Anniversary.

Seventeen years ago today, the husbeast and I ditched work on a Wednesday afternoon (how's that for kismet?) and went to the Justice of the Peace and got married. We'd been planning for an autumn wedding, and crap was piling up with my family ("I don't like that part of the ceremony" "I don't like that color" "I don't like that cake"), and I'd had it, and off we went. We had met ten years earlier at his cousin's Bat Mitzvah; I was his cousin's best friend, and from there it was kind of inevitable we'd wind up friends, and we did. Then we wound up at college together for a year before the husbeast got thrown out and joined the Navy.

After about two years in the Navy, he'd decided he missed me, and I decided he'd finally grown the hell up, so we got married.

Our families said it was sudden. We rolled our eyes.

Since I don't work, I feel like an idiot when I use his money to buy him presents. (Plus he spends enough on car parts... that's my present, I don't bitch at the money spent on his beloved engine and trucks.) Usually I bake. Today, he's getting lemon squares. From scratch, from his mother's recipe. The husbeast is always quite happy with lemon squares.

Me? Well, he's a maniac with a thing for gadgets. This is what I got from him.

A photo box with two lights and a tripod. He'd seen my usual photo setup - rolled white poster board and a full-spectrum light - and decided I needed something better. So he found this, and bought it for me. Isn't that sweet? That's the husbeast to a T. He knows what I need and gets me something extreme and gadgety to fit the requirements. Plus he knows I'm a practical woman who prefers something she'll use (as a gift) to something like jewelry or flowers. (Plus I'm on a diet and have informed him anyone bringing candy into the house will be killed and eaten.) I guess this means we're a good match.

Best of all?

It folds up into almost no space. He's already added a three-way plug (for the lights) and an extension cord to the pack, because he's the husbeast.

I set the whole thing up last night and took photos. I need work with the lighting (story of my life), but I know already the tripod alone was worth the cost of the lightbooth. Check this out.

Taken in low light, with no flash, and a long shutter speed. HAHAHAHA!!

Yarn looks pretty good, too.

It'll look better once I've got the hang of the lighting.

---

And since it's National Poetry month, and my anniversary, something romantic and funny, again from e. e. cummings.

May I Feel Said He


may i feel said he
(i'll squeal said she
just once said he)
it's fun said she

(may i touch said he
how much said she
a lot said he)
why not said she

(let's go said he
not too far said she
what's too far said he
where you are said she)

may i stay said he
(which way said she
like this said he
if you kiss said she

may i move said he
is it love said she)
if you're willing said he
(but you're killing said she

but it's life said he
but your wife said she
now said he)
ow said she

(tiptop said he
don't stop said she
oh no said he)
go slow said she

(cccome?said he
ummm said she)
you're divine!said he
(you are Mine said she)