Celebrating Grace

Baby Grace turns 21 today!

I am thankful for this little marmoset. Creator of all good things: absurdist pop art (of which we are the proud owners of three works, featuring Tracy Morgan, a bearded infant, and David Bowie riding a seahorse), photojournalism, documentaries, yoga classes, poetry, blogs, and perfectly composed outfits.

It is so good to have you in my life, sister. Hope your birthday is filled with stardust of the Ziggy persuasion, tiger kisses, yoga poses, and a smörgåsbord of elitist foodstuffs.

Would that I could spend every day with you! Then my life would be complete.

First party success

(No photos, because hostesses don’t have time for such things.)

Last night, we hosted our first party at our new house. As Cate said, “You haven’t really moved in until you’ve thrown a party.” And so now we’re official. We gathered in the backyard to celebrate Guion’s birthday AND his amazing cobbler-making skills. I announce it freely: My husband is a way better cook than I am. It’s taken me two years to admit it, but there it is. Pyrrha did amazingly well with the whole party, considering we had 20 new people swarming her yard. By the end of the night, she claimed the picnic blanket as her throne and watched us, mere minions, flit about her.

Caleb is with us this weekend, having made his annual summer sojourn to Charlottesville. He is helpful and funny and speaks Guion’s language in a way that few other people do.

I am reading this oft-mentioned article right now and have been pondering its many ramifications; poor Caleb got an earful when he was helping me with the dishes. I need some lady-friends to talk to about this. I need those long, rambling nights with Rose, Cristina, Emily, Kathryn, Catherine…

This past week, in four photos

Guion’s final poetry reading.

On Wednesday night, Guion–who is extremely sexy–gave his final poetry reading at UVA. It is hard to believe that we’ve been here two years and that he’s already finished his coursework for his MFA. He did a wonderful job, as always, and we had a beautiful evening in the gardens celebrating these five great poets:

The graduating poetry MFAs: Melissa, Guion, Marielle, Juliana, and Austin.

I am so very proud of him!

With my accomplished husband.

Saturday afternoon, we celebrated Leah’s 1st birthday at the park! Watching a baby have her first taste of chocolate is a glorious, intense experience.

The Montgomery family at Leah’s 1st birthday party.

More photos from the MFA readings and Leah’s birthday on my Flickr.

This is our last full week in our beloved Belmontonia, so I will be thoroughly consumed by the task of packing and preparing to move. My posting here will be a little more sparse than usual. But I still love you. If you’re looking for something sweet to read, you should check out Granddad’s memories of his mother’s German shepherd. OK. Talk to you again soon.

An even fuller week

Thursday night: Tiny Nettles concert in honor of Lulu and her birthday.

Friday night: The sisters arrived! (Plus Eva and Alex, not featured here.)

Saturday morning: Post-race malaise.

Saturday night: Dinner at Monsoon with the fam. Brothers Pratt here.

This past week I:

• Attended a surprise birthday show for Lulu, in which Tiny Nettles played; ate the best (and longest? Most intestinal?) baked ziti ever, by Greg.
• Turned 24; received tulips, chocolate, and a beautiful leather leash (for the dog, not me) from my dear husband.
• Welcomed my sisters, Alex, and Eva for the weekend.
• Ran the Charlottesville 10-miler, didn’t die.
• Ate a celebratory dinner at Monsoon with family and friends.
• Enjoyed the company of many friends at The Local for drinks; felt so very blessed by each one of them.
• Went to the Gordon Avenue book sale, the best bi-annual book sale ever.
• Met a new calligraphy client to start on another job.
• Observed Palm Sunday; was reminded of that feeling during the Passion reading, “Wait, why do I have to be the crowd? I don’t want this part; it’s the bad guy’s part… Oh, wait. Right.”
• Watched Guion finish his master’s thesis, provided some opinions on last lines and em dashes; felt so proud of him.
• Felt very happy.

Love you all very much. There’s a complete set of the weekend’s photos on my Flickr and Grace also published a very nice weekend re-cap, if you’re hankering for more.

20 reasons why Grace rules

Happy birthday, Grace!

Baby Grace turns 20 today! I barely believe it. It seems like just yesterday Kelsey and I were tormenting her by playing “mean dogs” and not letting her come to sleepovers with us. But look at what that mild childhood trauma has done to her! She is the most accomplished 20-year-old I know. Here are 20 reasons why she rocks:

1. She loves people well.
2. She has the most infectious laugh of anyone I know; if she starts that rollicking laughter, you are compelled to start laughing, too, even if you have no idea what she’s laughing about.
3. She’s an incredible painter, and we have the absurd paintings to prove it.
4. She writes a kick-ass blog that’s way better than mine and with good reason.
5. She is a gifted photographer, well on her way to dominating UNC’s photojournalism school.
6. She is undeniably fearless. Girl went all over the world by herself! Got interrogated by Chinese government officials in Beijing! Hiked in the Himalayas! Rode an elephant! (See below.)
7. She was the youngest yoga instructor to graduate from a yoga school in Asheville.
8. She’s very funny. And she thinks I’m funny, which is a plus.
9. She’s super-cuddly. She will cuddle with just about anyone.
10. She is tenacious. Grace fights for what she believes and desires!
11. She can find the ugliest garments at Goodwill and transform them into an amazing outfit.
12. She loves dogs, even though she’s allergic to them.
13. She’s always been my buddy for watching black-and-white and/or foreign films.
14. She also can cultivate an appreciation for the patently terrible, including “The Vampire Diaries” and “Gossip Girl.”
15. She has a keen eye for visual detail and color relationships.
16. She is relentlessly stubborn, which may be her simultaneously great gift and great weakness.
17. She is wonderful with kids, whether they’re in small town Davidson or in an Indian orphanage.
18. She is a quietly accomplished reader. She’s read a good portion of the general literary canon, but she doesn’t often brag about that fact. I also think she has excellent taste in literature.
19. She is humble about her spiritual growth.
20. She loves her family–and, boy, do they love her!

This alone should be proof enough that she is cool.

Happy birthday, chicken! Love ya.

Monday Snax

This past week, we celebrated Win’s birthday a day early, by eating super-spicy Chinese food at Peter Chang’s and by clinking glasses of dark craft beer with friends at The Local. It was a classic Charlottesville birthday.

Then, this weekend, we traveled to Greensboro to see Daniel and Lauren get married! They are so wonderful and we were so happy to be there to celebrate with them. Brief photo recap below:

Win’s birthday, a day early, at Peter Chang’s.

Brothers!

Celeste and I make faces.

Daniel and Lauren get married!

More photos from recent life on Flickr.

Snax:

Two supporting arguments/news trivia related to my list of stuff that makes me angry: Why I’m Reconsidering My Diet Soda Addiction (GOOD) and The Interns Are Organizing (Daily Intel).

Your Guide to Literary Tumblrs. A very comprehensive list of the best book-related Tumblrs. (The Millions)

Thank you, brothers! Thoughtful responses by Christian men to John Piper’s unbelievable/offensive pronouncement that Christianity is and should be a masculine religion, that the best churches are ones with a “masculine feel.” (Rachel Held Evans)

Black-and-White Photos Get a Taste of Color. Ever wondered what Anne Frank, Mark Twain, or Abraham Lincoln might look like in color/real life? Here’s an idea. (GOOD)

New Work, Black on White. Oh, to be this talented with a flexible nib! (Alissa Mazzenga)

DIY Valentine’s Wreath. Those who know me know that I am really not into cute DIY projects, but this one looks pretty darn adorable–and easy enough for someone like me to attempt. (Mod Cloth blog)

So tempting right now. Oh, nothing. Just an announcement that these two glorious dogs from a local Aussie breeder are having puppies in late March. Committed to rescue, committed to rescue… (Inkwell Aussies)

Long exposure photographs of fireflies. This is so magical! (Fox Is Black)

Under the eyes of love

The Waves

There can be no doubt, I thought, pushing aside the newspaper, that our mean lives, unsightly as they are, put on splendour and have meaning only under the eyes of love.

– The Waves, Virginia Woolf

Happy 22nd birthday to my dear sister Kelsey, whom I wish I could be with today. Right now, in fact. Just a few more days! I love you and I am proud to call you my sister.

Monday Snax

Today, importantly, is Guion’s 24th birthday! I wish I could have just stayed home to celebrate with him all day long. I love that man very much and I think I love him more every day, as totally absurd and romantic as that sounds. He’s the best. I hope his unsurprising birthday present, Bon Iver’s LP, comes in the mail today… G., love you forever and always. Happy, happy birthday!

On Saturday, we went adventuring in the gorgeous wilderness of White Hall with a band of friends. We bought a wheel of gouda from a Trappist monastery and then went to a forbidden but wonderful swimming hole on the Moormans River.

Sam in the very green Moormans River.

The band of trespassers.

After we’d had our fun and settled down with some gouda and wine, we were discovered by a pair of old and understandably grumpy farmers, who kindly asked us to leave and stop trespassing on their land. We complied. Although we won’t be going back there again and felt bad about clearly violating their “no trespassing” signs, it was definitely worth it.

Snax with Trappist cheese and wine on a rock outcropping:

Catching the Bouquet. Here, Emma gives prime advice on how to catch the bouquet at any of the zillion summer weddings you’ve probably been invited to. Heed her wisdom, friends. She “caught” my bouquet and saved that moment from an otherwise awkward end. She’s a pro. (Take Two)

Finally in English: The World’s Best Type Reference Guide. Oh, want it. (The Atlantic)

Brooklyn Moms Now Need to Get High to Play with their Kids. This is sad and funny. I love the comparison in the last paragraph between a high mother and a toddler. (Daily Intel)

Gay Talese: What I Read. A day in the life of the Internet-free human. How nice! (The Atlantic Wire)

The Mind and Fog. So gorgeous and haunting. As you can probably tell by now, I’m a sucker for foggy field photos. Can you believe this woman lives here? Jealous. (La Porte Rouge)

Sebastien Galtier: Beautiful Friends. A collection of dark and dramatic photographs of modern ballerinas. Love. (The Ballet Bag)

Yann Gross. Fascinating photographs of high-fashion models with unusual animals. (Wolf Eyebrows)

Please Have a Seat. A collection of pretty place cards from calligrapher Barbara Kua. (Barbara Kua Calligraphy)

Stereotyping You By Your Favorite Rapper. I don’t know enough about rap to verify these generalizations, but it’s a funny catalog nonetheless. (Flavorwire)

Good News! I’ve reached the point where Etsy just makes me viscerally angry. This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen. (Regretsy)

Dog and Orangutan BFFs Are Today’s Reason for Living. Um, yes, please. I can never get enough inter-species friends (we’re not kidding, mac!). The dour expression on this hound’s face in all of these photos is priceless. (Best Week Ever)

Birthdays and dogs: Missing Emma

Today, as I turn 23, I am musing on dogs. Of course.

My dog obsession has reached nearly unsustainable levels. Just ask my sweet, patient husband. I talk about dogs all the time. I dream about them. Dogs are the first and last thing on my mind every day. It’s embarrassing and bordering on psychological mania, but I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO. (My boss, a fellow dog enthusiast, and I talked about it and mutually agreed that it would be in our company’s best interests if they blocked PetFinder for both of us.) We can’t have dogs in our current apartment and we’ve committed to living here until May 2012. I may not make it that long, but I am going to undergo a Year of Patience and Character-Building while I wait for my own dog.

I think a lot about our childhood dog, Emma. I picked her out of the litter, around my birthday, and I was responsible for choosing the breed (Australian Shepherd). We loved her a lot, but we also didn’t give her everything she needed. I have regrets. I was young and I didn’t give her enough attention. I also underestimated an Aussie’s need to have a job. I was too busy being 15 and worrying about boys and stuff. Her barking and herding were natural expressions of her breed heritage, but we saw these traits as nuisances and weren’t caring enough to give her appropriate channels for her energy. When we moved to our new house, my parents gave her away to family friends who lived on a farm. Emma, however, was allowed run around unchecked and was soon killed by a truck she was chasing. I wish she were still alive so I could re-adopt her now. In many ways, she was an exceptional dog. Her intelligence was remarkable and I still subjectively believe I haven’t seen a more beautiful dog in my life. She deserved better, and today, I just want her back.

So, please excuse me while I mull over my regrets and tear up at the last remaining pictures I have of her. I know. I have a problem. But look at her face! My sweet, crazy birthday dog.

Emma as a puppy.

Kelsey and Emma at our grandparent's house.

Sam and Emma were primarily family rivals for the position of the youngest child.

Dad was responsible for undoing all of the obedience training I had done with her.

She was really terrible about riding in the car. She started drooling and foaming and we had to give her Dramamine.

She was very happy, though.

Pride Week.

She did love family camping trips.

I always felt like she was one step ahead of me.

I named her Emma after the Austen novel. They were both unbelievably pretty and arrogant.

On squirrel patrol. Miss you, Em.

OK. Done with the self-indulgence. But I do miss her often. Anyone have any tips on how to stave off dog mania? I can’t keep living like this. Just ask Guion.

Monday Snax

First: HAPPY 19th BIRTHDAY, GRACE! You are, by far, the most accomplished and incredible 19-year-old I’ve ever met. I will never be as cool as you. Hope your migrant worker-life in New Zealand is still going well and that you will come back soon. Very soon. I feel like I’ve been living for a year without you already.

“Mmm, that’s what that veggie burger was missing: Some meat.”–Guion at lunch, after putting some bacon on his “garden vegetable” Boca burger. Cue eye-roll sequence.

I had a busy week, kids. Slim pickings with the Snax today. The links generally involve cute animals, though, so there’s that.

Happy Year of the Rabbit from Frances and Angela! The cutest Chinese New Year’s card I’ve ever received. (WXTCHOU)

There Was an NPR Story About That; Let Me Find It. Work it, American Eskimo Dog with the laptop. (Hipster Puppies)

These Corgis Are Really Good at Tetherball. Just because. (Best Week Ever)

Self-Portraits by Ari Gabel. Haunting and so interesting; I feel like there is a story lurking beneath each photograph. (Miss Moss)

Pratt Libraries Ex Libris Collection. Because, well, it’s our name, and because I always loved getting pretty bookplates when I was little, even though they’re fairly impractical things to spend money on. (Wolf Eyebrows)

Famous Authors and Their Animal Counterparts. These pairings are really great. Joan Didion? The perfect nightingale. And John Updike really does look just like that elephant. Any author/animal pairs you’d suggest? I’d like to nominate G.K. Chesterton as a walrus. (Flavorwire)