everything is changing and it's the most beautiful thing in the world

Today was a beautiful day. Spence was staying over and we grabbed breakfast sandwiches at the farmer's market and went on walk through Kalorama and sat with Joe on the Spanish steps.

We dropped him off at the train and said our goodbyes on the platform like old friends have been doing for over a century, leaving him with a baggie of chocolate chip cookies and a letter. 

Monica and Joe and I set off in search of pumpkins. I ended up making the stupidest looking pumpkin I could muster. "Holy teeth," said Joe. 

mine is the idiot on the left

After I finished my carving I was wiping dried pumpkin pits off of my palms when Dani called me, which is weird, because our friendship has always floated along over text. I picked up, and she said "hi," and I said, "what's up?" and there was a silence, and then she whispered, "I'm engaged," and I fell to my knees. Never once have I done that before. I started to laugh and cry at the same time, and so did she, and that went on for a good ten minutes.

I went to the park and sat at the fountain for a while and listened to the songs Dani and Rikki associate with getting engaged: Love Takes Miles, Que Sera Sera. 

On the walk back to my apartment I encountered a sunflower so large and so imposing that I had to investigate. It's at least six feet tall, and its head is bigger than mine. I stood under it for a while trying to figure out how to measure it. 

16" laptop, so like a foot in diameter?

Some time after that I found myself at the store and bought green beans and a lemon, a carton of eggs, an eggplant, and two Lucy Rose apples. I called my dad while improvising dinner for me and Lyd: Crisp sautéed green beans with lemon and garlic and jammy shallot, roasted koginut squash with hazelnuts and burrata, roasted eggplant. For dessert we shared an apple and peanut butter, and Lyd walked home.

After all that, I called my dad back. He put my mom on, and she listened to me for a while. A few years ago I'd never have been able to tell her what I tell her now. I made some more calls: I love to chat on a Sunday evening. I spent some time talking to an old friend, dropped in on Richa on her drive home... 

And now I am ready for bed. I am struck by how much everything has changed, is changing, will change, and how beautiful it all is. Today I am in a place where I just want it all.