i subscribe, as maybe do you, to "word a day" (www.wordsmith.org), & today's word well-describes the feeling these past wks around here: gemutlichkeit, or "warm friendliness; comfortableness; coziness." the wedding? how could we ever've known eloping to vegas would've become such a sweet, sincere, &, as james said, spiritual experience? he often has a seeming-6th sense, able to size up situations succinctly & accurately & pronounced, perfectly, "the whole thing was magical." reeling from the kind minister's biblical pronouncement "my people are your people," we've since approached all our loved ones thusly, w/such pleasing results: his family, his true friends, i feel now are mine, too, & vice-versa. we grow closer, more trusting, more intimate w/each day, & that includes trusting of & loving toward deserving outsiders. yes, most people've been so, so happy for us; for instance, our friend/sister kaykay announced from the stage at the gaslamp our marriage just an hr after we got hitched & then texted us that the audience had "erupted in cheers." not that we are much influenced by what others think or say, but we both felt pretty good hearing that... for the most part, tho james is in the public eye & has been sort of a notorious character & sought-after bachelor, only a few folks've continued trying to insinuate themselves between us, gossip, meddle, or as he has said, been "creepy" toward or about us. i've watched james appropriately eliminate these people from his life, as i've already eliminated, at his behest, the ones from my life who were like that (i didn't realize they were not really my friends, but had "ulterior motives"! just knew i felt uneasy around some "friends"! have you had that experience? quite unsettling, in retrospect!). yes, james is better than i am w/boundaries, & he's making sure i learn to put 'em up, as i should, as an adult!, but his whole outlook on life lately? happier all the time, he says: he says i've saved his life! that gives me way too much credit, i think, tho we ARE in love, now husband & wife, & people in such a blessed life-place SHOULD compliment their beloved... but i've definitely seen james's spirit brighten, & many people've commented he looks happier than he's ever been, & so i'd call him lately "sehr gemutlich," to use today's word... & what about me? well, i've never been happier! i hope that is evident from this blog lately!... onward, what about the election? the men in this house say "eh," that the results make no difference, but i, not a cynic, am comforted.... my dear sister angie's happy punk-rock ultra-religious wedding to friendly pastor doug? so delightfully silly, creative, sweet, gemutlich. there, james met my 1st husband, brian, for the 1st time, & both were, of course, perfect gentlemen. again, it is a gemutlich life lately; that was yet another proof-point... our visit w/the gias pre & post wedding? so comforting, warm, inviting, w/ delicious left-overs, cuddly cat, generous loving folks (james pronounced them "beautiful," & i nearly cried w/gratitude), so gemutlich, as was last night's cozy impromptu dinner at a tiny pizzeria near the beach, a pretty place w/glowing stained glass window, laughing baby dining w/young family, tasty bread dipped in balsamic vinegar, mysterious carnivalesque italian music, intimate, kind conversation between my handsome husband & i, & again this evening, a walk at the nearby wetlands w/sweeping sunset hushing across the seaside & birds soaring & floating gracefully, dipping beaks in tidepools, ducks chugging gently thru the water as we strolled arm in arm, & then a movie, & then exploring, & then grocery shopping, even THAT these days being gemutlich!... tonight we set up our bedroom "recording studio" & tomorrow more adventure awaits, even if we go no place at all, & as the holiday season approaches, may you find as many days & moments as possible to be filled w/a spirit of gemutlichkeit...
& i again will be a public school teacher.
