November 21, 2007

• Our One-Monthiversary

  I can't believe it has already been a month of marriage!

  Mr. Eggplant surprised me yesterday and took me out to celebrate our first month of newlywed bliss. We had a delicious meal at Clementine, a wonderful little French restaurant in the Richmond district of San Francisco. The food and service was excellent. We'll definitely be visiting again soon.

  
  Mr. Eggplant snapped a picture of me while we were waiting for our food.

  
  This is my goofball of a husband.

  
  Our appetizer was marinated salmon and tuna tartar with sliced almonds and hazelnut oil. It was SO GOOD. I could eat a bowl of this everyday.

  
  Mr. Eggplant ordered the soup, a tasty cream of cauliflower.

  
  My entree was sautéed day boat scallops, lobster risotto, fried potatoes, all in lobster sauce. YUM.

  
  I kind of liked Mr. Eggplant's dish a little better than mine. Why does food always taste better when it's on someone else's plate? He had roasted duck breast with caper and savoy cabbage ragoût and black mission figs. It was one of the best duck dishes I've had.

  
  Dessert was caramelized French toast topped with hazelnut ice cream. SO GOOD. I should've ordered three.

  Lately people have been asking us what it's like to be married. I tell them it's like living with my best friend. It's a wonderful feeling to know that someone will be walking through the rest of my life with me. Honestly, there have been some adjustments that we've both had to make. Put any two people together and differences will always be apparent. I went to a marriage conference once where the speaker said, "I'm not impressed when a couple claims that they never argue. This just means that one person is being a doormat. A strong marriage is not evident in how infrequently you argue, but rather how the arguments are handled." I'll admit that Mr. Eggplant and I argue about once every two weeks. Usually it's over little things, like whether we should spend $100 or $1000 on a new bed. But sometimes deeper topics arise, like one of us feeling distant from the other for various reasons. I've definitely learned to be more compromising in just the last month alone. I've also discovered that I'm a lot more "princessy" than I thought I was.

  Personality-wise, Mr. Eggplant and I are very different in many ways. We have the same core values, but we're one of those unlikely couples that wouldn't typically match because our personalities are so opposite. With a lot of grace and forgiveness, we've vowed to work hard at keeping an honest and loving marriage. Just this week, we were arguing because Mr. Eggplant felt like we weren't spending enough time together. One of his love languages is quality time, so when we don't spend time together, he doesn't feel loved or appreciated by me. To address his concerns, I instated a new rule in the house: On weekdays, TVs, laptops, and video game systems may not be turned on until Mr. Eggplant and I have finished cooking, eating, and cleaning up dinner together. So far, this rule has been extremely effective because instead of coming home and plopping down in front of the tube, we now get at least two hours of daily quality time.

  In my brief one month of wedded-ness, I don't think marriage is easy. But I think if two people are willing to invest in their relationship as #1 priority, it will work. And the rewards will be far more than just a happy marriage.

  What are some things that you and your significant other do to maintain a healthy relationship?

  • 3:31 pm
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