only with good friends
can you pair wine and nachos
then add in a dash of spicy chat.
—
‘life is a nacho. it can be yummy-crunchy or squishy-yucky.
it just depends on how long it takes for you to start eating it.’
— john updike
dear friends, j and b, walk in michigan
getting ready for the big walk.
they leave tomorrow –
i wish them both the best of luck on their journey
and look forward to their tales from along the way
knowing they will return somehow changed forever.
the portuguese way/caminho português
—
The Portuguese Way (Spanish: Camino Portugués, Portuguese: Caminho Português) is the name of the Way of St. James pilgrimage routes starting in Portugal. It begins at Porto or Lisbon. From Porto, pilgrims travel north before entering Spain and passing through Padron on the way to Santiago de Compostela.
The Portuguese way is 227 km long starting in Porto. The way from Porto was historically used by the local populations and by those who arrived in the local ports.
In the contemporary period, most pilgrims are foreigners, and of the total number reaching Galicia between January and October 2017, only 4.27% were Portuguese. Roughly 30,000 pilgrims per year walk this path.
Arrival of queen Elizabeth of Portugal to Santiago de Compostela, after finishing the Portuguese Way around 1325, after the death of her husband, Denis of Portugal.
—
“a path is a prior interpretation
of the best way to traverse a landscape.”
-rebecca solnit, Wanderlust: A History of Walking
—
credits: wikipedia
is it one of the hottest days of summer?
is it time for our annual
christmas in july/august celebration?
absolutely.
with long-time friends
turkey dinner
wine
christmas cookies
stories
and
odds and ends re-gifts to each other
that we’re highly likely
to re-gift to someone else at a later date
no reason to keep the joy of giving all to ourselves.
—
‘christmas makes me happy no matter what time of year it comes around.”
-bryan white
—
image credit: pinterest vintage, petticoats and pistols
et, longtime sporty friend of mine
signed up to do a quick 5k this morning
prior to our bookclub brunch
and was surprised to learn
that she was somehow stuck doing a 5-miler
due to a ‘volunteer miscommunication error’
and toughed it out, arriving on time.
please note the difference in her demeanor, expression, and body language
in the photos
before (above)
still running and realizing the mileage
and
after (below)
arriving at brunch and enjoying a breakfast bud light.
here’s to her mighty spirit.
“either you run the day or the day runs you.”
-jim rohn
i really enjoyed a relaxed game night with
a group of long-time friends
a couple of grandies
and
a few old dogs
just like most of us there
the old dogs
have lived full lives
one is lame
one is deaf
one is blind
all have their challenges
and one thing in common
they love being with the people they love.
—
“old dogs can be a regal sight.
their exuberance settles over the years into a seasoned nobility,
their routines become as locked into yours
as the quietest and kindest of marriages.
-gail caldwell
—
image credit: pinterest.co.uk, steiff dog on wheels, brown and black mohair
met up with my bookclub
for a late holiday brunch
in one of my favorite places
with
some of my favorite people
lots of bad gifts
beautiful food
morning drinks
strong coffee
live jazz
a pinata
and
a full morning of laughter.
a couple of people even read the book.
“laughter is an instant vacation.”
-milton berle
a scene from the road rally in the sideways rain
leap frog in the park
last night i told a joke to a woman at a comedy club, led a group of strangers in follow-the- leader in t.j. maxx, bought 60 cents of gas, got into a theater box office, danced the sugar plum fairy ballet and push it, had the zingerman’s staff sing happy birthday to me, tried to jam our team into one shopping cart, read a children’s book aloud to an adult in the library, found five different kinds of balls, secretly wrote crossword answers in the new york times and put it back, wore protective hockey gear, held a lobster, paid for a stranger’s purchase, ate as a group at taco bell, wore university of michigan gear that wasn’t mine, added my gum to a public wall art display, read incredible notes, shared food and drinks and blew out candles and it was a night to always be remembered.
teams:
sock monkeys vs. glitters vs. kwames
—
what a wonderful decade birthday celebration
thanks to all of you for every bit of it
it meant everything.
—
“life goes by fast. enjoy it. calm down. it’s all funny.”
– joan rivers