Family <3

The week of the Labor Day holiday is always Anniversary time. My brother and his wife have been married 11 years as of a couple of days ago, and today my parents celebrate 47 years of marriage. They don't normally make much of a to-do about their anniversary. In fact, most years they tend to forget completely about it.

But this weekend, I had lunch with my mom on Sunday (my dad was out golfing) and she mentioned that she would still rather spend time with him than anyone else. They do communicate well, and even if his rising interest in golf is not terribly interesting to her, she listens, because he is so into it, and wants to share it with her. And they are still very much Together. One of the women I work with used to work for my dad and she's said how cute she thinks my dad is in his obvious adoration of my mother.

When I was a child my dad worked very long hours, and his commute home was between a half hour and forty minutes. My mom used to joke it took her twenty years to train him to call her as he was leaving the office so she knew when to make sure dinner for him was ready. Usually just heating up something she'd made for all of us, as she'd already eaten with my brother and I.

But it is a habit he never broke. Even when he was on business trips, he'd call her to let her know he was done for the day and back at the hotel. Sometimes their conversations were quick, and sometimes they were not. But they have always always always talked *to* each other, and *listened* to each other, too.

So, even though it is very likely you don't remember today is your anniversary, Happy Anniversary, Mum and Daddy. I love you.

Writer's Block: Scorching day

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Anyone that knows me in real life knows it is gonna be the movie theatre, because, hi, every time I've spent more than fifteen minutes on a beach I go home sick with amazing sun poisoning. My people are pale, okay? The melanin I have is in very small amounts. Dots, if you will - all over my skin. And I am likely the darkest I ever get right now, which is about a shade off milk white. I used to envy the girls who would go outside for twenty minutes and be slightly sunkissed tan. I end up pink. I used to hate outside PE in school, because forty minutes exercising in the sunshine made me ill. I spent the whole forty minutes wishing for shade.

Even now, it is hat and liberal use of sunblock for me. And I much prefer the shade-dappled walk to a beach in any weather.