Spring Happenings

Dear Mom,

Let's see, what do we need to catch up on since Easter?

I went through some of your papers from the classes you would take when you renewed your teaching certificate. I almost sent this one to Neil...maybe he could use it for his book!

 

But the real gem was this nugget from a letter you wrote to Aunt Connie in the same year, 1979. It was an exercise for your writing class, and I can't figure out whether you actually sent it, but I know this was one of your favorite stories ever:

"P.S. I've got to tell you this one that one of the ballet girls said during carpool the other day. They were all in the back of the station wagon talking, and I heard one of them say something about a penis. Apparently her mother uses all of the biological terms instead of those nice little names. Anyway...she also said we have a vagina. One of the other girls perks up and said, "Well, so what, we go to Robert F. Munroe kindergarten, and you don't. And anyway, we have a math book there." I thought I would bust a gut. Do you think I should send that one to Reader's Digest?"

That one got a lot of "likes" on Facebook, but not as many as this photo, which I posted before I flew down to LA's house for Easter:

Oh, and while we are going retro, here's another shot I pulled up from the files. Easter 1998 at Duke Chapel.

Barb said it gave her flashbacks to Easter of '96, when she forgot about the time change and walked up to the chapel as everyone was leaving! (I actually skipped that year, as I had play practice in the afternoon and needed my beauty sleep.)

Speaking of flashbacks to college, Travis and I had a fun Saturday night. Our friends Jesse and Alison were in the city; they've moved from Atlanta to Connecticut with their three cute kids. Jesse is a pediatric ER physician, and Alison practices general pediatric medicine.

They are celebrating their 11th anniversary this spring...and their 20th year together this fall, since they started dating just a couple of weeks after we arrived at Duke in 1994.

It was great fun to catch up with them, and we are hoping to have a bigger reunion at their house in July.

We met up at Gotham West, which is a new market near my apartment...bringing a bit of Brooklyn's artisinal everything style to Hell's Kitchen. I called it a hipster food court. I will definitely go back! We ate at a place called Cannibal, where we had the world's tastiest sweet potatoes, bone marrow with mushrooms and eggs, a bacon sampler, and some terrific ribs.

After that, Travis and I went to the Pet Shop Boys concert. We were late, and it was standing room only, so we didn't get the greatest view, but the music was still a lot of fun. Travis cracked us up pointing out he was an East End Boy with a West End Girl.

Oh, goodness, now I can't get it out of my head...
If...then...why...what...how much have you got? Have you got it together? If so, how often? Which do you choose, the hard or soft option? 

They had a couple other big 80s hits, and they played some new stuff. It was a rainy night, and it poured on my way to dinner. When I woke up on Sunday morning, I looked at the heels I'd been wearing and thought, "What the heck?!"

I tried to clean them, but I'm pretty sure they are just ruined. All I can figure is maybe my dark jeans bled on them?

Sunday morning, Kathleen got a couple of us together for 11 o'clock service at St. Bart's and brunch at The Smith. I'd been encouraging her to give St. Bart's a try, since the rector, Buddy Stallings, is from Mississippi, which is where Kat's mom grew up. We loved his message, and there were a couple of fun "signs" that we were in the right place, so I think she may have found her new church home!

Lynn Bunch had recommended St. Bart's to me when I first moved here, and I've gone there a couple of times, but Midtown East just isn't where I want to be on Sunday morning, since I'm there every weekday. I enjoyed volunteering at their homeless shelter and need to get back into that this fall. Plus, I can show up in jeans and dirty hair at my church downtown.

Anyway, the service was just perfect, and we chatted up Buddy at the door. He and his first wife, Joann Stallings, lived in Tallahassee for a while, and he says she taught at some small private school...he thinks it was in Quincy. I don't recognize her name...and she might have taught at Gadsden Christian. Maybe someone will read this and solve the mystery!

The weather was really nice for a couple of days. I took this photo when I jogged around the reservoir on Saturday. But it's been cool and rainy, and just kinda gross for most of this week. I'm heading to Milwaukee on Friday to see Meghan's new house and to catch up with Hilary and Scotty.

Oh -- speaking of new houses -- look who Blaine just closed with! Kathlyn and Raffa...Miss Karen came up to help them look. I thought how much you would have loved this as soon as I saw it.

He also made a big announcement last week...he has switched firms and is now with Sotheby's in Atlanta. So, y'all readers give our Blaine some business now, ya' hear? 

Seriously, he really is the bomb...and he needs to earn some beer money for his Hamptons trip! 

I wrote all this up last week, but I never finished it, so Auntie D just called to make sure I was okay. I am indeed, but I dearly miss you. Cookie Girl "say hey" too. 

Saudade,

Lynsley