Six years on Saturday. My wedding anniversary. Six years ago Glenny and I were welcoming friends and family arriving from out of town and state. Julia was prepping for an epic rehearsal dinner. Max was preparing for his duties as officiant while simultaneously tuning his cello for the entrance music he would play for arriving guests and for the Armstrong redwoods and apple trees surrounding us that day.
All the prep and the hustle, the excitement and eventual exhaustion is very familiar this week, as we find ourselves mid move on this particular anniversary. Our landlord's family is taking over our home and we've had to settle a bit further east of the shop. But it's all good, we're practiced. We've moved five times together, from Brooklyn, NY to Occidental, CA, then to Guerneville. Finally to Oakland in 2015 (first application here accepted on my birthday). This is now our third move here in Oakland. Our two young daughters seem to like the new place, so we're happy (though Ellery had some initial concerns: How will the garbage truck find us here? Where will mom sleep in the new house? ).
Over the past six years at the shop, we've grown accustomed to a familiar phone request this time of year: "Do you have some boxes to spare?". So many neighbors and shop regulars moving homes, some just a few blocks and others further up and down the western coast to Portland or Seattle or LA... or much further across the county and beyond, to Bozeman or Boise, Austin or Asheville. And while we're sad to see good folks leave, we welcome the opportunity to meet and connect with new neighbors, to make new friends. And we continue to strive to be a space that makes this city truly feel like home to those still searching for that feeling. So please pass on the good word. Let your neighbors know about us. Forward a newsletter. Share an Instagram post. Or better yet, share a bottle. Have them over. Bring them in. Let's eat and drink together. Let's open boxes. Let's unpack. Everything in its right place.
See you soon,
Daniel