Wow, was tonight an enjoyable evening!The fun began when I was on my way to the food store. Something beautiful, large, and YELLOW caught my eye. It was a big gorgeous basket on wheels that someone had placed out in their trash. I yelped with excitement and immediately turned the car around. You know that feeling of self-consciousness that you can get when you have a big smile on your face and you're almost laughing out loud but nobody's around you? That's precisely what I had and I didn't hold back AT ALL! My eyes searched the windows of the house to see if there was someone I could gleefully wave to and thank, and even though I saw no one, I joyfully waved anyhow. I almost went up the door to thank them profusely for giving me such a treasured find, and I would have -- had I not been concerned about the hungry stomachs of my two friends who were waiting for dinner.
When I got home, I raced to get everything into the refrigerator and quickly started cooking dinner. And although I was expecting two guests, a DIFFERENT pair knocked at my door! It was one of my dearest friends (Lija) and her fiance (Matt), and--once we were all situated and they saw that I was safe from falling since I was on a chair--they asked me to be in their wedding! I am thrilled, honored, and blessed to have been chosen to participate in this special day where two of the most kind-hearted, God-loving, and value-upholding individuals will become one. This is a girl who I've always WISHED would ask me to be in her wedding (long before her boy was in the picture) but I thought for sure it wouldn't happen since she has so many, many, many friends. I don't think I know of a person who has as many friends as she does, and it is no wonder; Lija is absolutely one of the sweetest, kindest, and most generous people on earth. So yeah, I made the 7-person cut-off, and I'm thrilled.
As one pair dashed off, in came another! Mike and Greg loved the new look of my apartment. Oops, I'd better point out at this point that they are in NO WAY A COUPLE, lest you should wonder. Hahaha. I then served dinner out on the back porch. Just for kicks, I filled a picnic basket to transport the condiments (even though we only had to walk the length of my apartment to get there). It was fun. I forgot but intended to ask Greg and Mike to take a vow of silence about the fact that I used an (adorable) dog bowl as a serving dish (since I had run out of regular bowls). Fear not, my dear reader; no canine has ever eaten from it, and Mike generously reminded me that he ate Crunch 'n Munch from it a few months ago when we watched a movie. Goodness, he is a loyal friend!
After that, we took a ride in Mike's new set of wheels and then we returned for a little urban exploring in my backyard. Mike and I took flashlights; Greg excitedly carried a lantern. We should have been quiet as we snuck across the field into the uncharted, scary territory of the abandoned motel...but instead we were busting up laughing. We peered into every window, and--despite the scariness--I do have to say that those people from the 1950s sure knew good wallpaper and paint. I was delighted with the colors and patterns that I saw. However, the fresh sleeve of crackers on the windowsill and the bag of chips on the bed sure had us questioning if someone was still checked-in.
Once everyone was gone, I hung two pretty frames that came nestled in that yellow basket, almost like someone had prepared it for me, knowing just which items I would like. One was a colorful painting of a bright blue flower on a lime green background framed in wood painted bright red. It's perfect to match the other red frames in my apartment! The other wooden frame was larger and was wearing a distressed coat of white paint, which gave it character and beauty in my eyes. So I spent a few minutes tonight filling it with an overlapping network of pretty wallpaper samples, and now it's hung just outside of my bathroom. The framed newspaper cover pic of my father levitating me back in his magician days has moved to an even better spot on the adjacent wall.
What a great night. I will sleep well!
