Can contact wearers cook with jalapenos?

I think the answer is no. I am wearing my glasses today.

But so glad you came over Harris and Job friends. Late night nachos are the best way to celebrate friends! Also, yesterday Bryce and I saw this in Dickson at the Roxy Theater:

It was so terrible and I was sitting there wanting to throw up, and then Bryce said the sweetest words for a special date: "you don't have to stay and watch this if you don't want to." So I promptly moved on to the second hour of this:

So much better. You know you've been married six years when it is just as romantic to watch movies separately. Of course we had to give each other complete plot re-caps afterwards. I cried again in the re-telling.

Mucho thanks to grandparents who love their Eli time!

Thoughts on place along the river

On Thursday, Bryce took me to see Gillian and Dave and Old Crow Medicine Show at the Riverfront as a lovely birthday present (fitting since the show is called "The Big Surprise Tour.") They, along with the other bands (who were new to me), played on each other's songs and had a ridiculous amount of fun together on stage. With the sun setting over the buildings and the breeze off the Cumberland, it was a delicious evening and my heart was full. It got me thinking about where we are, where we are going, and the blessings piled on the banks along the way.

photo borrowed from for2now2 on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/2now2/3805186038/

If you've talked to me lately, you know that I am having a hard time with our move to Robbinsville, NC at the end of September (though I am actually talking about it now, as you can see, which is an improvement.) This week has been a lovely, busy reminder of all the people I have here in Nashville that fill up my life in a talking, laughing, eating, walking kind of way.

Even there at the concert there were friends and friends of friends that we have connected with in the last couple of years and friends who I have held somewhere in my heart for years...Brent is home from Mexico and we have missed him, especially as he has helped celebrate most all of the major milestones in Bryce and I's life. Dawn and I caught up while Gillian played and laughed about how I would run to catch the bus in fifth grade looking like I had never heard of a hair brush- nineteen years ago! Dear Ariana was home knitting on our couch, minding a baby, and we probably had three other friends that we could have just plopped him in a pack n' play at their house for the evening. Around every corner in our neighborhood are friends, glorious friends, ripe for the conversation picking!

I know how moving is... I know what is coming. Evenings spent home with projects instead of conversation. Inviting people over for dinner and then wondering afterward if that was a one-night stand or the beginning of a friendship. Not having any person to call and walk with during my afternoon crazies when I HAVE to escape my house. And while it sounds like I am being pitiful (and I really do need people), I am almost looking forward to it.

Whenever I have entered these times of solitude (starting college, moving to Nashville), beautiful things have resulted (especially visible in retrospect.) Things that I would not have heard, made, quilted, journaled, or seen about my life (and my God) if I had more people to fill up my time. This time won't be exactly solitude, of course, since I have my favorite men in my life along for this Eichelventure. But I will be going from feasting to fasting, as far as present friends are concerned. Fasting has it's own beauty, though, it's just not as loud about it. I should probably see if Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen would like to come along.

Climbing on Rocks

Still playing catch-up...

We spent a lovely Saturday at Foster Falls, near the Fiery Gizzard (where the blog header pic was taken) outside of Monteagle.

Bryce has been climbing a bunch at Climb Nashville and really enjoying it. I love when he

can sport about (a necessity for that man) AND be around people he enjoys. Our trip to Foster Falls was just that. Bryce had not been climbing outside, and I have never really seen it done, really. I think I could get into this part of the sport (assuming I knew how to be safe). We were there with lovely (and really good) climbers, Josh & Katie and Jason & Amber.

I didn't climb, but hung out with adventure babe, who was roundly admired by all the climbers we passed and then slept for a bit in my lap. He is so much more likely to sleep in someone's lap when we are outside. Maybe it is the breeze on his face, I don't know. We swam at the falls before we left and (of course) stopped at Sonic. That is a necessary part of any outdoor sport, in the Eichelbook.

Speaking of face, I couldn't resist sharing this picture. Total non-sequitur.

Don't just stand there...

...baby, get back to that laundry!

Swimmin' Hole

So, the summer is flying past and very few of the pictures are getting stuck here on the blog... I have so much to recount, but for now let us meditate on one of our favorite summer pastimes- swimming at the Narrows. Canoeing with a baby is not so possible (though we did go on our anniversary- I will share that soon), but swimming? Why not? Forget the fact that Ariana saw a mother copperhead with a nest of babies at this very spot last summer. Just enjoy the water, friends!

Farm Baby

These pictures were from May, but Eli was mad at me because I hadn't shared them with you. Here you are!

Mam-maw, rocking the jogging stroller

Bryce and Alan, cleaning up limbs from the crazy storm that is commonly referred to in western Kentucky as "Winter Storm 2009." It looked as if a giant went along the tops of all the trees whacked them with a dull weed whacker.

Chillin' with great-Mams

Driving the Gator

Road Trip

This was on our way to the Lasley Family Reunion. Bryce had fed a boy and they were amusing themselves.