Meeting Kate!

Nanny and Kate
Kate, curious Muggsy, and me

As if she were my own child, I fell in love with little Kate when I first held her this weekend. She is the most beautiful child (I know everyone says that about babies close to them, but she really is!!) and has the most gorgeous head of red hair. She is very blessed to have wonderful parents, her Nanny, Oma and Opa (Hans and Kathy, Sarah's parents), and the rest of her family. Kate will be one spoiled child. I am only sad that we don't live closer to her. Now, each time we see her, she will have changed, if only just a little bit. I regret that I can't be a better auntie.

There is just too much snow here!

From today's Boston Globe


I am posting from my kitchen since (snap!) I have a laptop battery. I haven't had a battery for my mac in over a year and I just never really cared to have one because I kept it plugged in the whole time. Nor did I mind that every time the computer came unplugged, the date would read Dec. 31, 1969. Yes, this happens with apple computers. However, when I dropped the computer (only about two feet) and the power cord was messed up to the point where the computer would become unplugged every five minutes, I started to mind. And that is when Brian bought me a new battery.

Well, we are on day three of the big snowstorm of 2008. I spoke too soon in yesterday's post and now I am getting cabin fever. What was I thinking when I moved here? I have only left the house (besides walking around outside) once since Friday at 11 am. It's quite sad. However, we can walk several places from the apartment so we are fortunate in that sense. Also, we have power and that is definitely something to be thankful for.

Last night, my friend and co-aide at school, Jessie, picked me up in a 4-wheel drive SUV so that we could go to a holiday party at another teacher's home in Framingham, about ten minutes from here. The roads weren't so bad then, and the party was pretty fun. I made an interesting trifle that I will make again, only I will replace the brownies with a softer cake. We had a Yankee Swap and I ended up with three Christmas themed nesting bowls. Jessie brought those and she ended up with my gift, a cranberry scented candle from Anthropologie. I almost got the bottle of yellow tail, which could be quite useful right now.

And what have I done today? I have watched a lot of TV, which is another thing that makes me feel guilty about myself, but unfortunately, it happens in the winter. Brian is trying out this new program called Hulu, and we have been watching old and new TV shows, like The Office (Season five), WKRP (and Cincinnati looks the same as it did thirty years ago), and we watched an episode of Hell's Kitchen tonight, which is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen. Also, I did yoga as I watched yoga videos on the internet (my exercise for the day) and now I am making a healthy (?) beef and eggplant lasagna.

As I am ending my post, it has stopped snowing.

Frosted windowpanes, candles gleaming inside, painted candy canes on the tree, just look and you'll see

What a beautiful morning to wake up to today! We have about 10-12 inches of snow on the ground, we don't have anywhere to be (except a work Christmas party tonight), and the apartment is quite warm. What more can one ask for? Well, I am awake early, per usual, and am just sitting around typing away and watching All I Want for Christmas, a sappy 1990's Christmas film, on TV.

Due to a power outage from the crazy ice storm we had on Dec. 11th and bad weather forecasted for yesterday, we only had three and a half days of school last week. This week, we only have one and a half days of school; personally, I don't even think we should go because it leaves so little time to go home for Christmas. Brian and I (and possibly Geralyn?) are leaving on Tuesday at 4 pm and we have to make it to Louisville for the Christmas Eve family party at 5:30. I guess we'll be driving all night and I am praying that the weather is decent for the long trip, but so far, it looks good for Tuesday.

Gift giving. I've spent too much on presents this year again. However, I feel like I haven't done much giving to charities or volunteering this year and that makes me feel quite guilty. Also, at the end of the year, there is this time of reflection. What have I done this year that I am proud of? Let's see, there are probably only three significant things-- 1) I was married to Brian, 2) I changed my career to something that I enjoy, even though I took a pay cut, and 3) I became an aunt (and that really wasn't something I personally did). Other than that, I am not so sure. We can only try to improve ourselves for the next year.

#100

"Most of life is so dull that there is nothing to be said about it, and the books and talk that would describe it as interesting are obliged to exaggerate, in the hope of justifying their own existence. Inside its cocoon of work or social obligation, the human spirit slumbers for the most part, registering the distinction between pleasure and pain, but not nearly as alert as we pretend. There are periods in the most thrilling day during which nothing happens, and though we continue to exclaim, 'I do enjoy myself,' or, 'I am horrified,' we are insincere. 'As far as I feel anything, it is enjoyment, horror'-- it's no more than that really, and a perfectly adjusted organism would be silent."

Excerpt from A Passage to India by E.M. Forster

I've been pondering the fact that one of the eight stations they play at the gym is the Home Shopping Network...

It's not like I am going to grab my cell phone from my locker in the middle of working out on the elliptical machine or the treadmill and order that fabulous CZ ring or the the skincare line that is being promoted by Susan Lucci.

It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall, the major lift, the baffled king composed Hallelujah...

Although this week was not really a stressful week at school, I was nevertheless happy to be home on Friday afternoon, to relax and reflect. My job can be very challenging and stressful, but it is almost never boring, unlike the job at the credit union, and for that I am appreciative and satisfied. Yet, I also worry about these kids, not only in school, but what will become of them in the future. I think for some of them, the real world will be very harsh; I wish it were not so, but reality can really be a disillusionment at times.

After hearing about my friend Dena's upcoming engagement party in Oxford, Mississippi, in February, I decided (a little bit impulsively) that I wanted to go. The last time I was there was in the spring of 2006 to see my old roommate, Allison's, senior recital. I have to admit that I am often haunted by the deep south and feel myself drawn there. So, I purchased a plane ticket on Friday afternoon from Providence to Memphis, and now I am delighted that I made this decision. I see my friends traveling to all these different cities and countries and I must admit, yes, I am jealous. One person I know from high school aspires to travel to fifty different countries before she reaches age 28, and she said she is almost there. Although I don't think of her travel is work-related and I don't have a clue how she affords it, but that is really not my business.

On Friday, all I did was relax and watch reruns of "The Office." Funny show. Saturday, I prepared a special birthday dinner for my mother-in-law-- a spinach salad, cajun shrimp casserole, and a peppermint chocolate cake that she loves (and is so rich that I only make it once a year). We had a nice evening having dinner and playing a downloaded demo version of "Are you smarter than a fifth grader?" (I wasn't, at least not every round). On Sunday, I sang at church, had lunch with Mary in Burlington, we shopped at L.L. Bean and Ann Taylor Loft, and had the most wonderful pedicures at the Green Tangerine salon.

It was nice coming home to my husband on Sunday evening. All we did was lay around, watched more episodes of "The Office" and snuggled in the cold, New England winter.

Pie for everyone

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday; it even tops Christmas and Halloween (and even my birthday) for the year. There are no presents and if you're not hosting the big feast, there is not much work involved. However, I always have to make a dish or two (or four this year) for the dinner because I love to cook! Yesterday, after getting off of work at 10:30 am (woo hoo), I came home, watched Beverly Hills 90210, and made my homemade pie crusts, which actually turned out well, except that they are a little fragile on the edges. Actually, I am really looking forward to hosting my own Thanksgiving dinner someday, especially when we have a lovely house to host it in and more than four chairs.

On such a happy day, I feel so bad for all the people who died or have been injured in India. At the gym today though, I had a hard time watching CNN with the coverage of the attacks. It is just hard for me to grasp it all. In the Crowded House song, "Don't Dream it's Over," there's a line that says "in the paper today, tales of war and of waste, but you turn right over to the TV page." I often feel like I am the most superficial person for doing this, but I also know this is kind of the norm for our generation. A teenager is more familiar with Paris Hilton and the Jonas Brothers than Dick Cheney or Angela Merkel (the Chancellor of Germany). It is extremely sad.

Anyway, we are going to Gretchen and Andy's house for dinner at three, where we will eat, gab, and play "Scene It: The DVD game." I'll miss my family in Kentucky, but it won't be too long before we are home with them.

Welcome to the world, Baby Kate!

I became an aunt last Friday to a beautiful, red-headed, 6 lb.13 oz. baby named Katherine Ella, or affectionately, Kate! Her parents are so happy and so is our family. With the passing of Walt last year, it is nice that we have another person in our family; Walt would have been a wonderful grandfather to little Kate. I am so excited to see her in a few weeks. As an aunt who will spoil that little girl, I already bought her a pink red sox hat (so she knows early on who her allegiance is with) and some hair bows for her luscious hair.

There is another baby to look forward to in June, as Eliot and Sarah are pregnant as well. When will Brian and I try to get pregnant? Well, you never know.


Kate with her proud parents, Graham and Sarah

Intimations of Immortality...

I should be elated and joyful on a Friday, but somehow, I am just feeling sad. The sky is overcast and it is humid outside. I left school at two and headed home. Brian came home as I was practicing a choral piece, Intimations of Immortality, and then I walked to the bank and the library down the street. I adore going to the library (as a nerd like me so often does) but mostly go to check out magazines (like Martha Stewart Living, etc.) and DVD's. Anyway, on the way home, I just had this wave of sadness run over me because I still feel alone here. Unlike before, I actually like my job and my co-workers, but I still just feel disconnected from everything. Maybe it is because my interests are odd-- music, reading, history, etc. I'm quite comfortable in my own skin though, and it seems much easier to survive than it was so many years ago.

Brian and I are going to an early sushi dinner and then I am going to the rehearsal for Assabet Valley Mastersingers. We have a concert tomorrow night featuring the aforementioned piece composed by Gerald Finzi from the text of William Wordsworth's poetry (they are the most poignant, beautiful lyrics I've ever heard) and Dona Nobis Pacem by Ralph Vaughn Williams. I feel like I failed a little in the rehearsal on Wednesday night because our section was not in time with the orchestra and conductor. However, I think everyone felt this way. Hopefully, tonight's rehearsal will be better and the concert better still.

On Sunday, I'm singing in choir at the Lutheran church and then I am going to the city with Mary and Natyra for the free King Arthur Flour Baking Company class on making festive pies and cookies. What a great excuse to go to Boston!

—But there's a tree, of many, one,
A single field which I have look'd upon,
Both of them speak of something that is gone:
The pansy at my feet
Doth the same tale repeat:
Whither is fled the visionary gleam?
Where is it now, the glory and the dream?

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar:
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home:
Heaven lies about us in our infancy!
Shades of the prison-house begin to close
Upon the growing Boy,
But he beholds the light, and whence it flows,
He sees it in his joy;
The Youth, who daily farther from the east
Must travel, still is Nature's priest,
And by the vision splendid
Is on his way attended;
At length the Man perceives it die away,
And fade into the light of common day.

Last Stop Wonderland

We had a very fun Sunday. I had an off week from choir, so Brian and I went to Brookline (a small city right next to Boston, where JFK was born) to meet a couple we know, Mike and Jessica and their baby Zoe,as well as to hear Jessica sing with a choir at an Episcopal church service. We were a little late to the service because someone (eh-hem, not me) did not renew their inspection sticker and we were pulled over by the police. He got off with a warning for the inspection sticker, but was charged $25 for not wearing a seatbelt. I think he totally deserved the fine and probably got off too easily on the sticker. I was also angry that Brian is still not wearing his seatbelt, and reminded him that I could have been seriously hurt in my accident if I had not been wearing my safety belt. There were so many reasons why Ralph Nader lobbied for seat belts!

After church, we went to this divine Indian restaurant down the street from the church called the Rani Bistro, where we all had the Sunday buffet, excluding one-year-old Zoe. Like I am with Mexican, Cuban, and Japanese food, the same goes for Indian cuisine; I could probably indulge in it everyday and not be tired of it.

We drove to the New England Aquarium afterwards, determined it was too expensive to park, and then drove to East Boston to park at Mike and Jessica's apartment for free and took the blue line T to the aquarium. I brought eight dollar passes from the library (yay for reduced museum admissions) for all and Brian was able to get in for free with his teacher's union membership. The aquarium was very cool. We started out in the huge penguin lair and proceeded up the winding staircase past the absolutely huge saltwater tank with sharks, rays, fish, turtles, etc. to more exhibits. Although I tend to feel that most aquariums are alike, this one was rather nice, but I still think the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago is better. However, there was a chilling, yet soothing jelly fish exhibit and I must say that all jelly fish in their medusa stage are absolutely fascinating and beautiful. Zoe enjoyed viewing the exhibits and animals, too, and that was really important to us.

We're back at home now. The night has been quiet; Brian watched another conspiracy film and I made vanilla cupcakes (Amy Sedaris'recipe) with strawberry buttercream frosting for National Vanilla Cupcake day tomorrow. And they happen to be delicious, which is always good for Brian, who loves to eat them.

Crrrrrassssssh...

Unfortunately, Tuesday was not the best day for me. However, it was certainly worse for the fate of my car, the little Ford Focus that could. As I was headed to choir at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church on Route 117 in Sudbury, another driver decided to completely and blatantly ignore a stop sign in a very important place in an intersection. I had no stop sign and when I observed the driver refusing to stop, well, it was just way too late. There was an impact and I saw what I thought was smoke (it was actually the powder from the airbags), so I unbuckled my belt and leaped out of the car. A man who lived in the house at the intersection came out and told me he had called 911. I started screaming and saying that the other driver just didn't stop. And the whole time, the other driver just walked around in a daze, holding his beer belly and not saying anything to me. I honestly thought he was intoxicated, but he was not. Even so, what a jerk!! The police came like two minutes after the crash, as well as ambulances from the fire department. After a few people questioned me about my information and the circumstances of the crash, I was taken to the hospital to make sure I hadn't endured any injuries. I called my mother first, who was a little frantic, but helpful, and then I called Brian and his phone was not on! It was a bit of a nightmare, but my mom called Brian's parents and they ended up going over to our apartment to tell him. Anyway, at the hospital, they simply questioned me about the accident details and took X-rays of my chest. Brian took me home at about 10:30, three hours after the accident.

I took Wednesday off of work because I wanted to rest and I knew there would be tons of phone calls to make to my insurance company, etc. After several calls and one visit to the Sudbury police department, I finally found out the name of the other driver and his insurance information. Although the insurance companies have not yet determined whose fault it was (and this still baffles me), he was issued a citation for not stopping at a stop sign, and therefore, will be at fault. The insurance company determined that my Ford was a total loss because of the excessive damage to the hood and engine and will give me $5700 with sales tax. I don't think this is too bad, considering I had the car for three and a half years and probably paid $9400 for the car, including the interest on the loan. The only bad thing is that I just paid off the loan in August and literally received the title last week, because it had to be transferred from state-to-state.

Of course, I had to rent a car on Wednesday so that I could get to work each day. His insurance will be reimbursing me. Although I have a feeling that it might take a while. Currently, I am driving a Dodge Caliber, which I would never buy. It has the worst visibility ever.

Everyone at school was pretty concerned about me when I told them what happened. I had also called another aide on Tuesday to let her know about the accident. On Thursday, I ended up going back to the doctor to have them look at my wrist, which is quite sore and is hurts when I bend it or flex it certain ways. The doctor said it was fine and that it should heal soon. She did look at my bruises on my hips (from the seatbelt) and recommended that I take pictures of them for any legal matters. I hope this doesn't come to that situation.

The best thing to happen as a result of the accident is that I now have to buy a new car, which is something I've wanted to do for a while. Since I did pay off the car recently, I was looking forward to not having a car loan for a few years. After Brian researched several cars on a consumer reports website and edmunds.com, we narrowed our search down to three cars-- the Honda Fit, the Toyota Yaris, and the Mazda 3. Last night, we drove to the three dealerships on Route 9 in Westborough (isn't it funny how these dealerships are so close to each other). We test drove all three cars (and the Mazda 3 had a manual transmission, which I really want!) and they were all good cars, but we determined that the Yaris was not for us. Also, the odometer was in the middle of the car and the car itself had a very plastic-y feel. The Mazda was great and had a good price, but this morning we have decided to go with the basic Honda Fit with a manual transmission. The only problem is that the car is in very high demand and we will have to call around to different dealerships and may possibly have to wait a few weeks to acquire one. As for the rental car, this DB(use your imagination)'s insurance company will just have to pay for the car a little longer. He had a thirteen-year-old Toyota. Obviously, he wanted a quality car, too.

That was probably a long and tedious explanation of the events that occurred. I hope no one has to endure an event like this, but I wasn't hurt (and the other driver wasn't either) and that is the most important thing.

Oh that boy of mine, by my side, the silver moon and the evening tide...

How do I love Saturdays? Let me count the ways. Now that I no longer work at a credit union or bank, I don't have to work on Saturdays any more and I love it!! Saturday will now be my new day to sleep in (until nine today; I'm not a very late sleeper), since I will now be going to church most Sundays for choir.

Today looks like a lazy day. I'll probably go to the mall and the grocery and cook a little bit. Tonight, Brian and I have been invited to a housewarming party given by someone in chorus who I've been talking to lately. I feel like I don't really know her very well, but this is a nice gesture and she is a very nice and gregarious person (this is something I highly admire).




I've been thinking a lot about my stepfather lately. Although it's been almost a year since he's been gone, I still miss him all the time. My parents came to visit Brian and me in 2006 and we visited Salem for the first time, and when I went there with Mary and Natyra two weeks ago, it really reminded me of Walt. I don't really buy or have a lot of trinkets around our house, but I have a few things that Walt gave me that are very sentimental to my heart. One of these items is a little green stone that he bought in Salem. I don't know anything about it; all I know is that I keep this stone in my wallet so that a part of Walt is constantly with me. Walt had two daughters, both of whom my mom has tried to keep in contact with, but recently, one of them has been very cruel to my mother, especially because she is now engaged to another man. I cannot say I am surprised by this behavior because of the way my former stepsister has behaved in the past, but I am completely disappointed and I believe that Walt would be very upset with her as well. The animosity has gotten so bad that my mother has now blocked her e-mail address and has ceased contact with her. I only hope that this situation gets better for everyone involved.

One of my goals is to let Walt's spirit live through me. He was a magnanimous person who was not judgmental, he tried to maintain a positive attitude all the time, and he was all about being an individual. When I lost him, I felt that I really lost the best part of myself. When I lived in Louisville or even when I traveled there from Mass., I always felt so comfortable and so accepted when I visited Mom and Walt in their country home in Bloomfield. Their home was isolated from the metropolitan area of Louisville, and it was so relaxing being there with my parents. My parents were my good friends and understood me best of all. Now that Walt is gone, my peaceful sanctuary is gone. However, I believe that if I carry him with me forever, everything will be alright.

In the New York Minute...

View from UN Millennium Plaza!

This past weekend was one of the best I have had in a long while. As aforementioned, the fall is amazing up here in New England and not too shabby in New York City either. On Friday afternoon, I drove to Stamford, Connecticut, to catch the train, and ended up being in more traffic than I had hoped for, but that was fine. I arrived at Grand Central Station at 6:45 and walked to the UN Millennium Plaza on 44th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue. Our room was on the 37th floor and the view was totally amazing!! Also, the decor for the room was very fresh and modern. It was certainly the best $300 I have spent on a hotel room in New York and it was even better than the Plaza near Central Park. I met Paul near Penn Station at eight and we walked around for a while looking for places to eat. We ended up at this little neighborhood joint called Duke's (mediocre) and then went back to the hotel. With both of us working in schools, we were quite tired and fell asleep instead of going out on the town (sorry Paul!).

On Saturday, we had coffee/chai tea in Bryant Park, bought tickets to see Spring Awakening, and had brunch in Hell's Kitchen. The show started at 2 pm and well, it was quite different from any musical I had ever seen. First of all, audience members were actually sitting on the stage, and secondly, it was based on a very scandalous play written in the 1890's, which I thought was simply astonishing. The music was composed by Duncan Sheik, who had a hit with "Barely Breathing" in the 1990's. Also, the show won a Tony Award for Best Musical in 2007. I'm not the most eloquent in describing the shows I've seen, but I will say that this was a musical I will never forget. I don't think Paul will, either.

We ended our short trip to NYC after we dined at a nice Mexican restaurant and headed off in different directions towards home. We will continue to keep our October tradition with a trip to New York next year!

I don't know why I go to extremes...

This is the cake I made for the party!


I'm very excited about this weekend. On Tuesday, I was not entirely excited about it because a now ex-friend let me down (I now know why we drifted apart nearly eight years ago after high school and I should never have rekindled this friendship) and the weather looked rainy in New York, but now, I am just happy to be going with my dear friend Paul, plus the weather looks sunny and about seventy degrees.

Last night, I went to another aide's house for dinner and drinks, along with the other aides and teachers in the special education program. We all had a really good time and I had one tequila shot too many (which was only one shot!). The teachers gave the aides these cute mock-awards and I received the "Sweetest" award. According to them and my blog's title, I apparently really am a proper southern belle. That is, until I've had a few drinks in me. It is so refreshing to work with people who are nice and who do not get too clique-y with each other and exclude you from everything. Honestly, I just put up with that for too long of a time.

I made a lovely no-bake cheesecake from the October Martha Stewart Living magazine for the party and I felt that it was a huge success. Also, I made a delicious butternut squash lasagna using one of Gretchen's squashes from the garden. Cooking and baking makes me feel very accomplished.

Today I have a holiday because of Yom Kippur. We also have Columbus Day off on Monday. However, today I don't have a complete day off because I have to babysit from 11 until 7. Also, I am letting my employer know that I will be quitting soon. My new choir starts next week and I will be quite busy.

In addition to the New York trip tomorrow, Brian and I are going hiking in Western Mass. on Sunday and hopefully just relaxing on Monday. I hope to read a lot of my book, The Witches of Eastwick, this weekend as well.

My days have been full of Rodeo Drive and pumpkin seeds?

I have two new obsessions; unfortunately, they both have to do with television. The less important one is my new-found love of watching reruns of the old "Beverly Hills 90210" on Soapnet. I didn't even know we had Soapnet until last week. At my babysitting job, I haven't been doing much after the kids get their homework done, so I take advantage of the family's satellite TV and now I am immersed in the world of Dylan's bed hopping, Steve's mullet, Brenda's bad French accent, and Andrea's zealous love of journalism and Brandon Walsh. Not to mention David's synthesizer "skillz," Donna's virginity woes, Kelly's perfection (almost), and the omniscient advice of Cindy and Jim Walsh. Great show. I haven't watched the reincarnation, but I don't believe it would live up the award-winning caliber of the original show.

Anyway, my other obsession is with Gillian McKeith and her show on BBC America called "You Are What you Eat".
She practices holistic health and believes in eating a lot of fruits, veg (vegetables), seeds and nuts, and oily fish. Basically, everything that is natural and good for you and what you should be eating. The format in the half hour show is that she will have a food junkie who is eating a terrible diet and will reform them for eight weeks with a kind of detox plan as well as exercise. It is quite wonderful and if I had the time, my hope is to have this kind of natural and diverse food on the table every night. I also feel like my diet is not very colorful; I should be eating more green, red, purple foods, etc. However, today I went to the grocery store and bought several good foods-- tomatoes, red pears, bananas, acorn squash, raw pumpkin seeds, and carrots. Anyway, Mrs. McKeith has a couple of books that I really want to buy for healthier eating habits.

Speaking of babysitting, I am going to be giving my notice to quit next week. The hours have been too long during the week and I haven't been able to spend very much time with my husband. I miss cooking for Brian (see above paragraph on healthier foods), going to the gym, and just having free time during the week. Plus, I am going to start singing at a Lutheran church for a small compensation. Very excited about this. I think that my employer will be upset but it is my decision.

Tomorrow, I'm going to a little place called Salem with friends. It can be very touristy in the fall, but it has a very cool ambiance this time of year. We may go to a house museum and a graveyard. I'll always enjoy day trips with friends.

All the loneliness in this world, you know it's just not fair...

Did you know that you are more likely to be depressed in the morning than at other times of day? I know this in part because I used to cry almost every morning in the shower during my last semester of college (it was a very difficult time for me).

Saying this, I wake up to find that I'm not invited to an important event and even though I live 950 miles away, it is still a bit upsetting. Actually, I'm kind of hurt, but the older I get, the less I can find any sort of full-out trust in people.

The babysitting job is getting out of hand. The mom asked me to go in the garage and check for what was making a terrible smell and it just happened to be two dead rats or mice that were maggot-infested. Yay.

Another day, another dollar. And Brian is sleeping in because he has the day off of school.

Friday, I'm in love...

First, a quote: "Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow them."- Louisa May Alcott

Although I do enjoy my job and part of the reason that I like it is because it is challenging, I am still happy when a long week ends. I think there are some aspects of my position that I am good at, like helping kids to understand and relate to situations and I feel like I have more patience than I ever thought I would with them. However, I often get frustrated when I cannot understand some of our more severely disabled kids or when I feel like I am being relegated to one child who no one else wants to deal with. The latter of these I might be exaggerating because I think it varies from day to day. Actually, I think that if I do work with some of these more challenging children more often, I can learn more and become a better teacher.

It's raining today and I am about to make a lasagna for a member of my choir who has just had knee surgery. I'm bringing over my spinach lasagna, salad, and a few rolls. Dotty has always been nice to me and I feel it is a very nice thing to make dinner for her. Besides, I love to cook.

We're going to one of two children's birthday party tomorrow. Either one for one-year-old Jackson or one-year-old Zoe. Whomever it is, I am going to Janie and Jack tomorrow to look for a gift for them. That store is so cute! While I am at the Natick Mall, I am also going to Nordstrom to try on a pair of Dansko shoes so that my brother can get them for me at a discount from a shoe store in Louisville. They're expensive, but definitely worth it. Also, I have a gap gift certificate to spend on khaki-colored corduroy pants for the fall.

Brian was very sweet and asked if I wanted to go eat at the Wildwood Steakhouse for dinner. He is really thoughtful.

Red Sox game tonight!

OMG, I have the biggest headache ever right now. I just had to pop some pills to eliminate it and I hope it goes away by five. We're driving (eeeek!) into the city tonight for one of the last Red Sox games of the season against the Cleveland Indians. It's supposed to be colder this evening, but the games are usually a blast. Now, getting into and out of the city can be quite annoying. When we went to the Sox/Orioles game in June, it took almost three hours to get into the city with a combination of traffic and the train. Normally, it takes about an hour and a half. Anyway, since the Red Sox are still battling the Rays for the division title, every game is crucial and this one should be exciting.

The weekend was a busy one, but I always enjoy those. I've never been one to relax a lot. On Friday, I had dinner at an Indian restaurant in Lexington with Mary and Natyra and we discussed fall day trips for the season. Salem, Concord, Plymouth, etc. Fall is always a delightful time here in this part of the world.

Brian's friend Mike came to visit us on Saturday with his daughter, Zoe, who is one. They discussed conspiracy movies, played a little music, and we grabbed a bite to eat at the cafe down the street. That night, we met some of the Ashland teachers at Red Robin in Millbury for dinner. The food was great, but the service was atrocious; I had to ask for bbq sauce three times. We planned on seeing Burn After Reading, but unfortunately, the movie was sold out. Instead, we had drinks at the movie theatre bar (yes, that is correct) and Brian and I watched Baby Mama at home. Amy and Tina are quite a team and both adorable, but the movie was less than stellar. Just my opinion, though.

I helped out the organist from my wedding at her church yesterday by singing with their choir. It was interesting being a "ringer." We sang an original piece written by another choir member, as well as Herbert Howells' Magnificat. She has now asked me if I want to sing with her choir and I could be compensated for it, which is kind of a dream for me, even though there is just a little money involved. However, I have very little free time during the week and this would now eliminate any free time on Tuesday evening. So, I'm contemplating the decision. I feel honored though and it would be a good opportunity.

Headache is still here and the we're leaving in an hour.

We've been dancin' with Mr. Brownstone, he's been knockin', he won't leave me alone...

I played Rockband with the kids last night and realized yet again how much I love it, regardless of the fact that I don't even know half of the songs on there. Very sad for me actually.

I'm now getting ready to go to a belated birthday dinner (my own) in Lexington with Mary and Natyra. Hopefully, we will order some palik paneer, naan, and a wonderful spicy shrimp dish. Oh, you know, the usual.

By the way, I have a new haircut and I love it. My hair is so much easier to take care of and blow dry. This is great for 6 am mornings.

However much I love the fall right now, I still dread the New England winters....

While that Lucky Old Sun has nothin' to do but roll around Heaven all day...

This week has been a great one. I have started my two jobs-- the special education aide at the high school as well as the babysitting job for Robin, my former dental hygienist. It has been a busy and different experience and a challenge as well. I have to admit that I enjoy having a job where I am never bored and am not staring at the computer all day, looking up random facts on wikipedia or what-have-you. My jobs have more of a purpose now and that is something to feel accomplished about.

The first two days of the week consisted of staff meetings and becoming acquainted with a lot of new faces. Everyone seems really nice so far, which is actually a better feeling than I got when I started working at the credit union. There was just a strange vibe there all the time. On Wednesday, the kids came for the first day and I was placed temporarily in the life skills classroom, where the kids need the most help. They are all really great kids, though, and it is really satisfying to help them and just makes me feel magnanimous and benevolent inside. In a few weeks, I will move to a different classroom setting and possibly work with kids who need help with specific language arts subjects; the administration is not quite sure yet.

My babysitting job has simply consisted of going over to Robin's house in Westborough, helping her two kids with their homework, taking them places, and cooking dinner if they want it before their parents arrive home. We are going to make a pizza together on my new pizza stone tomorrow night and that is always exciting!

It was wonderful arriving home from work at 2:10 on Friday afternoon. Anyone who has worked at a bank/credit union knows about the long hours on Fridays, as well as Saturday mornings. In addition, we were open until 6 on Thursday, which made it feel like one was always there. Anyway, I had a leisurely Friday doing laundry, reading, watching TV, etc. Saturday was my 26th birthday and I went to the gym in the morning and got a pedicure in the afternoon. Then Brian and I met some people from his school district in Franklin to drive to Providence for Waterfire, a summer event where there are 101 bonfires lit on the river. Another girl, Jess, had a birthday on Friday and we had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. Almost everyone had cheesecake for dessert and Brian and I tried a different one, chocolate coconut cream cheesecake, which was delicious and tasted like a Mounds candy bar. I will have to go there in the fall for some pumpkin cheesecake (my favorite)! We walked around until midnight looking at the bonfires and listening to beautiful music. It was a very strange, yet romantic ambiance.

Yesterday, we went to Tanglewood in the Berkshires for a Terrence Blanchard concert. Tanglewood is a beautiful outdoor music venue in Western Massachusetts with several concert spaces. We saw the concert in the Ozawa hall, but you can also sit on the lawn, bring a picnic dinner, and gaze at the night sky while listening to this beautiful music. This evening was especially moving because it was Terrence's composition,

A Tale of God's Will: Requiem for Katrina

, written for Spike Lee's documentary, When the Levees Broke. This is the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and another hurricane, Gustav, is approaching New Orleans and the performance was emotional for everyone. Ashe, which means Amen is my favorite piece. It really makes you think about the sadness of losing your home once and possibly losing it again.

Never forget who you are, little star...

It has been a very good, yet sort of exhausting week since I returned from my interesting trip to Kentucky. I flew back into Providence on Tuesday night, Brian picked me up from the airport, and I stayed up for a while unpacking, etc. Did I mention we now just have a lot of stuff hanging around our apartment? Don't get me wrong, we are so happy about all of our lovely things that we have received for our wedding, but our apartment just does not have any storage space!

On Wednesday, I had my interview for the instructional aide in the Northborough/Southborough school district. Everything went a lot more smoothly for this interview than for the one I had in Acton, which I was later for. That was embarrassing, but I couldn't find the building, and I had to run to get to to the interview! This time, I was about ten minutes early and I wasn't sweating profusely when I got there. Nor did I have several blisters on my feet afterwards. Anyway, the woman who interviewed me had a lot of questions and it seemed like she actually wanted to hire me. And then, she offered me a job right after my interview. It was an awesome day!! They had to check my references first, but that went well and on Thursday, I came in to talk to another person in pupil services and signed paperwork for my new job. My first day is next Monday and the first day for the students is on the 27th. I'm a little bit nervous just because this is a completely different position for me, but I think it will a be a great start to my teaching career! The only drawback is that I'm only working thirty hours a week for this position (and it is paid by the hour).

I ran a lot of errands this week as well. I changed my name at the social security office (the rmv will be next week), I bought a wonderful vacuum and storage unit for the hall at Bed, Bath, and Beyond (thanks to Chrissy and Jason and Katherine and Eric), bought a kitchen pantry cart at Target (it makes life and storage much easier), and returned a dress to Anthropologie in exchange for a very cute light pink top (love, love, love that store). Also, I went to the dentist on Thursday and while I was there chatting with my gregarious dental hygienist, she asked if I wanted to babysit her two children (ages 11 and 13) on a regular basis, three days a week. So, that will be the other nine hours of work for me.

Choir will start in a few weeks and I am looking forward to it. Also, the organist from my wedding (who I also know from playing for several of the choir's performances) asked me to help boost her church chorus in a performance on Sept. 21. I love any kind of singing opportunity. As aforementioned, I am singing "On Eagle's Wings" at my brother's wedding in September and the song is really growing on me. I hope to memorize it before the big day.

Yesterday I went to my friend Mary's birthday party on a pond near in the South Shore area. I made a derby pie, picked up Natyra at Riverside, and we drove to Hanson, Mass. for the party. Mary's family has owned a nice piece of property by a pond in this town for a very long time and she celebrates her birthday here every year. Last year, I wasn't able to make it because I was in Kentucky. I think everyone had a great time! Some folks went swimming in the pond (it was a little cold), I went canoeing with their friend Mark and Mary sat in our boat (I rocked that boat!), we had a great cookout with hot dogs, brauts, hamburgs, veggie burgs, and then sang songs next to the campfire while Mary played her guitar. It was really fun and I truly enjoy hanging out with this group of people. They are intelligent and genuine and funny! Seneca and Michael brought their baby, Jackson Michael (yes, he is named after the singer; I love it!), and he was so precious. He made me think about how much I want to have children, even though we are going to wait. Anyway, Natyra (or should I say Tyra, inside joke) and I got lost on the way home, ended up going through Boston (this wasn't the intention) and I drove her back to her apartment in Brighton. Actually, I was glad to do this because I didn't want to drop her off by herself at the train station late at night.

Today, Brian and I are going to Cambridge to meet a few people for a late lunch and we might see "The Pineapple Express." Tomorrow I have to take my car to be serviced because there is this crazy noise happening whenever you press on the gas pedal. Why do all the problems start right when you pay off the car???? I'm never buying a ford again.

"Then he asked me to be his bride, and always be right by his side."

I have always loved this song. If you've seen "Goodfellas,"(one of my fave movies) this song is played in the great scene where Henry Hill is walking his girl in to the Copacabana, by way of the kitchen. It is a really awesome scene.

Anyway, I am married now! We had a very busy week leading up to the ceremony. On the Sunday preceding the wedding, Graham and Sarah flew in early to go to Cape Cod for a babymoon (ie. their last vacation before the arrival of their baby girl in November). They stayed in Chatham and Provincetown and they had a great time. On Tuesday, my mom flew into Logan and on Wednesday, we met Sarah and Graham in Sandwich, Mass. (just over the bridge on Cape Cod) and visited the glass factory and had dinner at a lovely restaurant on the water. Mom and I had lobster mac-n-cheese (yum)! Also, mom bought me a very cute apron that is pink and has a picture of a cupcake on it! How appropriate! We went to pick up Abby but took a short detour first through the town of Hingham, Mass. (where Talbot's first opened) and Mom oooed and aaaahed at every lovely home on the Main street. We picked up Abby at Logan at 9 and then went back to the apartment in Marlborough. Paul and my dad also arrived that night, but we didn't see them until the next day. Brian, mom, and I met my dad for breakfast down the street, where he had an incident with a ketchup bottle. The rest of Thursday was spent with Mom, Abby, and Paul in downtown Boston, where we had a fun time on a harbor tour, visiting Harvard, and shopping at H & M. Unfortunately, because of a weather delay, it took us two hours to get back on the subway, but that was alright (except a little breakdown from me) :(.

Everyone arrived in Marlborough by Friday. Gretchen and Andy held a wonderful outdoor barbeque get-together in their backyard for our family and friends. Their house and yard are really lovely (Gretchen has abundant flower and vegetable gardens) and everyone really enjoyed themselves. On my last night as a single woman, I just hung out in my apartment with Abby, Paul, Brian, Sarah, and Keith. Fireworks were visible from our window and so we were able to watch them on the Fourth of July. I spent the night in Abby's room as a tradition that I am not supposed to see the groom before the wedding.

And we completely threw that tradition out the window because the Martha Mary Chapel was not open on the 4th of July. Therefore, we had to have the rehearsal the morning of the wedding. Previously, I had ominous dreams about the rehearsal, but everything worked out well. All the girls went to the salon to have their hair/makeup/nails done for the wedding. Originally, my hairstyle was supposed to be an updo, but after I saw Abby's hairstyle (hair down with curls), I loved it and decided to have my hair done that way. Besides, I can have an updo for the recpeption in August. This is one of the perks to having two wedding events.

The rest of the day seems like a blur to me. The wedding ceremony went very well. All the flowers were beautiful and the colors matched the dresses and the ties. The two readings by Eliot and Graham were sentimental and the hymn was lovely. There was a small hitch-- Mom forgot the copies of the hymns and had to drive back to the hotel and the ceremony started a little late. However, I don't think anyone noticed. I was a little nervous during the ceremony, too, and the justice of the peace had to tell me to breathe and relax. The groom was so devastatingly handsome; I was drunk on love. We took a lot of pictures in front of the chapel and the lovely gristmill on the property. Dinner was pretty good and the cupcakes were totally beautiful and delicious! I was so happy about the presentation.

As a surprise, Brian's mother made us a cross-stitched sampler that has our names and wedding date. It is really perfect for us and such a nice gift.

On July 6th, I was very sad that all the festivities were finished. We had a farewell breakfast at Nancy's Airfield Cafe in Stow (great food) and everyone departed their separate ways. Mom and I spent the rest of the day doing laundry, packing for our trips, eating Boston Market, and watching "The Other Boleyn Girl."

We're so glad we have August 2nd to look forward to!

Oh Canada, what a wonderful land!

I will post a few great/interesting/weird things I learned in Canada over the past week before I write a recap of our trip!

- The Canadian people (at least in the Maritimes) were very friendly!

- They have a dollar coin, which they call a "Loonie," because it has a picture of a Canadian Loon (bird) on one side.

- "Trailer Park Boys" is a really hilarious show that is not shown in the United States...:(

- At the Calgary stampede, they have condoms shaped like cowboy hats to prevent STD's.

- They recycle way more than we do and are more eco-friendly, at least more than New England or the Midwest (in Arizona and the West, there was a lot of recycling).

- Everything (food labels, street signs, etc.) was in both English and French, understandably.

- A lot of Japanese people like Anne of Green Gables; hey, there is nothing wrong with that because I love her, too.

- Prince Edward Island is one of the most beautiful places; I love it so!

4 days until the wedding!

Wow, I am completely overwhelmed and shocked that the time is finally here! My brother and sister-in-law were the first guests to arrive, at 3:15 am on Sunday night/Monday morning. Their flight was delayed because of weather (maybe, you never know with the airlines these days). Anyway, they left for the Cape after a homemade breakfast with Brian on Monday morning. Now, they are in Chatham and they saw Harry Connick Jr. at dinner last night!

Mom is flying into Logan tonight and I can't wait to see her! Tomorrow is my last day at the job (I wish forever!) before the wedding. I will be there until 1:30 and then Mom and I will drive to Sandwich to meet Graham and Sarah. We'll have dinner and then pick up Abby at the airport on our way back into Marlborough! Paul will also be arriving tomorrow night; I am so excited to see my friends and family. It will remind me that people do love me and that I don't have to spend the rest of my life being treated like I am a pariah or simply ignored like I am at work.

I am officially a bride and I ought to be happy! Now is the time and the place! Here I am, almost Mrs. Koning, for all the world to see!

We should have eloped...

This would have been the simple solution to the fact that we're having a very small ceremony in Mass. and a larger reception in Kentucky. If we had eloped, I would not feel so depressed about the guest list, myself, and the fact that we're spending some money on this ceremony. The city hall is right across the street; I could have put on pajamas or a white suit like Carrie in "Sex and the City" and walked over to do the deed. Oops, spoiler on SATC. This is a total sham. Yes, I will tell you the less than stellar things that are going on in my life. It isn't perfect and I will be the first one to admit that and quite bluntly, too.

And now I will go to work and finish reading "Anne of Green Gables" online. Hummmmph!

There are no cats in America and the streets are paved with cheese!!

The title is an homage to the great animated films of the past, notably "An American Tale." There is really no relevance to this post. Jason Koning reminded me of this song just as I broke into "Somewhere out there" on Saturday night.

Last week, there were at least three days when the weather was crappy, rainy, and only in the upper sixties. The next four days were in the nineties and hot, hot, hot. However, there will be a break in the pattern tonight and we will emerge into the most wonderful seasons of New England weather. I once had an ominous dream that I slept for summer months before last June; this was quite scary.

We had a good weekend. On Saturday, I went to work in the morning and then Brian and I got ready to go to Keith and Sarah's for the Belmont Race. We picked up Geralyn and Jason in Worcester, picked up some alcohol, and headed to Spencer. After a few games of horseshoes, playing with baby Jackson, and a Corona and a margarita, we watched the ill-fated Big Brown finish disappointingly tenth in the last race of the triple crown. His trainer is a really shady guy whose steroid use on the horse (or lack there of in the Belmont) affected his outcome in the race. I feel like the Triple Crown is cursed because there hasn't been a winner since Affirmed in 1978. Well, there's always next year.

We got home around 10:30 and went to sleep. I woke up way too early on Sunday and watched several episodes of "Sex and the City" in preparation for the movie that evening. Since it was so hot and we had planned on it any way, Brian and I went to Wal-mart to purchase our first air conditioner. Yes, we have not had an air conditioner since we moved to Massachusetts. Truthfully, it is not uncommon for people to have air conditioning and it is extremely rare for homes to have central air. It is just not that necessary, especially if you have a nice breeze or many windows. In the afternoon, Brian went to buy a suit for the wedding (thank you!) and that evening I met Mary for dinner at the Border Cafe in Burlington before we saw "Sex and the City- the Movie." I am definitely eating at the Border Cafe again because the cuisine type is Tex-Mex/Cajun! Mary had a delicious looking taco salad and I had shrimp and crawfish enchiladas with jambalaya.

"Sex and the City" is still one of my favorite TV shows. Nothing really compares to it, even though several shows have tried. Saying this, I loved the movie and it made the show complete for me. I hope Mary liked it, too. It was great to see the characters again; I somehow feel connected to at least three of them (I'm not really a Samantha in any way). The clothes were beautiful, the shoes were exquisite, and the sex was great. :) I think it was perfect.

Monday, I returned to jail (oops, I mean work) and I am so bored this week. Again, there is not much time left there, so I am not as upset about everything as I once was. After work, I made a homemade mushroom and pepperoni pizza on a whole wheat crust for dinner and then I went to the gym. Today, I worked, and went to Bellingham to have my wedding dress fitting with June, a very nice seamstress who doesn't charge very much for alterations and is very nice. I picked up my dragonfly dress and am now waiting on the wedding dress to be finalized as well as my reception dress. Because I was in Bellingham and so close to Whole Foods, I went stopped in for some necessary fruit and other grocery shopping. Then I went to Target to pick up a prescription and I bought a cardigan (I don't know if I'll keep it). Now, I'm watching the Red Sox game and they are losing, but I hope they win tomorrow because we are going to Fenway! It is really fun going to a game; I hope to go at least once a season!

Currently, I'm playing the waiting game with the responses for the wedding and I'm getting kind of aggravated. Just send them to me! Sorry to rant and if I know if you're coming or not, this isn't directed at you.

A quick question of the day...

I have a slight dilemna, although I guess if I just went along with it, this wouldn't be so.

How do you tell someone (very close to you) who has asked you to sing at their wedding that the piece they chose isn't really that appropriate for a wedding? The song "Eagle's Wings" is pretty, but I'm not sure if it is right for a wedding ceremony.

Not sure what to do.

I live and breathe this Philadelphia Freedom!

This past weekend, I went to visit my wonderful friend Paul, who lives outside of Philadelphia. After a very short flight out of the very convenient Providence airport (about an hour south of Marlborough), I arrived in the very busy and confusing Philadelphia airport and Paul picked me up and took me back to Horsham. We saw an interesting sight on the way home-- a man walked over to the middle of an intersection in a busy street and started doing push-ups. Thank goodness the light was red. We didn't get very much sleep that night and woke up early to...go to school!!! Paul teaches seventh-grade social studies and I thought it would be a great idea to observe him teaching for the day. We had a really fun day and I learned a lot just by shadowing once. Paul's lesson was on comparing Gutenberg's printing press and the internet, which was totally great, because it helped the kids understand the revolutionary effects of the printing press, just as the internet has been incredibly innovative in the modern age. Paul is extremely creative and really connected well to his students. Friday was also a special day because the science teacher held an "Element Ball," where all the seventh grade students made posters of elements, had a cookout, and did a scavenger hunt. It was crazy seeing all the kids run around, but it looked like fun! I also talked to a couple of teacher's aides who were really encouraging and also talked to the eighth grade history teacher, who taught United States history, my fave. After school, we drove back to Paul's and then went to this delicious Mexican restaurant for dinner called Agave, where we indulged in chips and queso, seafood enchiladas and veggie quesadillas, fried ice cream, and coronas! This was a typical Paul and Greta dinner!

On Saturday, we woke up late and headed out to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, home to many Amish folks. We went to this Amish village and museum and learned many things about the Amish. For example, they will eat at Sonic and Chic-fil-a (my kind of people), they don't like getting their picture taken, their buggies have flash signals, they speak three languages, and they don't usually vote. Also, they make beautiful quilts and delicious jams and honeys. We departed the village and went to the highpoint of "English" culture (this is what the Amish call everyone else)-- the mall. Paul recommended this delicious frozen custard from Kor Bros. and we both had chocolate/peanut butter twist cones. I contemplated buying proactive solution but I didn't. Then we drove to Paul's alma mater, Millersville University. It was a very nice school and reminded me of Ole Miss, which I hope to visit soon but don't know when I'll get back there. After Millersville, we had dinner at a pub in downtown Lancaster and watched the Preakness. Go Big Brown, win that Triple Crown!! Both of us wanted to see "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," and we watched it at the theatre where Paul used to work. The movie was funny, a little vulgar (but nowhere near as distasteful as "Superbad"), and I think Jason Segel is so cute! He kind of looks like Brian without the beard (to me he does).

We planned to work out at least one day and went to Paul's country club gym on Sunday morning. We both worked out on the elliptical for a half hour and used the weight machines. After a quick lunch at Panera, Paul and I drove to New Hope (the town where he teaches) to see a community production of "Lil' Abner." Although I think the musical is a little hokey, it is still upbeat and humorous. I'll have to watch the movie soon. This was followed by another Paul and Greta typical dinner at an Italian restaurant, a few episodes of "Law and Order: CI" at Paul's house, and then I was back to the airport to fly back to Providence. I didn't get home until 1:15 am on Monday morning, but the weekend was fun. Most of the time here, I'm kind of anti-social (for several reasons) and I really miss being a social butterfly.

Monday was Brian's thirty-first birthday. We ate dinner at this wonderful sushi restaurant in Worcester, Baba, and will definitely return. My favorite roll had bananas in it and was delicious. Even though I didn't make a cake for his real birthday, I will make a rum cake for our dinner at Gretchen and Andy's on Saturday.

How do you get to Wonderland?

This is a little strange, but I was totally inspired by that cupcake I posted on my last blog entry. "Alice in Wonderland" is probably my favorite Disney film; I was even Alice one year at a Halloween party and my date was the Mad Hatter! The music is really great, too. There's even a jazz tune based on the theme song. Here is a little ditty from the movie.

A World of My Own


Cats and rabbits
Would reside in fancy little houses
And be dressed in shoes and hats and trousers
In a world of my own

All the flowers
Would have very extra special powers
They would sit and talk to me for hours
When I'm lonely in a world of my own

There'd be new birds
Lots of nice and friendly howdy-do birds
Everyone would have a dozen bluebirds
Within that world of my own

I could listen to a babbling brook
And hear a song that I could understand
I keep wishing it could be that way
Because my world would be a wonderland

This is the cutest cupcake I have ever seen!!

This is a Bread and Butter cupcake from "Alice in Wonderland." So cute!! Check out "hello Naomi" on flickr.com.

The Delights of Badminton...

Oh, the joys of spring have awakened the heart of New England! We've had some very beautiful days and some rainy ones, but the spring has overall been a nice one. Anyway, enough of my weather report. Today was such a nice Mother's Day, even though I couldn't spend this holiday with my own mother. However, she went to brunch with my brothers and tonight she is going to see Johnny Mathis with my grandad. The tickets were a gift from my brothers and me.

Brian and I spent the afternoon at Gretchen and Andy's house in Bolton, which some people might consider rural. They have a nice home and a spacious backyard, where Gretchen has both flower and vegetable gardens. The former occupants also built a barn for a few horses, which still stands on the property. We ate a delicious gourmet lunch of hotdogs, hamburgs, cole slaw, beans, etc. (I'm only kidding, but it was good) and I made yellow cake with homemade chocolate frosting. We played a few rounds of badminton, which was really fun! Brian and I gave Gretchen a few gifts-- two books, chocolates, and some sweet-smelling bars of soap. She is a great lady and I'm very happy that she will be my mother-in-law soon!

We've watched several movies lately, including one at the theatre. Here is my take on some of the flicks.

- "Cloverfield"- This movie had a weird, shaky-camera, Blair-witch effect going on that was not for the faint of stomach. Mothra and Godzilla (the older version) are much better!

- "Charlie Wilson's War"- I liked this movie and wish I had seen a few months ago. I think people needed to see some of the history of the current war we're in and although the arming of the Afghans was initially a good thing, it changed into something different, which Phillip Seymour Hoffman's character foreshadowed at the end. Tom Hanks tends to choose projects that are intelligent and usually nominated for lots of awards. Well, this is excluding "Bachelor Party" and "Bosom Buddies," but these were quite funny!

- "The Guardian"- Not worth your time or mine. This is Brian's direct quote-- "the movie went from bad to incredibly cheesy." And to ice the cake, the movie ended with a saccharine Bryan Adams tune. Although I did love the theme song to "The Three Musketeers" with Sting and Rod Stewart. The opposite of Tom Hanks, Kevin Costner does not really know how to choose a film project anymore (dare we mention "Waterworld" and "The Postman?"). Kelso cannot act in dramatic roles.

- "Walk Hard"- In progress, although it is quite funny, however, a little vulgar. It is Judd Apatow, so what can you expect?

- "Iron Man"- I now think Robert Downey Jr. is the sexiest man alive. The movie was a great fantasy flick. Gotta love Jeff Bridges, too, even as an evil CEO named Obadiah.

Yay for a four-day work week and going to PA on Thursday to visit Paul!

Oh the Sun Shines Bright on my Old Kentucky Home...

Being a Kentucky gal, I guess I should have gone to the Kentucky Derby, the most famous horse race, more than I have, which is one time. However, I did only live in Kentucky for six Derbies, so that is not too terrible of a ratio. Now that I live far away from the Bluegrass state, I yearn to go to the Derby even more than I did when I lived in Louisville. My one experience at the Derby was really fun, even though I went to the infield. When I was a senior in high school, about six of us went to the Derby and since my high school boyfriend’s best friend’s father was a cop who always worked at the Derby jail (yes, they have a small holding cell at Churchill Downs), we were able to get out of the forty-dollar fee to enter the infield. The day was fortuitously beautiful, like this year, but we didn’t really see too many horses, which is kind of what you get in the infield unless you are right by the fence. We did see some crazy stuff though, like this guy who mugged another guy and jumped over the betting line to try to get away. I probably wouldn’t go to the infield again for Derby though, as it is too much like Louisville’s version of Mardi Gras, and that’s not really my style.



Now that I live in New England, I decided to bring a little bit of Kentucky to Massachusetts and held a fun Derby party on Saturday. I sent out cute e-invitations from Bobby Flay’s website (even though he is the devil), which matched my plates and napkins that my mom bought for me back home. I also planned a nice menu which was a cross between Mexican and Southern cuisine, since Cinco de Mayo was right around the corner as well. The menu consisted of chips and homemade guacamole, bourbon, mojitos, fruit salad, vegetarian enchiladas, a Cajun shrimp casserole, homemade sugar cookies in the shapes of horses and fleur-de-lis, and a Kentucky pie (if I mention Derby Pie, Kern’s will sue me). Natyra brought Benedictine sandwiches, Keith and Sarah brought salad, Mary and Matt brought chips, cookies, and Boston Cream Pie (yum), Seneca and Michael provided sparkling cider and blue cupcakes (for the Bluegrass state!), and Geralyn and Jason brought ice cream to accompany the pie. I think everyone enjoyed the food and we even received recipe requests!! I felt like Martha Stewart! We decorated the apartment with plastic jockey hats, jockey silk pictures that my guests and I colored at the party (sounds silly, but it was very cute), and had a random drawing for the horses. Brian picked up both the “Big”horses— Big Brown and Big Truck (not my favorite horse name) and won $20, although I felt bad because we were hosting the party. I don’t think anyone cared though. Unfortunately, Matt drew the last two finishers in the race and Seneca drew both the second and third place finishers, one of whom was Eight Belles, who everyone is very sad about because she was euthanized for breaking both of her ankles. Some people were dressed up, some weren’t. I probably should have worn more formal attire, but I was kind of tired from cooking and cleaning for most of the day. However, I had a lot of fun at the party even though I ate too much and drank too many mojitos! I was happy to bring a little bit of my home state to Massachusetts and I think the party guests enjoyed themselves. Also, I met Seneca and Michael, who came with Natyra, and they were very nice. Seneca went to Northeastern when I did, but unfortunately, we did not meet there. She is very fun and she is a Southern girl, too, hailing from Atlanta.



Although I have been very nostalgic and homesick lately, I have to think about other people I know who are much farther away from home than I am. I have a friend at work named Marta, who is from Brazil, and I know that she gets homesick as well. She gets to go home at most once a year, so I am very lucky to go home several times a year. In the past six months, I’ve been home four times. Part of that is because of my stepfather, but I am still happy to have gone home to visit friends and family. I only hope that I can eventually establish those kinds of connections in Massachusetts. :)

A few of my favorite things about our wedding...

I want to publish a euphoric, jubilant post even though I haven't been too happy in the past week or two. However, the weather is wonderful right now. Our wedding plans are really coming into place now and that makes me very glad. I haven't been stressed out about it lately at all. Honestly, I just dread going to work every day. Mostly, it is because I am like the pariah of the work environment. I'm truly not myself there because I never want to talk to anyone. I just want to feel free, happy, and myself, and none of that seems to fit where I work. I think what I just said is like the Declaration of Independence (or the declaration to be me!).

Anyway, here is a small list. I'm also happy because we are saving money. Brian and I are a frugal couple and we don't want to overspend.

- I love my dress! It is really different from other dresses and it seems to be practical. Maybe practical and wedding dress don't really go together, but hey, I get to wear mine twice! Also, my shoes are so cute. They are peep-toed shoes and they are great.

- The flowers will be beautiful! My bouquet will have hydrangeas, white roses, and blue thistle (which I will use to ensnare Brian; someone in mythology used the thistle to ensnare a man). I just love hydrangeas, period.

- My cake ladies are making cupcakes frosted like blue hydrangeas for the dinner after the ceremony and the reception. We'll be having several flavors at the reception, including chocolate, yellow, red velvet, spice, and perhaps even pistachio.

- The organist is a very talented woman who has played for a few of the AVM concerts. She will be playing the processional to "The Sound of Music" while I walk down the aisle. Hopefully, she will be playing Debussy as well.

- Bobby's quartet/quintet will be great, I'm sure. Brian and I don't have a first dance song yet (I want something by Chicago and I think he wants something instrumental).

- Our honeymoon to Bar Harbor, ME/Nova Scotia/PEI should be wonderful! We booked the trip a few weeks ago and are totally psyched.

-The thing I am most looking forward to is seeing my friends and family at the ceremony and reception. That will be the best part-- sharing the memories with them and with Brian.

I don't look forward to going to work tomorrow, but I do look forward to seeing saxophonist Kenny Garrett at the Regatta Bar in Cambridge. Also, I'm trying to convince Brian to drive to Waterbury, CT, to see our boy Ralph Nader on Sunday. Brian did, in fact, donate $100 to Nader's campaign. We might as well reap a benefit from the donation.

My trip to Plimoth Plantation...and beyond

Last weekend, I took my first trip to Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Oh, you know, where the Pilgrims landed! Plymouth is part of my indoctrination into becoming a New Englander. My friends from graduate school, Mary and Natrya, and I love to take historical field trips. They came with me for my day with Flat Stanley, too! We headed to the South Shore on a cold, overcast Sunday from the Riverside T Station and landed at Plimoth Plantation (haha) about an hour later. The three of us were able to get into the the historical site for a reasonable price with a library pass and a AAA discount (I'm so glad I joined last week). First, we watched a movie about what to expect at Plimoth, and I have to say I'm really glad we did. We started our journey by looking at an exhibit about the myth and meaning of Thanksgiving, which made me reminisce about my grade school education of the Pilgrims and Indians. Then we headed to the Wamponoag family site where Native Americans worked and talked (in modern day English; bear with me, this will be important in a minute) about life back in the seventeenth century, while a tourist lit his cigarette on the cooking fire and couldn't help himself from touching the sharp arrows, even when the nice women asked him not to. Some people at historical sites are really annoying. One time at a special event at Locust Grove, this uppity woman (who probably drove some kind of luxury car or SUV) brought her lapdog into the two-hundred year old home of George Rogers Clark and then tells me that I am rude for asking her to leave (very politely, I might add).

We continued our journey on the Eel Riverwalk to the 1627 colonial village, where we really met 1627 pilgrims (no, they were actors, but one guy appeared not to have showered for a very long time). They spoke in seventeenth century English and were well-educated in speech and common knowledge of the Puritan/Pilgrim. Considering the drab, cold weather, it really felt like we were there with the Pilgrims in 1627. I hope I get to go in the fall sometime, although I know it gets very crowded with schoolgroups and tourists. Other parts of Plimoth Plantation included a crafts center and a barn with heritage breeds from the seventeenth century. We saw some very cute goats. :)

My overall evaluation of Plimoth Plantation was good, although it was a little too real for me. Professor Green would kill me for saying this, but I sometimes like the "sanitized" recreation of history like it is presented at Old Sturbridge Village and Williamsburg. I hope that doesn't sound terrible. Please don't hate me, Prof. Green.

After we visited the plantation, we went to lunch in downtown Plymouth at The Weathervane, where we had some yummy seafood. It was still cold and rainy afterwards, so we didn't have the best tour of downtown Plymouth or of the Mayflower II (an exact replica of the original Mayflower built in 1957). The ship was really interesting and I can't believe that 102 passengers were on the ship together for so many months.

We attempted to get ice cream at a local place in Plymouth, but like many stores and museums that were closed until summer or for construction, it was also closed, so we all had wonderful sundaes and treats at Friendly's, a great New England staple. Then we drove to Parting Ways, which Mary is writing about for her research seminar, as well as Mary's very cool house, complete with lots of chickens, rabbits, cats, and dogs. It was very cozy and I bet it was a lot a fun to grow up there. On the way back to Riverside, we saw lots of very cool cranberry bogs, which are also a unique part of New England.

Well, I tried to publish this earlier but Mary beat me to the punch!

I Heart Trader Joe's...

Hopefully, this has never been a title of my blog in the past. If it was, please forgive me.

Work has been fine this week and the weather has been getting a little better each day. That is excellent.

I had a wonderful dream the other night that I was Julie Andrews. I adore her; she is wonderful woman who used to possess the most beautiful voice ever. Her diction was great and tone was pure. Unfortunately, because of some complications during vocal chord surgery, she can no longer sing the way that she used to. I told a few people that if I could sing like anyone, it would be Julie Andrews.

Monday night, I had choir as usual. We are rehearsing this new work entitled "The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace" by Karl Jenkins. This is a very interesting work and it's growing on me. There is a wine and cheese party for the director on Saturday night. I'm going with a few of the older ladies in choir who live near me, and it should be fun, I think.

Yesterday, I picked up the discounted museum passes to Plimoth plantation (Mary, Natyra, and I are going there on Sunday!) and I also went to Target to use the gift card Mel and Yvette (my stepsisters) gave me for the shower. I bought "The Audacity of Hope" by Barack Obama for Brian. I figure that even though we are voting for Nader, we can still read the books by the other candidate we like. I also bought some mineral blush from Maybelline because I love the mineral loose powder I bought from Katherine. By the way, I will buy some from you the next time, Katherine. :) Target is such a great store; that is one of the reasons I registered there for the wedding. Brian and I had gnocchi and green bean casserole for dinner and then I talked to Paul and my brother on the phone. I'm trying to plan a trip to Philadelphia in May or June. The flights there are relatively inexpensive, and I would rather fly than drive because of the hullabaloo that is the Eastern seaboard traffic jam of Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey combined. Paul and I will probably go to Amish country and I can also observe him teaching in New Hope. i miss traveling and wish I could do it more often. And Eliot just told me that he and Sarah will travel to Italy for their honeymoon! As in the words of Napoleon Dynamite, "Luckyyyyyy."

My friend Gouri and I had dinner at Panera bread in Westborough this evening. It was nice to see her; she is a really good person with a kind heart. I just wish we could meet up more often. She has good advice about parenting and life in general. And I like to talk to her about the differences between the United States and India. It's very interesting. I asked her what she likes most about the U.S. tonight and she said she like the roads and feeling very connected because she can drive everywhere. However, she doesn't like the education system as much as in India. There are a lot of problems with kids in the United States. I'm sure I wiil learn more about that in the new few months. I dropped Gouri off at her house and went to Trader Joe's, my favorite grocery store on the planet. It's like a smaller, cheaper Whole Foods with a unique theme and a very friendly staff. I can't wait to try the shrimp gyoza I bought!

Gotta go because Top Chef is on Bravo right now! My favorite show of the moment!

Oh Fortuna!!

Brian and I seem to notice that this opening song from Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana" is always in a ton of commercials. It's a very scary-sounding, Latin chant that seems to make it's way into commercials about hockey, movies, and many other products. It seems quite silly to me. When I was in tenth grade, I sang "Carmina Burana" with the the Louisville Youth Choir and the BACH society. We sang this hour-long cantata with a ballet troupe in front of us performing to the music. To me, "Carmina Burana" is really cool and definitely interesting, considering that it is based on medieval poetry, but I still cannot stand "Oh Fortuna."

The trivia night was really fun and was held to fund a scholarship for students in Marlborough. Our team was doing pretty well until the third of four rounds and I don't even know what we placed. However, our team did win the bonus round and that was cool.

I worked this morning, where the branch was very busy. This is normal for Saturdays, though. Brian and I went out to home depot this afternoon and then to Price Chopper (the most expensive and yet the dirtiest grocery store ever) for some shopping. I'm trying to avoid Hannaford grocery (a Maine outlet and my favorite grocery in the 'Boro) for a little while because of the breach in their security system. We had shrimp cocktail, steak, and asparagus for dinner, which was good and satisfying. Now I'm doing laundry and that is about it.

Energetic day!

Okay, perhaps text messaging isn't so terrible. I just think it can be rude and I don't really want to pay for the service with my ever-rising phone bill. In some situations, it can be very useful, just not in school or at a restaurant when you're only eating dinner with one other person and decide to text message the entire time.

I went to the gym early this morning for some fast walking on the treadmill and now I'm watching the Peter O'Toole film "Venus" before going to work. For the first time ever, I will have to turn my brain on for my job tonight by participating in a trivia night to sponsor a charity (?). To be honest, I really don't know. Whatever it is, it's for a good cause.

The Angels wanna wear my red shoes!

Even though the weather is kind of cool today (about 55 degrees outside), it stills look like spring has come to New England. There are crocuses growing where I work; this is either because of the weather, or because they spend way too much on landscaping. However, it's going to snow Friday, but that's okay because April is just around the corner.

Anyway, I had such a wonderful weekend. Last Friday, Brian and I woke up at the crazy hour of 3:30 am to go to the airport in Providence, Rhode Island. Poor Brian-- he didn't have school that day and he still had to get up early to take me to the airport. I like flying out of the T.F. Green airport in Providence rather than Boston's Logan Airport even though it takes about fifteen minutes longer to get there because it's just easier to get to Providence, there aren't any tolls, and it's less busy. PVD also reminds me of Standiford Airport in Louisville. Anyway, my plane took off right at six, I landed in Cincy and had a twenty-minute flight to Louisville, and landed ten minutes early. In a perfect world, all plane rides would be this way. Grandad picked me up, we went back to Vale Circle, and Mom and I went to Friday's on 4th Street with Eliot, Graham, and Sarah Honaker. I know Friday's is a chain, but I still love it! That afternoon was totally a gorgeous day, the prettiest day of the year and mom and I did a lot of errands, including going to Papers Unique (our invitation spot), Plehn's Bakery, the Summit, etc. I bought a spring trench coat at the Gap, which I was not quite satisfied with, but regardless, I needed a coat. For dinner, we had a tasting at the Standard Country Club, where our reception is being held in August. We sampled five appetizers, three chicken dishes, and a filet. My mom and I decided on ahi tuna on a cracker, eggrolls, and toast points with tomatoes, mozz. cheese, and pesto for appetizers and chicken teriyaki and beef tenderloin for the main courses. I'm hoping the food is as delicious in August.

Saturday was the day of my bridal shower. Mom and I got up early to go walk at Oxmoor Mall; I know, we are such dorks. We arrived at my Aunt Diane's house before eleven and there were around twenty-six people at the shower, plus children. For the shower, I planned my outfit in advance and wore a cute silver/grey dress and beautiful red peep-toe shoes from Nordstrom. Like Carrie Bradshaw, I love shoes and though I wear plain shoes most of the time, I would rather wear fabulous, colorful shoes than wear black ones anyday. I think everyone had a lot of fun and the food was great, especially these sausage pinwheels my aunt made. I also had about four glasses of the mimosa punch! All of my gifts were wonderful and I am so grateful for all of them.

My mom recently bought a new condo in Louisville and we went to see it along with Patty, Georgia, and Sarah. The condo is really nice and suits my mom well. Hopefully she will be able to bring the outdoor cat Spotty to live with her at the condo and convert her to an indoor cat.

Later, we went to Von Maur to buy a baby gift for my cousin Hunter's baby, Anne Miriam. While there, I found this fabulous red spring coat that I decided to purchase. I returned the Gap coat soon afterwards. Mom dropped me off at Phil's house after the mall and we went to Mojito's for dinner. My favorite restaurant in Louisville is Havana Rumba, a Cuban place that has excellent plantains, yucca, empanadas, etc., and the people who own this restaurant opened Mojito's, a tapas restaurant. Even though I had an excellent Passion Fruit mojito and crabcake-like sandwich, I still like Havana Rumba better. Kyla, Joelle, Celeste, and Celeste's friend Anne also met us at the restaurant. We went over to La Bodega for a nightcap and had more mojitos. A couple of Kyla's friends met us there as well.

It's quite funny when you run into people from high school who are still as pompous as ever, yet work as a bartender. I don't really understand, but I'm glad I don't have to deal with them everyday. Oh never mind, I do have to deal with that most of the time, but not for very much longer.

On Easter Sunday, mom, Grandad, and I went to St. Francis in the Fields (me in church?), the church where I am a confirmed member, and enjoyed the service. There was a lot of music and that is always pleasant. However, I woke up with a sore throat and that is never pleasant. Easter dinner was at my mom's cousin Robin's house (my second cousin) in Georgetown. I love Easter dinner, but there are always several dishes with loads of mayonnaise in them. However, I love the pineapple casserole (kind of like a pineapple bread pudding); I could eat it all the time! The best thing about any holiday in Kentucky is seeing everyone in my family. I'm a very lucky person to have such a great family!
Originally, we planned to go see "The Other Boleyn Girl," but we were quite tired and instead, I went to Katherine's parent's house to meet up and look at mineral makeup. I bought some loose powder and it is great. Now, I've just got to get rid of these under-eye circles. Katherine, Eric, Jayne, and I picked up my mom and went to Cheddar's for dinner. I miss that place, too! All we have is the 99 Pub and Applebee's and I'm not too keen about either one. Except Applebee's blondie dessert-- that is good!

I was quite tired but managed to watch the Home Makeover show with Patrick Hughes from Louisville, who was born without eyes and also without the ability to straighten his arms and legs. Patrick's story was totally inspirational. He is a person born with physical setbacks, but he is so completely positive about everything. And he is a wonderful musician. I never watch this show, but this was truly a great show. So much better than other reality shows.

On Monday, Mom and i met Eliot for breakfast at Panera and then we went to the mall again to walk. We were going to meet Natalie in the afternoon andd see her new house in Shelbyville, but she was not feeling well, so we are going to go next time I am in town. Natalie is feeling better now, though, and so is her baby. Since we had some time, mom and I went to Cafe Lulu (I don't know how to add links, but I definitely would here). As you can tell, I love to talk about restaurants; a few of my dream jobs are food critic, travel writer, bakery owner. Lulu is a vibrantly cute lunch/dinner place with a Southern flair. They also have pizzas and calzones. Cafe Lulu has nice memories for me because some of my friends held a going away party for me two years ago when I was leaving for Massachusetts.

I ended up getting back to Providence ten minutes early on my flight. What a fortuitous thing to have two early flights in one trip! Brian and I have had an okay week, but he has been busy making a video for a band concert next week and I'm just writing thirty-four thank you notes for the shower. Written correspondence is great, though. I just think it's a lot more personal than e-mails or text messages. Don't even get me started on text messages, especially since some guy on the South Shore had a hit-and-run fatality while texting someone while driving. That is really stupid and awful. Writing letters is old-fashioned, yes, but a nice and sweet way to keep in touch.

I hope to leave you with a more positive thought but I can't because I have a big secret! Yes, it does involve a family member (or two), but I have to wait a little while. I'm quite delighted!