Learning to share a hammock

Four years ago today, JG and I got married! It doesn’t really feel like an anniversary because I didn’t take today off from work (a random Thursday off makes no sense to me), but I am out of the office tomorrow, so we will have a nice long weekend together. Tonight, we’re dressing up and going out to eat at our favorite restaurant, and then tomorrow — who knows? Maybe we’ll take a trip downtown for ice cream or stroll around Longwood Gardens. Or maybe we’ll drift around at home and watch episodes of How I Met Your Mother on DVD. Those are all good options, I think.

- – - – -

This year, we decided to go with a joint anniversary gift to ourselves instead of navigating those traditional year themes, and we splurged on a beautiful new skillet! The one we’ve used since I graduated from college is a hand-me-down from my mom, and it has served us well. Unfortunately, the bottom has bowed over time, and the pan isn’t ovenproof. When JG put in the order for the new one, I pointed out that we’d need to pick a special dish for the skillet’s maiden voyage.

“Good idea,” he said, pausing to think.

“We need to deglaze something!” I burst out. Because what better way to initiate the pan than to make a delicious sauce out of those tasty brown meat bits?

“Yes!”

It was settled. JG christened the skillet with steak au poivre, courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen, and we declared that it was very good, indeed.

- – - – -

Yesterday, we received a surprise anniversary gift from my mother-in-law: a hammock! JG set it up in the back yard while I ran around with Ted, and then we took it for a test ride. I don’t think it’s intended to be a two-person hammock, but we squeezed in for a comfortable, although snug, fit. JG read his magazine, I started a new book, and we both nestled into our camping pillows, heads at opposite ends.

It was a team effort whenever one of us wanted to adjust our positioning. We had to counterbalance the movement, make room for a bent knee or a straight leg, and then settle down anew. At one point, JG got up to correct Ted, and my eyes opened wide as the hammock quivered and swung with his motion. “I won’t let you fall,” he said, laughing. “I’ve got my feet on the ground.”

Perhaps, for the whole time we’ve been married, JG and I have simply been learning to share a hammock. We steady each other and adjust for changes, but when everything falls into place, it can be relaxing and cozy. Once I grew accustomed to the sway of the hammock, I watched Ted snuffle contentedly around the yard as the sky blushed from the incoming dusk. Yes, I could handle this.

Happy anniversary, JG! I love you.