Last Week
by Ashley Weeks Cart
The past 10 days have been a whirlwind. It began with James’ departure for a conference in Philadelphia and ended with my return from both work travel slash friend visitation (in Santa Monica, CA, Chicago, IL and Ann Arbor, MI). Parenting without James was hard. Courtland in particular struggled. Being away from the kids was equally hard. I am so grateful to have us all back together again, curled up in front of the wood stove, eating popcorn and drinking hot chocolate and just generally being a family.
But the the interim looked a little like this, courtesy of the iPhone…
^^I wore a caftan gifted by my darling friend Amanda because who says you can’t channel beach energy in November? Sunny snapped the photo. Also, I’ve been rocking my hair in Dutch braids and find that middle-aged white men in particular have taken to complimenting this look. I just love that my hair is finally long enough for creative braiding. It’s been a two year endeavor.^^
^^I put the finishing touches on a formal dining room which we set up in anticipation for many a holiday meal chez Cart. I’m thrilled to be able to display that oil painting of my great-grandmother and grandmother as a child. The original Weeks women. The other oil painting was done by my tutorial partner in an art studio course in college, Meleko Mokgosi. He created the painting based on a critique I’d given him of his work, and he gifted me the result for graduation. He has gone on to do amazing things in the art world.^^
^^To entertain the kids while James was away, we did lots of snuggling in my bed, and adventuring to the movies. While we loved Big Hero 6, Courtland was initially terrified of Baymax, despite his cuddly, marshmallow-like appearance.^^
^^We collected eggs, and walked the dogs, and generally enjoyed daily life in our little slice of Vermont.^^
^^My friend Sharifa came and stayed with us to lend an additional pair of adult hands, including epic hair-braiding talents. Thank you, Weekend Wife! I am grateful to you!^^
^^I then departed early Tuesday morning for the airport where I shared a cup of coffee with James on the other side of security, as he had just arrived from Philadelphia. We didn’t even realize that our paths would cross until he texted upon landing and waited with me at my gate. A really lovely, simple surprise. Also, how much do you love that androgynous person throwing shade on our airport selfie?^^
^^I found rainbows in the airport and thought of my Sunny girl…^^
^^I delighted in some face time with the Pacific, even if it was at 5:30 in the morning. My time in LA was brief and work focused, so I was grateful for the time I did manage to squeeze in with my beloved ocean.^^
^^In Chicago, I ate like a Queen with one of my favorites, Devita. I even had my hair did at Dry Bar which was an extravagant but lovely experience.^^
^^I then journeyed on to Michigan where sadly my dear friends were wracked with illness, so we lounged in pajamas and drank tea and generally played it super low key. I have no pictures to show from the experience, but fortunately, we’ll all be reunited in April where I shall ensure many a photo to document the occasion. In the meantime, you can enjoy the Rothko in the Sky.^^
It’s good to be home…