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Diposting oleh
fawaid on Minggu, 15 Mei 2011
Last weekend I drove the station wagon down to visit my parents for mother's day weekend. I brought along a little jar of loose flowers and on Sunday, I sat my mom down on the patio for a mini flower arranging class. Coral charm peonies, amaranthus, viburnum clipped ever so illegally from the side of the highway and a few coral bell leaves from my window box in Brooklyn.
My mom is pretty much an untapped floral genius. She kept on doing this thing where she'd furrow her eyebrows and really consider where she'd place the next flower- her attention to detail and eye for composition was almost unnerving. I kept on saying things like
beautiful flowers look beautiful wherever you put them while jamming flowers in the vase. She was graceful but purposeful.
Her love affair with the coral charm peonies lasted for days. I'd come into the kitchen and catch her openly staring at them from a distance of 6 inches. It was a simple thing, our little flower class, but overwhelmingly nice, too.
Diposting oleh
fawaid on Rabu, 30 Maret 2011
Today's my dad's birthday. If you've been reading along for a while you know that he's a
spectacularly great dad. Smart. Funny as hell. Handsome. Big bearded. Thoughtful. Quiet, too. A little intimidating to every boy I've ever dated (and I wouldn't have it any other way). But you knew all of this already.
One thing you don't know is that his childhood nickname for me was little shit. And if you knew me at 13, you'd know he was being generous. Thanks dad, for guiding me even when I was un-guidable. Happy birthday.
Diposting oleh
fawaid on Jumat, 04 Februari 2011
I've become hopelessly speechless. The thought of clicking the shutter or penning a word seems like a huge commitment. I've been ignoring my inbox, even if it contains mostly thoughtful emails from you. Overwhelmed with life, in the truest of senses. I've been hiding my head under a blanket this past week and I'm not sure I'm ready to resurface.
But I have, even if only for the afternoon, to show you this video. My mother recently got our family's super 8 movies transferred to dvd and I've been slowly going through the clips. This is my mom at 27 or 28, with her horse Maximilien. I wanted to save it for a special occasion because it is really the most favorite and cherished thing I've ever posted, but I couldn't. When words fail, I think I'll just let beautiful things speak for themselves.
Diposting oleh
fawaid on Sabtu, 22 Januari 2011
This past Wednesday was my mom's birthday. She turned somewhere between 55 and divine perfection. I drove the 4 hours home to Maryland to surprise her and we had a nice, quiet few days. There was a fancy dinner, some sofa snuggling, ice cream and an incident with her birthday candle being blown out in an untimely manner. She got a do-over.
Mama Merrick is really the heart of our family. She smiles at strangers and pats puppies. She's honest, reflective and aware. She's compassion personified. She hugs with reckless abandon. I dug up this old photo of her riding bareback with my sister and I think it really says it all.
Diposting oleh
fawaid on Sabtu, 25 Desember 2010
This is what we call live reporting, bringing you merry merrick wishes straight from the heart of the home this December 25th. Christmas has been a smash success this year, even though we promised no presents (yeah right). My biggest present for everyone was decking out the house in fresh wreaths and garlands and Micha made us a new set of stockings at the 11th hour last night.
Instead of the normal gimme gimme christmas, we promised no presents but instead turned the tables and all got lots of presents for mom. She cried! Micha and I surprised everyone by racing down the stairs in matching vintage red union suits. Yeah, I have a collection going on.
I sincerely hope you had a wonderful holiday season, filled with much love and lots of cookies and kisses.
Diposting oleh
fawaid on Kamis, 23 Desember 2010
I was going to write an old timey Merrick christmas post but there is just no improving on perfection so go
here to read last years. In T-10 minutes (okay, an hour) we will be hitting the road to go home. I'm planning on stopping at my favorite antique stores along the way, which will double the length of our drive. Shh, I haven't told Micha yet.
Diposting oleh
fawaid on Kamis, 04 November 2010
Dear lovely, kind and thoughtful friends,
The Merrick girls are going to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam in 10 days. I have been to Paris (a shamefully long time ago) but haven't been to Belgium or the Netherlands. Micha's top pick is the Paris Opera and I'm desperate to peer into the flower auction in Amsterdam.
Now tell me, please. What are two poor but cute girls to do to? Seriously. Tell me what we need to see. If you live there, let us buy you a coffee. We promise to be entertaining.
xo
Amy & Micha
Diposting oleh
fawaid on Senin, 06 September 2010
My big sister had a 30th birthday a few weeks back and we rented a cabin in West Virginia to celebrate. We soaked in some ancient mineral springs and got massages, too, which is very fancy for us. (Ignoring the fact that Micha is a trained massage therapist and gives much better massages than the ones we paid for.)
Eager for fall, we made a fire when perhaps we shouldn't have. August 14th is no time for fires in fireplaces in West Virginia. I don't know what came over me, because that same weekend I prematurely bought an antique Christmas tree stand. In August. The shame of it all left me unwilling to remove it from my car and face the fact that I have no room in the inn for off season christmas purchases.
I'm finally ready for fall. More fires (just not at elmwood seeing as i've ruined it for everyone.) More hot coco. Less weddings. More free time. More blogging. More of everything that makes me happy.
Diposting oleh
fawaid on Minggu, 29 Agustus 2010
I'm pretty sure I can feel summer leaving, not temperature wise (lord no) but the long days seem to be ebbing away nonetheless. It's bittersweet, because things have shifted a lot in the past few weeks and this summer marks the end of a big phase of life for me. Should I even go as far as to say the end of the kid phase?
No. I refuse to ever leave the kid phase.
My pops found an old metal tripod (that he said once belonged to my high school boyfriend?? Eric Nowels- if you ever google yourself and see this, please confirm??) in the attic and brought it to me in New Hampshire. This shot was it's inaugural photo- the Merrick clan before leaving Elmwood for the summer. I still hadn't found the screw that kept the camera from tilting down, so the top of my head is artfully and unpurposefully cropped.
Whenever I look back on this summer, or whenever I start to feel unsure about the coming months, it's nice to remember how it feels to be just plain and simple happy.
Diposting oleh
fawaid on Kamis, 22 Juli 2010
I just got back from another 10 day trip to Elmwood, this time with all four of us wonderfully kooky Merricks.
Dad gave me an old tripod, so we had fun with taking family pictures. Micha and I made some flower crowns and goofed off in the field behind the house. The goldenrod was blooming and looking back on it, really and truly, I've never felt so lucky in my whole long life.
Diposting oleh
fawaid on Minggu, 20 Juni 2010
Our family's resident...
- baker of bread
- propagator of plants
- wearer of flannel
- crocheter of hats
- hiker of overly long hikes
- tender of hound dogs
- whittler of walking sticks
- practicer of yoga
- painter of watercolors
- reader of tolkien
- feeder of humingbirds
- hooker of fishing worms
- handler of all things heavy and dirty and slimy and bureaucratic and boring and financial and car related.
He is the brain behind the operation and the horsepower to our family's wagon. He's a good man, that dad of mine.
Diposting oleh
fawaid on Minggu, 09 Mei 2010
I wish I could be there with a big box of vita coco and a plate of healthnut toast. (Instead I'm racing off to Elmwood for the weekend before Brimfield.) Worst daughter of the year award, right here.
Diposting oleh
fawaid on Selasa, 20 April 2010
This past week was my parent's 30th wedding anniversary. She had just turned 28, he had just turned 30. They had known each other for 3 years and had already "married themselves" outside at the Cathedral of the Pines in Rindge, NH a year before.
She was 5 months pregnant with my older sister and I think she viewed the church wedding as almost a formality, because hey, she was already devoted and committed to my father.
The ceremony took place at a teeny chapel in Southern Maryland in the early morning. They dug up several forsythia bushes from an abandoned gas station, clipped some and replanted the rest outside as a thank you for the church. Each spring when the forsythia blooms, they get a little kick thinking about it.
It was a close family and friends only wedding. No aunts, no cousins, or fuss, or seating charts. No DIY extravaganza projects. They just picked up the bouquet and corsages from the florist that morning, my aunt Terri (holding the baby) made a carrot cake, they went out to a big lunch and then my parents went to the Kennedy Center for a performance of Giselle. Is this kind of wedding still even possible?
Her dress was a Gunne Sax that cost $60 from Woodward and Lopthrop in DC. She kept it hanging on her wall displayed for my whole childhood, so everyday she'd wake up and be reminded of her wedding.
They have a really strong relationship and I think it boils down to the fact that they talk. A lot. Everyday. They talk through every thought and concern and problem. They also joke a lot, which means they laugh a lot.
But my favorite thing about them is that whenever I have my camera out, my dad will swoop down and give my mom a big, romantic smooch. Without fail, they still kiss for the camera and it gets me every time.
Diposting oleh
fawaid on Sabtu, 10 April 2010
My folks are celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary (more on that later) in the Bahamas, so now I'm hosting a week and a half long puppy summer camp for their two dogs. Long walks in the park, ice cream runs, cat chasing, guest appearances at Saipua.
My mom's poodle Muffy is painfully cute. She is teeny-tiny and a tad mentally ill. It's taken 5 years for me to be able to pick her up without her peeing in terror. She was a rescue and came from a neglectful and abusive home, so she has a pretty good excuse. But somehow, the
crazy only adds to her cuteness. I find myself baby talking to this dog for hours.
Chewpee is my dad's 14 year old beagle. Ladies love him because he's so handsome and sensitive, just like my dad. He's been sporting my favorite bandana since he arrived. He loves going for walks in Brooklyn, the smells are like triple intense compared to the woods back home.
Those of you who know me well know that I once had a dog of my own. He was my first "sole ownership" dog, my best friend and little buddy. He died two years ago and all I have to do is think about it for 5 minutes and guaranteed a few tears will be shed. I've been resolutely holding off on getting another dog since then. I'm so busy, I'm so poor, blah blah blah..... but I can feel my resolve cracking. Meee waant doggie. GIMMEEE DOGGIEE NOW.
Diposting oleh
fawaid on Minggu, 04 April 2010
I would apologize in advance for turning this corner of the internet into a steady stream of old Merrick photos but I am not sorry and there for I will not be apologizing.
Every year my mom would buy Micha and I baby ducklings and chicks for our easter baskets. We kept them inside as pets for as long as we could, snuggling them on the couch while watching Jesus Christ Superstar and taking baths with the ducklings. The unforeseen problem with duckling baths is the duck poop in the tub, but luckily my mom wasn't fanatical about stuff like that.
Right now all my apartment windows are open for the first time so far this year. I brought some forsythia back with me from Maryland and it actually feels like Easter, baby ducklings or no. The extent of my celebrating culminated in an inaugural $5 iced coffee thingy and a walk around the block. No turning back now, baby, it's spring.
Diposting oleh
fawaid on Kamis, 01 April 2010
Tuesday was my dad's 60th birthday and I'm so happy I got to drive down to Maryland to celebrate. Those that know him know he isn't one for parties or presents or fuss, we just wandered the U.S. Botanic Garden and went to Chinatown for dinner.
My dad really amazes me. He's a rare combination of brilliant, witty, humble, honest and articulate. You can be talking in circles for hours about something and he'll just be able to distill it down to single sentence and get right to the heart of it.
People feel immediately comfortable with him. People respect him. People love the heck out of him, myself included. Happy Sixty, dad.
Diposting oleh
fawaid on Selasa, 02 Februari 2010
Here is undeniable proof from the 3rd grade, that, indeed, I've always been like this. It's poster sized. I think the hand drawn USA stamp is a nice touch.
Diposting oleh
fawaid on Senin, 18 Januari 2010
Tomorrow is my mom's birthday. Micha and I are about to race down to Maryland to surprise her, last minute, of course. I'm not packed and don't think i'll even bring anything other than my camera and toothbrush. Got to run and beat rush hour traffic. Happy Birthday mom, see you soonish!
* Her internet is broken, so she won't be able to read this till after the fact. I was born to be sneaky.
Diposting oleh
fawaid on Kamis, 03 Desember 2009
Pardon me while I indulge in christmas morning reveries from 1984. I was 5 months old and my mom was looking extra rosy, happy and perfect. My dad was wearing his knit hat and red suspenders (which he still wears christmas morning, 25 years later). I was wearing my first ever tutu with striped socks. Life was good.
Just look at my parents. They're so perfectly suited for each other in appearance, temperament and interests, it's mind boggling.
To this day, while he searches for horn handled knives in the antique store, she hunts for old bits of lace. He goes crazy for bonsais at the botanic garden while she's giddy over the ferns and moss. She plays the bowed psaltery while he's on the recorder. He's baking the bread while she's manning the omelet pan.
This fall my dad has started driving my mom to work in the mornings. Last week he was so excited because he bought them matching his and hers travel mugs so they could drink coffee side by side for their hour long commute. Painfully adorable.
Diposting oleh
fawaid on Selasa, 01 Desember 2009
Before this weekend I hadn't really seen childhood photos of my dad. He just never let on that he had any. On saturday he cracked open a hitherto unknown photo album and out they came, in all of their boyish Staten Island in the 50s glory.
My dad has always been a brilliant mountain-man type, so to see it manifest in a "suspenders, toy shotgun, cabin, jug o' moonshine, crooked smile" little boy version of himself is really really amazing.
Makes me want to pinch his 7 year old cheek, which i'm sure he would have hated. Which naturally makes me want to do it all the more.
