home again

back home again after a weekend away, continuing the celebration from the wedding last month. saw family and loads of family friends this weekend. it had been years and maybe more years since i saw many of these folks, and reminded me of the wonderful love and friendship given to me by so many of my parents' friends. although i am an only child from a relatively small family, i have a large unofficial family far and wide. it was a joy to introduce nate to many of these people who have been present for so many other parts of my life. and i hope it's not so long until the next time i have the chance to see them again. this weekend was a good lesson in the value of old friends, the special bond that forms over years and between generations, and reasons for putting effort into remaining a part of my own friends' lives despite the forces that pull us deep into our own lives. sometimes i miss the time in my life when catching up with friends meant only traveling a few minutes and learning only about a day or two worth of news. bonds are easily strong when you share so much of your life as you experience it. the true test has been in integrating friends into our lives more set apart. balance never is easy for me - i tend towards extremes. to have several occasions recently to reunite and celebrate also reminds me that those old small pilot lights of bonds can often be rekindled into stronger forms. and that those flames of friendships don't have to remain at a constant intensity in order to survive the years.

and now, back to home. i'm in the process of officially changing my name and navigating that process should take some weeks. i hope to get through a lot of it before the holidays, and should be known everywhere and by everyone as mrs. nate before the new year. returning from warmer lands means we really noticed the chill in the air in the house. we turned on the heat for the first time tonight, and locked the windows to avoid drafts, and if all goes well, will remember to bring in the deck furniture before too many more days go by.