Balance and Harmony

Sunday, August 11, 2013 – Balance and Harmony

I’m happy to report that I’ve been able to restore some balance in my life, thanks to three fully functioning bathrooms.  Seriously, Elliott and I are both much calmer now that the work is completed.  Of course, that alone wasn’t responsible for the new equilibrium.  Constant self-reminders to be mindful, to focus on one thing at a time and to avoid over-scheduling my time were essential.  

During the week, I lunched out with AHS friends, got my parking permit for the new school year at George Mason University, and finished reading Sonia Sotomayor’s memoir, My Beloved World.  (I am so glad I never went to law school!)  I worked out at the gym and practiced the music for choir.  Singing in a choral group is a totally new experience for me, and it has some unexpected challenges.  I can read music because I studied piano a number of years.  I participated in student recitals, but I was never involved in any group performances.  Most of the other members of the choir have been singing together for several seasons, and are already quite comfortable with the music.  Even as a real beginner, however, I’m excited to be part of an ensemble. 

The major activities of this weekend revolved around a visit from Elisa and Christian.  On Saturday morning, I accompanied Elisa and two of her bridesmaids on a dress-shopping expedition.  Within two hours, they not only selected gowns for the bridesmaids, but they also found a dress for the mother of the bride.  Trying on fancy dresses in a fitting room with three twenty-somethings was quite an experience.  In all of my 63 years, I’d never tried on long gowns, and it was like a fantasy come true.  I love the dress we ultimately chose – long, flowing, elegant, midnight blue.  Like the bridesmaids’ gowns, it has a 1930s glamour feel.  It’s hard to describe in words so you can see a photo of it at the Dessy website.   

We followed up with a celebratory engagement dinner for 25 at the house on Saturday evening.  I’d been menu-planning and grocery shopping for several days in preparation.  Our theme was Summer in the South of France (in honor of Elisa’s birthplace), and a big bouquet of sunflowers on the dining room table set the tone.  I included some of my favorite Provençal dishes – garlicky stuffed eggs and canapés of herbed chevre topped with mixed olive tapenade for hors d’oeuvres, lemon-garlic marinated chicken breasts and baked salmon (okay, not strictly Provençal) for main courses, herb-roasted peppers and a gratin of zucchini and rice as accompaniments, a mesclun salad, a spinach fougasse (it’s a shaped bread characteristic of Provence).  I didn’t make the dessert myself.  Instead, I turned to a wonderful local European-style bakery for a beautifully decorated chocolate-raspberry cake.  Today (and for the next few days), we’ll be eating leftovers since, as usual, I prepared way too much food.  Not a problem.  

Beautiful, even without an "s" at the end.

Elisa and Christian practiced their cake-cutting skills.