dear babies (again):

Good morning- it's me again. You're all doing such a great job, I just wanted to say thank you for everything. It makes me so happy to look outside and see green instead of brown, and life instead of emptiness. You're awesome.

And to prove that you really are working hard- I've taken some more photos of you to chart your growth. If you were standing against a door jamb you would have gotten a pencil mark a whole inch higher! Nice work.



This is almost the same angle as this shot before. You've been filled in with a few more friends, and you look beautiful. The purples and the pinks are really popping against all that brown bark.

And then there's you. Little patch of ground cover that I am so anxiously awaiting to fill in so I can plop myself down and read a book on you. Hurry up, already! You're definitely coming along, but I'm so ready for you to be full and fluffy. I'm seriously considering buying a few more and filling in your holes right now so I can enjoy that spot at least once before fall is in full swing.


For comparison, here's what you looked like in July. Like I said, good job.

And then there are my friends in the garden plots. The lettuce was abundant, but a person can only eat so much lettuce at a time. Too bad we weren't smart enough to plant you in waves. You did great though, and now we know for next year. I wish that your buddies the zucchini would take a cue and get to growing now. there are a couple of cucumbers that look amazing, but that zucchini won't push past the flower phase. Hopefully you're on the way! Here's your big brother the cuke for a little inspiration:


Can you ever live up to his greatness?

I hope you all make it through the winter and live to give me a beautiful yard next summer too. It's been a pleasure cultivating you and I appreciate you every day for making my world a little nicer to look at.

love,
lulu

dear ma nature:

Hey lady- great job on the Pacific Northwest. I don't think I say it often enough, so thanks! I just love waking up to a view like this:



And it just took one day of beautiful sun shining on my strawbabies to make them much happier. I appreciate it!



love,
lulu

dear mom:

Hi Mama. Yesterday was Mother's Day and I'm so glad we were able to share it with you. I hope you enjoyed brunch. I know it was a little stressful for you to meet the in-laws for the first time, but I think everyone had a nice day.

Of course, thanks to the mild anxiety and unbridled perfectionism that I'm fairly certain that I inherited from you; I was awake at 6 am thinking about all the things that still needed to be done before you arrived at 11. And of course, I got out of bed and started doing those things (as quietly as possible so as not to wake Mr. Lulu and give him yet another reason to find me slightly insane and therefore not marriage material). The lack of sleep was all worth it though, because by the time he got out of bed I woke him up a couple of hours later I had a table that would have made Martha proud, quiche and pecan caramel sticky buns in progress, and just a little bit of crazy left to spare.

Thankfully, Mr. Lulu is as patient as they come, and he always knows what I need to hear. Sometimes it's a gentle reminder to "slow down, breathe" and sometimes it's just a well-timed "love you". With his support and the hostessing finesse that you taught me, I think we were able to pull off a pretty good day.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the bacon and asparagus quiche, and the POG mimosas were delicious! Michelle was right- once you go POG, you'll never go back! And thanks to this book, which I love, and some freakishly lucky timing, we had fresh hot pecan caramel sticky buns just in time for brunch-dessert, and they were wonderful!

I also want to take this opportunity to let you know that I'm so grateful for the relationship that we share. I think it's taken a long time for us to achieve the level of closeness that we finally have, and I know we still have a long way to go, but it's really wonderful to have you in my life.

I know that I was a spoiled brat of a child, and I've spent many years alternating between taking you for granted and lacking the patience to spend any time getting to know you. I think now I'm finally old enough to understand you and appreciate you for who you are. It's also obvious that I'm becoming more and more like you every day, and I have to say- I don't mind that one bit. I'm incredibly lucky and I hope you know how much I love you.

Thanks for everything Mom, you're an amazing woman. Happy Mother's Day!

love,
lulu

dear doug:

Hello you crazy fresco artist! I want to thank you for the lovely piece you gave me last night at the Art Walk. I suspect that you were slightly intoxicated or perhaps under the influence of some fabulous narcotic, but I appreciate the gesture nonetheless. As far as my $90 check, which you promised merely to frame and hang in your studio and not cash- I'm still not sure that I believe you, but no matter. The story and the art are worth every penny.

In case you've forgotten, here's the piece that you wrapped up for me:



You even signed the back, which I'm sure will contribute loads to its value in a few years.



Thanks again Doug- you're a talented man and a generous soul.

love,
lulu

dear internets:

Hello dear internets!

I'm writing to say thank you. Thank you for providing me endless inspiration, limitless knowledge, and hours of entertainment when I should be doing something else. I am truly grateful.

love,
lulu

dear green lake jewelry works:

Hello you wonderfully talented artisans! Oh my lord, you guys are amazing. I know you technically didn't make my ring since it's a family heirloom that has been in Mr. Lulu's family for generations, but you made it mine. And I love that we were able to take some diamonds from my mom's ring (which were in her mom's ring) and add them in. It makes it such a lovely representation of the blending of families and histories that are part of what make a marriage so special.

I don't even care that the first time you called me to tell me that my ring was ready, we drove out there and found that it really wasn't. An extra day didn't kill me, and it was totally worth the wait. My ring is beautiful and it carries so much history along with it- I know that I'm really fortunate.

I have always liked the idea of an antique ring, I love thinking that the ring on my finger made another woman feel cherished and special too. I always assumed that these women would be strangers and I would never know their stories, but luckily that's not the case! Mr. Lulu's paternal great-grandmother was the first to wear my ring, then his grandmother, then his mother, now me. I'm a part of a strong family history now, which means a lot to me since my own sometimes seems a bit muddled and lost.

Here it is again- isn't it gorgeous?!?



love,
lulu