
My mom commented that all the pictures I've posted of Ella are in profile. Not any more!









As in the noise a big truck makes when it's in reverse.
Shawn and I were in Florida this weekend for Dave & Mandy's wedding. The ceremony was on Friday afternoon, leaving us with a free day on Saturday before we flew back to Baltimore. It took us a while -- and a few cups of Waffle House coffee -- before we came up with a plan. After rejecting all the obvious Disney-themed destinations, we settled on a day at the beach. 

For me, the hardest part about living in Tennessee was being 500 miles away from Eastern Market. It was a rare weekend that I didn't stop by to fill my shopping bag with food I couldn't find any place else -- things like super high fat heavy cream, perfect prime grade steaks, organic fingerling potatoes, pungent horseradish.... Over the years, the food hall at the Market became my "Cheers," you know, the place where everybody knew my name.
I met Anna Maschino Bragdon standing in line on Capitol Hill, waiting to get into a banking committee mark up in 1990. We stood in a lot of lines that year, and found out that we had a lot more in common than our similar jobs. Otherwise, I doubt we would have stayed in touch as long as we have. Anna moved away from DC in 1997 -- first to Australia and the South Pacific for a year, which is when I learned all about air mail; and then, when she returned to the States, to Maine, where she lives now.







Aunt Tonya,