My New Favorite City

...is Portland.

We got back from Portland sometime last Monday. The city is WONDERFUL; it reminds me of San Francisco, only I like it better because it's smaller and much more manageable. We walked EVERYWHERE, so our legs were very tired, but in a good way. We ate delicious food (slices at Pizza Schmizza, burritos at Cha Cha Cha, fish and chips and sausages and local brew at Thirsty Lion Pub). We met many people from Mike's glass past and now they are in Mike's and my glass present and future, including the owners of Glass Alchemy, who cried when they saw Mike, said he looked healthier and happier than they had ever seen him and basically reminded me of loving parents. I know it meant so very much to Mike. They also showed us the tour of their factory, and told us that Mike is part of the tour (and part of their history - Susan showed me the before-glass-alchemy colors in Mike's lion, and then when Mike made a lion using their new colors, and oh what a difference! She told me that they knew they had to go into business and manufacture these amazing colors when they saw Mike's after-glass-alchemy lion - it was so cool to see!)

We also met one of Mike's longtime buyers and collectors, Phyllis from Trev's Glass. She had a booth at the Glass Art Society conference we were in Portland attending. We ended up spending a significant amount of time with Phyllis over the course of the weekend, and upon returning home had an email waiting for us that said "Some people just go together and you do!" That is so nice to see because not many people get to spend a significant amount of time around us together (though that will change), and Phyllis is a lovely, wise, grandmotherly type who had much good advice for me on how to make it in the glass world and build a successful business.

Speaking of going well together, we have tentatively set our nuptials for October/November of 2009, though the exact date is not yet pinned down. We will of course let everyone know the exact date when we determine it.

Oh yeah, did I mention that we decided we are getting married? I suppose you want a back story on that; well, I'll give you a little bit of it: I got home from Wisconsin on Monday, June 16. Mike and the kids were at the airport waiting to greet me, we went to Rita's to celebrate our togetherness again and had a lively and delicious dinner, then Mike and I took the kids back to their mom's (they wanted to see me before going back home). Once it was just Mike and me, he told me I'm the best thing that has ever happened to him, and he doesn't want to be without me for so long ever again, and he wants me to be his wife. I asked if that was an official proposal, and he said "No, this is. Will you marry me?"

(I said YES.)

OK, enough back story. Though there is one more thing I want to tell you: There's a quote Mike sent me in a text message not too long ago, before I went to Wisconsin; it was something he heard while listening to his favorite radio station and was something like "Marry not the one you can live with but the one you can't live without." This is how we both feel. We don't want to be without each other. And the best part about it is that we don't have to be.

We have our reasons for waiting until next fall/winter; there are important goals we need to reach first. We are working together to reach them. We will keep everyone updated when there is a somewhat finalized plan. In our hearts we are already each other's family.

Also, back to the topic at hand (that would be Portland), we just might end up living there someday, we both love it so much. :-)