a certain slant of light.

Menu Tasting

(For whatever reason, I cannot title my posts, so here is where I'll do it until the title bar and I are on speaking terms again.)


We arrived on the second floor of the hotel today with this little sign outside a room--just for us! We walked in to the party room (which overlooks the garish pool) and there was a little table set up, just for two, linens, a carafe of water, coffee, and our own waiter named Lyle. There we were, tourists in our short sleeves and jeans, flip flops and afternoon expressions.


We tasted Italian Chicken, which was essentially Chicken Parmesan without the pasta, and The Fiance had Peppercorn Beef, I believe. The mushrooms were good, but I just don't think I can find myself falling in love with steak, as some people tend to do. I have only been eating meat for less than a year, and I told The Fiance I wouldn't be eating meat on our wedding day; I said it would bring us bad luck. I was making this part up, of course, but he keeps trying to nudge me away from the noodles, and I think a girl should get to eat what she wants on her wedding day.


I've been writing more in my notebook and taking more pictures. I've decided to start posting them larger, and I hope that no one minds this terribly, but it seems the details want to be seen. I've been trying to look at things closer, change my perspective. We live in a world where everything is both delicate and intense--the blinding heat of this afternoon, the gentle slippery drops of water on the outside of a glass.

We took our invitation in to get it framed today--something delicate and bold. We're doing the reply card and envelope too; it's just such a contented set, I would hate to separate those little birds. Tonight we make a rough draft of our wedding programs; this done by the same printmaker, and will probably be framed too, our walls filling up with personal art. For our anniversary two years ago, I gave The Fiance a framed menu from the quirky restaurant we went on our first date (soon, eight years ago). And soon, he'll have a map of the United States, push pins pressed into the cities we've stayed or lingered: New York, Brick, Kansas City, Twin Cities, Green Bay, Milwaukee, Madison, Duluth, Denver, Fort Collins, Missoula, Mt Hood, Portland, Casper, Lake Tahoe, and in a little over a month, the Alaskan destinations.

I hope the map will be unreadable as we grow old together, covered in silver, forging out into the wide world.