed and directed

 And later, when my heart started beating irregularly, I was once again reminded 

that I have so much to be thankful for, a unique and perfect gift

a celebration of life indeed.

For once I am actually sad that the week has come to an end.

photo one found here from inhabit, photo two once again by the amazing annette pehrsson.

sunday car rides.

Do you remember

laying across the backseat of the car

shadows dancing across your body as you look up

outside the window, tops of trees flashing by

a blur of moss green 

and bursts of sunlight, warm against your skin

trickle in between the leaves

the rhythm of the car rocking you to sleep

photo by the amazing annette pehrsson

horse country.

"...there are two types of people in the world: those who prefer to be sad among others, and those who prefer to be sad alone." — Nicole Krauss (The History of Love) 

Once I lived adjacent to three horses. We were silent neighbors for a year. But one cold winter morning, I awoke to a brown-eyed stare. His soft nose pressed against my bedroom window, a circle of fog expanding and diminishing with each heavy, but relaxed breath. His brown mane and the strong lines of his chestnut body - a stark and comforting contrast against the snow covered mountain beyond.

A wonderful and happy memory from a very bad year.

photo found here.

summer solstice

"You never know when you're making a memory"

-Rickie Lee Jones-

While some of the best memories are unplanned

there are often times that in the midst of a moment

I know it wont go forgotten.

 

Friday night was crystal clear, hot but not humid

on our way home from Oyamel 

we slowed to a stop somewhere between Constitution

and the National Botanical Gardens

where on the steps of the Capitol 

the Army Band played, the sound making its way 

down the hill past statues of gallant horses and leading men

rounding the Washington Monument and dancing along

the reflecting pool. Somehow this summer weekly free 

concert went thankfully under the tourist radar

and the normally crowded mall was perfectly 

scarce of screaming 8th graders and 

hoards of people with matching neon t-shirts. 

I am so thankful to live where I do, 

in the country I do,

with the people I do. 

flying whales

"We do not remember days, we remember moments.

The richness of life lies in memories we have

forgotten." - Cesar Pavese

 Some moments, however will never be forgotten.

Happy Weekend!!!

I think I can remember this exact day. I can feel the wet grass between my toes. The power of the water stinging my skin and the accompanying mist coating my arms and face. My hair stuck to the back of my neck and the sides of my face. I can hear the sound of the water rushing out of the sprinkler and screams of sheer excitement and laughter filling the air. But sometimes memories are just personified and intensified in old photographs making a whole string of memories merge together and come alive in the single second frozen in front of you. All the more reason to take pictures. I am looking forward to capturing the first signs of spring this weekend in DC. 

Hope your weekend is full of frozen seconds.