Last night I went to De Parade with Marianne. You could say that it is our thing. The first time we went, I was here interviewing in person for the job that I now have. Since then, I have gone with her each year and then again with visitors. Since it runs over two weeks, there’s plenty of time to enjoy it.

The acrobats last night were very good and I was able to follow more of the Dutch language performances. What makes De Parade great is that you can wander around, looking at performances or sit at a table under a tree and eat guacamole or drink delicious scroppinos. And overall there are groups of people doing this together with their friends and loved ones. No one is in a rush or belligerent. Everyone is there to have a good time.

What I always like best is the long conversations that the tables seem to encourage. We had a really strong one last night and I am reminded of what drew me to Marianne in the first place. I remember my mom and I saying after we first met her “What a cool chick that is”. We’ve both lost our parents that believed so strongly in us and through the grief and loss, we’ve also found the way to make changes and try things that maybe we wouldn’t have before. And I think I can say that we have also found new reasons to be happy and grateful for the very good things that are in each of our lives.

The only disappointment yesterday evening was the absence of the Coupe du Compress booth. I had planned to introduce Marianne to the joys of air compressing your hair like Meredith and I did last summer. However, they weren’t there, so we didn’t leave with beehives. However, this motivates me to acquire an air compressor for myself and start practicing. At the risk of sounding like a late night TV informercial, the amazing thing is that it is only air – no spray, no gel, nothing but air!

In a little over a week, we leave for Italy. I am a little nervous. I already started the conversation in my head if vacation was really necessary?? I know that is just old patterns and anxieties popping up. We’re going to have a great time and I need to stop stressing out about it. The boys don’t know yet. Luckily George has an international driver’s license so he can take over driving if I decide to read or something. 😉