Setting Fire to the Third Bar

I call this series, "Someone Has Obviously Gotten a Macbook."

The inimitable Jana Weeks, a fellow Connecticut transplant loving the Boston life.
She's true-blue and normally appears just when I need an old friend most.

Self-explanatory (I hope).

"The Fam" grows ever larger: Now with Corinne, who can call a foal from across a pasture.

I call this series, "Somebody Else Took These Pictures."

Embarking for PEI, Canada, 2 minutes after emailing my last-ever school assignment.
Fellow trippers: me, roommates Rebecca and Julianna, and my sister Jen, who is
wearing my shirt!!!

Memorial Day Weekend Sporting Extravaganza: My brother Patrick,
SO Bryan, me, my father, my sister Jen. Yes, we are a tall people.

Mini-Reunion/Graduation/Scott's Farewell Party:
Aunt Yvette, Mom, and Mere Mere

Embee does something called "Grateful Fridays." It's Wednesday, but I'm pretty grateful for the myriad chances the folks above have given me to break up my nights and days, otherwise spent in the dark cave of my apartment learning the law, with embarrassing stories and road trips and culinary experiments (hazelnut rice, anyone?) and water balloon fights.

Today, I'm grateful for other people's wisdom.

"The nature of the relationship, then, between the ideal and the real needs to be one of grace, of unconditional love and acceptance. If this is true, our house isn't divided. The ideal and the real are not fighting each other, and good relationship can begin. Good relationship involves holding onto the ideal and lovingly accepting the real. If the real is loved and accepted, it can be encouraged to grow toward the ideal."

-Henry Cloud

Alive, Well, and Wearing Leggings.*

To the few paying attention:

I'm on a brief, bar exam-inspired hiatus from all things Blog.

I am not dead, nor have I been institutionalized.

I am not vacationing in Maui, nor has my new obsession with popcorn come between me and my keyboard to such extent that I am no longer able to type.

Here's the facts, ma'am:

Graduated law school several weeks ago.

Am now studying to take both the NY and MA bars at the end of July.

Squeezing every inch of life out of spring and summer regardless of the above. Asking an apology of the universe that I don't have more to give right now.

Currently obsessed with Canada.

Itching for a long road leading away and no curfew.

Thanks to others' extreme generosity, in possession of some much-needed gifts and tools.

Object in picture is:

Still in love.

Still growing.

Still grateful.

Still graced.

Still learning how to fail so that failure counts for something other than its own lesson.

Still learning how good it is to abdicate thrones.


*Tonight only. Come. Sit. Get up, pull hair to side, and dance.