a weekend tale

this weekend, and most weekends of late, was absolutely lovely.

friday:

low-key and quiet

dan tidied the basement.

i cleaned out the spare room- packing away all of the christmas purchases

and handmades that i'd spread across the bed so I could admire and fondle them

whenever i so chose

(but i didn't think our friend mike would like to sleep with books, toys and

my oodles of sharp knitting needles- so the cleaning was a must)

its ridiculously dark this time of year.

i cleaned up and did my "to-do's"

i sat down on the couch thinking i'd watch a half hour of tv and go to bed

and then i realized it was 6:30p not 8:30p.

oy! i guess i was tired!

i did some knitting, watched some Breaking Bad on loan from the library

to catch up with where Dan was

and then we got to bed early

saturday:

we woke up early. 7am i think it was

but we were both ready to go and go we did.

dan went grocery shopping.

i did oodles of dishes and tidied the house some more

then we had some breakfast and relaxed for a bit

until i headed out at 9a for a 10a yoga class with Mom

we went to the Whitman Wellness center

our first class

on a Living Social Deal we'd bought awhile back

(and will soon expire)

its definitely out of my way but it was a great value

and a good chance to do some exercise + hang out with Mom!

the teacher was great.

it was a restorative focused class with some flows mixed in.

lovely

a great way to start out the weekend.

i got home and showered and spent the mid-day working

on some christmas gifts- both knit and otherwise

catching up on Grey's Anatomy and some other DVRed shows

Matt brought Willy over to get the bonfire started

so the little man and I played with beanie babies for awhile

until it was time for me to leave for Bubba's 5th Anniversary Mass

at St. Bridgets.

After mass, Gram had us all back to her house.

Aunt Milly, Uncle Richie, Aunt Florence, Nancy, Paul & the girls,

Joannie, Mom, Dad and me.

We told some funny stories, ate dinner

and watched a slideshow of Mom & Dad's photos

from their recent trip to Illinois.

Oh those sweet faces of my niece and nephew make my heart so happy

I wish I could reach out and hug them every single day.

Sigh.

I got home a little before 8p to join the bonfire

already in progress at our house.

We had a great crowd!

Mike & Maureen (whom we just learned is pregnant! Congrats)

Dana, Sheri, Shawn, Mike Carter, Michelle, Jill

Ryan & Frank

Dave, Kathryn, Tony

Matt, Kris and the kids (the latter I missed because they had to head home to bed)

Chris, Karl

Larry (who I didn't get to see)

Mom and Dad

hmm sorry if I missed anyone. It was a really great time.

Rather warm and definitely perfectly toasty with the fire going.

Lots of laughs

Dan's new and old records playing on his new record player.

Some target practice was done w/ the be-be gun before I got home.

A great, fall + friends day!

sunday:

Dan made breakfast for Shawn and Jill who slept over

(Mike left early to play football)

we watched and made fun of some sunday morning programming on the tv

then they headed out and Dan and I charged ourselves

with watching the rest of Breaking Bad Season II

(so I could return it to the library with only minimal fines)

and watch we did.

I had my 4th headache of the week

and so it felt great to be lazy.

I didn't even knit most of the time.

I just had nothing left.

the rest of the day was much of the same.

tv, knitting, a few other small projects.

i ran out to the library

dan finished clean up outside, putting the backhoe back to bed.

and then there was football.

lots of football.

which i don't mind if i can knit! :)

it was the perfect end to the weekend.

some cuddling.

lots of yelling at the tv (dan)

lots of stitching and websurfing (me)

oh how i love the fall weekend!

this week

its a rainy, raw thursday evening. i'm sitting at home with a fire blazing, thankful that dan came home after work to get it going before he headed out to Mr. P's for their weekly card night. i ate some cereal while watching some DVRed Rosie and while blog surfing realized that the blog post with a video tutorial on how to crochet a circle had been posted! i put my bowl in the sink, grabbed some yarn and a hook and i got started! and i did it!! i've been wanting to know how to crochet for a long time now and never seem to make the time. so now its finally happening. don't get me wrong, i can't see crochet having quite the place in my life that knitting does, but its a good skill to have, especially for things like flowers (soo cute for hats and accessories) and for baby blankets (from what i hear they come along much more quickly that way).... so the learning is in progress!

what other tid bits from this week can i share?

did 3 days at the gym. 2 cardio days and an hour of yoga.

i'm still obsessed with podcasts. my favorite being the Knitmore Girls! i just can't get enough of Jasmine and Gigi. they just fascinate me to no end :) i think i listened to 5 hours straight of them on Sunday on the way home from Philly!

speaking of Philly, i broke down and got myself a Fast Lane so i can speed through those tolls like the rest of the smart drivers do! yaay for that. no idea why i'd been putting it off.

i finally ordered the Origins facewash and lotion i've been coveting! can't wait for that package to arrive in the mail.

i came home to a nice surprise on Sunday- Dan, in his basement cleaning, dug out some old photos and our handpainted Mexican tiles and some other things and hung them around the house! :) he did a great job! feels even more cozy here now somehow.

the last episodes of Sons of Anarchy (both of which I watched last night, the second of which with Dan) were "kick you in the crotch spit on your neck fantastic" as Rachel would say. unbelievable! the show is sooo well written! i'm obsessed!

i LOVE Rosie's new show! I'm not sure if its doing well in the ratings, but I think she's brilliant! insightful, funny, relevant, real, easy-going. just great!

still knitting up a storm! i started and finished another project this week- which of course i can't share because its a christmas gift! i'm making really great progress on my list, though as i get closer and closer to the end i just continue to think of things i just HAVE to make to wrap and put under the tree! it will be a very handmade christmas this year, which is something i'm immensely proud of.

i guess that will do it.

time to put on a podcast, wash my face and tidy up the house... and then perhaps a little knitting before bed!

night kids.

life right now

• Sons of Anarchy is back on television and it makes me as giddy as the 10 year old version of myself shopping for binders and folders for back to school!
• Knitting cables is definitely more effort but the results are so stunning I'm surprised I don't work them into everything I knit.
• Nora Ephron is amazing. Her books I Feel Bad About My Neck and I Remember Nothing are delightful. Short and funny. So real and relateable. She reads the audio-version herself. Well worth it! (Here's one excerpt from the latter- #20 cracked me up!!)
• I have so much trouble waking up in the morning lately.
• I'm fairly addicted to Chipotle's rice and beans!
• I am still thankful not to be coughing (I was literally starting to think I'd cough for the rest of my life after the events of this summer)
• I am looking forward to apple picking and wearing sweaters, and eating honeycrisp apples
• I desperately need to get new glasses. On a nearly daily basis I find I can't see most things at work. Yet I'm too busy at work to leave for an hour to get an eye appt, so that remains unresolved!
• Meal planning during a crazy work week is absolutely useless. I was so excited to eat my tidily prepared lunches but was too busy to get back to my desk to eat them. Instead my very kind co-worker Dan brought me a boxed lunch. 1/4 of which I ate on a bench in the lobby of one of our new units, 1/4 I ate in small bites when I was alone in an elevator. 1/2 went in the trash.... meal planning take 2 next week.
• Sleeping in on the weekend feels luxurious!
• If I get my nails done every week or two I can actually have beautiful, girly nails. Who knew?!
• I now have the skills of a nearly more than amateur DJ! Dan taught me how to do it, and I DJed for my cousin Megan's wedding! Granted, I didn't actually mix anything until everyone was packing up. But I did it, and I didn't screw it up. That's gotta be a good sign right?!
• I finally got new LL Bean slippers (in Berry). My first pair have been washed so many times they are stiff and uncomfortable- the 2 least desirable qualities in slippers. I'm not in love with how these look but they are SO comfy and warm.
• Dan's finally on the motorcycle trip he's always dreamed up... he got off to a late start, has gotten rained on nearly every day, and had to shorten his route. BUT he's having a great time and after working countless hours at work for months on end, he so deserves this! I got a postcard from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame yesterday. Who knew he'd think of something so sweet to do!? Love that guy.
• I got to Skype with Riley & Garret the other night from home. Not always easy to do both from a timing perspective but also because I have a data limit on my internet use, but it was SO wonderful SEEING and HEARING them. I miss those two munchkies and can't wait to meet their little brother or sister in December (I think I'm getting a new niece for the record) :)
• so many things. this is what happens when i don't blog. photos coming next time :)

life according to my phone

I was flipping through the photos on my phone

and realized what a lovely little snapshot of my life it is.

April 7th: photo courtesy of Emelyn

during her birthday dinner at Friendly's

Another by budding photographer Emelyn Mae

She sure enjoyed that Shirley Temple!

and taking photos of it! there must have been 8 on my phone. I saved only the best one.

all birthdays should be this happy.



Clearly its been too long since I've done anything with these photos, but I believe this was Dave's last day at MGH. I had left 1 box on his chair the day before. I walked into the office on this particular morning to find this.

My computer monitor is behind that angled box in the back! LOL

I laughed so hard the people in the office next door (who I don't know very well)

must have thought I was insane!

I love having co-workers with a sense of humor.

Life has been really busy these days and take-out is an unfortunate part of my routine. Not every day but some days. I try to make the healthiest choices that I can.... one of my new favorite options is Chipotle. Rice, black beans, corn salsa, peppers, onions and guacamole.

On this particular day, the server added mild salsa which was not what I ordered and so I got my whole meal free! Gotta celebrate the little things :)

Having a camera phone is handy while shopping. I found these shoes that I thought Dan would love, but he's so unpredictable when it comes to shoes... so I sent him a text.

As it turns out, he didn't get it for weeks! No idea what happened there.

Best laid plans.

But- I bought them. He loved them!

Car detailing.

I've never done it before. $125 well spent! My car looked brand new!

Such a relief after 2+ winters of sand and crumbs and dirt....

It was truly gross.

It got a deep clean and then I put in new WeatherTech rubber mats to keep any new dirt (which entered the car 5 minutes later), from seeping into the rug. Success.


And then Dave was gone. But we never thought to change the sign.

I finally took it out one morning. But it seemed like a waste to print a new one, especially when our office inhabitants will likely change again very soon.

So I figured, keep it simple- just cross Dave off.

Shopping for our Trivia Night Fundraiser! I was at BJs picking up a few things I needed for our house, and instead of writing down prices, I just snapped some photos. Check a few more things off the giant to-do list.

And for more Trivia Night Planning- a night out with Kris. She wanted to try out PinkBerry at Derby Street Shoppes. A great idea! We chatted about plans, made sure our lists were up to date and that everything was accounted for, with a treat in hand.

Little snippets of real life.

Courtesy of my EVO :)

weeks like this...

... make me so happy.
i need to make a point to set myself up for success like i did this week.

monday
i went to the gym with kim and ryan after work
40 minutes on the elliptical then stretching
felt great
especially after walking 6 miles on Sunday- I needed to stretch out my legs

tuesday
another trip to the gym with the girls.
i did a little more than an hour on the elliptical
had dinner back at my desk at work,
then headed to Cyclorama for
Chocolate Madness!
{a charity event- $35 to enter, all the chocolate from the area's finest bakeries, restaurants and chocolatiers}
with Dana, Sheri, Jollsie, Ellen, Janice & Little B, Erika and her friend Michelle
so much chocolate
i couldn't even try most of it
i filled up so fast
a great night of tasting with friends
on the way home, i stopped in at Not Your Average Joe's
where Dan was at dinner
our friend Christine was hosting her last of a series of dinners
with contributions going towards the Huntington's Disease foundation.
got in a few more laughs and caught up with she and Maureen
then Dan and I headed home

wednesday
another good day at work
busy and productive
but low stress
i left on time
i picked up my farm share
--- a great selection of fresh, organic produce this week ---
got home and dan was cleaning the house
i joined in
we listened to the radio and puttered around
after dinner dan was working on finding some new music for his band
i laid in bed and continued work on a new hat i started,
having finished aila's birthday present that morning
i fell sound asleep by 8:30p at the latest! great night's sleep

thursday
was almost wishing the day away
looking forward to yoga at 4:30
a wonderful class
great stretches and some endurance with muscles i haven't used enough lately
a quick bite to eat
and then a 7:30 massage at Massage Envy
really great!
went home and showered off the oil,
then poured a glass of wine and caught up with dan for about an hour and a half
before we crawled into bed

so what's ahead
today's friday.
i have an easy day at work.
stopping for some accompaniments to my fresh produce to make a great dinner (and some s'mores supplies)
going to take a long walk
come home and grill up some dinner
then tonight we're having a bonfire (hence the s'mores) to start burning some of the wood
that's been littering our backyard ever since its been our backyard

saturday
zumba first thing in the morning with my bestie {yes, i'm channeling amy farrah fowler} LOL
3p birthday party for my favorite 2 year old {yes, there's only currently one of them, so i'm not really playing favorites here}
hopefully staying late for another bonfire and listening to 2 of my favorite guitar players

sunday
meeting sheri at noon for a beginner power yoga class (wish me luck)
then meeting up with kris for dinner (party leftovers, YUM) and to go over plans for Trivia Night [reminder- May 14th! call me for tickets!]

if that's not a fantastic week I don't know what is!

in other cool news- the hosta dad and i planted last year has started sprouting in the front yard, and the greenery along the driveway is filling in. its finally feeling like spring. i'm hoping to get out and take some photos!

have a great weekend everyone!

things i don't want to forget

today's the kind of day that just comes about on its own,

in a way i couldn't have planned if i tried.

things just fell into place.

i love that.

especially on a sunday

after a busy week and an even busier start to the weekend.

today i got to see all 6 of my nieces and nephews.

not even all in the same place.

none sick. none in a bad mood.

all overflowing with love.

a great kind of day.

and i know the days and weeks will go on and i'll forget these little tid bits...

unless i type them up in these few minutes before i fall asleep.

Emelyn.

loved playing with my hair

likes to be held as if she's a 3 year old even though she'll be 7 this week

thankfully she's light enough that i can still oblige

her hair is growing long, all the way down the middle of her back

and still has so much beautiful wave to it.

she hugs and kisses me SO much that it would be downright smothering if i didn't love her so darn much!! :) :) :)

Willy.

despite his sometimes reluctance to kiss me, he gave me two today

and for that i am very grateful.

we "did" a sodoku puzzle together

and then traced two number 5's together on the page

after which he did one on his own- first shot!

smartie pants :)

he's so tall and handsome

and has the best giggle.

Riley Rose.

lights up like a firecracker when she sees me

i helped her practice cutting her meatball with a plastic knife at dinner

and she did a great job!

she made friends with another little boy at Kevin Partridge's birthday party

within 20 minutes of being there

and gave every person there a hug and a kiss goodbye,

cracking herself up by saying "nice to meet you!" as I kindly instructed her to :)

Ois-man.

has so much love for one small person

he must have kissed me 37 times today- and only once did i ask for it.

he loved grabbed my lips and my cheeks and playing rough

but as he'd be holding my cheeks or pulling my ears, he'd push in and kiss me.

little lover man.

he's got the best little voice, and makes all these different "voices" when he's trying to convey a different mood.

as i was leaving Terri's house this afternoon and had already said bye to him, he came around the corner and said "we're going to miss you!"

sigh. he melts my heart.

Aila.

Aila's a riot. She wore Emelyn's shoes anytime they were left unattented.

she copies all of her big cousins and doesn't want to miss a single thing.

after i played sodoku with Ois and Willy, she grabbed a second book and a pen

and came over to sit on my lap so she could have her turn writing too :)

i love that she knows my name now and how she wrinkles her brow when she gets an answer she doesn't like. so much personality per square inch.

Garret.

actually turned away from Pepere and reached for me

more than once!

i think the boy is ill ;)

just kidding. it was super super sweet. he's a man's man most of the time

even more so with Pepere (who can blame him? boy's got good taste when it comes to that guy)

but it was great getting some cuddle time initiated by him.

he mowed his spaghetti-Os for dinner and if i let half an O fall out of his mouth he was quick to shove it back in, and then to glance over at me like i'd committed a mortal sin

he ran around Kim & Jim's house, flirting with everyone and showing off his walking skills.

They're all growing up so quickly.

No more babies.

Well, we can still think of them as babies, but when I see cute stuff in the store and I check the tag to see that it only goes up to 12 months I'm bummed that there's just no one that little to buy it for... But these ages are so much fun. There's less fighting and less worrying about who's going to step on the baby crawling around, so there's a lot of relief in that sense. And once Garret starts talking more, I'll actually be able to communicate with all of them which is just so much fun!

6 is my favorite number. Always has been.

I never really knew why. I just knew i loved it.

Maybe I just knew these babes were in my future.

I love you all.

And for now, Auntie Jen is exhausted.

Good night.

Easy v. Hard

an idea borrowed from one of my very favorite bloggers:

some thoughts about life lately

EASY: dancing around at Zumba class (laughing my butt off)
HARD: finding the time (& sometimes the motivation) to get there

EASY: dreaming about converting completely away from paper napkins
HARD: making enough of them to completely make the swap (18 + counting now)

EASY: to find the time and passion for knitting
HARD: to not knit myself into serious shoulder pain

EASY: dreaming of ideas of what my craft room will look like
HARD: to remove the snow from the door through which we will bring in the sheetrock to continue work

EASY: quick posts on Facebook and a glance at email or two
HARD: really connecting with friends I love dearly

EASY: browsing scrappy blogs and finding ideas
HARD: finding my own mojo

EASY: to think up so many great ideas
HARD: to keep track of all of them

EASY: saying i'm going to blog
HARD: actually sticking with it (its only feb folks. fingers crossed for sustainability this time around)

night kids.

today...

sharing a snippet from life today.

i am:

::rushing- all over work today. got a lot done and felt like a reasonably important cog which means it was a good day really.

::enjoying- the Valentines that Riley made for Dan and me. They made me smile from the inside out today.

::praying- that Marilyn is comfy and warm in her hospital bed tonight as she waits for her surgery tomorrow morning (delayed because of a busier than anticipated schedule today).

::loving- the moments that Kris and I always manage to find in our busy days (on the train/ chauffeuring kids to & fro, on lunch or coffee break/ whatever moment none of the 2-4 kids are screaming). a quick call. 2 minutes or maybe 12. happy, sad, frustrated, confused. always time well spent.

::grateful- for a quiet night at home with Dan. for cracking open a bottle of wine shipped home from Tuscany. for feeding my addiction (yes, nearly literal addiction) to Sons of Anarchy (now on Season 3 and quickly running out of episodes. don't ask what will happen then).

::eating- my new favorite black bean patty for dinner {with leftover risotto & asparagus- admittedly not a great combo but its all yummy stuff}

::remembering- all those grammar school Valentine's days. The file folder turned pink and red hearted pouch slung over the back of each of our chair-backs, ready to hold the seemingly endless tiny Valentine's cards (and maybe a couple packs of Smarties too)

::knitting- a lot. with a quasi-deadline looming i'm trying to crank out one of my latest projects as quickly as i can. still not sure it will be done when i'd like it too, but i'll do my best. sometimes a deadline is just the motivation i need.

::excited- to have finally booked a ticket to Florida this afternoon. its been too long (years) since i set foot in Clearwater and now it will only be about a month and a half until that won't be true anymore. looking forward to seeing Gram and the rest of the Florida snowbirds (and permanent residents), to the beach, the pool, the card games, re-painting the mural on Gram's garage, and the thousands of other activities that are a part of Gram's normal routine that she'll include me in.

::pleased- to have found it so easy to purchase carbon offsets for this trip on a plane (speaking of which, I am flying March too, I should go ahead and do it for that too). Planting trees is a great way to spend 5 minutes and less than $5 during a hectic, hard-to-focus day!

::surprised- that it was 53 degrees on my way home tonight at 5:30p when its been soo cold and ridiculously snowy this winter. what a nice relief. and similarly not surprised that it will be below freezing again by morning. i really do love New England.

::wishing you all a happy valentine's day!

weekend rundown

friday

:: reggio's for dinner. an early birthday present for Mom (love you)

:: picked up Jill and went to see our friend Christine in HairSpray at the Orpheum in Foxboro. a fantastic show.

:: went out to Friday's after the show. got home at 2am {who do we think we are?!}

saturday

:: slept til 10a. cleaned the house a bit

:: got some great material for future sewing projects at Goodwill and Salvation Army

:: got cool soap dispensers for the kitchen and bathroom at Target [yes, even after living here almost 3 years there are still some basics I just never bought but now I'm glad I held out for the stuff I really want]

:: came home to dan shoveling snow off the roof :(

:: cleared off the snowy stairs while he showered. holy heavy snow. why did i offer again?! ;)

:: krissy and matt's for dinner with megg, maribeth, devon and zack. one of the best dinner parties in a long time. lots of catching up was done. we played a new (to us) game called Mafia, and embarrassed each other to death watching Terri's School of Dance Recital Videos circa 1995-1997. priceless

:: another night of getting home at 2 am {really, who do we think we are?!}

sunday

:: amazed myself by getting out of bed and making it (just barely) to my 10a zumba class

:: went to the Creative Stitch annual super bowl yarn sale, then lunch with ryan before coming home to craft

:: i finally finished three small canvases to hang in our bedroom (started with the idea this summer).

:: watched Fever Pitch, wound yarn into balls, and tried to help Ryan learn her new sewing machine.

jam-packed weekend.

busy.

fun.

silly.

productive.

rejuvenating.

wish all weekends were this great.

and to round out the week

a few more random thoughts and happenings

• work was so much more bearable this week. a nice relief.
• modern family is the funniest show!
• can't wait for the library to email and say Sons of Anarchy Season 2 is READY for pick up
• i sewed my first napkin last night! hooray.
• i bought a new winter coat after taking a close look at my current coat (which is completely shredded inside). $61 lands end at sears. simple, black. long. warm.
• learned changing from red to black for a coat is a tough transition. initial thought- it feels kinda drab. must work on that.
• add to my to do list: make funky, brightly colored winter accessories to jazz up new coat
• we got more snow! dan woke up the favorite child (the backhoe) from its hibernation and cleared out a little more space for us humans and our vehicles because the snow was closing in.
• today may have been the longest commute i've had in awhile. in both directions, we were all forced off the train at JFK/UMASS. on the way to work i got shoved into a train that had a leaking vent and i was getting dripped on all the way to MGH. on the way home i was so pleased to get a seat only to have someone squeeeze in next me nearly crushing me. not fun. super long. super uncomfortable ride. ahh the joys of the T.
• i am taking riley to gymnastics tomorrow. can't wait to see her new tumbling skills. i haven't seen her "perform" since end of her last program.
• its 9p on friday night and i am wiped. time for bed! bona nit.

some things about today

yes, I've been posting up a storm lately.

i'm sure this is a spurt like many others.

but when i look back at my posts months, even years later,

i tend to love seeing these posts that just talk about our everyday lives

here in this quiet little house.

and this week i am in the mood to record that so here goes...

some things about today:

* after about a month of conserving pellets (while staying amazingly warm with the wood stove alone) the pellet stove is back on, fired up and ready for the single digit temperatures coming our way. i am very curious to see if we can come out of the winter with pellets leftover to be used for winter 2011/2012! fingers crossed :)

* dan reheated his dinner on the wood stove tonight [steak and baked beans]. yes partially i think he just wants to save on the electric bill, but i love that he buys in on my green methods.

* speaking of the wood stove/green ways, i bought a duvet cover at the Salvation Army for $2.11 tonight. i am hoping to make cloth napkins out of it so that we can completely switch off paper for our daily use. the price was certainly right and i love the fact that i am using something that was cast off. {sneak peek: i am hoping to focus on some extra craft projects this year that reuse/repurpose old items}

* today was my friend Carla's last official day at MGH :( although she is coming up to our office tomorrow so we were all glad not to have to have had to say good bye for real today.

* it rained all day yesterday and then iced up overnight. leaving for work this morning, i fell flat on my butt. it killed. my back's been out of whack all day. lousy. but it could have been worse!

* i chatted with my friend christine on the phone after work today. i am not much of a phone person and i'm horrible about reaching out and calling people. not great traits in a friend, i realize. but i always love when i DO reach out. it was great catching up. love you tini.

* i am obsessed with my Google Reader feed of late. so many creative ideas. so little time. my crafty to-do list is growing and growing. hope i can tackle a few items this weekend.

* after about a year of issues getting Sirius radio to work on the computer I got it working recently and today i had the rare opportunity of having our 4 person office to myself and having the right type of work to do while listening to Stern. it was a highly enjoyable 45 minutes.

* our house is still clean- week 2 of really focusing on keeping the clutter to a minimum. its very relaxing. plus, more and more i feel confident walking around the house without turning on the light in each room => less electricity/energy used.

* i missed dan's guitar playing last night, but enjoying listening to the radio together tonight. i've really been trying to cut down on tv especially during the week, and while its hard to fight that instinct sometimes, i'm much happier with how i'm spending my time (especially here)

* i did some more work on my latest afghan tonight. i'm loving how its coming along and how quickly. plus it looks gorgeous draped over our couch (for now anyways).

* the wood stove is warm but, unless i'm roasting, i love having a blanket on me in the winter. my favorite blanket of late is a quilt that my cousin Gayle gave me this spring. it was made by my great-grandmother and I love it. it has that soft, worn in feeling that you just can't get off the store shelf.

*i still suck at getting up and out of bed at 5a. i usually land on the floorboards around 5:30 which isn't terrible... and i'm never late for a meeting but it does kind of bug me. in good news (flash back to 2010 goals), i didn't get a coffee on the way to work this morning!

* i have about 5 other ideas for blog posts, but i'm running out of steam... so keep coming back. more to come this week.

today was a good day...

:: i made it to work in a reasonable amount of time despite loads of snow this morning and loads of rain this afternoon.

:: i got a lot of catch-up done after having been away from my desk for 98% of last week.

:: i had lunch with my two favorite lunch buddies- ryan & kim. we chatted, knitted, talked about knitting and patterns and techniques and just generally enjoyed the hour. yes, a whole hour! there was a little work talk mixed in too.

:: i went to target to get a few necessities (method liquid fabric softener which apparently comes in a new bottle, dr. bronner's soap & method dishwasher tabs). i also bought 2 organizers for my car to hopefully keep me more organized {{read: LESS CLUTTERED}} in 2011. One is actually a pretty basket that's meant for storing magazines (in the house), but fits nicely in my front seat, where 99% of the time no one sits. And the other is a trash bag that goes over the backseat to contain the junk. Fingers crossed that having a new system will help me tackle that.

:: i am psyched for my first sewing class on thursday night with aunt florence! and i remembered how much i'd like to make my own cloth napkins so we don't have to use paper at home, so i'm hoping to hit some consignment stores and thift stores this weekend to see if i can find some cool vintage cloth!

:: i babysat a&w for the first time in ages today! we had a ball. so much playing and silliness. photos to come.

:: its already tuesday and i've only had 1 day of work. not a bad way to start the week

:: i am reading The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard on the train. right up my alley. highly interesting and enlightening. look forward to some upcoming posts about that. i'm also enjoying that i don't have to knit on the train. i am working on a couple washcloths, but i have no real deadlines right now. a nice change of pace {she says as she's thinking of the next 4 projects she can't wait to start! lol}

This Week

this week had the potential to be extremely hectic.

and yet it wasn't nearly as bad as i expected.

monday//

:: prepped for an upcoming workshop

:: attending a goodbye to MGH party for one of my favorite MGHers and best possible teammate :(

:: hit whole foods for the first time in ages and picked up some healthy food to keep me fueled for the week.

:: got home late. wasn't hungry, but made a veggie calzone to eat for the rest of the week

tuesday// the workshop begins.

:: my co-worker dave and i co-facilitated a 4-day process improvement workshop (kaizen) with the help of our very talented GE coach linda (far left)

:: we were extremely lucky to have an informed, dedicated, open-minded group of staff to work with. they got a lot done in their 4 days away from their units.

wednesday// snow

::left home around 5am.

made it about a mile. visibility was practically non existent

snow covered branches fell into the street and blocked the way or at least the view

and as a result, i hit a downed power line.

i couldn't stop.

i slammed the brakes, let off knowing i shouldn't, but then thought

"hmm this isn't like slamming into a guard rail.... if the car blows up i'll have wished i tried harder."

slam brakes. couldn't stop.

no bang. no sparks.

slammed it into reverse and backed up.

geeeez. i was able to cut up on the lawn on the left side of the road and get under the line and out of the neighborhood.

driving in snow does not scare me.

that did!

but i made it to work, and so did 7 of our 8 participants.

that totally rocked.

that's one of the things i love about MGH. there are some people who are just SO passionate.

::cold + snowy + hot shower = perfect

add in some new olive oil soap and its an instant stress-be-gone situation

loved it. and i think it may actually help fight this dry skin situation.

plus, as much as i love my dr. bronners liquid soap and the ease of using that,

there's something so beautiful about soap bubbles!

thursday//

::long day. got home at 8p.

worked til 9p from my sturdy little mac.

dan went to bed.

i had the fire for company :)

until i crashed too

i think what got me through the week of long, mentally draining work-days,

were my low-key nights.

no errands. no visiting. no obligations.

sometimes that's the only way.

one night i came home and caught up on my google reader catalog of creative ideas. always works to recharge my batteries.

one night dan and i laid on the couch and watched Good Will Hunting.

i even managed to make progress on my 2011 goals!

:: i finished my first mitten. its kinda pointy and weird, so that was disappointing but i finished nonetheless. i'll keep learning and trying.

:: this house is clean. even come friday. no clutter. no mess. dishes in the sink. island free of debris. one perk= i have room to display this gorgeous new platter that terri gave me for christmas. love it.
:: oh, and i took more photos! score.

friday//

:: another long day.

but having an end in sight was great.

i was fading during the first half of the day,

but thinking of going for drinks with my team helped pick me up

carla, stephanie, dan, dave and i went to scampo at the liberty hotel for drinks and dinner.

we laughed so hard.

we bitched.

we commiserated.

we laughed even harder.

we ate some literally mouth-watering foods.

we drank some drinks. the boys drank some really strong drinks.

dave's fiancee cara came to join us.

we drank some more.

we laughed even harder.

and so. yes all in all, not a bad week.

though today may take the cake:

saturday//

:: woke up around 8:30a

:: dan made a yummy breakfast

:: we chatted about our weeks

:: we got the fire blazing and cleaned up from breakfast

:: then we sat on the couch [the very thing i'd been looking forward to all week]

we watched A League of Their Own and Julie & Julia.

---------- did i mention this was a great day?? ---------------------

:: then i did some shopping and got dinner with my favorite extended family.

and still, i have 2 days off to go.

i plan to enjoy every second.

a stormy night adventure

Krissy and I made plans to get together for dinner on Thursday night. She had just gotten back from her family reunion (5 days away from MA), and we wanted to try out some new recipes with our farm share veggies, and... well who really needs a good excuse to get together with your best friend? So we planned for Thursday. She'd come to our house and bring the kids.

When she arrived a few minutes after 5p I'd already changed into my favorite sundress (hand sewn by Mom more than 30 years ago) to keep as cool as humanly possible, and I'd whipped some tomatoes, onions and hot peppers into fresh salsa for our snacking pleasure. Krissy, wearing her recent favorite sundress too, settled in at the island with me.

Aila instantly took over the house in the way that only a very adventurous, precocious 15 month old can. Within 5 minutes she'd found the one definite no-no item in the vicinity- the hard stone hearth surrounding the fireplace. She grabbed Uncle Dan's Indian Playing Card Tin, walked right over, sat on the hearth and put her arm up on the mouth of the stove. Thankfully- its summer!

She and Willy made themselves at home (and away from the stove) in no time, playing with legos and whatever else they could find behind the couch.

Kris and I talked about the past week and plans for the future, munching on salsa while I tried to mentally calculate our plan for the dinner risotto. And as soon as I took the yellow beans out of the fridge, the power went out. We forgot about dinner for a few minutes thinking it might pass (silly, really, since the thunder came nearly every 3 seconds and it was pouring something fierce) and lit candles to brighten up the kitchen. After about 10 minutes Willy asked "Auntie Jen, can't you turn the lights on now??" nope. I explained that this was going to be an adventure night. "Yes, this IS an adventure, Auntie Jen!" It comes in handy that he's so ready to agree with me about this stuff.

When the rain started slowing we revised the plans, filling pans and prepping veggies to make a go of things on the grill (which, for the record I've only ever used once in my life). We put the risotto on the burner to the left of the grill and started that to simmer. Chopped tomatoes (a large orange blossom variety and some small purply looking almost-cherry tomatoes), onions, garlic and olive oil went into our old grill pan and onto the grill. Then we put the sliced patty pan (think summer squash but with far more, delicious sweet flavor- see photo below) and yellow beans into a grill basket. Finally, thin slices of eggplant with olive oil and balsamic vinegar went directly on the grill.

(patty pan photo care of google images)

It took a lot of back and forth, and keeping the kids within eye line but somehow everything cooked, and even finished nearly around the same time. It was too hot to stay inside and the rain had stopped, so I recruited Krissy to help me carry the huge handmade, very solid wood dining table that Bill made outside so we could try to enjoy our dinner. No sooner did I get the chairs out then it started to rain again. Just sprinkles this time- so we moved the table to the front porch where it would be covered. Yes, we are very much overdue for purchasing some deck furniture... but at least we made it work.

An attempt to get some water for Aila reveled that we'd used the last of the water in the pipes and that clearly the electric pump for the well would not be helping out any longer. Awesome. Still, we had some organic strawberry lemonade to quench our thirst and a table full of food. As we sat down I was so sticky and hot and starting to think I was insane. Wouldn't a salad, or a delivered pizza have sufficed? Was all this really necessary? But the first bite of eggplant, patty pan, yellow bean, 2 kind of tomato, garlic, onion and parmesan cheese screamed out to me "YES! It was well worth it" and just like that I relaxed into that chair and enjoyed every bite!

Krissy was just as delighted by our cornucopia style meal and Willy even ate a little- trying the beans and squash even though he claimed he didn't like them. I think Kris and I agreed that the patty pan is our favorite new veggie. So much flavor and fewer seeds than summer squash. Willy told us about all the animals he'd seen at the zoo in Pittsburgh (a roaring lion, tigers in the water, a seahorse [at the aquarium part], giraffes [which he says are "my favorite too Auntie Jen"], elephants, and alligators)...and Aila squawked for her freedom which wasn't going to be granted until we finished eating. I think Uncle Dan saved the day there, arriving home and ready to play with his niece and nephew.

We had hoped to grill the last of last week's peaches but some of them had started to turn and so we nixed that idea, eating the last of last week's homemade ice cream alone (or in Krissy's case with the Stonewall Kitchen chocolate peanut butter sauce). I think Aila ate most of my dish and then proceed to attempt to lick both the inside and outside of the frozen ice cream tumbler clean! But it kept her entertained while Willy relayed the animal sitings to Uncle Dan.

Willy and I took a walk through the backyard and I taught him about our compost bin which of course fascinated him. He declared it to be "the PERFECT compost bin," and loved that when the food breaks down you can use it for soil "and then you grow more food right?" he asked, remembering what I'd explained.

Then it was time to bring the dishes inside... for what reason I don't know- with no power I couldn't wash any dishes yet... The kids got their pj's on (by candle light and lanterns). And finally around 8p the power came back on again. I started the dishes. Willy and Dan ran laps and giggled- through the livingroom, out the slider, around the deck, back through the front door. Repeat as necessary. Then it got buggy and we retreated inside. Dan taught Aila to say his name and though I'm not sure if she knew what she was saying- she was definitely saying Dan! :) Big girl!!

Finally around 8:30 Kris got the kids packed up and they headed out. Bellies full and hearts content, we ended a stormy day on a very wonderful note.

Reflections on Turning 30

Thursday June 10, 2010 was a simple wonderful, dare I say perfect day.

I was awakened before 5am with a gentle kiss and a "happy birthday" from Dan and promptly fell right back to sleep (as I do every morning).

The alarm went off a little before 7am so I could make my 7:30 yoga class. I got dressed, ate an apple and filled my water bottle. I got another "happy birthday" from our friend Jill who after a long tale of misfortunate was fortunate to spend the previous night in the warm coziness that is our home- laughing and talking with Dan and me until after midnight. I'm grateful to have had her company, and glad we could help her, even just a little.

Yoga class was phenomenal. I've only take a handful of classes in my life and I forget how much I enjoy it. I need the stretch, my body practically insists and yet I ignore it all too often.

The focus for this class was the Second Chakra, which amazingly, was perfect for me. The Second Chakra is located below the navel and rooted into the spine, is connected to the spleen and the digestive system and is often referred as the “sacral” chakra. It is the seat of our emotions, sensations, pleasure, movement and nurturance and it controls our relationships and social interactions with others. It governs our self-worth, confidence in our own creativity and ability to relate to others in an open and friendly way. The second chakra is the chakra of creativity, pure attention and pure knowledge. It is the one which connects us to the inner source of inspiration, and enables us to experience the beauty around us.

There was a lot of focus on the hips and shoulders, two of my most tender, tight spots. It helped to stretch and ease some pain. And as we lie in savasana at the end of class, the instructor gave us instructions on how to go forth with the day- "look for beauty everywhere you go.... do something creative today, even if it is just creatively organizing your sock drawer... be inspired and enjoy each moment."

I felt like she was speaking just to me.

I came home and ate some breakfast. A wheat/everything bagel with whipped cream cheese and CSA chives mixed in. Blueberries and strawberries on the side. I watched Regis and Kelly and let the relaxation continue a little before my shower.

I resisted the urge to stay away from work email for most of the day, but had to peek at my favorite morning indulgence- my "Daily Thought" from Real Simple Magazine. Another "you have to be kidding me, does the whole world know its my birthday?!?" moment. The quote for June 10: “There is no old age. There is, as there always was, just you. ” ― Carol Matthau

I suppose the world is trying to tell me something :)


After some cleaning, a shower and some primping, I met Krissy, Willy and Aila for lunch. Well technically I met them in the parking lot of Bank of America so Kris could do a banking transaction solo (instead of +2), and she practically threw my present at me in the bank parking lot dying for me to open it! And I was just as thrilled as she was, once I got all that tissue paper out of the way. Its a filled-pancake pan from Williams & Sonoma and a container to put fresh whipped cream in so you can spray it out with little bursts of N2O that comes in these little chargers!! Oh, we're going to have some fun with this!! :) {Thanks again Kris! I love you}


We made our way to Strawberry Fair for lunch. The kids were both on their best behavior, alternatively being so cute, silly and entertaining and then quiet enough for Krissy and I to talk. At one point before the food came out, Willy (who was sitting next to me), reached over and gently put his left hand on my right thigh and said unprovoked "I love you." Oh I could eat that kid up! Aila ate more than all of us combined, but when she wasn't eating she was imitating everything going on. The waitress was a super sweet 50 something who adored the kids, and who loved talking with her hands. As soon as she walked away, Aila turned to the only other patron and started babbling, arms out, palms up just like the waitress had done! She picks things up quickly that little noodle.


I believe Willy took this shot. The lighting was wonky in there- he's actually usually very good at using my camera, despite the fact that he's not yet 3 years old...

And Kris was kind enough to take this. She took some others that were technically better shots, but I love this one.

We wrapped up lunch around 3p and made our way to the parking lot, the only cars left. I put Willy in his carseat and gave kisses and hugs to each of my lunch companions, thanking them again for a wonderful meal. I walked back to my car, got in and started driving towards the exit when I could see Willy yelling and motioning like crazy. I finally rolled down my window and stopped as I pulled up next to Kris' van to hear him saying "I need one more kiss!!!" How can you say no to that?! I got out, car still running, and walked over to the van, asking if we could manage this through the window (which didn't go all the way down). Um no, clearly that was not acceptable. Kris opened the door and I got one more big kiss. As I backed away, I thanked him and said 'I love you' like I always do and Willy's response was "I need a hug!" So we did a bonus hug too. And then he was satisfied. He blew me kisses as I drove away still yelling "bye" and "love you" as best as I could tell with his window back up! :) What a sweetie pie. He's going to make some woman very lucky some day.

I hooked up my ipod to my car stereo and continued to listen to Eat. Pray. Love. by Elizabeth Gilbert. I read this book shortly after it was released a few years ago and have been falling in love with it all over again this week. I'll admit this book is one of the main reasons I even thought to go to yoga this morning.

I also hooked up my GPS- destination: The Creative Stitch. I had a feeling it might be too late to try for a drop-in class to learn how to switch colors in my knitting, and I was right. But it was still fun to browse the store, and I took advantage of the free time to get in a little walking through the streets of downtown Hingham and all its cozy, unique shops. I even treated myself to an ice cream, which was far larger than I expected and I'm ashamed to say I had to toss out because I couldn't finish the whole thing!!

I had hoped to catch the Cohasset Weekly Farmers Market but it wasn't open. I'm not sure if its just too early or if it was the lousy weather, but with my audiobook keeping me company I didn't mind a few miles out of my way.


At home I listened to the end of my book. If you haven't read Eat. Pray. Love, I beg you to go buy it or borrow it right now. Here are a couple quick exerpts that really spoke to me:


"Stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone ought to be."

"People tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will descend like fine weather if you're fortunate. But happiness is the result of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it."

"Having a baby is like getting a tattoo on your face. You really need to be certain it's what you want before you commit."

"We search for happiness everywhere, but we are like Tolstoy's fabled beggar who spent his life sitting on a pot of gold, under him the whole time. Your treasure--your perfection--is within you already. But to claim it, you must leave the buy commotion of the mind and abandon the desires of the ego and enter into the silence of the heart."

"You were given life; it is your duty (and also your entitlement as a human being) to find something beautiful within life, no matter how slight."

"There is so much about my fate that I cannot control, but other things do fall under the jurisdiction. I can decide how I spend my time, whom I interact with, whom I share my body and life and money and energy with. I can select what I can read and eat and study. I can choose how I'm going to regard unfortunate circumstances in my life-whether I will see them as curses or opportunities. I can choose my words and the tone of voice in which I speak to others. And most of all, I can choose my thoughts."

"I thought about one of my favorite Sufi poems, which says that God long ago drew a circle in the sand exactly around the spot where you are standing right now. I was never not coming here. This was never not going to happen."

While I listened to the last CD of the audiobook, I finished my scarf! The first project I've ever completed for myself! Sort of lovely and ironic being that it was my birthday, and that was I specially assigned a creative task by the yoga teacher just that morning!

{insert picture here. i promise i will take one this week}

Dan came home as I was finishing my project. We chatted for awhile and flicked through the TV channels, finally settling on our library DVD rental- The Blind Side. Yet again, if you haven't seen this movie, go get it. Now. Do not pass GO! Do not collect $200! Its a great movie. Yes, I cried through most of it-- that poor kid broke my heart a million times, but its a great story and well told. Plus, the son SJ is a riot!!

It was a great way to end the day, snuggled up with my guy watching a fantastic movie.

Yes, I'm officially 30 years old. It sounds awful, like nails on a chalk board sometimes, but at the end of the day, I'm the same old me. I don't feel any different. It hasn't depressed me- something I'm glad I can say honestly.

I don't have everything figured out yet, nor do I think I should, but I'm happy with where I am in my life right now and I can honestly say I wouldn't change a thing.

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. " - Ralph Waldo Emerson

24 Days until I Turn 30

A glimpse into a semi-normal day in my life at the age of almost-30.

5:00am the alarm goes off- hit snooze twice. it took awhile to fall asleep last night and i'm feeling a little groggy.

5:15am shut the alarm off for good. turn the TV on-- Channel 5. there's no other station for me in the morning. i love bianca and randy, JC and cindy campbell-- but i still struggle to get out of the bed… that lasts about 4 minutes.

6:00am I walk out the front door. happy to be out in time to catch the beginning of the Stern show- he and Beth are just back from their weekend in L.A. and I'm excited to hear all about it

6:10am I tear myself away from the radio for a quick trip into Marylou's for some coffee!

6:30am I get to the train (traffic was fairly reasonable today. surprising). I listen to Jodi Picoult's Change of Heart on my ipod while knitting a scarf for this weekend's Trivia Night--it will go home with one lucky raffle prize winner. a few more train rides and it will be complete! i almost forgot how quickly a scarf comes togethers since i've been working on blankets for so long.

7:15am I arrive at my desk. Unpack my lunch and fruit to put in the fridge. Log into my computer… check a few emails. work day begins.

9:00am Do some work for this weekend's Trivia Night- send some reminder emails, make some signs that I'll need to print and bring on Saturday… yep personal stuff on work time. my schedule has been light here lately- which happens maybe once or twice a year so i'm taking advantage of the calm before the inevitable storm. then its back to work.

10:15am My friend Kim came to catch up on the weekend… we got to chatting so I figured I might as well run my errands while we did. A trip to the bank to drop off a deposit for my mom's boss and to get me some cash for the week (at $7 per day to park at Braintree I have to carry more cash than I'd like). A breeze through the gift shop where they have some new summer Vera Bradley patterns. Finally something I really like, in a style I really like. I have had a gift card burning a hole in my pocket for some time now so I finally broke down and bought this bag and this wallet. Thank you Dan! :) Then a quick stop to get some pita chips to go with my chili for lunch.

10:55am Back at my desk. More email. Editing some documents. Making a to-do list.

11:25am Reheat chili for lunch. Eat with some shredded cheese and the pita chips I purchased {dan's buying me corn bread tonight. that will make a better "jelly" to this proverbial peanut butter for tomorrow's lunch}

11:50am I am called over to my co-worker Carla's desk to help her with a slide deck she's presenting tomorrow about a project I'm facilitating- defining the role of the Operations Associate… what does it mean to do that job well? What values must the employees exhibit? What behaviors do we want to be able to observe to know they are doing well? Its a lot of details, but a really interesting project.

12:08pm Stephanie comes to get Carla and me. She and George are waiting in the conference room... we join them and spend until 2:00 in there, an hour longer than planned, but we got an enormous amount of editing done.

2:15pm I need a little mental break. 2+hours reviewing documents has my head swimming. checked out this blog shared by my friend amber earlier in the day via a link on facebook... then its back to work, editing the document I'd already lived with for about 3 hours today.

3:15p I pack up my stuff, pop in my ear buds and head to the T. I started knitting while waiting for a braintree train- of course an Ashmont came through first.

4:40p Driving down Grove Street. almost home. this might be a new record! kinda bummed that I'm not going out walking tonight. for the first time in a few weeks I'm craving it- but I'm looking forward to dinner with the Litchfield clan in honor of Nancy's visit from Florida

4:45p arrive home. Dan has most of the food prepped and the house clean. I change into comfy clothes and join in… clearing off the spare room bed, pulling out platters, cleaning the toilet, putting away laundry, opening curtains, washing the slider. email my friend mike who is trying to get me a gift certificate for a raffle prize.

5:30p still no one has arrived. dan's half asleep on the couch, taking advantage of a few quiet minutes. today's howard stern show is on in the background.

6:00p Aunt Nancy and Anna May arrive, followed soon after by Uncle Charlie, Uncle Ray and Aunt Lillian. We give the house tour for Nancy and Anna May who haven't seen the place. It’s refreshing to give a tour and see the house with new eyes, forcing us to remember what the place used to look like and how far it's come. We're coming up on 2 years in July (we moved in the first week of July 2008)-- hard to believe! Leslie came over after work, and then Chris. Brad and Karl joined us too.

7:30p Dan pulls the steak, chicken and veggie burger off the grill. The veggies, salad and pasta salad were all plated and ready to dig in! We tease Leslie that she should be sitting at the table with the "seniors" since she was closer to that stage than the rest of us "kids." She humbly disagreed ;) Us "kids" took to the couch and made good use of the tray tables Grammy bought Dan and I for Christmas (thanks again, Gram! they are so handy). We talk about Bob's adventures in Mexico, how Leslie had a blonde moment and thought Mexico was an island, debate who would make the best Trivia Team for Saturday night, and learn all the latest & greatest drinking games from Brad's freshman year education.

8:15p Dessert- leftover treats from Saturday night's celebration that we still can’t polish off - Karl and his roommates can work on that this week.

9:00p the troops make their way home, thinking ahead to early morning alarm clocks and another long day ahead. Karl and Uncle Charlie stay behind, finishing their coffee and chatting with us about how the owner of Steinway Pianos lives up on Second Cliff, the history of the Stenbeck home, and educating Karl and I about the "old road" that we always hear about in the Matt-"Big-Eyes" stories which was really just that stretch of road next to Uncle Ray's house (way different than I pictured). I knit while we chatted- every row counts!

9:45p Uncle Charlie heads out. I put away my knitting and said goodnight to Dan and Karl.

All in all it was a great day! A productive day at work without being overly hectic. I got to leave a few minutes early and didn't miss anything... I arrived home in time to get some quiet time with Dan before the dinner crowd arrived, and then we had a lot of laughs sharing stories and thinking ahead to our summer vacation. All weeks should start like this one did!

Things I Love Right Now.

• I love that it is warm enough for me to stay on battery power in my car for longer stretches (love my hybrid)
• I love Rescue Me Season 5 on DVD (and my town library who rented it to me for free)
• I love getting more library books about organics and food labels. I am literally a sponge. I love learning more about this topic.
• I love my best friend who not only supports me in this but is also now fully invested too- making sure her children grow up eating the best food and the least chemicals possible.
• I love my new ice cream maker. I love that this deeply discounted device makes it possible to make yet one more thing at home, reducing my dependence on pre-packaged goods. say good-bye to preservatives.
• I love that after the cancellation of both, we do now have a flight to Florida and a condo in which to relax for a week this summer with 22 wonderfully fun and fantastic Litchfields.
• I love that as of mid-march I'd already been outside walking in capris and a tank top
• I love that my dad is so ridiculously funny that it literally hurts me to laugh at his antics
• I love newly swept and mopped hardwood floors and polished granite countertops
• I love baked oatmeal and crockpot applesauce
• I love browsing stores in Harvard Square
• I love knitting blankets (and looking forward to a time when I can take a class and finally learn to do something more advanced)
• I love google reader- it makes my life more organized. I never miss a single blog post I want to read.
• I love Ann Taylor loft, which carries my new favorite embellished items at deeply discounted prices.
• I love my Beginner Digital Photography Class at NESOP. I am learning so many things. I can actually shoot in manual. The $265 was worth that alone!
• I love my daily emails from Real Simple Magazine.
• I love my farm share- the anticipation of seeing the freshly picked, brightly-colored, vitamin and nutrient packed produce waiting for me each week.

The Cleanse

My friend Kim, from work, had been talking about doing a cleanse for awhile. I'd heard of them, was vaguely interested but had never given it all that much thought, but Kim was set on it and our other co-worker Dave had done one the week before and survived, so I took that as a sign.

After all, I've been trying to eat more homecooked, local, organic foods in my daily diet. I still struggle with it, but I've been doing better in the past few weeks and so this seemed like a good time to really cleanse all of the crap out of my system and take a go at eating strictly healthy for a whole week.

Minds made up, Kim and I walked over to Whole Foods on our lunch break one day last week. We spoke with the sale person who told us about a number of the cleanses and recommended one to us. This is the one we chose Total Body Rapid Cleanse. The basics of it is that:

1. You take two pills in the morning which is supposed to target the liver, with 4 amino acids and 6 herbal extracts. 7 herbal extracts are included to support the rapid and deep detoxification of the lungs, lymphatic system, kidneys, skin, blood. I realized on Friday morning that I read the directions wrong and was only taking 1 pill in the morning and evening, so I'll likely be continuing the cleanse until all the pills are gone!

2. A little while later you dump a scoop of the supposedly tasteless powder (a total fabrication), which provides 8g of soluble acacia fiber. One the first day I mixed it with water. It tasted as bad as it smelled, which was like glue. Fortunately they say you can mix it with juice- and so I found out that night if you mix it with apple juice it really is nearly tasteless. Phew! I was getting a little worried there.

3. At night you take 2 more pills formulated with magnesium hydroxide (a mineral that helps to hydrate the bowel) as well as cape aloe and rhubarb to promote bowel contractions. Triphala, marshmallow and slippery elm are soothing herbs included to comfort the bowel during this critical cleansing step. Yummy right?

Food plan- they recommend a nearly vegan diet with just a little milk and cheese allowed. No meat. Organic produce is preferred. No sugar. No caffeine. Ouch.

So what has it been like?
The process really began on Sunday when I plugged in my ipod with Jodi Picoult's House Rules loaded up and I cooked. And cooked. And cooked. For about 3+ hours. I roasted veggies and cut fruits and vegetables. I boiled up quinoa for the first time to mix with the other fresh goodies. It was a long process but I really enjoy getting into the rhythm of cooking and having on the ipod with a great novel to keep me entertained really did the trick.

Monday 4/19/10
It was tough driving past Marylou's where I usually get my morning coffee, but it was the first day and I was in good spirits. I felt normal all day. Took a walk after work but only had time to do about 2.5 miles though I found when I got home that it was probably good I didn't have time for more or I may have walked further than I could have walked home.

Food Log
breakfast: whole grain english muffin with peanut butter*. canteloupe and blueberries
lunch: quinoa* with eggplant*, roasted red peppers and roasted zucchini*
snack: 2 piece of dark chocolate* with almonds, small bowl of roasted parsnips, carrots* and sweet potatoes*
dinner: quinoa* with eggplant*, roasted red peppers and roasted zucchini*
Walked a little over 2 miles

Tuesday 4/20/10
Another small whimper as I passed Marylou's in the morning. I miss you coffee, but I'm still determined. I'm enjoying eating my homemade food and the idea of eating anything from the caf sounds gross. It was tough not getting an afternoon snack- usually frozen yogurt a couple times a week (but something even less healthy like a cookie). On the other hand, not spending money on that was a definite perk. I came home after running a few errands after work- earlier than I normally would have because I was starving and refused to let myself grab something "out" like I normally would have. I made dinner and then baked Amish Friendship bread that a friend had given me 10 days before. Talk about temptation. The house smelled delicious. But I let it cool and covered it. Not even a taste grazed my lips!

Food Log
breakfast: whole grain english muffin with peanut butter*. canteloupe and blueberries
lunch: salad greens*, carrots*, salad fixins, feta with oil & vinegar
snack: walnuts* and dried cranberries* 2 pieces of dark chocolate* with almonds
dinner: quinoa* with black beans, roasted red peppers, zucchini* & summer squash*
snack: pineapples and strawberries*

Wednesday 4/21/10
I drove past Marylou's thinking 'I don't need you!' and feeling really confident! Work was good and I left a little early to pick up our Farm Share and then on to Grammy's. She, mom and I went to the hall at Leisurewoods to plan out the tables for Trivia Night, then I caught up with Gram and saw her Florida pictures. I'm pretty sure she thought I was crazy when I pulled out my roasted veggies to eat for dinner "That's all you're going to eat?!" she said to me (though she only ate half a bagel with peanut butter!), and I said yes. I left feeling full and headed to Zumba. That was a little tough but I just did things at a lower intensity and I made it through. Since it was school vacation, Kris didn't have to teach afterwards so the two of us joined Maribeth and Diana at the Ale House. The place was mobbed watching the Bruins game (and subsequent win) and we had a ball. I was a good girl, getting a salad, though splurging on the honey mustard dressing which likely had mayo in it. Oh well. Gotta live a little right?! We laughed on and on for over 2 hours and then I realized it was after 10:30p and I had to head home. Crawled into bed after 11:15p utterly exhausted.

Food Log
breakfast: whole grain english muffin with peanut butter*. strawberries* and pineapples
lunch: quinoa* with eggplant*, roasted red peppers and roasted zucchini*
snack: strawberries* and pineapples, 2 pieces of dark chocolate* with almonds
dinner: roasted parsnips, carrots* and sweet potatoes*
snack: house salad with honey mustard dressing
One hour Zumba

Thursday 4/22/10
Thursday morning I was sluggish. But hell, its my own damn fault for staying out that late, right? Still it wasn't as hard skipping the coffee as I had feared. Taking a shower in the morning definitely helped out though. Work was a bit stressful but then I headed to Photography Class and beforehand, my weekly Veggie Burrito from Qdoba. Definitely my biggest splurge of the week. I probably should have avoided the flour tortilla but the staff there is soo dense I can barely get a burrito made the way I wanted it and I wasn't willing to mess with fate after a very stressful final 90 minutes of work. Still, veggies and beans overall, still fairly healthy! :) And delicious. Another late night though- home around 10p, in bed after 10:20p.

Food Log
breakfast: whole grain english muffin with peanut butter*. strawberries*
lunch: quinoa* with eggplant*, roasted red peppers and roasted zucchini*
dinner: grilled veggie burrito with guacamole and a little cheese

Friday 4/23/10
Tired today. But two late nights out in a row is not my normal MO, so its to be expected. Still, I've snapped back faster than I'd have expected. I was luckier than my co-workers and got to leave on time. I met my cousin Melissa at Derby Street to do some quick shopping then we headed home to prepare a small feast. By the time our friend Jill arrived at 8p we had Steak (well- they had steak), asparagus, green beans, roasted red peppers,summer squash and zucchini, potatoes and sweet potatoes. Oh and salad! Like I said, it was a feast. Yet I still splurged just a little. I let my new ice cream sit untouched in the freezer all week and I couldn't resist any longer. I had the tiniest bowl of dessert and yet I was so satisfied! I'm finding my appetite is already smaller.

Food Log
breakfast: whole grain english muffin with peanut butter*.
lunch: small salad and roasted parsnips, carrots* and sweet potatoes*
dinner: asparagus, green beans*, summer squash* and zucchini*, potatoes* and sweet potatoes,* salad* with feta and carrots*.
dessert: 2x2" square of Amish bread, homemade vanilla ice cream(1 scoop) and 2 scoops of homemade applesauce*

Saturday 4/24/10
Melissa and I woke up around 7am to get to an 8am Zumba class, which kicked our asses, though I was able to do it at nearly full intensity which was a step up from Wednesday's class! We came home and ate breakfast, did the library run then scrambled to get ready and out of the house. I had my Aunt Karen's surprise baby shower at Lantana, then Dan, Dana & Sheri and I headed to a 6p reservations at Flemmings and off to see Young Frankenstein at the Opera House. A day that I had much less control over my eating than the rest, but I made do.

Food Log
breakfast: banana, grapenuts with skim milk*
lunch: salad, green beans and mashed potatoes (at the baby shower. I skipped the turkey ;)
dinner: 2 small pieces of bread with feta spread, dinner salad (greens, walnuts, cranberries), potatoes with jalapenos and cheese, aspargus and mushrooms. [this might have been my favorite moment of the week-- my asparagus is a whole class above Flemmings! they may know how to master steak and believe me the rest of the food was top notch, but I could teach them a thing or two about how to make asparagus] another splurge- 2 glasses of white wine (a girl can't wear a cocktail dress and not drink cocktails right?!]


Sunday 4/25/10
Dan and I slept in after a late Friday night and early wake-up on Saturday. Then we vegged a bit more and caught up on some TV programs. I got out and took a walk, did some crafts and cleaned up a bit. Finally a low-key day. Just what I needed.

Food Log
breakfast: whole wheat english muffin with peanut butter* and homemade applesauce*
lunch and dinner were the same: whole wheat wrap with mexican seasoned veggies (green beans*, zucchini*, summer squash*, and roasted red peppers), with just a little bit of monterey jack cheese*

* organic ingredient

How do I feel?
Fantastic! I feel slimmer and less bloated. My skin looks clearer. My appetite is reduced somewhat though it is Monday and because of a screw-up with the pills I am quasi-continuing for 2 more days, so I am still sticking w/ the diet. Still, if you have plenty of healthy snacks (fruit, granola, nuts etc) on hand, I think its manageable. I did not crave the coffee at all this morning. I was wanting one yesterday but I think that was out of boredom and not some real carnal desire ;) After I got through Wednesday it was all fairly easy.

What other impacts did I notice?
Monetary- I saved $16.80 +tip on coffee last week. I usually spend another $20-30 or so here at work on meals, coffee and/or snacks. While I did purchase apple juice twice (to mix with my fiber supplement), I don't think I purchased anything else. I even remembered my water bottle every day!

Trash- there was FAR less of it. Not eating packaged foods mean so much less trash. Most of what I ate last week was produce. Most of the produce comes from my farm share (and very little plastic). The rest from the supermarket where I either decline those flimsy clear plastic bags, or now I use my own mesh ones.

I used 5 less plastic cups, lids and straws for my morning coffee. No packaging from english muffins or breakfast egg & cheeses... very little plastic silverware (I have my own at work). No nasty styrofoam plates and plastic lids from the hospital cafeteria (can you believe they still use styrofoam?!? I swear any hot food places on it fuses the styrofoam and makes an indent. It has to be terrible for us to breathe nevermind eat! oy).

By the end of the day at work I'd have almost NO trash in the bin under my desk where most days its far more full than I'd like to admit.

Will I do this again?
Yes. I think they say you can/should do this 4 times a year max, so I'm sure in a few months I'll be ready for it again. It’s a good excuse to really focus on homecooked meals, planning ahead and getting back into good habits- all of which I need a little kick in the pants about from time to time.