Birthday Revisited

Yesterday, in the mail, I received the most beautiful post card I have ever seen. Allison sent it to me and it is a detail of one of her new paintings. I’m very much needing her to have a website where I can go to see all of her new paintings and the old ones too that I can no longer see just by looking at my walls. If you ever visited our apartment just off V for Violent, you would know that the place I call home has never looked as good as it did in those days, filled with her art (and, as it turns out, all of her furniture. I did totally dominate the kitchen cupboards though, since I clearly invested in the things that were most important to me – food making tools and devices, having given away that heavy heavy sleeper sofa to the Buergers – which I have, oddly enough, sat on a number of times since, given that they still own that sofa and it is in their apartment here in Dallas).

I love my postcard with so much love that I couldn’t put it down for a little bit and I kept telling Jud how beautiful it was, as if he’d suddenly gone blind and could not see the beauty for himself. Then I put it in my purse so that I could bring it to the office where I spend most of my waking hours. This morning I carefully positioned it on my cube wall so that I can see it every time I reach for the phone (which, of course, is a lot). I was so proud of my pretty new addition and feeling so great about it that I called people over to show them the postcard hanging on my cube wall. They liked it too, but not as much as I did.

My day was going well……not too much to do; a good amount of Chinese salad waiting for me to eat it for lunch; the promise of cookies from the catered lunch for the project pricing team. Then the front desk called me and asked me to come up to the front for a minute. Either the receptionist needed help with the postage machine, a FedEx package I sent was found with explosive materials or I had a surprise. I was really hoping for that last one…..and I was right to hope! Jud brought me beautiful flowers (which I’m pretty sure are from Central Market) in a very cute vase with so much character and beauty that my cube is now very enjoyable and very much like home.

I love Allison.

I love Jud.

Differently.

PS I got lots of cards and ecards and emails and text messages and phone calls from lots of wonderful friends this week and today – thank you Cheryl and Laurie and Mandy and Ronke and Celisse and Jeremy & Rachel and Jenn and Zanna and Mom and Dad and all of the rest of you. It is so nice to be remembered!!

Addendum

When I got home even more wonderful things were waiting for me, like a banner (more on why I love banners later)

and a German chocolate cake (also from Central Market) and Buffalo Mozzarella (my favorite cheese, and clearly, if you have a favorite cheese, you really love cheese). Then we went out to dinner at Scalinis with our current house guests….the future Mr. & Mrs. Jeremy. We are spending tons of time with them and you are jealous!!

More thank yous are due Tawnya, Grans, Amy and Mandy for the emails and the cards! I love you too and thanks for making me feel so special (not in the shorty bus way).