“You know what this day calls for?” Jeff asked. We just came from Dandy Market, our lunch of dumplings and Filo barbecue not even fully digested yet.

Before he could say the word, I knew: Gloria Jean’s iced coffee. One of those things we treat ourselves to when the spirit of summer moves us to queue up at the oftentimes busy drive thru. Today the line and the wait was especially long or maybe I was merely being impatient, as was bound to happen with my excitement.

It has been a while. A full season has passed. A lot has happened. A lot is still happening.

Thus, a lot of selfies was taken to make up for undocumented time. I’m not even going to say it — that I should be blogging more. That I need to follow through on this particular task I set for myself as a New Year’s resolution year after year…

Yeah, nah.

But the iced coffee was real good, though. Cruising down Stud Road, I told Jeff how happy I was. But I wasn’t talking about the coffee. I meant us, as a family. The simple pleasures of life and how I’m content with it all.

Age has softened me quite a bit, lowering my standards but raising my vibration at the same time.

Life is good and I’m easy to please.

Spent the rest of the afternoon under my favorite magnolia tree in the front yard. A cocktail scent of freshly mowed grass and a tattered banig (handwoven mat) that I couldn’t bring myself to chuck in the bin because it reminds me of childhood summers in Bohol reunited with cousins and a grandma who sold ice candy.

Amidst a background of birds chirping, I read my book. Amy Tan’s Saving Fish From Drowning which is taking me a ridiculously long time to finish because it’s not as good as The Joy Luck Club but makes for an effective sedative.

And when I wasn’t reading, I was doing readings for Jeff. He calls me a shwami, which he pronounces with a “sh”. One of our inside jokes.

But he supports my crazy. That much I know. The universe couldn’t have given me a more perfect partner and I tell him that when I’m not sober.

Sober, I look him in the eye to sincerely express how much I value him as a person. “You have a good heart, Jeff. You’re actually an alright c*nt.”

Also one of our inside jokes.

*Raven at 4 years old