Closeness and Space

A post a month? We must do better than this! Still I'll get on with it.

Today I want to look back on the month with a few thoughts on closeness and space in a marriage or other relationship where you live with your partner.
Let me start by saying I love spending time with my husband. If he is at home I'm in a big hurry to get done at work in the afternoon. If I have no specific committments on the weekend I'm thinking about the quality time I can spend with him and the things we can do just the two of us. But I also know that we need time apart.

I am a fan of the '5 Love Languages' theory by Dr Gary Chapman, and I think that quality time is a big part of how I communicate love. But spending time alone or with other friends is really important too. When David and I spend a night or two separate we really appreciate being back at home together. We contact each other a few times while we are apart, we get some time to connect with friends without being part of 'a couple' and the distance makes the heart grow fonder - there's lots of kisses involved when we reunite. Sometimes you would think we had spent weeks apart! So I know it's good for us to get some space and pursue our own interests and friendships.


One of the ways we do this is through Man Feast. Every month or so, David spends a night with a bunch of his male friends. Women are specifically banned. They do stereotypical blokey things like eat copious quantities of meat (presumably with no vegetables), drink beer, play video games and do horrible things to each other if someone falls asleep.

Poor Patrick.

I usually take the opportunity to catch up on work stuff, have a visit with my parents or do a bit of craft. I do like to scrapbook and make cards.


The latest Man Feast rolled around though, and I decided to retort with Girl Feast.
With her man engaged with the meat chewing, beer swilling, belch fest also, Lara joined me for an evening of pink frilly nonsense, girly drinks and an exclusive screening (in my lounge room!) of Beauty and the Beast - it was every bit as good as we remembered.

Pink decor to set the girlish tone.



Pink foods - pink lady apple and strawberry kabobs with pink yoghurt, taramousalata, spicy beetroot dip and hearts, and strawberry chocolate.





More pink, frills, aprons and tutus



Glowing pink champagne cocktails!

It was a great way to spend some time apart, with an opportunity to respectively get back in touch with our masculine/feminine sides - not to mention being silly, seeing friends, and doing something different. I think one of the great ways to stay close to your partner is by giving them and yourself some space.

Also I woke up in the morning without pen on my face, so it was an all around win.