Friends

Every now and then, a friend comes along that makes you think, “How did I ever make it this far in life without this person?” For me, that person presented herself a few years back in a 5’2” curlicued package. I do not know what I would do without Greta. She is as good a…

I’m no poet. In the past, I have fretted over the fact that I am not a poet. How can someone who loves words and beauty and communication and emotions so much not have a poetic soul – a deep spring of sparkling and devastating words, words that cause others to pause and reflect and…

When I graduated from college, I had a party. I didn’t really expect it, but people brought me presents. Let this be a lesson to all of you slackers out there: don’t quit, because in the end, YOU TOO could be the recipient of a ceramic candle holder in the shape of a flip-flop. Actually,…

Dear Grant (“the man that I live with”), You have stored up major treasures in heaven. We did not know each other – you were the friend-of-a-friend – and yet you graciously opened your doors to me. You helped me carry my huge purple suitcases, and big boxes of dishes and books, and all of…

There’s this woman named Sara Groves. She used to be a teacher in Minnesota, but now she tours as a singer/songwriter. She is one of my very favorite musicians; she has a conversational style of writing that cuts straight to the heart of the matter. Even when she introduces her songs before playing them, she…

When I was in 6th grade, I took an after-school dance class. On the first day of class, I met a girl named Laura. She was homeschooled, which was weird and AWESOME, because who gets to stay home from school all day? She was blonde and bubbly and totally at ease with herself, which, come…

Yesterday morning, I got a phone call from a girl saying that she worked down the street at Bongo Java. “We have a surprise here waiting for you – come in anytime this morning and it will be waiting for you.” A SURPRISE?? I never get surprises! I walked down to the coffee shop, and…

This weekend in Seattle has been one of revelations for me. First of all, I realized that this was the first time in 4 months that I’ve had any idea where in the hell I am. I have spent months glued to MapQuest for directions from point A to point B to point C, back…

There’s this fantastic thing that happens whenever I fly into Seattle at night. The approach is always from the southeast, and I start watching for the city about 25 minutes before landing, as soon as the captain announces “our initial descent.” Pretty soon, the orange lights begin to twinkle in the distance. We fly over…

I have scarcely lived here for 3 weeks, and I have already won something. I never win anything! But through a local tapas restaurant, I won two tickets to the opera. My new friend Erika came with me, and we saw Gilbert & Sullivan’s “H.M.S. Pinafore,” which was incredibly silly and enjoyable, as it was…