Going to Granville Island this Friday night to partake in the new, though poorly advertised Winterupption festival.  I just heard about it yesterday when the Dean of our School of Music popped his head into my office to tell me about a show he’s performing in. His band Poetic Justice is backing up a spoken word performance. To the average person (i.e. a husband-type) this might sound like torture. You say “spoken word” and suddenly husbands get all twitchy like you’ve just suggested you’d like to clip his toenails or have your fifth child. Luckily, Ash is pretty adventurous. Plus he made me sit through The International last night in Coquitlam of all places…so I’m pretty sure I have a little marital give-and-take coming my way. 

Anyway - all So I Married An Axe Murderer jokes aside - this Winterupption Festival sounds like fun. There’s everything from live music, to street theatre to market culinary demonstrations. And I believe even a glass or two of wine.

Love is not what I thought it would be. Less a certainty and more a strengthening. A muscle formed under skin. A firming up of the soul.

I love you husband.

Jen

On days like this, I need a good view. Even if it’s just a new photo on my desktop. Ash tried for so long to get me out of bed this morning that he ended up back in bed himself. We taunted the clock until the last minute, blankets pinned at every corner, and then rushed to get to work. I blame the cold. And the dark. And the weeks off we spent draining our champagne supply. And him, for being so nice to wake up to.

Photo via here as seen on Bliss

Every oppprtunity to drink a mimosa was seized.

The palace was oddly devoid of people, which made it easy to find pool-chairs and make Ash play fun games like Papparrazi/beach vacation.

I bought a funny greeen hat that made me feel like doing touristy things, such as writing love notes in the sand with my toe.

I formed a special bond with the ladies who blow their whistle while pouring tequilla down your throat.

Ashleah got very tan and hunky.

I couldn’t stop looking at the colours.

More colours.

I fell in love with a pier.

I got wrapped up in very important business.

And yes, I am happy to report, we danced on speakers.

All in all, the whole trip felt like this. That’s what being married to Ash feels like too.

Goodbye.

Well, this is it. My last blog post as Miss Hargreaves. 

Today, Bill, the Facility Manager at work (not to mention, the loveliest Scott you’ll ever meet – perhaps, even, a gift from my Nanny) – brought me a very offical nametag reading “Jennifer Wilson.”

Yes, I am beginning to feel like someone new.

I’ve written and erased about a hundred sentences trying to capture the sum of experience for this medium. But those thoughts will stay in the journal beside my bed. Instead, I’m taking Frost’s sage advice. 

See the door on my little atelier?

It says, Ferme. 

And if you’re lost enough to find yourself

By now, pull in your ladder road behind you

And put a sign up CLOSED to all but me.

Then make yourself at home.   

Here are your waters and your watering place.

Drink and be whole again beyond confusion.

Hasta Luego,

Jen

Like poetry, sometimes places or people ring true in the depths of you. And that is how you know.

It’s how I know one day I must go to Little Sparta’s Garden so my soul can keep growing.

It’s how I know to marry Ash this weekend and claim my glimpse of the sea.

And it’s how friends know to send notes like this one on the eve of a life:

“Work must be KILLING you this week. All my good hair/skin/nail thoughts are with you. I just ate some salmon and dedicated all the fish oil to you.”

Thanks, Alice.

Enough champagne to last a lifetime of Wednesdays

(and sometimes Sunday mornings mixed with Orange Juice)

Jen

And I can post a sickening number of headshots if I want to. And I do. We were looking through old photos last night (sipping on a tidy, piccolo of Henkell) and we found so many pictures of us that we haven’t seen in ages. Do other people like to sit at the kitchen table and watch flickr slideshows of their trips? Is that normal?

Oh Paris! I am busty in this shot! Thanks for the lift, Ash!

And, of course, my other true love. My eternal sidekick, Whiskey, who perfectly balances me in more ways than I can say. As excited as I am for Mexico, I already miss her. She loves her new dad.

And finally, my favourite shot from the summer:

Who doesn’t love a man who can appreciate a nice baguette?

Jen xo

I would love to write something not related to the next 5 sleeps.

But I can’t.

I’ve got one thing on my mind.

He’s tying his tie in the hallway mirror.

Jen

xoxo

PS: Photos of postcards contained in The Little Box of I Love You, currently for sale at Chapters for $15.95 and now, our guest book.

This morning, the leaf mobile found a friend. I’ll show it to you in a second. First, you should know, I’m listening to this song and drinking Nespresso on the floor in front of the fireplace. Whiskey and I are wondering if the rain will lighten up long enough to go for a walk before work. Ash is gone to Orlando. Well, not quite. He’s at the airport. Probably holding an Americano and an Economist. Ash loves the airport. It’s his place. Travel overwhelms him with a sense of stillness that daily life does not. He sleeps with a fierceness on holidays that I love. Except, this is a work trip and he doesn’t seem that happy about going. Last night, I came home and found him reading the newspaper, waiting to surprise me with this:

A care package. Are you crying because you’re happy? he asked. Yes, because sometimes a busy heart can find its calm in the care of someone who loves it. Someone who would stroll through the aisles of Meinhardt and pick all the things you love off the shelves and make the sales lady wait to wrap it until they got back with this: can you see it? It’s right there in the heart of it all…

Veuve Cliquout. And what you don’t see (because milk doesn’t take a very pretty picture) – the litre of Island Farms in the fridge for my coffee this morning and the note on the counter that tells me the next time he gets on a plane it will be to Mexico as my husband. Sigh. I feel it all. Now back to the leaf mobile:

I borrowed the now-crusty leaf mobile to show you our Rehearsal Dinner invites. Every Jot and Title did the handy-work of creating two silhouette tags (she even included the string), customized with our rehearsal and dinner information on the back. Wouldn’t this make a great wedding invite too? And they were seriously inexpensive. I loved them so much, we did a photo-shoot, as I often and oddly do with my mail these days:

What is love but a messy string between two people and the resolve to tie a million knots to keep it strong?

An endless row of knots for you, Ash.

Mine heart is full.

Besides the normal Vancouver-variety showers, my personal forecast has seen a lot of love and good wishes raining down from family and friends lately. Good thing, too, because besides feeling exceptionally excited and positive, my body has been a ruckus of problems.  Luckily, I have found three things make me feel almost instantly better: platters of gourmet food set out at bridal events, wine and all the spirited company getting married draws.    

This weekend, my Aunt Karen and cousin Laura (who is a 15-year old beauty) hosted a family shower for me at their house.  I was so excited to see everyone that I didn’t get a chance to take photos (I am hoping they will be emailed soon! hint, hint!). I had such a great time. It’s an honour that anyone would want to throw a party for you and an even bigger honour that people would want to come. I am thinking of starting to throw parties in honour of other people. I have so many cooking tools these days, it feels only right to spread the wealth. Maybe after the wedding though…most things these last days are being delegated to the after-wedding calendar.

The painting above is from etsy-seller Michele Maule and can be found here. It reminds me that I have only 18 days left to find the perfect red shoes for my wedding dress.

Thanks again for the party, Karen and Laura! See you on the 22nd!