So apparently, Mars is to be as big as the moon right around September 4th, an event that only occurs once every few hundred years. And, of course, because it happens so rarely, it's very important and must be seen. People with rooftops have been planning Mars-sighting parties; brides and grooms are incorporating Mars into their toasts, and wild animals are planning an invasion. (Question: are all rare things in fact important and marvelous?)

As it turns out, it's a big rumor. Mars will be bright and shiny, but big as the moon? Nope. Oh well.

Independence Day

I took this picture last year outside IKEA in Elizabeth, NJ. I had just moved back from Paris and was feeling, overall, excited and manic about making a great life again in New York. It was one of those instances where you have to believe something fervently in order for it to transpire. But this was a moment that caught me off guard and had me wishing I was on that plane.

A lot changes in a year. My friend just married a French guy, and I helped entertain a small squadron of French cousins and friends. It was great to speak French again; to slip back into a mental skin that's shrivelled over the year.

On a separate note, I've been busy rearranging the furniture in my apartment, clearing out whatever stands in the way of furniture legs. I've never been much of a minimalist--I like a fair amount of book and paper clutter--so the idea of having nothing *resting* on the floor, apart from furniture, is intriguing.