at the getty, part 6--a lesson in short lighting

Portrait of a Boy in Persian Dress--Jan Lievens

February 17--Proverbs 31

I was doing a rare bit of house cleaning today and found one of Arlina's bibles that had fallen behind the bed. I thumbed through it--she always put all sorts of interesting stuff in there. Within the pages I found a note I had written to her 10 years ago on a magnolia petal.

I remember making it. I took her to a little park in San Anselmo--on of my grandfather's "secret places". There was a huge old magnolia tree in the center--the same one under which my grandpa showed me that you could write notes on the white petals and watch as they turned gold.

I wrote her this note and told her it would last forever.

I loved the little romantic sillinesses we used to do for each other. I miss that.