Our Anniversary

Lyndon and I celebrated our fourth anniversary on August 14! It feels like we have only been married two years, but no, it has been four. I guess time does really fly when you are having fun, or keeping really busy, which is what we have done. It is kind of incredible to think all that we have done in the last four years together. They have been the most exciting years of my life and the happiest years of Lyndon's life. He tells me everyday (he really does) that he is so happy being married to me. Talk about a confidence booster!

This year we spent our anniversary looking for an apartment up in New York City. And we found one! We put in an application and signed the lease (which usually never happens) on our anniversary. And then we went to dinner with our brokers. That was romantic, haha. We were working with our own broker and then the apartment we were looking at had their own broker. Kind of confusing, but New York real estate can be pretty complicated. Anyway, when the apartment broker found out it was our anniversary he said he was going to take us to dinner at a Turkish restaurant his friend owned across the street called Seven's Turkish Grill. He invited our broker and it was a date. He paid and how could we refuse a free dinner.

The restaurant was amazing! We ate a lot of really good Turkish food in Greece, and this was even better. The pida (spelled pida not pita) bread was not like the usual pita bread that you use to make sandwiches. It was more like a focaccia and so much better. Fresh hummus, tzatziki, eggplant salad (eggplant mixed with a tomato sauce), smoked eggplant salad. plus some white beans with red onions and olive oil. My taste buds were absolutely delighted! And those were only the appetizers. I decided to be adventurous, for me at least, and try the lamb stuffed cabbage. Something different and definitely something to try again. Lyndon chose a more traditional meal of tiny lamb "burgers" with the traditional sides, rice, and veggies. We ended with the best baklava I have ever had (which says a lot because we have eaten a lot of baklava) and a ball of ice cream which had chocolate ice cream on top almonds and a cherry in the middle and vanilla on the bottom covered in a chocolate shell. Are you hungry yet? If you are order some Turkish smoked eggplant salad. The most pleasantly surprised I have ever been by a dish. Those flavors are something out of this world!

You might think awkward spending your anniversary with basically complete strangers, but we had the best conversation. Our broker we felt like we were really good friends with because we had spent the last couple of days with her basically all day. The apartment broker was a fascinating person. He collects rare books and sells them too. He found a first edition at a random book sellers, who did not know it was a first edition, which he bought for something like five dollars and then turned around and sold it for $2,500! It was Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. He was Turkish and he and Lyndon discussed Turkish history which was very interesting to listen to, especially from a native's point view teachings versus a Westerner's.

Lyndon picked out a Japanese cast iron teapot to add to our collection of Japanese dishes. That was one of the items we need to complete it. Also, while we were in Japan we learned that it is custom to give an expensive dish to a spouse or loved one on a special occasion, like an anniversary, that has symbolic value. We have borrowed that tradition and incorporated it into our gift giving to one another.

While apartment hunting we ran across this building called The Henry! Had to stop and take a picture of it with our little Henry.

It was a very different anniversary than we were expecting. Our trip to NYC was completely last minute. But we were together! Nothing is better than being with each other. Cliche, I know, but the truth is often cliche.

I love you Lyndon! I am looking forward to this next year and all the adventure it brings.