5 Years of Mayonnaise

*I was realizing lately I write/blog/think about my daughter a lot... but not nearly enough about my husband. So, this is the culmination of some recently ruminating thoughts following our 5 year wedding anniversary.

Name: Mayonnaise, Roomie, The Crunchy Daddy, the Listener, Papa or Joshua (depending on which blog you read or who you ask).

Age: "Just a baby", but much older and wiser than me

Occupation: He gets paid to write books for the government, but he does dishes, folds laundry, and chases around a delightful little person who only stands half-way up his leg.

Passions: Anything that he can strum a chord on, most recently his dulcimer but always his Taylor. He is emphatically attached to books, preferably hardcover, and requires thought or imagination. Favorites include Tolkein and Lewis but he's been known to scroll through an online reader of local and national politics and economics. He's dramatically changed in his tastes since we first met but he loves SOLE food, especially if paired well with a 15 year or better Scotch.

Guilty Pleasures: Hiding a stifled laugh at our misbehaving and mischievous daughter (who is our carbon copy in demeanor, attitude, and sass), sneaking chocolate chips from the freezer, listening to the Car Guys on Saturday morning on the way to the farmer's market and stealing a kiss in the morning from his sleeping wife.

Interests: Learning. Always learning: Sustainable agriculture, foreign policy, economic and political futures, bicycling or anything that maintains his reputation as a walking encyclopedia.

Reasons I love him: Well, I think this is one of those questions that has too many answers to list here, but I think it's remarkable that he's completely different than the person I married 5 years ago and in that time we've grown so remarkably similar. We discovered a route together that leads away from the mainstream and draws us closer together as a family off the grid. What I find is so stunning is his shocking way of still surprising me - I love surprises, but I love the thought he offers it all.

I think I'll keep this mayonnaise at least another 5 years.