by Susan King

In the meantime, enjoy your courtship in your current living situation, and consider making small efforts to address her need for quiet. Seek out places that will calm a harried soul: homey restaurants, parks, gardens. If you are able to afford it, plan out-of-thecity getaways to country settings or other places of refuge, such as spas.

It also could be fun for the two of you to create your own country setting in the environment in which you spend the most time together at present. Some ideas to consider: Rugs and drapes help block out street noise; neighborhood gardens are great places to cultivate a green thumb; rooms filled with live plants nourish the spirit. You can hang artwork that promotes a pastoral feeling, paint the walls a soothing color, or even pick out a table setting that you would choose if you were furnishing a cabin.

Compromises that strike a balance between partners’ needs are the only way to successfully be together for the long haul. When it comes to reaching those compromises, and living peacefully in the interim, little gestures can make a very big difference.