• DC widow blog writer Marjorie Brimley's husband plays guitar at their wedding
    Holidays

    Our 15th Wedding Anniversary

    Shawn used to play an acoustic version of Ice Ice Baby on his guitar. He didn’t do it much after we had kids but when we were in our 20s and I’d egg him on at parties, he’d whip out his guitar and start with this: All right stopCollaborate and listenIce is back with my brand new inventionSomething grabs a hold of me tightlyThen I flow that a harpoon daily and nightlyWill it ever stop?Yo, I don’t knowTurn off the lights and I’ll glow He’d always sing the whole thing, but what made it so hilarious was his intonation and the fact that he pretended to take it really seriously.…

  • Children of DC widow blog writer Marjorie Brimley run down a hill in Europe
    Holidays

    Shawn’s Birthday, Year 2

    “It’s hot!” Claire said just after she touched her food.  We were spending the day in France and Monaco.  Just before sitting down for a late-morning snack, we’d hiked to a beautiful outlook.  From the top, we could see a gorgeous view of the French Riviera.  I was dumbstruck, but the kids were mostly hot and hungry, because, well, they are kids. So we found a little café nearby and I ordered croissants for everyone.  It took a long time because they made them from scratch and then brought them out straight from the oven.  “Just take a small piece to eat,” I told Claire. She took one bite and…