Swing

To celebrate I went for a walk in the park and called my grandparents (rather than wait for them to call at a less opportune time). Ended up sitting in a swing.

It'd been criminally long since my feet kissed the sky and my head reached for the ground. (Please ignore the dipping I've done at dances.)

~~~

The Swing

By Robert Louis Stevenson

How do you like to go up in a swing,

Up in the air so blue?

Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing

Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,

Till I can see so wide,

Rivers and trees and cattle and all

Over the countryside—

Till I look down on the garden green,

Down on the roof so brown—

Up in the air I go flying again,

Up in the air and down!

~~~

When we moved before tenth grade I was devastated. I'd settled into ninth grade. I had my friends. I had good courses. And, even though the rest of my family was miserable, I'd been happy.

But at the new house, the church playground was practically in our backyard. The first night there, I went out to the swingset. Back and forth. Imagining my new life. Until the rainbow appeared on one side of the sky and the clouds were dipped in gold on the other side.

~~~

Walking back from church sophomore year of college, we would stop by the playground across from my house. I don't think I've seen the pictures my friend took then. But whether kicking the leaves, leaving traces in the snow, or weaving through flowers, I felt as comfortable with his camera then as I ever have. Less self-conscious. More self.

~~~

First year teaching, the swingset was a longer trek. We'd stop by on our way to wander on the woodland path near the town with the decent sized grocery store. The swings were part of our meditation. Remembering the schools we attended. Connecting them to where we taught. Wondering about the chasm between.

~~~

As I watched my feet today, I flash through other swings they've been on. Give them up to the sky. Throw my head as long as I am able. Feel the world rush by.

Weekend Snapshots

The boyfriend I just met asked how I know his girlfriend. "We met on Twitter." Nope, didn't really know each other before that. Just it's a small group we interact with, so we eventually found each other.

~~~

Sitting in the bar listening to bands play. Chatting with friends and people watching in aticipation. Knowing that once the music changed ever so slightly my crew would descend upon the dance floor. The other people wouldn't know what happened.

~~~

Blueberry picking. And nibbling. And BLUEBERRIES.

~~~

Driving home and playing which is sketchier: the strip club billboards or the fireworks billboards. Strip clubs almost always have exit numbers. The fireworks didn't. And they had fine print that I couldn't see while driving.

~~~

Trying on heels that make me tall.

Not buying them.

~~~

Watching more Being Erica than is probably good for me.

~~~

Random assortment of friends for the Fourth. Spending the most one-on-one time with the one person I hadn't met before.

~~~

New grill working! Deliciousness. Hamburgers. And tofu. And so many sausages. And veggieburgers. And portabellos. And red peppers.

And this salad.

And mint lemonade. And sweet tea. And Arnold Palmer.

~~~

Never actually grilling the ribs.

~~~

Sunset walk by the beach with two of my girlfriends while others tossed the Frisbee.

~~~

Heading to the beach to see fireworks. South. North. And the illegal immediately local.

~~~

Checking out a new dance venue. Staying from the first song through the last.

How did we become friends

I still love the "How did we become friends?" conversation starter. (Not as a pick-up line. But as a legitimate, "We're friends now. We weren't a year ago. How did that happen?")

J and I were talking today. We're not quite sure how it actually happened. But my favorite line "I knew on the first day of class that I wanted to be friends with you."

"ME TOO!" I squealed.

~~~

Not all of my friends are like that. One of my best friends now is someone who I knew for years before we were more than acquaintances. Sometimes it takes a while.

~~~

And sometimes friendship just happens. Today, I celebrate the easy friends. The ones that are reminiscent of preschool best friends.

"Hey, didn't we click right away? Weren't we meant to know each other? How are we friends? For real? How could we not be friends?"

Cutie Pies

Other teaching roommate was requesting cheesy love songs for a play list. I sent her a playlist. But then started on the videos of songs I don't have.



"Crayola doesn't make a color to draw my love."
Plus, I love patty-cake.



Cute-ness in this video. And they lindy. And adorable couples. Thank you mm for sending it to me. Now I can't listen to the song without wanting to watch the video. (Which is okay, because I don't really hear The Weepies that much otherwise.)



Felt like I needed a third song. And it's a party of a video. Seems like a good way to end the night.