6.14.2010

Letters worth reading

The 20-something woman who writes this blog put out a call to women older than herself to write letters to their 20-something selves.

The results have been great
(I'm always inspired by Maggie Mason- all of the letters are inspiring and comforting in their own ways.)

What would you say to your 20-something self? I'm in the midst of the last year of my 20s- my late 20s have been far different than my mid-20s, which were different than my early 20s (it's generally an upward trend- better and better). I've been thinking about the question and the letter- perhaps I'll have a share-able answer one day.

November 2001. I'm 20 and on top of the Eiffel Tower. Photo by Patrick.

3.12.2010

List

Things on my mind lately:
  • Household budgeting and sticking to it. We updated our budget and our efforts to be more aware of our finances. Being married and owning a house has changed the way we approach money- we've reassessed our savings goals, spending priorities, planning ahead, and looking at household finances as a whole rather than just who pays which bills.

  • Returning to my running routine and challenging myself to run longer races.

  • Upcoming house projects: Painting the blue room, cleaning up the yard, planning a new patio and gardens.

  • Springtime in Albany. I forgot how lovely it is, but these first few warm days have me remembering tulips and parks and sunny neighborhoods and sidewalk lunches.

2.12.2010

Hearts



Originally uploaded by nicolemperle
I'll get back to this blog one of these days, I really will.

In the meantime, happy Valentine's Day! It's always been one of my favorite holidays. After we moved into the house my parents' brought over (re: giddly dumped) some boxes of my old things, including some journals from elementary school. In first grade I wrote an entry about how Valentine's Day was my favorite holiday "because it's close to my birthday." My reasons for liking it are a slightly less self-centered these days- I like the cheeriness in the bleak winter, the chocolates (dark, please) and cupcakes, making valentines for my friends, the sweet sentiments, and the reminder to stop and appreciate the sweet things.
_________________

“Who knows how to make love stay?

Tell love you are going to the Junior's Deli on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn to pick up a cheesecake, and if love stays, it can have half. It will stay.

Tell love you want a memento of it and obtain a lock of its hair. Burn the hair in a dime-store incense burner with yin/yang symbols on three sides. Face southwest. Talk fast over the burning hair in a convincingly exotic language. Remove the ashes of the burnt hair and use them to paint a mustache on your face. Find love. Tell it you are someone new. It will stay.

Wake love up in the middle of the night. Tell it the world is on fire. Dash to the bedroom window and pee out of it. Casually return to bed and assure love that everything is going to be all right. Fall asleep. Love will be there in the morning.”
- Tom Robbins