Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

My terrible struggle with allergies aside, today was pretty much a perfect Saturday.  I woke up after a satisfying night of sleep, then read in bed next to Mr. Squire as the sun streamed in through our huge windows (our humble, 350-square-foot apartment has its virtues).  I love to read, and I love that Mr. Squire loves to read.  And I love reading together, burrowed down in our bed, with a couple stuffed animals in tow.  :)  Extra points when the sun is shining and filling our room with light.  During such moments, even Mr. Squire's untamed piles (which are pictured in part here...sigh) cannot vex me.

I paid a visit to the dentist, where the folks are very kind and obliging and efficient, read an encouraging email while waiting (thanks so much, Christina G.!), and headed to my weekly mentoring session.  I found out that my mentee was nominated for the Posse Program this past week, which puts her in the running for a full scholarship to any of a number of colleges when she applies next year.  I'm so proud of her.  She's come a long way since her childhood in war-torn Kosovo.  

After mentoring, came home to find Mr. Squire out playing basketball.  I was so happy to see that he was strong enough to be out there running around, and he came back excited about the guys he had played ball with.  I love hearing his stories from the neighborhood court:  he plays with a mix of our neighbors--Arabs, some African Americans, and some white guys--and I love how the basketball court is an equalizer and race-neutral, class-neutral zone for them.  Wish there were more such spaces and meeting points in our society...

We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and into Chinatown after that.  It was a beautiful day to be out, the sun glittered across the water, and we looked over at the piers to see progress being made on Brooklyn Bridge Park (the piers closest to us already have turf fields and sand volleyball courts, and we're excited to see what the other piers will bring).  As we strolled, we talked more about our future, where we may want to move, why we want to have children, and just catching up in general.  I love how our marriage is just one big long conversation, winding in and out from topic to topic.  It never gets boring.  I feel so blessed.  

We saw signs of spring everywhere (such as the tulips pictured above, which adorned the SDNY gate entrance).  God makes all things new all the time--spiritually and physically.

Dinner was delicious abundance from Congee, and we had a blast picking our way through the produce on Canal Street (we snagged about 8 pounds of grapes at 50 cents a pound, plus strawberries at a dollar a pound!).  And now we're home, and I'm baking cookies before bed.  Eat, drink, and be merry--for tomorrow we die.  The Lord has always been very good to us, and on days like today, we feel His generosity most acutely.  Thank You, Lord.