Sunday, March 30, 2008

Atop the Empire State Building

I think I'm really kinda getting ahead of myself in my desire for Spring to arrive. Leaving for lunch today, I put on my blue "FRANCE" t-shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and my favorite pair of flip-flops. Ten minutes later, with my lips looking like my t-shirt and my feet looking like stumps of ice, I decided that Mother Nature didn't care what I was ready for; the weather was gonna get warm when it damn-well-pleased - and if I wanted said luxury of warmth I could, as my mother would say, "stop walking around like a cowboy."

Stopped.

On a different note, the season of weddings (both this summer and in these, my 20s) is starting: Derek Slagle is engaged, which was decided atop the Empire State building. I think it's pretty clever to have your girlfriend at such a height when you pop the question. "No pressure."

For them, and wishes for their permanent joy, I post the following, which is one of my very favorite love poems:

"You loved me first: but afterwards your love" by Christina Rossetti

"I lov'd you first: but afterwards your love
Outsoaring mine, sang such a loftier song
As drown'd the friendly cooings of my dove.
Which owes the other most? my love was long,
And yours one moment seem'd to wax more strong;
I lov'd and guess'd at you, you construed me--
And lov'd me for what might or might not be
Nay, weights and measures do us both a wrong.
For verily love knows not "mine" or "thine;"
With separate "I" and "thou" free love has done,
For one is both and both are one in love:
Rich love knows nought of "thine that is not mine;"
Both have the strength and both the length thereof,
Both of us, of the love which makes us one. "


Congratulations, guys!

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Otra Vez

I'm not sure anyone's reading this blog anymore - and I can't say I blame you. Although the idea of returning to it has come in and out of my mind lots of times, I didn't decide to add another post until about this very moment.

This past week I spent mostly traveling in between cities in Spain, and my travels took me to Madrid (where I saw La Guernica by Picasso - and it's one of the paintings I've seen that is better than I heard it would be), Toledo - which we toured so quickly, most of the conversations went like this:

"What does the book say this is?"
"A must-see monument"
"Wow - it is gorgeous, no?"
"Actually, it's the one behind you"
"Oh. Wow - it is gorgeous, no?"

Not so long later, we were on our way to Cordoba where we spent a night laughing more than I've laughed since I've been in Spain trading stories about the crazy things that have happened to us this year.

The next two days were full of warm sun and even better food in Sevilla, eating with Matt's coworkers and friends at little tapas bars near the city-center, sharing foods like eggplant in a tomato curry, chicken with bechamel sauce, and chicken in a sweet-raisin and almond sauce with french fries.

Back here in Burgos, I'm thinking right now about how thankful I am to have so many good people in my life. It's seems like everyone I've met here has a treasure of information about how to live life well.