2014 was a big year for us, almost entirely because it was the year in which we finally got married. If you’ve been there, then you know that a wedding is black hole for your time, effort and resources. We were married in May, concluding a three-year engagement, and the timing bisected the year almost perfectly into periods of planning and recovery.
That sounds… a bit surly, maybe. Our wedding was actually sort of perfect – a small affair (60 guests, give or take), we handled almost everything ourselves (except for the catering, because we’re not insane). It made things relatively inexpensive, but also very personal. For all the hard work, we enjoyed every minute of it.
But, ultimately, it preoccupied most of our year, and the months which followed were a bit sparse because – financially – they really had to be. And we’ve had nothing but time to consider how we want to shape our lives going forward.
Biff and I aren’t big on New Year’s resolutions – they tend to follow the same theme of generalized, barely attainable lifestyle changes. But we find ourselves in a place where we have a chance to really explore new things and new directions. We basically have to. Our lives are changing around us.
This is Woodruff & Wrinkles: a record of the ways in which we’re committing ourselves to expressing our interests, and a kick in the pants to put more effort into fulfilling hobbies and activities.
Firstly, we need to stretch our creative muscles. We both work in a creative industry, but work itself is hardly ever totally expressive. Here, we can have an outlet for creating the things that we want to create, things that we love.
Secondly, we can’t take so much of our time for granted anymore. We spend so much time on the couch, online, or dwelling on our work lives. We need to get up and take advantage of the time we have, to enjoy our home and our neighbourhood. At the most basic level, we need to walk our dog, Reggie, a heck of a lot more – he likes the adventures, too.
Thirdly, we’re committing to putting a lot more thought and effort into our food. Food is so central in our social lives – long, comfortable meals are the basis of most of our closest friendships. Learning to cook together was one of the building blocks of our relationship. We have a mutual love of… well, eating. But, in all of our post-wedding tiredness, our culinary efforts have sort of shriveled. We need to re-dedicate to cooking more – really cooking, and making at least one meal a week which requires a real investment of time. And, come springtime, I look forward to a renewed opportunity to grow some of that food ourselves.
Woodruff & Wrinkles is our contract with each other to keep ourselves honest. It’s our contract with whoever bothers to read it, too, but we think it'll be worth reading. There will be a lot to see, a lot that’s easy on the eyes, and a lot of this little guy.
Reggie is the Wrinkles in our name, Woodruff for our love of all things green. It seems like a nice place to start.