currently

Ok, I need to put some real posts on here and they're coming but I thought I'd do a quick post using the format from Elise's blog post today (because she rocks! a lot!).

counting points [i've joined weight watchers and i loooove it. more on that later]

remembering what winter feels like. because its cold today [finally]

collecting ideas for my new craft space. we've got studs + sheetrock. plaster is next and then the world is my oyster. loving me some pinterest.

considering lots of travel in the upcoming months. skiing. visiting family. beach vacations. lots of fun things ahead.

hoping there's nothing really wrong with my left wrist which has been hurting for a week and a half now. it doesn't bug me when i knit or do yoga [maybe there is a God out there looking after me ;) ] but it does hurt! need to get that fix. doctor's appointment in the morning.

ordering boots! 2 pairs. black. knee length. they look lovely and according to the specs on zappos they should fit. fingers crossed. mama needs some new boots!

celebrating a little bit of weight loss in my first week of actively working at it. i'm not sure how much because i didn't actually weigh myself when i started but i have it on pretty good authority that the number came down. yaay.

enjoying the sunshine that's streaming in my window off of the charles river.

struggling to eat all of my WW points everyday. i know, tough life, huh? of course i could eat junk food and chomp them right up, but when i'm eating healthy i'm struggling to use all of the ones i'm allocated. i'm definitely a rules-follower, so when i hit my daily points limit i stop... but they build in extra points. i'm supposed to use them. need to work out a better plan for this.

choosing to be happy. i'm tired. my body's not used to all of this exercise. my wrist hurts. my skin is soo dry and crackly. its 3:27p and i could fall asleep right now. but i will have a good rest of the day, and i will get to bed at a decent hour and have another great day tomorrow.

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!

random bits

I've still been seriously bad at blogging but I was going to jot down a few things and realized I had some pictures here on my computer that would add a little pizzazz so I plopped some in! Serious effort, really!

My new desk space at work! I'm the most senior member on my team (in terms of Project Specialists anyways- Kim has technically been working at MGH longer than me), and so I got first pick of the 4 desks in my office space. I chose this beauty with a gorgeous view of the Charles River!

In the excitement of moving I took about 20 minutes worth of crafting fervor and decided to make a small canvas as the start of my redecorating of my space. I love this little guy!

And what always makes me smirk when I look at it is the fact that when I originally painted it, I forgot the "to" so it read "work hard and be nice people" more of a command than a reminder to myself! funny.
i've been knitting up a STORM lately- doing really well in the 'handmade Christmas gift' department this year. my percentage should definitely be up from last year which was one of my 2011 goals! and i've just got the knitting BUG now that its been cooler. i finished some baby stuff for and a hat and some other things. working on another hat now, and geeez i wish i could share every last one of them, but alas that would ruin the surprise so you'll just have to wait until december 26th at the earliest!

i've also gotten into knitting podcasts. its a nice compliment to my knitting obsession! i didn't think it would be interesting to HEAR people talk about knitting since (to my way of thinking) knitting is such a visual art... but, i like it! a lot! the only one i've listened to so far is called knit knit cafe- a mother/son team who are really interesting. i'm learning some new things and linking to new patterns and books because of their podcast. and best of all, its free! i love it!

yesterday kris sent me this gorgeous snapshot of my babe, Aila Grace! isn't she the sweetest thing. I can bet you $1000 that she picked out this outfit- the vest I think I gave her for Christmas last year but since she's just barely out of 12 month clothing I'm guessing she's just barely fitting into that stuff now! Little peanut!

She really is the sweetest! And such a girly girl. I babysat for her last Saturday night so Kris and Matt could go to the movies and Willy could have some quality time with Nanny and Grandpa. I brought her 2 purses, a giraffe zipper pouch and a giraffe beanie baby (after a massive clean out of my own stuff in the basement). She went nuts for them, carrying all 4 everywhere she went, even wanting to bring them to bed with her (mean-old Auntie Jen forbade the purses in the bed but she forgave me). All things pretty and all things giraffe interest this little one. Her fascination with these things is just pure joy to watch.

And now its time for yoga! Namaste.

right now

anticipating:: wood chopping weekend this weekend! getting stuff done + hanging out with friends and relatives + cooking yummy food and hopefully having a campfire. life is good

missing:: my friend kim who's on vacation this week.

happy:: that my friend dan has finally, somewhat, mostly moved up to our humble little 4-person office on the 6th floor and he can keep me company

needing:: to go to the gym. i will get there today. hoping the rest of the week will keep me motivated

wishing:: i had more motivation to clean this weekend instead of just declutter a few things. add that to the to-list for the week

awed:: (continually) by how cool Skype is. Ryan and I skyped (while cropping) with 4 of our other friends and fellow scrapbookers (Christine, Jenni, Beverly and Jill) who were cropping in Gettysburg on Friday night

obsessing:: about Christmas presents. i've gotten a lot done already. more than years past by far. both making and buying things. but i still have a long way to go and with my goal of doing MORE handmade, i'm still putting a lot of pressure on myself.

hating:: that having officemates (as much as love THEM) means I can't listen to Stern when that's the one thing that would put this morning into the over-the-top-awesome categoy

loving:: the season premieres of the shows I love. while alternatively wishing I didn't watch TV at all. yes. i'm a gemini. get over it.

dreaming:: of all sorts of creative projects that i never seem to have the time to complete.

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 :)

dropping off...

after doing so well in January and February the blogging has just fallen off again. such is life. i can hardly believe its Spring. maybe because we still had the pellet and wood stoves going last night... but it is. and i'm happy for that. what's new these days? i had a lovely visit with gram in florida i knit my first actual garment and love how it came out i am working my butt off at work- but its nice to see long-running projects come together my back is killing me. need to work on that. i haven't been walking. need to get training. i find myself not taking as many pictures as i used to. need to work on that too. bummed i didn't take a workshop at NESOP this spring... not that i could have, just too much going on, but still i think that would help my creative spark. i can't wait to get working on my craft space. i had a ball babysitting riley, garret, aila and willy on tuesday. only had all 4 for a short period of time thankfully. we had two tearful episodes (garret), 1 accident (riley- pee only), and a whole lot of fun. emelyn turned 7 = yikes. riley turned 3= double yikes. and aila will be 2 in less than 2 weeks. i'm doing well fundraising for the 3 Day (thanks to all of my loved ones) and i'm super excited for this year's Trivia Night event (May 14th- email me for details) and i'm even more excited for this year's walk. my team rocks. i love all the girls so much- and am so especially excited to have kris there walking beside me. screw the heat and rain and whatever else mother nature might throw at us- we're going to have the time of our lives. dad got pneumonia and vertigo (again). poor guy. think he's finally on the mend. haven't had time to sew. would like to try some new projects. had a great time scrapping in Virginia and look forward to breaking out my supplies again soon (hopefully) and life continues on...

the best parts

...about this week include:

• hanging with my best friend instead of just getting to hang with her cutie kids. another reason to love school vacation week even when you're not actually on vacation yourself.
• lighter volume of passengers (disgruntled and "normal") on the T
• band practice @ our house on monday night. there's nothing more wonderful than listening to live, acoustic music and knitting in the comfort of your own home especially when surrounded by friends.
• my niece jumping into my lap, just out of the bath, barely contained in her towel and yelling "I LOVE YOU, Auntie Jen!" {then fighting me when I attempted to brush and blow-dry her hair... damn that girl's a lot like her aunt:: what goes around comes around. gotta chuckle at that}
• dan's yummy pasta dinner on monday night. i can handle clean up when he cooks like that.
• the new ridiculously funny face garret's making right now- mouth out in a straight line, cheeks puffed out. so hard to describe. NO idea where he learned that.
• aila going absolutely nutty when i walked into her livingroom yesterday.
• a lighter, less stressful work schedule
• going to Zumba first thing Monday morning. awesome way to start the week
• finding out that I received a bunch of 3Day donations that I didn't know about! {thank you everyone}
• planning to start my second knitted hat & teaching 2 friends about knitting in the round
• nearly finishing my first full-sized afghan. SO. CLOSE.
• starting an afghan for Dan: all black (at his request) with yarn that I found on sale. loving it.

yep. so far- so good.

bring it on!

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!

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.

2010 Goals- The Final Verdicts

I made an update at the 9 month mark... let's see if I'm made any progress since then..

1. Photography: Learn more. Do more. Take a class.

Update: I am happy to have done quite a few photo shoots this year! I am looking forward to taking more formal classes but there's definitely something to be said for getting out there and really just trying things out. I still have a lot to learn but I am more comfortable behind the camera and look forward to learning more in 2011.

2. Start a garden: Big, small or in between. I just need to do this. Even a small herb garden will make me happy, and I think the satisfaction of having some food items go from this land to our table will incentivize me to do more.

Update: No updates since September for obvious reasons. But the herbs, tomatoes, hosta and primrose are in the pot/ground (respectively).... check this one off!

3. Meet with a financial planner to plan for saving and paying down the 2 loans I currently have. I make enough to do this better than I am right now and I'm already making strides on my own but I do better with a plan and some accountability- and getting that from a professional should do the trick.

Update: Crap. No excuses. This didn't happen. Need to make the phone call this week and get this done! So silly to have put this off.

4. Knitting- I know the basics of knit and purl but there are scores of things I can still learn to make more intricate pieces. So this year I will take classes at the Creative Stitch, a local yarn store, and better my knitting.

Update: I made 2 big steps forward towards my personal knitting goals this year. 1) I learned how to cable! Its not nearly as difficult as I expected. I'm so glad to have acquired this skill. It looks gorgeous. 2) I made a hat! My first knitting-in-the-round adventure and my first top-down technique piece! And it came out great!!

5. Learn more healthy recipes to add to my weekly meal plan list (and get better at meal planning all together-- focusing on eating local and organic as much as possible).

Update: Added roasted beets and brussel sprouts to my diet. Love them both. I can't believe I hadn't eaten them for 29 years. Shame on me. Mostly though I've been eating a lot of my old stand-bys. Come to find out, I like my same old meals... Not sure why I'm surprised by that really.

6. Blog more. I am going to add this to my calendar and set reminders to make sure I keep up with this. This year I want to write more and this blog is a great outlet for that. So it will permanently be on my to-do list :)

Update: 85 posts in 2010, 156 last year. Wow. Miserable failure. Better luck next year.

7. Research new green items for the house- toothpaste, deodorant and hairspray being top on the list right now. I have already switched over many products to items I feel comfortable with. But others are tougher. This year I will make more progress in that area.

Update: No update since September. 2 out 3 ain't bad. Feeling ok about this one.

8. Write up all my notes from the various research I've done on Organics, farming, gardening, the Green Movement into something that's concise and meaningful. I have notes in my notebooks and on the computer... but I need a way to remind myself of all the things I've learned and to keep some sort of visual reminders handy when I'm tempted to buy stuff that I know is not good for me.

Update: This one has fallen off my radar. I know what I've read. I can find it if I need it. No one else is banging down my door for it. If anyone has been waiting for anything, shoot me an email or post a comment and I'll be glad to tell you anything you're wondering about :)

9. Master my Mac! I've already taken 3 classes at the Apple store and have already signed up for another. I have learned a lot but there are so many more cool things I can do with this tool.

Update: No update since September. I'm feeling pretty comfy with this bad boy. Love this machine. Thanks Apple.

10. Cut out soda. {so far so good! i have not had any soda yet this year}

Update: I am still surprised that I don't miss Diet Coke on a daily basis but I don't. I've had a couple diet sprite's here and there, but only on very rare occasions and they probably total a max of 8. And I had a couple lemon soda type things in Europe... but what happens in Europe stays in Europe right? :)

11. Form my 2010 3Day Team- start fundraising early. At this point I'm still finalizing a team name. Once I get that submitted I'll officially be recruiting for fellow walkers who will commit to this with me. Yes, the fundraising seems scary but we can totally do this! I have a lot of great ideas for this year and I'm excited to get the ball rolling.

Update: I raised over $3500 this year! So happy with that number. And I've signed up for Boston in 2011 with a team all ready beginning to form- Tini, Jenni, Ryan and I'm sure there are more that are interested! Our Cheering Station team already has a theme for their stations this year. Let the fun continue.

12. PT Exercises EVERYDAY! {still haven't been great about this thus far} My shoulder is feeling better but in building my strength and retraining my muscles I hope I can avoid the chronic pain I've been having there.

Update: I suck. @PT at least. My shoulder is out of whack. No stretching + oodles of knitting makes Jen a sore girl. I need to be better. No real hope on the horizon. For this I'm finding I have no discipline.

13. Improve photo editing skills. My Mac classes should help me with this. Be it iPhoto or PhotoShop- I'll take advantage of every opportunity to learn what I can about editing.

Update: no update here. There are just not enough hours in the day...

14. Plan out gifts to give throughout the year- PLAN AHEAD. I've already started the list. Now to organize and figure a way to easily track ideas.

Update: This only really worked for Christmas, but that's the majority of my gift-giving and I'm happy with the results in that regard. I made the majority of my Christmas gifts this year and was so pleased to see them opened! There is such huge satisfaction in that. In 2011 I will start even earlier and aim for a higher percentage of handmade. Its so worth it to avoid shopping during the holidays.

15. Purchase coffee (out) no more than 2 times a week. Its not good for me. Its unnecessary. But I really enjoy it. Still, twice a week is plenty. And it will help me to eat out less and save more money. It all comes together :)

Update: I am drinking coffee. I buy it out. At least I use my reusable cup and feel good about that. But I get it 5 days a week. Hey, I'm just being honest. May need to readjust this for next year ;)

16. Make some of my own personal care products(organic, all natural and no artificial-anythings). I've got some recipes and once I price out some items I'll be ready to go. Homemade moisturizer here we come.

Update: This didn't happen. I am still interested in it, but the Christmas handmade gift adventure took up most of the fall. Plus, this one requires buying a lot in bulk in order to get the materials I'd want, so its a big undertaking. I'm not ready yet. Maybe in 2011 I can incorporate this into my handmade gift goal :)

All in all, it felt like a productive year. I bit off a lot. Didn't swallow all of it, but I'm happy with what I've done, learned and achieved. Now here's to the opportunity that lies ahead in 2011.

The Christmas Spirit

I am, sadly, no longer a child.
I don't look forward to receiving gifts.
I don't even have a secret wish lists of things I'd desperately love to see my with my name on them under the tree.
I am not a spiritual or religious person.
In fact, I'm nearly certain I don't believe in a higher power.
And I don't believe in Santa Claus (at least not as a physical being).

So much negativity right? Actually its just the opposite. It does seem on paper that I'd be the type to write-off Christmas as an overblown Hallmark holiday, but of course if you knew me you'd know that's not true at all.

December is the month that makes all other months worth getting through. January through November mean work, commuting, chores, sickness, death, frustration-- and of course there is a lot of good along the way-- but as we get older it seems easy to get caught up in all of the negativity that makes each passing day just a little more difficult. And in the back of my head and deep in my heart I know there's one whole month where the world is transformed.

"All the lights and decorations, put up in anticipation of the joyous celebration that's on its way. We're counting the days til its time for Christmas day" - a line from probably my only favorite Celine Dion song.

Everything is prettier at Christmas time.
Wreaths, lights,
trees, ornaments and decorations that have been touched,
treasured and loved by generations gone by...
homes, streets, stores, parks, businesses
all dressed up and ready to party.

And of course this is the time of year we're most likely to get our first snow. A beautiful, clean coat of shimmery goodness to cover all that is dirty, disheveled and in need of repair.

I look forward to Christmas music. The classics which was just magic for the ears. Voices that just make me sigh with comfort and bring me back to a simpler time when life didn't revolve around computers, smart phones and master's degrees. Silly songs that we'd sing in the car as kids. Old Carpenters songs and Kenny & Dolly that we'd listen to while we decorated the tree...

But for me it is the intangible quality of Christmas spirit that is so intoxicating. Celebration of family and friends, appreciation for the good in the world, giving to others. Hope.

Take a peek at this video. Cheesy? Perhaps. But listen to the message...

I believe in Santa Claus. I believe there's always hope when all seems lost
I believe in Santa Claus, I'll tell you why I do
'Cause I believe that dreams and plans and wishes can come true
I believe in miracles, I believe in magic too
Oh I believe in Santa Claus and I believe in you




And courtesy of Josh Groban's outstanding voice, another of my can't-live-without- holiday songs:


Somedays we forget
To look around us
Somedays we can't see
The joy that surrounds us
So caught up inside ourselves
We take when we should give.

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be.
And on this day we hope for
What we still can't see.
It's up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There's so much to be thankful for.

I know for many it can be easy to get caught up in the never-ending shopping and to-do lists we impose upon ourselves... but this year even more than ever before I feel like I am doing Christmas in a way that feels more true to myself. I started this fall by making a list of items I could hand make for the people I love. I've spent train commutes and international travel knitting a little bit of my joyous energy into items that I believe will be well suited for those who will receive them.

I've made lists but stress is not a bi-product of my notekeeping this year. As I come up with ideas and jot them down, I think so much about each of my loved ones and the many reasons I am so happy to have them in my life (a feeling that's definitely not a bi-product of mall shopping). I think about all the gifts that are exchanged each year, gifts that are unnecessary clutter bugs... and thankful to be contributing something more to my loved ones lives.

And so another holiday season is rushing past, but for once I feel like I've paused (on many occassions actually) to be fully present in it- the way I did as a child. No, I don't have the leisure time I did as a kid, but 45 minutes of listening to my "Christmas Favs" list on my ipod while daydreaming about new ideas for handmade adventures, or just sitting quietly and really listening to the words of my favorite songs gives me that part of Christmas back into my adult life.

Christmas is not a time nor a season,
but a state of mind.
To cherish peace and goodwill,
to be plenteous in mercy,
is to have the real spirit of Christmas.

~Calvin Coolidge

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for a Happy New Year!

{I can't bear the thought of all the wasted paper that comes with Christmas cards, so please consider this my holiday greeting to you}

the giant recap

i haven’t blogged in ages which probably isn’t good for my mental clarity.
tons going on
and its all trapped in my head
so here’s the giant recap from the past month.
in no particular order
some with detail
some with none (but not based on importance or lack thereof)

mom and i went to italy and spain
it was overwhelming (2 weeks away from dan. what was I thinking? clearly i hadn’t thought about it at all)
lost luggage
yearning to be clean and wearing clothes that fit
no phone. laptop battery dying
blew out the heating pad on day 1
and the hair straightener on my third attempt
(can't figure that last one out)
florence= gorgeous. old. architecture.
walking, biking
pasta, pizza
wine
ribollita!
GELATO!
tour of tuscany- beyond words
organic food and wine. cows!!
held up the leaning tower.
saw david. holy muscles.
michelangelo clearly was a genius
train to venice
forgot that i fall asleep on every moving vehicle
not much progress on knitting projects (see above)
canals, gondoliers, winding streets
getting lost, buying pandora beads
glass glass glass
fly to spain
swing like tarzan
stay out all night at la carpa
so much fun with marta, her family and friends
mom told everyone all week “we don’t speak english!”
(I think you mean spanish, mom)
shopping, shopping, shopping!
p’amb tomaquet
knee boots- score
first call from dan
uncle ray passed away
heart breaking
missing my poor guy even more
but knew he was in good hands


marta’s wedding
beautiful
creative
magicians, jugglers
cocktail hours
dinner, dancing
chesnuts and pannettes
rain delays
finally home. up for over 24 hours
but so glad to be in the West End
went straight up to see the Litchfields
hugs. tears.
happy to be home.
fire ablaze, warming the way
there is nothing better than coming home to a clean house
{{and a lot of hugs and kisses}}

marilyn had her first aneurysm surgery
yes first
the second is now set for december 10th
first shot= stints
second time- coiling/repairing since they couldn’t the first time
she’s been a trooper and is doing really well.

enjoying fall- scarves, baked oatmeal, fleece socks
fingerless gloves worn while knitting on the train platform
perfecting my new favorite recipe (potato soup)
frustrated that i’m having a hard time starting the wood stove
clearly i’m out of practice, but its coming back slowly but surely

christmas crafting- means i’m doing less shopping
while still checking a lot off my christmas list
enjoying every minute of that
but wishing there were more minutes to devote to it
with countless inspirational blogs and library books
at my fingertips
there isn’t enough time to make everything i’d like to
but small projects with quick turnaround times are making my heart very happy

ryan, kris, mom and i did a craft fair to raise money
for the Susan G Komen 3 Day for the Cure 2011 Boston walk
and raise money we did
nothing overwhelming but more than i expected
and we have lots of fabric flowers to take
to the other 2 shows we have lined up.
and even though we have enough made
in my short bits of free time
i find myself drawn to the feel of that fabric
satins, cottons, felt
stuff i’ve never been able to play with
because i don’t sew
and now i can!
fire and pinking sheers are my 2 new friends.
and a few new flowers bloom on my table

i did a small photo shoot
on saturday
for dan’s cousin jackie’s daughters
so precious
and great practice for moi
hoping to do a few more holiday sessions with friends
photography is the one creative thing i haven’t had time for
i am missing it

game night at megg and tom’s on saturday
i love game nights
and i love new games
apples to apples
so much fun
totally helps if you know the other players really well
there's a little tip for you
but either way its loads of laughs
add it to your christmas list
then shut off the tv and play

sunday was bubba’s 4 year anniversary mass
4 years
is that possible?
i had a dream about him friday night
he was sitting at a round table
i came up behind him and gave him a huge hug and a kiss
pulled away
and he said “get back here” and hugged me again
and it was as if not a single day passed.
i miss you Bub.

thanksgiving on thursday
i think that means fall is nearly over
at least in terms of popular thinking
i am aching for the christmas season
this is the year i’m getting a tree
a real one
it will live in our bedroom.
i’m a little overwhelmed by the idea of it
but also excited to wake up and see that tree at the foot of the bed
bring on the decorating (after we clean the house that is)

i started listening to a new audiobook today
a nice change of pace after listening to
all 27 discs of Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead!
two + months later. ahem...
now, on to Nora Ephron’s audiobiography/memoir/
collection of thoughts and observations
I Feel Bad About My Neck.
only a few chapters in
and i’m captivated.
look lovingly at your neck while you’re young, she urges
not bad advice I tend to believe.
chapter 2: you are the contents and (dis)organization of your purse.
food for thought.
apt.
amusing.
[note to self- clean out purse, get organized {{again}} repeat process]
this weekend i’m taking an online felting class
another art i’ve been wanting to learn
i debated signing up
then logged onto the site and it wouldn’t process
thought it was sold out
and i freaked
figured that was a clear sign that i NEEDED to do it
my kit came today!

i have so many new ideas blooming in my head
knitting- thousands of patterns i want to try
but i fear (quite literally) that carpel tunnel is on its way
making “yarn” out of t-shirts and jersey sheets.
recycling made gorgeous, practical and comfortable.
crocheting- need to learn more. apply the few stitches i know
painting- i’ve started a few things for our bedroom
haven’t had the time or inspiration to finish
but its coming back
cooking- new recipes. i want to try new things.
add to my repertoire
books- i love audiobooks
not simply because they allow me to multitask
[though that is great]
but i love the voices
the inflection
how the stories just flow out
like slippery noodles

loving
-creativity
-facebook
-finding new blogs- so much inspiration
-the howard stern show [hours of entertainment- if he doesn’t re-sign, i’ll be an extremely unhappy camper in a few weeks time]
-coffee. caffeine. warmth.
-my nails, growing. girly.
-Big Bang Theory. Modern Family. i don’t watch much tv, and certainly not faithfully but these shows are so worth my time.
-home. warmth. love. cuddling. absence having made the heart grow fonder. so much to be thankful for
-the way aila says "shoes" and "seat," as if she’s kissing the air with every S that escapes her lips -roasted brussel sprouts. i never knew i liked them. i love them.
-how much Garret looks like Bubba.
-gray, black and lime green
-soup. i could eat it 3 meals a day
-beans. craving protein. enjoying that.


hating
-feeling tired
-too many things to do, not enough time
-the end of fall (i love winter. i am not ready for winter)
-my commute. not all of the time. sometimes i need it. i crave that time. but the sum of time is overwhelming.

looking forward to
-harry potter- movie #7. part 1. going with sheri and the gang next monday! i heart harry.
-setting new goals for 2011 [and achieving them]
-polar express
-a haircut
-a massage

told you this was a brain dump.
hope to see you before another month flies by!

what's new?

too many things to recount really.

bad blogger.

but here's a few highlights.

i did an engagement photo shoot for these two wonderful people- dave (my co-worker) and his fiancee cara. we had a really fun day on beacon hill and came out with some decent photos to boot! all in all a great experience. have i mentioned i love photography? this was a great reminder that i can at least mostly pull this stuff off. i just have to keep pushing myself.

i learned how to can!!! i'm no longer afraid. thank you gail and maureen for sharing your expertise with jamie, meagan, melis and me. {{and thank you Mom for the yummy cocktails!}} we had a wonderful weekend together enjoying the new scenery at the recently remodeled Camp. Jamie helped Mom with Photoshop. I taught Meagan how to knit. We chatted, took naps, ate and drank too much, saw the Spectras (with Melissa jumping in) and wore our aprons at least 90% of the time because they were just that awesome. it was a fantastic weekend all around.
i've been amazed watching this little sprout growing more every day. she has so much personality i can hardly believe it. a lot like her big brother in so many ways and yet so much herself as well. she knows so many words (up, down, more more (aka please), mama, daddy, shoe, what's that?)
and this one is as much of a ham as ever! and man do i appreciate that! :) he's started montessori school and loves it. he's wearing big boy underwear and speaking in full paragraphs nevermind sentences! he's super tall and all limbs, just like his mama, but as big as he is, he's as loveable as ever.
speaking of loveable and kissable. mmm these cheeks. this little boy is such a dear. yes, he's got some lungs like no kid i've ever met but his sweet demeanor and kissable cheeks totally make up for it. and he reminds me so much of bubba it makes my heart ache sometimes. i just saw him tonight and he was wearing a navy blue sweatsuit that was so much like what his great-grandfather would wear (and look like while wearing) that it was just uncanny.
i'm still knitting up a storm. too many things to recount. scarves. blankets. trying to get some christmas presents completed and having a lot of fun doing it.

fall is upon us. leaves are falling my driveway and in our neighborhood. its breathtakingly beautiful.

i've officially owned my car for 3 years. unbelievable. i love my car :)

Modern Family is officially my new favorite show. Love. It!

There was another Nor'Easter blowing through Philly during the Breast Cancer 3 Day this year!!! Craziness. I'll take the heat over cold, windy and rainy any day.

I've been obsessed with making fabric flowers. pictures and links to follow... some day. when i get organized again.

I've been downloading audiobooks like its going out of style. I love the Scituate Public Library. have i mentioned that (at least a million times, right?!)

oh... and in bigger news- I'm flying to Italy tomorrow! For a huge, girls only adventure with my Mom!! We'll be visiting Florence and Venice before flying to Barcelona to spend some quality time with my good friend Marta and then attend her wedding on October 30th! i can't wait to see her again- its been TOO long.

I'm hoping Mom and I will do some blogging on the road. If not.... more when I return!

currents...

listening: to an extremely boring conference call that is detailing the basics of wireless service and networks. surprisingly I have retained a lot of the information I've heard on this subject. hence the boredom. get to the specifics buddy.

eating: a small morsel of dark chocolate. my treat during this Cleanse week. mmm the sensation of it melting in my mouth.

drinking: water. water. and more water.

wearing: black capri pants. coral lands end tank with ruffles. turquoise cardigan. turquoise, brown, gold/yellow/orange necklace and earrings.bronze sandals.

feeling: ready for the weekend. I keep thinking today is Friday. its so not Friday. antsy. (that could be the conference call talking)

weather: so hot. 90+ every day this week. but hurricane earl is coming. should make for an interesting weekend.

wanting: a pink/navy/gray/denim/tan wardrobe for my upcoming european vacation. I'm having vivid visions of my mix and match wadrobe that makes me so happy. I think I'll do some shopping soon.

needing: some cheese. that looks weird to write it down. that's definitely the cleanse talking. nearly no dairy this week. the milk I can do without. the sugar I don't miss much. but bread and even more so cheese is just calling me. soon enough.

thinking: about my upcoming trip to italy and spain with mom. only about 45 days until we take off and there's so much to plan. so many gorgeous things to add to our itinerary! loving every minute of it, even if sifting through oodles of information is a little overwhelming.
enjoying: my life as a whole right now. home. work. love. friends. family. hobbies. taking it slow and easy. learning. creating. playing. growing.

wondering: if I'll learn any really good information over the course of the next 34 minutes. not likely.

some random things about july 2010

• as usual i am behind on blogging but its summer and things are supposed to be lax and so i'm ok with that
• i tried beets for the first time in my life. i enjoy them and will make some more this weekend.
• i love and appreciate my farm share more than ever today.
• in 8 days i'll be showering in a very large truck after walking nearly 20 miles for the first of three days in a row, and i'm very much looking forward to that.
• i've already set foot in Boston, Baltimore, Atlanta, Orlando and New Smyrna this month.
• i bought Moroccan oil and my hair is thanking me.
• i am officially obsessed with audio books. pair that with knitting and i'm a very very happy camper.
• i am psyched that Rescue Me is back on, though we've only ever watched it on DVD and so having to fast forward through commercials is so odd.
• i think that the whole Mel Gibson situation is horribly sad and yet i laugh uncontrollably at the mere thought of him saying "you should just smile and bloooooow me!" terrible and crude i know, and yet i can't even get over it!!
• i love that after 4 years my pink ann klein bow sandal heels are still so gorgeous and complimentable. (and that i know i got them for a hugely discounted price even back then- that, my friends, is value).
• i appreciate a clean house so much more than i ever could. after a busy week of packing and a busy week of vacation, a busy morning of cleaning resulted in such a peaceful feeling in me that i nearly forgot how wonderfully contented i could feel.
• i am obsessed with my new 50mm 1.4 lens. i need to make more time to go out and shoot with it.
• i am working on a new afghan. its called a chalice pattern and its gorgeous. i can foresee making more blankets in this pattern. i can't wait to finish and gift it so i can share it here.
• i can't believe that july is half over and summer with it. as much as i love fall i am not ready for it to be here as soon as it inevitably will....

a list for right now...

listening// to the quiet hum of the fluorescent lights and computer equipment in my office. enjoying the relative silence and the rhythmic tapping of keys.

eating// nothing at the moment. breakfast was a whole wheat everything bagel. super yummy.

drinking// water

wearing// khakis, my new navy Land's End tank with the ruffle at the collar with a turquoise cardigan from Target and a really funky white beaded necklace. on my feet- my favorite Liza B flip-flops that Kris got me for my birthday a few years ago!

feeling// fantastic. i love that summer's here and vacation's coming up (despite my to-do list of approximately 1 million things that need to be done before we fly out)

weather// a little muggy, near 80. sunny for this morning but getting cloudier all the time.

wanting// a 50mm 1.8 lens to bring on vacation. i'm seriously considering the splurge to get some great once in a lifetime pictures of this awesome impending trip.

needing// a massage. more time. some motivation and focus at work today.

thinking// about everything i need to pack. and hardly believing i haven't yet made a packing list! this has to be a new record for me. i'm a list maker (haven't you noticed?)

enjoying// my nieces and nephews as they grow day by day. as much as i miss the 'babies' it is so much fun to be able to do things with them- running, jumping, swinging, really playing.

wondering// what the afternoon will bring. so many possibilies all of which excite me. babysitting? hanging out? borrowing a niece? shopping? starting to pack? walking? yoga?

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.

IOU

here we go again.

i've been delinquent. ugh. yet again, life (and mostly work) is getting in the way of my blogging.

after a very intensive hospital survey in february, intense weeks of work continue to come in waves, some weeks worse than others. last week was particularly challenging- no, make that difficult, impossible, tiring and stressful. but i lived :)

and there was quite a bit of joy mixed in, when my new nephew, Garret Richard Leo Lassonde was born on Monday March 8th. more pictures and stories to come.

in the past few weeks we also had our Florida vacation condo (that we booked last August) cancelled on us. Kris, Leslie and I have spent FAR too much time trying to deal with that, but in the end we now have a new place to stay for this summer's family reunion in New Smyrna. now I just have to deal w/ the pesky situation that involves our flight- which was also cancelled! fun. (amazingly i think that's going to be easier to deal w/ than the condo part).

we also had a really funny incident on thursday where Matt and Willy came to drop off leaves at 9p, sending Dan and I into a tailspin thinking we had some idiots on our property doing God-knows what. reallly hysterical. remind one of us to tell you that in more details!

i had 2 babysitting adventures with little A&W who are cute as ever. again, pictures to share soon. add that to the IOU.

went to visit Garret again yesterday and then Megg, Tom, Emmy and Oisin came over for dinner. had a wonderful visit with them! :)

i officially got into the photography workshop at the New England School of Photography (that I wanted to take this winter but the class filled up too quickly). i am soo completely stoked about that. Every Thursday for 8 weeks starting the first week of April. it works out perfectly since Dan has cards on Thursdays anyhow-- and it will be light later each day so I should have an easier time completing my assignments.

i have NOT started training for the Boston Breast Cancer 3-Day. but i have been working out whenever possible. usually at least 3 days a week. not too shabby. and frankly i'm not as worried this year. i KNOW i can do it. i know what gear works for me. that said, i need to start getting back into shape and start getting my feet used to the miles. I have 3 potential teammates who have yet to sign up- Kris, Megg and my co-worker Kim. Hopefully they'll all join and I'll have plenty of walking partners! :) That will definitely help the cause.

in general, life is good.

just busy.

but then what else is new right?

i promise- pictures soon!!!

sorry to keep you all waiting. i think this is the biggest IOU yet!