Left of Center, Against the Grain

Day off

2012-01-16T17:06:00.000-05:00

Today was date day. Every now and again hubby and I have a date day. Today was that day. I won it from a bet months ago, what it was I couldn't tell you. We bet on all kinds of things; who that actress is, who sings this song, what that persons name is... you know really important life stuff.
So for our date it was between movies and strolling through the antiques store in Collinsville... and because the movies that are out are terrible, Collinsville won out. The main reason that I wanted to head out there was because there is a restaurant that I REALLY wanted to try. Once we got there I saw much to my sadness that the restaurant CLOSED. WTH! REALLY. Man that sucked. The antique strolling was fun, especially cuz hubby and I love to take the drive out there. We take a different route every time. So headed back in the homeward direction we decided to stop at DishnDat for lunch. It was fun and yummy... and packed with families celebrating MLK holiday. We came home and I dropped off the hubster so I could head to the mall and have a little retail therapy. I was not impressed. The style right now is sooo casual. I have to dress for work and the options were limited. Black pants and really long sweater tops that make me look lumpy. I am not by any means beanpole-ish, but I surely don't want to draw too much attention to my lumps either. I bought a few things, a LBD among them. All in all it was fun.

Ciao for now...
xo
S

3 Kings Day

2012-01-05T21:21:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow is three kings day and the last day of Christmas. The festivities of Christmas actually begin on Christmas Day and end tonight (Twelfth Night). Don't you feel a little smarter? We didn't get a tree this year but if we did, like every year we would not take it down until after tomorrow. The real reason being that tomorrow is the Befana. For Italians tonight is the night that gifts are mysteriously delivered to all the children, by an old woman much like Santa, except she does not wear a red suit or have reindeer. It is said that she was invited by the 3 kings to visit the baby Jesus to bring him gifts but she decided not to because she had housework to do. After she had a change of heart she could not find them and she continues to search for them giving gifts to kids all while searching.
Growing up we always celebrated the Befana with small gifts from my mother. I remember distinctly, I must have been in 4th or 5th grade, a purple (everyone knows it's my fave color) notebook and an awesome jean skirt. When we got older there was perfume and shampoo and other "grown up" stuff. I will always try to keep this tradition in my house. Tonight the Befana visited and brought some slippers for hubby. In the note she left she said that she heard that his tootsies were cold since the last pair unraveled themselves. She brought me some cute socks too.

Ciao
xo
S

New Year, New Blog!

2012-01-03T19:05:00.001-05:00

Not entirely a new blog, but I am thinking of shaking it up a bit.
If anyone has any ideas out there, they are welcome to offer em up! I'm not sure quite yet what the shakin' is gonna entail but we need a sprucing up.

For old times sake a list about my winter break.

My hubby and I were given a really truly great gift; the gift of skipping Christmas and all the trimmings, and we took it. We got to go to Florida for a week and stay in a great house and have a really fun car to drive. Pictures later.
In our first hour off the plane we were pulled over for speeding and threatened to have a knee cap shot off. Not kidding!
We spent the week reading, watching movies and not doing anything remotely Christmas related.
We saw the new Sherlock Holmes movie and loved it. We rented a ton of other movies, most of which I can't remember.
We ate waffles at Waffle House (pecan waffles are the BEST), we drove our car on the beach and we snuggled under the blankets because the temps dipped to the 40's at night.
It wasn't the best weather but we had a great time eating our way through town.
We went to the Steelers bar and I had a "salad." I guess it's my own fault for ordering a salad at a bar, but it was a layer of ice berg, a layer of cheese and a fried chicken patty on top. Oh and there were two tomato wedges, a pepperoncino and one cucumber disc.
Florida people (and I should have known this considering one of my fave peeps is from Florida) are super duper nice. They are happy (most of the time- we happened upon a fender bender and they were on the street screaming obscenities at one another) and nice and all Merry Christmas all the time.
We visited a fun old town called St. Augustine and did the touristy trolley thing, and loved every minute of it.

We came back just in time to celebrate New Year's Eve with more of my fave peeps.

Happy New Year Y'all!

xo
s

Happy Holidays and Merry Merry!

2011-12-14T16:18:00.001-05:00

Classes end today. I have a paper to write that is due next Monday, but my goal is to hand it in by Friday so that I am done and can enjoy a weekend for a change.
Things are pretty quiet in the office so we decided that one person gets to go home early every day; did I mention I work with awesome folks. So this Friday I get to have an extra two hours to myself before the sun goes down. I am really looking forward to it, although I'm not sure I'll know what to do in daylight hours.
The air is finally crisp and Christmas music is on every station. The lights are on the trees and houses.
I wish you all a very merry as I sign off for the year. I think I am going to retreat into my hidey hole for the next couple of weeks and concentrate on starting the new year healthy and with happiness in my heart. I hope that the holidays bring you lots of cheer and some quiet time with your loved ones. Take this time to tell them how much you love them.
Be well and spread the cheer!
Love you,
S

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T11:00:00.001-05:00

I wish you all the happiest of days today and everyday.
Although I didn't finish my days of thanks, I am thankful for a lot this year. Truthfully the list was hard for me. Especially the last couple of weeks when it felt like everything was going just a little bit wrong, it was hard to feel thankful. Then today I wake up next to my partner and we are able to smile and laugh and love and I am preparing to feed my family and friends and I can't help but be thankful for all that I have. I will put a smile on my face today and take the sad moments with the happy ones and be thankful for all that is before me.
Love you all and wishing you a super happy and thank filled day.

Ciao
S

Thanks part 3

2011-11-18T06:45:00.000-05:00

I am thankful (truly truly) for my hubby. Being married for 9 years, you really get to know your partner whether they think so or not.

I am constantly surprised that he can sense my vibe and try to counter it or make it better, or sometimes do nothing at all because he knows that I don’t even want to acknowledge it.

I am thankful that he is taking my car to get serviced because he knows that it is something that I HATE to do.

I am thankful that he is handy and can get stuff done around the house; even if it takes a little longer, it is nice that he does it. ;)

I am most thankful that he likes to debate with me. We are not on opposite ends politically, but we definitely have differing views and like to spend time defending them.

I am also thankful that pretty much he lets me do what I want. We’ve been together long enough that jealousy is a thing of the past and we don’t feel like we have to be together every minute of every day. But I miss him a lot too.

Ciao
S

What's in a name?

2011-11-15T18:34:00.001-05:00

My name is Stefania; I introduce myself that way and hope that you use it when addressing me. My sister named me. My name, although not conventional is really not all that hard to say, pronounce or read. My experience has been that if someone gets it wrong the first time no amount of correcting is gonna make it right.
There are also a whole group of people that insist on shortening it to Stef. What's up with that? I had someone ask me my name once and I replied "Stefania", he then asked, "What can I call you?"... and I replied, "Stefania." He didn't think that was funny and insisted that I had a nickname that he could use.
Growing up they called me Stefy. After high school I made a super conscious effort to make sure everyone called me by my full name and it generally worked, except of course for that really obnoxious group that decide to call me whatever they want.
When my nephew was old enough to start talking my name became Zia Fania. Can't blame the kid, Zia Stefania is a lot to say much less remember. So within my family and close friend I can sometimes be called Fania (Zia is the Italian word for Aunt).
My job has always included customers, clients, parents, students; basically lots of talking on the phone and other various forms of correspondence, and people misunderstanding my name. I think it grates me the most when I send an email signed Stefania and I get a response "Dear Stephanie," as if they realized that I spelled my own name wrong and they want me to realize it as well. Over the phone I've gotten Stephanie, Stefan, Zavania, Stefanya, Stefaneea (pronounced with a heavy -nee), and Tanya. Once a really truly long time ago (first job out of college, and I can't believe I'm telling this story) I was answering the phone for Matel Interactive as a customer service representative and the person on the other end of the phone heard my name as Lasagna.

Ciao
S

30 days of thanks - in parts.

2011-11-10T19:19:00.001-05:00

I am thankful for the amazing women in my life.

Mom- Thank you for being there for me day in and day out. You are my blueprint for life.
Sube- Thank you for letting me call you that even though neither of us could probably pinpoint why. You are a role model to me in every way; you’re an amazing mother, business woman, sister, wife and friend. I aspire to be like you everyday.
Family- In this past year you have risen up and shown me how lucky I am to be a part of this family. As women we take care of each other in good and bad and for that I am thankful.
Heather you get a category all your own. Never before have I had a friend like you. I can’t even begin to describe the magnitude of our friendship and what it means to me; thank you for being my bestie.
To the rest of my amazing, beautiful, courageous, intelligent, talented, loving, inspiring, awesome, awe-inspiring, caring, blogging, adventure seeking, smart, witty women in my life; Thank you for being a friend.

Ciao
S

30 days of Thanks

2011-11-05T12:04:00.002-05:00

I've been seeing a lot of being thankful going on and I want to get on board. Because I can't always remember to post every day I hope to post weekly about the things that I am thankful for.

This week I was super thankful for not having lost power. It really brings perspective when you drive around and see huge trees that have fallen from one snowstorm, and you hear about people still not having power after a week. Whao.
I am thankful for my job. 1) that I have one 2) that the people I work with and 3) the opportunities that this job offers me.
I am thankful for my health.
Also this past week I was thankful for the technology that kept in contact with my family and friends, knowing that everyone was ok.
I am thankful that the state of CT recognizes same sex marriage and allowed two very special people to have a really amazing ceremony to show their love.

See ya,
S
xo

Power

2011-11-02T18:11:00.000-05:00

What a surreal couple of days.
Let's start with the gorgeous Friday we had last week. It was a beautiful day, especially because I left the office at noon to head over to carve pumpkins for my friends wedding the next day. It was around that time that they were predicting a terrible October storm. Yeah right. I surely didn't believe that we were going to be getting the 6-10 inches that they were predicting.
Saturday it started snowing at about noonish even though they predicted that it wouldn't start until 4 or 5 pm. Hubby and I were getting ready to head to the costume party/wedding of the century during the storm of the century. Nothing was gonna stop us from that wedding and nothing did. There were already branches down by the time we got there around 5:30pm, but still I didn't believe that it would get much worse. Boy was I wrong.
We didn't care much about the snow coming down outside because we were having a great time at the wedding. I couldn't get over the creative costumes; everyone from PeeWee Herman and Ms. Yvonne to Edward Scissorhands was there. There were pirates, evile clowns, cowboys, Kermit and Miss Piggy. Wow. Everyone had a great time and the wedding was so beautiful. There were blessings and songs and readings. Best part is that two of the most wonderful humans on earth are married and I was there to witness it. Makes me proud to be in state that recognizes same sex marriage.
Around 11:30 we decided to brave the weather and head home. We danced, we drank (not a lot considering the drive home) and now it was time to get going. We got to the car and headed right out into the night. It was still near white out conditions as we drove and there were lines and trees down everywhere. We go about 1/3 of the way home and hubby realized that he dropped his glasses in the parking lot and we had to head back. I was so glad that we were able to find them in the already 6 inches of slushy snow.
We made our way slowly home and were discouraged by the street after street of darkness. There were trees down, streets blocked and the snow was still coming down so hard. We got about 3/4 of a mile from home and could see the light at the corner of our street shining like a beacon in the night. We had power and could not believe our luck. We were howling with happiness. Once inside and still hyped up from the ride home we decided to switch on the boob tube and try to catch some weather or news. To our dismay the cable was out.
We spent all day Sunday clearing the drive and walk ways and being so happy that we never lost power. After listening to the radio we realized the extent of the power outages and literal devastation to the area. We hopped in the car and saw some of our neighboring streets and realized how lucky we really were.
We lived without cable/ internet and phone for the past 3 days and couldn't care less considering we had heat and hot water and power. The cable just came on and is allowing me to tell you all this.
Hubby has no school until Monday and I was closed til tomorrow. Whoa, what a storm.

Ciao
S

9 years

2011-10-25T05:33:00.001-05:00

Dear Husband:
9 years ago today we promised to love, in sickness and in health and in good times and bad. I can say that we have experienced it all and mostly this year. I loved you then, since, and more with every tomorrow.
Thank you for being the husband that makes me laugh and comforts me when I get a B- on an exam. Thank you for understanding and not eating my secret stash of dark chocolate covered caramels and pretending not to know where they are. Mostly thank you for knowing exactly how I feel and letting me tell you anyway.
I love you, I love our house, I love our bets and that you let me win so I can plan our dates.
I love that we are always on the same page and have the same hopes and dreams. I can't wait to live them all out, one by one.
Happy Anniversary.

Ti amo,
S

2011-10-16T14:09:00.002-05:00

Today was the AIDS walk Hartford at the Reservoir. The madhatters were back in style. H has made us awesome hats every year that we have walked, this year no less! We all looked grreat and were complimented all along the walk. If it wasn't for this impatient polar bear we might have walked with the rest of the group and not in the opposite direction! heehee But as always we made our mark and cheered as we passed all the groups trying to get them revved up. Fun as always.
Hope you enjoyed today as much as I did.
xo
ciao
S

ps. I had to take this picture at home cuz I forgot the camera. But as a group we looked so awesome. We had a panda bear, monkey, lion, dog, frog, cow and a penguin.

October

2011-10-01T11:04:00.003-05:00

is here...
the leaves will start to change and drop from the trees.
I will wear sweat shirts and socks and sneakers with my jeans.
We will celebrate 9 years of marriage.
We will watch the sun set earlier every night.
The pumpkins will come out and dot the night with light.
"The holidays are right around the corner" everyone will say, and they will be right.
Every weekend is busy with friends and family. Apple picking, harvest fest and a wedding to look forward to.
School is well under way, with studying and exams and classes every week.
This is one of my favorite months.
What have you got going on?

ciao
xo
S

Pet Peeve

2011-09-23T14:34:00.001-05:00

Lately, and more than ever before I am so annoyed when people run red lights. You know those folks that try to sneak in on the yellow but it has already turned red. This week it felt like every red light I sat through I could have gotten into an accident because when I got the green there were still cars coming through on the other side. The worst was the city bus that made me slam on my brakes because they decided to cut me off to take a left right in front of me. AND THEN she had to stop and back up because she turned too widely. What what!?
Come on people... I know that we are all in a rush and red lights always seem to come at the worst times and yes, when you are running late it feels like every light is red. But, red is red people, and red means stop.

Ciao
S

Final Frontier

2011-09-18T09:13:00.002-05:00

I finally went back to the gym yesterday. For those who didn't know I teach water aerobics at a local gym and hadn't been back in 2 months. The doctor had recommended that I don't go swimming for the 6 weeks that I was on leave, so that was my excuse for most of that time. The other two weeks I guess I just wasn't ready to see my water peeps. They are such an amazing group of women. They comforted me the whole time I was laid off, always offering me words of encouragement and in a few cases some leads and recommendations. When they found out I was pregnant they were over the moon and enjoyed hearing the weekly updates and seeing my body transform. They sent cards of condolence when they heard the news (one of the women is the mother of a good friend of mine) and sent word that I was missed. So yesterday I woke up with the express purpose of getting to the gym to see my class. There were only a few people there and it was really nice to be back in the water. If you know me you know that I love love love to swim; I missed it. So now I'm back and hope to get back to teaching in the coming weeks.
The weekend has been really beautiful and I've been getting out as much as possible. Went for a walk with hubby yesterday, met a friend for some shopping and today will clean the house and cook for the coming week.
Hope you had a great weekend too.
xo
Ciao
S

Back to work

2011-09-07T21:22:00.002-05:00

I started back at work last week. Not easy, but I work with some pretty great people and that makes it better. I started on a Thursday so that I could have a really short week to start and not be too overwhelmed.
Late last week hubby got a gig on Governors Island near Battery Park in Manhattan. Before we were married (9 years this fall) I joined him at a gig in Bridgeport, hated it and decided that this was something he could do alone. But this time it sounded like fun. It was called Rock the Bells, and was headlining some of my faves from back in the day... Cypress Hill, Erykah Badu and Ms. Lauryn Hill. Needless to say it was also going to include a trip to the city and I rarely wanna miss that. We stayed in a super swanky hotel in SoHo and got to have dinner, together, alone before the madness of the concert began. Madness it was, and fun, and tiring, and dusty. The only thing I will say is that Governors Island is really beautiful and the bells were truly rocked. Before we returned on Sunday we got to have brunch with our fave NY couple Adam and Meredith. Delish and nice to catch up.
Although the trip was short and was mostly spent working, it was nice to have one last jaunt before getting down to real business. We are both back to work and I will start class again next week. It's been a really rainy week and that has been just fine because it matches my and hubby's mood. Looking forward to sunny skies.
Ciao
S

Natural Disasters

2011-08-28T21:16:00.003-05:00

The fact that we have had two "natural disasters" in one week feels very natural for my life right now. I am still really raw from losing my daughter but trying to do my best to move on. I have good days and bad days and mostly the good days are winning out.
On Tuesday of last week the East Coast felt the strongest earthquake since 1944. The center was in VA and tremors were felt all over the east coast. My hubby and I were both home and neither one of us felt anything. My mom was at an appointment at the hospital and felt it very strongly and was really nervous when the offices were evacuated.
This weekend was hurricane Irene. They had been talking about this hurricane all week and I was pretty sure that we wouldn't get much. We usually don't and I was hopeful that history would prove me right. My bestie and her hubby live near the shore and were nervous about the thought of an evacuation. Since we had double date plans for Saturday anyway they decided to bring an overnight bag and their dog "just in case." We started the weekend out in our brand new wellies that my bestie bought us to round out our hurricane preparations. Mine are purple and I luv em!
Saturday afternoon we went started out at the local burger joint for some nourishment before the movie. The movie was so supremely not great that I won't even tell you which one we saw. We were there with 2 other people. I was so SURE that the movie theater would be packed considering the rainy day and that Irene wasn't supposed to come for hours yet. The theater was deserted. Mental note for the next hurricane. We all went to bed Saturday night anticipating the worst according to the news.
Sunday we woke up (I was the last to get up) to some heavy rains and winds. We still had power, thank goodness (coffee maker needs power). I made a yummy breakfast of ham and cheesy eggs and my bestie made a super yummy tomatillo salsa. Very tasty. We love to cook when we are together. We spent the rest of the morning watching the weather station and anticipating the storm. The rain was heavy and the winds were strong; just not hurricane strong. For lunch we went all out and made homemade tortillas, steak, baramundi for tacos, couscous and more yummy tomatillo salsa. Yup I said homemade tortillas... DELICIOUS. For dessert I made banana bread from scratch and we topped it with caramel ice cream.
The winds died down, the rain stopped and Irene passed. We never lost power, our property sustained very minimal damage and we were all safe and stuffed.
You definitely want to get stuck with me and my bestie in a storm. Hope you are all safe!
Ciao
S

Journey

2011-08-12T10:41:00.002-05:00

I have always believed very strongly in the fact that we all have a story and a journey that we are on. No two stories are alike and everyone has to explore their own journey.
Having said that I have always been obsessed with my own journey and what path to take and what implications that would have. There aren't a lot of decisions at this specific point in my journey, but never before have I been so anxious to see what is next.
I am so grateful for my hubby who lets me be as emotional as I need to be, who understands that every minute is a different obstacle and who pushes me to be as strong as he knows that I can be (even in the moments when I don't feel so).
I am blessed with a mother, mother-in-law and sister that stand by me, cry with me and hold me up. Everyday there is love, courage and strength.
Daily there is a pile of cards that come in the mail to offer hubby and me sympathy and strength in this tough time that we are going through. We are humbled at the love that we have been shown.
I don't know where this journey will lead us but in my heart I know my daughter will light the way.

S

Pain

2011-07-31T07:47:00.002-05:00

This is truly the hardest and most painful post to write. I buried my daughter yesterday. She was stillborn last Monday. I am still waiting to wake up from this terrible nightmare.
Yesterday we put her in the ground with my father to watch over her. She was so little. There are no words to make this better. I am praying that time can heal this wound.
My husband held her and told her of the love that we have for her. He whispered her name Luciana Fiona Campbell to her and stayed with her until the last moments.
I thank you all for the love and flowers and cards. Every little thing helps us to get a little stronger.

Ciao
S

OMG

2011-07-19T14:27:00.002-05:00

I am so excited... the creator of Sassy and Jane Magazine (one of my all time favorite magazines that was discontinued) has a website that is AWESOME!
yayay

Check it!

Ciao
S

Fun fun

2011-07-15T14:49:00.000-05:00

Two names you are called that are not your real name:
1. Fania
2. Zia

Two things you're wearing now:
1. gauchos
2. flip flops

What are 2 of your favorite things to do:
1. read
2. dinner with friends

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1. to have all the laundry and cleaning done
2. to take a nap

Two things you did yesterday:
1. grocery shopped
2. worked

Two things you ate yesterday:
1. leftover ice cream cake
2. leftover pizza

Two people you last talked to:
1. My mother
2. My sister

Two things you are doing tomorrow:
1. EXTRAVAGANZA!
2. Water aerobics

Two favorite holidays:
1. Valentine's Day
2. Thanksgiving

Two favorite beverages:
1. Coffee
2. Red Wine (obvs not lately)

Two people no longer alive that you'd like to talk to:
1. my Dad
2. my nonna

Just thought it would be fun to do some of these old questionnaires.

Here is another:(got this one from here)

Tell me about the shirt you’re wearing?
It's one of my maternity shirts that I love the most. It is purple and kinda striped. VERY COMFY.

What’s currently bothering you?

Being stuck here.

What do you currently hear?

Listening to Pandora. Great station with all my favs... currently Madonna.

When was the last time you had your hair cut?

Funny that you ask... can't remember so I'm going in for a trim tomorrow.

When were you last outside?

This morning when I got to work at 8am. I wanted to go out at lunch but last time I did that and sat on a bench outside my office reading for a bit I came in with ticks. Yuck. Not doing that again.

Are you wearing shorts?

Well, it depends if gauchos can be considered shorts. I don't think so...

Does the thought of marriage scare you?

Nope.

What did you do today?

I've been at work all day... working on this during my lunch... yeah...

Look to your left, what is there?

My office phone, that hasn't rang more than 4 times today.... just sayin.

What time did you go to sleep last night?

I got into bed at 10 and read and chatted with hubby for a bit.

When is your Birthday?

February 17

The way to win your heart?

Just be genuine and real.

What are you going to do this weekend?

Tomorrow is Extravaganza and that means cook out. Come over if you want.

Were you happy when you woke up today?

I guess, I was on my way to work.

Have you ever crawled through a window?

I think so. Vaguely remember that...

Would you ever donate blood?

I’ve tried and passed out. Never tried again. Not a fan of passing out.

Has anyone ever mistaken you for a family member?

Nope

Do you have reason to smile right now?

Yes, I am growing a baby girl and will get to meet her in less than 2 months.

What do you do when you’re stressed out?

Cry, pick a fight with hubby, become very quiet and introverted.

Would you honestly say you’d risk your life for someone else?

Absolutely.

Do you open up to people easily?

Sometimes. I like to meet people and be open but the secrets are kept close to the vest.

Has anyone upset you in the last week?

Yes. Probably. Most likely my husband.

What is the last pill you swallowed?

Prenatal vitamin this morning.

What was the first thing you thought this morning?

Already, ugh.

Who do you blame for your bad mood today?

I’m not in a bad mood

Where is the person you like right now?

He's home... hopefully getting stuff done.

What was the first thing you did this morning?

Took a shower.

Do you care of what people think of you?

Probably more than I should.

Who was the last person you took a picture with?

At my baby shower this past Sunday I took a bunch of pics. I think the last one was a group pic with my sister and cousins. Very nostalgic.

What are you looking forward to right now?

It's 3:35 on a Friday afternoon in the middle of SUMMER.... I am dying to go home.

Do you miss someone?

Not any one person in particular.

Does your crush like you?

Most days

If you could go back in time and change something would you?

Yep.

Do you hate smokers?

Nope. I hate the smoke.

Ever had a near death experience?

I almost drowned once as a 5 year old. I have vague memories of it but still love the ocean and love to swim.

Something you do a lot?

I twirl my hair and play with it ... A LOT!

Last person you cried in front of?

I'm sure it wasn't long ago... maybe a day or two at most.

Have you ever been to a tanning bed?

Yes. Once. Got a bad rash and never went back.

Does anyone hate you for no reason?

I'm sure there are haters out there.

Have you ever kissed someone whose name starts with the letter J?

Nope

What are you stressed out about?

A lot of different things... hmmm probably the child care thing the most.

What was your favorite grade?

Gosh I think I hated them all equally until I got to college.

When is the next time you’ll see your best friend(s)?

I get to see a lot of them tomorrow at EXTRAVAGANZA.

Favorite number?

Ever been in love?

Yep

Are you wearing make-up?

Totally forgot this morning. I look scary.

What were you doing at 11:30 last night?

Sleeping and probably tossing and turning.

What’s the last thing you said and to who?

I just said to have a great weekend to my coworker. She just left.

Do you sleep on your stomach?

I used to. Now I try my hardest to sleep on my side.

What do you hear?

Still listening to a great Pandora station. This this seems a little redundant.

Are you ticklish?

Yes, some would say on the inside too.

Last time you saw fireworks, with who & where?

Probably at last year's Extravaganza... yay.

Ciao

Happiness

2011-07-12T13:15:00.002-05:00

Last night I walked into our bedroom and my husband was grinning... at nothing in particular and I asked him, "What's up with you?"
He answered,"I'm happy." So then I was grinning too.

This past weekend was my first baby shower and it was the epitome of happy for me. My mother and sister and her family literally showered me with so much love I was overcome with emotion the whole day. My sister's husband and kids spent the whole weekend preparing the house for the celebration. When I came down right before the guests arrived there were flowers, balloons and rubber duckies everywhere. They did so much work and it mean so much to me. I am overcome with emotion just writing this (but I guess that doesn't mean much considering I am 32 weeks preggo and spend a lot of time crying). I feel really lucky and happy and truly blessed.
I got to visit with friends and family that I haven't seen in a long time and we were celebrating the soon to be arrival of my daughter. We recalled stories of us growing up, everyone gave their advice on baby gear and 'get some sleep now'. Best of all was the collective oohs and aahs over the cute outfits. The best part was getting home and not really sure what I was gonna do with the million and one presents that were full to the brim in my car until my hubby pulled into the driveway two minutes behind me from being away for essentially two weeks. That was happiness.
The coming weeks are filled with visits and showers and friends and family and I am so happy. I'm so excited for this little lady and the family of love that she gets to enter into. She is already so loved.

hope you're having some happy too.
ciao
S

Ramblings

2011-07-01T09:55:00.002-05:00

Because that is all I could come up with...

Today is the first of July and truly feels like the beginning of Summer. I am so excited. I am shooting a wedding tomorrow and then nothing but work and preparing for this amazing addition to my life. Whoa!
I got a B in that godforsaken class.... and I mad. Yup, I hated every minute of it, walked out of the final having not finished half of it and am mad that I got a B.
The office is eerily quiet today. I've been immersed in bad internet and now writing this post.
I have experienced that for some people seeing a pregnant woman brings out the worst in them. They feel compelled to say things like, "you don't look bad at all" and "getting big huh?" Even the doctor gets in on it and says things like (after putting his hands on my 30 week along belly), "you're pregnant!" I'm still on the fence about the comments (that are supposed to be positive)... "gosh you don't even really look pregnant", is that supposed to mean that all these years that I have been looking pregnant and no one told me? My absolute favorite was said to a colleague that was pregnant, "OMG look at how freaking big you are!" and "They should give her the end seat because she needs all the room she can get" Dang! That has GOT to be the worst. My rule of thumb is and always will be to not comment on anything that I would not want to hear myself, unless it is your very best friend/ sister and she asks you for your complete honest opinion. ... Actually, even then on second thought, tell her she looks great!
I'm hungry. Seems like all the time.
People are calling me "mom" and I don't realize they are talking to me.
I am planning on spending some time with my sister and her family this weekend and I am giddy about it. I haven't seen them since Memorial Day and I MISS them tons. Her new house has an in ground pool and I plan on floating my way through the 4th.
When we moved in to my childhood house growing up it had an above ground pool. I have ALWAYS been attracted to water and LOVED to swim and spend time in the ocean. That first year in our new house we had a tough time stabilizing the water, so most of that summer it was a deep swamp like green color. I didn't care one bit and spent every day of that summer swimming and floating and loving every minute of it. I'm surprised that my hair didn't turn green or my skin for that matter. In the end my mom bought a bunch of bleach and poured it in and that was what fixed it.

Hope you all have a fabulous 4th. Enjoy and be safe.
Ciao
xo
S

IOU

2011-06-20T13:57:00.002-05:00

So this is the third post that I have started in the past month and I hope to finally post. It has been quite a busy month. I started a class in late May that is two nights a week and you would not believe what that does to a woman's social life. Especially a pregnant lady. I can't believe that I am writing this on the 20th. Dang, where are these months going. I am really looking forward to being done with this class, not only because it has not been my proudest moments when it comes to this rocky road to my MBA, but it also marks the end of school until little lady arrives and then not until Jan at the absolute earliest.
June has also been my month of Friday's off... and darnitall if it is not going to be the hardest thing ever to go back to 5 day weeks. I really think that I was meant to only work 4 days a week. I am a happier more productive worker bee and a happier and more productive wife. I tell you I see this at some point again in my future. Probably not immediate future but a future life FOR SURE.
June has also been shaping up to be the "OHMYGOD WE ARE HAVING A BABY" month. Everything from nursery stuff to daycare to changing the house around to maternity leave to pediatricians, to my belly is getting HUGE (not really)... okay, deep breath. But for real peeps, I am having small freak outs on the regular. And so is the hubster. We remind ourselves that this is normal and that we are super excited to be starting a family, but in the middle of the night when you wake up and you can't stop thinking about it all, it is harder to stop and remember.
I just reread that bit and it makes me seem not so happy about this little one that I am growing and I assure that that is NOT the case. I am so freaking excited that I can't event tell you... or can I:

On a daily, almost hourly, basis I am completely in awe of my belly and what is going on in there. I am by nature a very nervous person so I try to read all about what is happening on a weekly basis to my squirmy girl and I am completely in awe of what my body is doing right now.
I love when she kicks me, it feels like she knows what I am thinking and we constantly have this private conversation going on. Sometimes it really tickles.
I can't watch that pampers commercial or any of the baby programs without bawling my eyes out. I know that this is also due to the raging hormones that are surging through my body. But it is also the anticipation of meeting my daughter... yup said it DAUGHTER. Whoa.
I whisper her name (or the one that we have picked at this moment) in my head all day long. I am trying it out in different situations to make sure that is the right one. Don't ask, I won't tell.
I still can't believe that this is happening. When I walk by a mirror and catch a glimpse of my profile I am still surprised. My belly isn't big enough to see when I look down (partly because my boobs have still outgrown my belly, but that is another post for another day) and it isn't big enough to throw me off balance so I am not always aware of it. When she kicks me I stop and think... oh yeah...
July will be my month of baby showers. I am excited to start to see the stuff that will belong to squirmy girl, but I am more excited to see all my friends and family and talk about being pregnant all the time and be overly excited. I try to hold it in the rest of the time. I don't want people to think I am crazy.
Lastly although I am nervous as all get out I can't wait to be a mom and see hubster as a dad. I know that it will be hard but I am excited to meet her and help her learn and know her the best.

Whoohoo post accomplished. One thing I can cross of the to do list!

Ciao
S

June Days

2011-06-01T08:35:00.003-05:00

Yup, June is here, today. May was a blur, with something to do everyday.

There was:

Birthing class
Mother’s day
Doctor’s appointments and ultrasound
Commencement events and commencement on a super duper rainy soggy day
Gala
Finished one class (got an A-) started another super intense gonna be done in 6 weeks class
Began my month and a half of 4 day weeks (yay) (love it by the way)
Saw Gem of the Ocean at HartfordStage; shout out to the amazing and talented director Hana Sharif!
Surprised my sister for her 40^th birthday; she was surprised and everyone had a great time
Read the 549 page bookclub book, still don't know where I found time for that one!
Had a really crazy not super fun Memorial day weekend (for another post) (other than the surprise party)
Started a baby registry. whoa.

And here we are… June 1.

Oh the possibilities!

Ciao

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T15:48:00.003-05:00

This year is new for me. I am about to become a mom and that is so strange and crazy and exciting. I have to be the luckiest mom-to-be in the world because I have an amazing network of mothers to look to for advice and guidance and love. My mother, my sister, my aunts and cousins, my friends... Everyone has already been so amazing to me on this journey, I can only imagine how much more rewarding this becomes.
To my mom: who is by far the most amazing woman that I know. She is always there for me and when we are done chatting on the phone, she thanks me for calling and tells me how much she loves talking to me.
To my sister: who loves me unconditionally and shows me that every day. Every year I try to find the cards that says "Damn, how do you do it? And so that it looks so easy and so that your kids still love you?"
I'm not kidding when I say that I have a lot to live up to in the mom game.
I had a wonderful time today celebrating with my mom and sister and her family.
And then my husband treated me to the milkshake that I have been craving.
Thank you all and I hope that all the mothers out there are applauded and celebrated and loved and treasured today.
ciao
S

May day

2011-05-01T17:49:00.002-05:00

Today was a GORGEOUS day. We had the windows open all day and enjoyed the sunshine. I went for a walk with a friend and grilled every piece of protein and vegetable imaginable. Ate a huge dinner and am ready for a nap.
It was a wonderful Saturday too. The morning was kinda chilly but I was at a communion mass for my niece and nephew. Adorable. They did such a great job. Lunch at the Federal was amazing and the best part was visiting with friends and family that I haven't seen for a while.
This time of year is always busy and the next couple of weeks are no exception. At least the weather is getting warmer and it doesn't get dark until real late.
Not really much else to report... I'm 22 weeks along in this pregnancy and everything has been great so far. Haven't gained a lot of weight and not a lot to complain about. I did have a real pain in the ass last week but that has gotten alot better. Swimming will do wonders.
Hubby and I are taking a birthing class tomorrow night (yes, I know it seems early but they only offer this specific one once a month and the next two months don't work out...) so I'm looking forward to that... I think. Almost half of the conversations we have lately are about baby gear or baby situations... baby, baby, baby... so I ask you bloggie friends of the interweb! What say you? Anything you couldn't live without? Must haves? Total skips? Lay it on me!
If you don't want to leave a comment here, email me... or leave me your email and I will email you my addy.
Ciao
S

I gotta tell you something...

2011-04-13T20:07:00.002-05:00

For old time's sake...
We went for the targeted ultrasound this week and the baby is doing great. SHE is growing right on schedule and squirmed throughout the whole thing. SHE is beautiful!
My mother and mother in law were both there and loved every minute of it.

So did I!
Ciao
xo
S

Oh the places I've lived...

2011-04-06T12:39:00.002-05:00

As I was driving around this afternoon I started to think about all the apartments and houses that I’ve lived in and what I loved about each of them. Don’t get me wrong; I love love love our house right now, but if I could add the bedroom from one apartment and the kitchen from another it might just be better than it could ever be.

When I was in college I moved into an apartment with three other gals. What fun! What a great apartment. 3 regular size bedrooms and one really tiny one; I really got the pick of the litter. If you ever spent any time in the triple deckers in Massachusetts you understand what I mean when I say I lived in the front room. It was all windows and fairly spacious. My bed was on the floor and filled up a cozy corner of the room. It was perfect for napping, doing homework, hanging out… what a great room. The apartment was pretty great too.

The year that I got married my hubby and I moved into my mom’s house; there was a great apartment on the 1^st floor that was pretty perfect, not big but big enough. A few years later we bought the house and moved upstairs into the house that I grew up in. The kitchen in that house was awesome. Sliding doors onto a deck, marble tile floor, gas stove… everything about it was perfect. My favorite thing to do was to sit at that table in the sunshine and drink my morning coffee. If it was a nice day you could open the slider or sit on the deck. Ahhh… the memories.

During my junior year in college I studied abroad in Germany for a semester. I attended two separate programs and both times lived in really old renovated buildings. The first was a nunnery and the second and seminary. What an experience. My favorite by far was the second place. It was more of an apartment with a teeny kitchen and an even teenier bathroom. I shared the kitchen and bath with the guy across the hall. But my room was perfect. There was nothing spacious about it; a single bed, table, bookshelf and closet. I could barely turn around twice. The best part; the window! It took up a whole wall and opened like a door. It was amazing. Even better was that it looked out onto the courtyard. The seminary was shaped like a square donut. There were three floors and four wings. The interior was a courtyard with grass and benches and a place where we could light fires at night. The building was across the street from a river; but was much more like a park. There were walkways and benches; after dinner at night I would walk up and down the river. It was so calming to live near water.

What a fun trip down memory lane!

Ciao
S

Hi... Still here

2011-03-28T21:30:00.002-05:00

Hi all. Hope you didn't miss me too much.
I was studying and catching up with life while I was gone.
I must have started three separate posts to let you know what was up with me and didn't finish one of them. Yup. That's just the way it is. Well you will be happy to know that I got a 90 on the exam; so time apart well spent.
I also...
- had dinner with some friends at our fave Greek neighborhood joint.
- had brunch with other friends at our fave Mexican joint in the rising star.
- had a successful event at school.
- called out sick one day at work to go to the chiropractor and basically to sleep.
- am preparing for the barrage of events that is yet to come.
- am counting the days till my vaca weekends start. I have a bunch of vaca days to use before I lose and there are 9 or so coming to me... woop woop.
- am two weeks away from finding out what this baby is.
- had lots of fun at book club tonight.
- am hoping that this weather starts to improve. Mama needs some walking time!!!

I would also like to take a moment to wish my hubby the happiest of birthdays. He is not really a huge birthday celebrater but I can't let the day pass (tomorrow) without some sort of shout out!
Love you babe! Happy Birthday!

Good night all!
Ciao
S

Craving

2011-03-16T15:49:00.000-05:00

I'm gonna try and not make every post about my impending motherhood, but it's not easy people. This is one of the most important and crazy things that has ever happened to me and bloggie peeps I gotta tell you about it.

So I finally have my appetite back. I never thought that I would ever write that sentence. I have always been a food lover so it was especially strange to not really want to eat. That was my 1st trimester in a nutshell. I won't regale you with the boobie problems or worse yet some other not so family friendly stuff that I was dealing with. So here I am 4 months pregnant and ready to eat. I am so sure that hubby was ready with the ice cream runs in the middle of the night, or the cookies and cakes that would fill the house. So when I said "Honey can you please get me a salad and some watermelon and don't forget the apples." I was not met with cheers. I have promised him that I see a banana split for dinner in our future, but right now bring me a fruit salad and I am one happy mama.

Ciao
S

We have Sprung Ahead people!!!

2011-03-13T08:52:00.002-05:00

Daylight savings has begun! Yippee!
I started the weekend out with an 11 hour slumber so I was ready for last night. And even though we stayed up pretty late (10:30!) I was not daunted by the loss of sleep. I am ready for Spring! Bring it on!
The sun will set at 6:54pm! This week will be mild to warm weather. Yay! It's about time. I am going to try to walk at least 3 nights this week! Whoop woop!
I spent a beautiful Saturday with beautiful friends at Nature's Grocer. They celebrated their 3 year anniversary and showcased my beautiful friends' beautiful jewelry! JudyB Designs. Most of my jewelry is from her. As she experiments with her craft, her jewelry becomes more beautiful. NG is a great store with delicious food and lots of wonderful natural and organic stuff. I always love going there and never leave empty handed. Jenn visited with her Mom and baby M. What a treat! And I got to visit with the best Mama Al. Loved it. It was so nice to catch up and see her hubby and kids. What a gorgeous family. Ahh... it was a wonderful morning. Then I visited another good friend that just had a beautiful baby girl. Mama and baby and daddy are all doing well. Another awesome visit.
Today is all about going for a walk with hubby, enjoying some treats from my Worcester family and getting ready for the week. I have an exam looming and will be busy next Sunday. My busiest months are starting at work and so I'm a busy bee!
I hope you all had as amazing a weekend as I did and have a great week ahead.
Ciao
S

Weekend

2011-03-05T18:07:00.002-05:00

It's Saturday and I'm still recuperating from the busy Jan/Feb that we had. All there is to do this weekend is catch up... on resting, on reading, on cleaning, with Mom and sis. And catch up with you... here's a list of what's been what as of late!
* Just finished reading Brunonia Barry, Map of True Places. Great book. Her first book, The Lace Reader was good and this was even better.
* Sent Mom and Paul to see DivineRivalry at HartfordStage this week and they LOVED loved loved it. I believe that the play might have been written for Paul, considering his love of Renaissance art and politics.
* Things are really starting to ramp up at work and that is always exciting. Have three events between March 23 and April 12 and then the race to commencement begins. Wahoo.
* I'm through the first trimester and starting to get some energy and my appetite back. I still get tired in the afternoon and evening but it's getting better. I have a feeling that this next trimester will go quicker. And then ... race to the finish line.
* I got a prenatal yoga DVD at the library today and hope to fit it into my busy schedule. I am not a regular yogini but I feel the need to stretch and EVERYTHING I read says that yoga will help with labor and I'm all for anything that will help with labor.
* I am counting the hours until the end of Daylight Savings time... or is it the beginning? I'm such a dope about it. All I know is that longer days=happier me.
* I am craving fruit... all the time. Not the best season for it, I know.
* I have some vaca time that I HAVE to use by the end of June and that makes me so giddy!
Hope you have a great weekend.
ciao
S

I am a mess

2011-03-03T17:49:00.002-05:00

I'm walking around the house yelling at hubby, throwing stuff around, slamming doors, leaving clothes on the floor, claiming food in the fridge, stealing the remote, complaining ... basically I've become my husband.
And ya know what? It feels good.

Check ya later, gater!

Ciao
S

Happy, happy, happy...

2011-02-22T10:47:00.003-05:00

Wow, that was tough. I know that everyone says that it is hard to keep wraps on the news, but dang... that was tough. Especially cuz hubby was so super excited and wanted to shout it from the roof tops every day. Makes me smile.

So... What now... I decree that it is time for a list.... a happy happy list.
* Last Thursday and Friday (my b-day) I took vaca days from work. It is overrated to work on your birthday and I will always try to take that day off. I got to do some super fun stuff. Dinner out both nights, coffee date with my fav mamma ali, lunch with photog pal Jenn, ichat with my other pal Jenn, surprise visit to Nolan and his Mom, walks in the warm sun, new license, millions of b-day wishes on facebook, and best of all sleeping in.
* Then Friday night we had some friends over for make your own fajita night= awesome.
* As if it couldn't get any better I got to spend Saturday chilling with my bestie H. We toured Target, bought awesome jeans for $12 and had pancakes for lunch.
* The rest of the weekend was spent babysitting and doing homework. Believe me it belongs on the happy happy list because I miss those kids and love love love them. My oldest nephew made the most delish chocolate chip cookies and we had pizza... I mean that alone makes it happy happy.
* I top that awesome weekend off with an amazing book club last night. Those ladies are the sweetest, smartest, sassiest, soulful ladies around.

So yes, once again, life is good. There are 19 days until the days are officially longer. Whoop!

Take it slow peeps.
Ciao
xo
S

I really gotta tell you something....

2011-02-18T21:26:00.001-05:00

I've been writing and rewriting this post for weeks and maybe longer.
I've been writing the "I gotta tell you something" posts as a ruse and really all the while have only wanted to tell you one thing. I am a year older and also pregnant. Hubby and I are over the moon excited! We've been hoping to be blessed in the family way for awhile now, so excited isn't even the word for it.

Ciao
S

I gotta tell you something....

2011-02-11T15:08:00.003-05:00

I've been wanting to tell you this for a long time.
It makes me smile, I'm so excited to tell you....
Last night as I drove home, the sun was out the whole time.
Yup. Spring is almost here.

Ciao
S

Whoa!

2011-02-02T15:50:00.002-05:00

Okay, enough is enough. An ice storm on top of a snow storm... what is up?
Feels very apocalyptic no?
I'm home again today and trying to be productive but.. umm... well, I'm not.
I can't help but stay in my pj's and read and watch TV and just lounge!
Hope you're all enjoying this storm if you're home and safe if you're out!

Ciao
S

Life is good!!!

2011-01-29T15:55:00.002-05:00

We've had a few 4-day work weeks and it is looking like there is another one coming. There is enough snow on the ground to last us til May and it is amazing to drive around and see it all. The roads have all been reduced to one lane and my husband is snow blowing the deck as we speak to protect the garage beneath. This last snow day was a complete surprise. They predicted that it would start snowing earlier in the day, and by 5pm nary a snowflake was flying. It was confirmed that it was "snowing like crazy" everywhere else but it was calm around here. I left work at 5pm and the roads were a bit slick but nothing serious. The schools had been let out at 1pm though. When I was headed to bed at 9pm, still wasn't snowing like crazy. So I figured that it would snow a little, we would have a 90 minute delay and that would be the end of it. Woke up to 15 inches. WHOA!!! This has been the season to end all seasons. Record snowfall ever! That kinda blows my mind. Wonder what February will bring.
So... life is good. Can't complain that I get to hibernate with the hubby and make comfort food and stay home under the blanket drinking hot cocoa. Can't complain that my job lets me stay home when there is serious snow fall. Can't complain that I am still connected to the world and get to see how everyone else is coping with the snow through the interweb. Can't complain that my hubby bought new tires this year that rock the casbah and can drive through anything, and when there is a flurry in the forecast he insists that I take his car. Can't complain that hubby always takes care of the snow (sometimes before I even wake up) and warms up the car for me if I have to go in. Can't complain that even though all this snow is a PAIN in the you-know-what, it is beautiful. Can't help but hum the song "It's a marshmallow world in the Winter", all day long.
Ciao peeps, keep looking for that silver lining, there is one in every cloud (even if it is frozen)!
S

I gotta tell you something....

2011-01-24T06:56:00.001-05:00

It is freaking cold out there. So cold that I REALLY TRULY do not want to go out.
Dang.
13 is not a high number that should be associated with temperature.

Hope you have a snuggly day.
ciao
xo
S

I gotta tell you something....

2011-01-18T10:03:00.001-05:00

It's snowing, sleeting, raining out.
And I'm home again, and so freaking excited about it!!!

Hope you have a safe and warm day!

Ciao
S

Weekend in the city

2011-01-16T08:26:00.002-05:00

I spent Friday and Saturday in the city. I have a love/hate relationship with the city. It really truly is the best place on Earth but so confusing and frustrating to go there. Add relatives from another country and it can be really frustrating. We took the train from New Haven and arrived at Grand Central Station, which is always amazing. It is so beautiful and busy and intrinsically New York. Our hotel was very close to Times Square and Broadway. We walked around a ton and went to see Chicago. Again Saturday morning we spend walking around and taking in the NY sites. I had a great time with the fam, but as always happy to get away from the busyness that is NY. I missed not being able to call friends and hang, but this trip was all about the relatives!
Today we are getting together again!
Hope you all have a great weekend.

Ciao
S

I gotta tell you something....

2011-01-12T13:14:00.001-05:00

There is a LOT of freakin snow out there.
Tons of it.
Love a good snow day.
Hubby is my hero and spent over two hours out there clearing out.

Have fun peeps.

xo
S

Random thoughts

2011-01-03T21:14:00.002-05:00

Why are vacation weeks always shorter than any other weeks of the year? I need a makeup week because I was sick for most of it.
The days are getting longer everyday. I am REALLY happy about that. Even if it is only seconds at a time.
Why is choosing your wife a game show?
I am a sucker for lists; especially bulleted ones. Can you tell?
The internet is both my best friend and my worst enemy.
This year I resolve to not make any resolutions whatsoever. Oops.
I don't really have much to talk about today but I wanted to post anyway.
Today I thought I was wearing purple socks but they were brown and I couldn't stop thinking about it all day.
I was just reading back to the resolutions that I made in September; I don't think I've done that bad.
I am really looking forward to the next semester. I am only taking one class and will be home more nights a week. That means more cooking and more gymming... yay. Which also extends to the weekends because it means that I won't be doing homework all weekend every weekend. Yay.
I will try to go to the gym tomorrow.
I hate ironing. Really truly hate it.
I love my hubby. For X-mas he bought me an instant camera. He knows what a dork I am about cameras (especially instant ones).
I need a girl party. Favorites... those were the good old days.

K peeps.
Ciao
S

We are getting there...

2011-01-02T17:32:00.002-05:00

So vaca is just about over and I'm getting ready to go back to the office tomorrow.
This week we painted the living room. Hubby did an awesome job skimming, sanding and priming all the walls. I came in at the end and helped him paint it all. We picked a deep blue as the color and I'm ecstatic about it. So excited. We are getting this house done, one room at a time.
The week went by pretty quickly otherwise, especially with this cold. I was miserable until the 30th and I still have some coughing and flemniness going on.
It has been nice to be home and not have to care about what time it was or what I was wearing. Today I went to visit Mom; we went for a long walk (because it is like 50 degrees out) and made some plans for my aunt's upcoming visit. Now I'm home and cleaning the office out a bit getting ready for my next class and other general life stuff... ya'know like ironing and putting clothes away and whatnot.
2011 is here and I am READY! Bring it on!
Ciao
S

Thinkin about 2011

2010-12-29T13:16:00.002-05:00

It is upon us. 2011 is gonna be a reality in like 2.5 days.... Any resolutions? Plans? Regrets?
Thoughts?
What is up for Friday night? Any big parties? Anyone headed to NY? We are laying low and hanging with friends. Looking forward to it.
What about Saturday? Does anyone have any New Year's Day traditions?
Hubby mentioned a "3 Stooges" marathon, and that sounds awesome to me. I am still under the weather so I'm not trying to do anything crazy. And hopefully by then our living room will be all painted up. I am so excited about it. Hubby is repairing the walls and sanding like a demon as I type. He is a rock star!

So, spill it, what's up?

Ciao
S

SNOW DAY

2010-12-26T11:15:00.002-05:00

Although it is not a school day it will be a snow day nonetheless and just as awesome. I woke up early and got to the store before the rest of the world woke up and realized that they are predicting 10-20 inches. I was glad to have gotten there before the rest of the world, but now I am walking around the house thinking of all the things I didn't get because I was still in the Sunday morning haze. Oh well. I am not going back out. The house is too cozy.
So here is a list of the things that I will be doing today:

playing with all my toys that I got for Christmas. New instant camera that I LURVE!
READING- my book is due at the library and I'm only halfway through it.
Resting because I still have a nasty cold.
Cleaning my office and bedroom. I would have liked to write vegging out in front of the boob tube, but hubby is working on the living room today. He is repairing the walls and prepping for the painting that we plan to do in the coming days.
Scouring all corners of the interweb. I got questions and dagnabit the interweb's got answers.
Cooking. I promised hubby we could have pasta tonight and I have some other stuff in the fridge that needs to get cooked so that I don't throw it out.
Maybe some laundry. Why not. It is always there and needing to get done....
Maybe some shoveling. We'll see how the cold holds up. I would hate to be on the mend and have this darn snowmaggedon get me sick again.

What are you gonna do today?

Ciao
S

Merry Merry

2010-12-24T10:19:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and all that good stuff, from me to you today and every day.

Ciao, Buon Natale!
S

Tis the Season

2010-12-22T06:40:00.001-05:00

It's here Christmas week is here and about to be gone. I'm finally done with my shopping, tree trimming, staff partying and general merriment. I'm ready for the family togetherness and the cuddling and snuggling under the covers.
Bring it on.
I'm even ready for the first snow fall. I have to say that working for a university makes all the difference when it comes to snow days. Being married to a school teacher all these years and KNOWING that he would get snow days and I would not was always the BIGGEST BUMMER. Especially those terrible days where work really should have been canceled and it wasn't and I got stuck on the highway in terrible traffic because the governor let all the state employees go at once and it clogged up the highways so the plows couldn't get through.... I would call my teacher husband and he would be all cozied up on the couch and say, be careful, it's cold. It SUCKED. I do have to say though that he ALWAYS made sure the driveway was clear and the snow was taken care of by the time I got home.
But now... REDEMPTION is mine because I get snow days too. When the radio and news declare a nor'easter headed our way, you can hear me chanting "snow day!" right along with him and other teachers and students everywhere!
Hope we get one soon!

Ciao
S

Done, Fatto, Fait, Tehty

2010-12-16T13:48:00.003-05:00

Yup, it's true, the semester is OVER. I am so relieved. The verdict so far is one A and still waiting on the other class... and that one was the hard one. Fingers crossed.
So... now, I'm free to spend time doing other things... like laundry, and Christmas shopping, and cooking and going to the gym. Hmmm, not sure which is better.

:)

ciao
S

Day off

2010-12-09T09:43:00.002-05:00

I have a day off today and you are the first people that I thought of... don't want to neglect you any longer. I have taken today off to get some Christmas shopping done... ugh. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the holidays; the songs, the treats, the happy jolly. The thing I hate; shopping for other people. I am the one that laments over every gift, if they will love it, hate it, be indifferent to it. I spend a LOT of time trying to make sure that you get what you want and that you LOVE it.
For example a couple of years ago I bought hubby a robe with a hood. He had one when we first moved in together that ended up in the trash. (That's another story for another day.) The specialness of this request is that it was something that he had been wanting for a long time. He didn't ask for it right around the holidays, in fact he had probably not mentioned it for some time.
Now this may seem like a "Whatever S, you can find those everywhere and it's a robe for gosh sakes!" I say YOU ARE SO WRONG. You have obviously never shopped for this kind of robe for a man. I went to every fricking store that had robes, I inquired to all my friends and family... in the end I turned to the internet, spent a small fortune and bought the almost exact replica of the one lost so long ago. What I didn't expect was the absolute happiness and joy that he had when he opened it. I strive for that with every gift I give. I know that is unrealistic and that some people really just don't care. But, I do. So I am off today, with list in hand hoping to find that perfect something for everyone on my list.

So what's on your list this year?

Ciao
S

Winter is here

2010-12-06T07:49:00.002-05:00

It's official, there are flurries in the forecast. I have gloves on ALL the time. I'm wearing my long coat. It's here.
I love it, really... well, I'm trying to.
This time of winter is actually great and fun when it's still new. It's the depths of January and February that I'm really not looking forward to. It will be nice that I am only taking one class next semester so life can kinda get back to normal a bit. I guess there is hot cocoa and tea and snuggling under the covers. I guess I'm gonna need to find a lot more things to talk myself into it.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a New Englander through and through... I just wish the winter wasn't so... cold and long and dark and mostly slushy.

I'm still in the thick of things here with exams and events and whatnot!
Hope you have a great week!
Ciao
S

Some things I've been meaning to tell you about...

2010-11-28T15:38:00.003-05:00

There have been a few outings here and there that I've been meaning to blog about so here goes...

Hartford Baking Company. A new bakery opened up in nearby West Hartford and it is not in the center. It is on park ave which is awesome; not only because that means it is closer to me but also because it means that um... well... it is closer to me. I read about it and instantly was making plans to get there. Hubby and I stopped by on our way back from a walk at the res. And yes as soon as you walk in you are greeted by the delicious aroma of bread and coffee and sweets. YUM. We wanted to try the sticky buns but they had run out by the time we got there. Darn... But alas everything else we tried was DELISH. The coffee was yummy and the orange cranberry scone I tried was perfect. I will return.
Sakura Garden opened in Bishops Corner near my office. I was treated to lunch and was not entirely disappointed. The person that I was with does not like sushi that has raw fish in it so we only tried the shrimp tempura sushi and the California roll so I can't tell you for sure how the sushi was. The buffet was exactly what you want and expect from a buffet. It was nice that you could try everything that you might not want to order from a traditional menu... it's always what I love about a buffet.
Ginza opened in Wethersfield. YAY! I can't tell you how excited I am about this. There was a restaurant in the same place that offered sushi and we went there once but it wasn't the same. Ginza has a great menu and really delicious sushi and it is pretty close to home. Yay...
Charming Charlie a new accessories store that opened in Blue back square is my new favorite place... I mentioned it in my last post but it deserves a second mention. This place is amazing... kind of like a Piercing pagoda meets Claire's for adults. When you walk in the store is arranged by color. And the store goes on forever. It is great. They have all kinds of accessories, some shoes, purses, scarfs, tops... you name it. Love it!
Tried a new alcoholic offering. If you have headed into a package store lately you might have noticed a few offering out there... alcoholic whipped cream. We had a small get together a few weeks ago and it was the star guest. Caramel flavored alcoholic whip cream. It's called CREAM... pretty creative, no? Anyway... we weren't huge fans. This product is not supposed to be refrigerated ... ever. The flavor was okay, but there was a HUGE alcoholic aftertaste. Kinda like binaca... it stings. So... don't run out and try this... really. At $11.99 a can it is not that great. They do have a lot of flavors but I can only imagine that the medicine taste doesn't go away just because of the raspberry flavor.

That's all I can remember right now. As my mom always says... if I remember something else I'll call you right back...
Ciao
S

No excuses

2010-11-24T19:34:00.002-05:00

I don't have really good excuses for why I have abandoned you. I started a couple of posts and never finished nor posted them. Tomorrow is the colossal day of thanks and I'm sure that I've probably lost all my readers so I don't have anyone to thank... but I'll go ahead anyway...

Thank you to all the bloggers out there that keep on blogging and keep me updated on your lives. I look forward to reading and really want to comment... I swear.

Thank you to facebook for giving me hours and hours of mindless stalking and renewing my fervor for checking in on people. I love to know what everyone is up to. I "like" every status... and when I finally think I might have an answer to "What's on your mind?" I suddenly have nothing to say.

Thank you to my DVR for saving and recording all my favorite shows and for always having something ready for me to watch.

Thank you to my library card for giving me an ENDLESS supply of reading materials and music to listen to (read burn).

Thank you to coffee for always being delicious and what I want.

Thank you to the new accessories store that opened between my home and my work; for giving my lots to put on my X-mas list and offering me some really great window shopping.

Thank you to the interwebs... you are truly special to me. Without you there would be no blog or bloggie friends or facebook... you are the answer to almost every and any question that comes up... you are the best.

Thank you to the colossal feast that we are going to enjoy tomorrow... my mouth is already watering.

And lastly... and most seriously... Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
I hope that you enjoy some time with family and friends and remember what it is all about... I am lucky and am truly thankful for all I have.

Ciao
S

Weekend catch up

2010-11-07T20:15:00.002-05:00

Another busy one folks.
Friday: Started the work day with a super duper long meeting in Cromwell... got back to work just in time for lunch. Awesome. Went home and chilled with hubby, made a yummy dinner of sausage and sauteed arugula and quinoa. Love it. Headed out to Windsor Locks to a bar.. yup they got em out there. Went to celebrate a colleague's engagement... hubby's teacher friend.
Saturday: Of course started the day at the gym with some water aerobics. Headed to the mall to get nylons and look for anything else worth adding to my wardrobe. Came home and did all the prerequisite wedding preparation stuff, painted my toenails, did a mini t-zone facial shaved my legs... if that is TMI... sorry. Went to a super fun wedding. Kyle and Kenny finally tied the knot! We sat at the rowdy table and had tons of fun.
Today was the end of daylight savings. Although it was awesome to have an extra hour of sleep it was super sad to look out the window at 5pm and see the darkness had set in. Ugh, wasn't quite ready to give up summer much less daylight.
Had a yummy breakfast at Agave and enjoyed the Veterans Parade downtown. Miss my downtown days.... but then I think of the traffic and the hefty parking bills... over it.
Spend the rest of the afternoon studying for marketing exam tomorrow night. Think I'll do ok.
Now headed down to enjoy some yummy homemade soup that hubby has had simmering in the crock pot all afternoon. Yummy.
Night
Ciao
S

Anniversary days

2010-10-27T05:40:00.003-05:00

Monday hubby and I celebrated 8 years of married bliss. We've been together a lot longer than that but I think the work started after 'I do', so I don't really count the dating years. He might think differently. We both had work and I had class after work on Monday so we we celebrated on Sunday instead. We planned to go out to breakfast, only my favoritest thing to do. Not sure why, something about the selection and the coffee and the toast... So we started in Manchester but the wait was abominable. 45 minute wait for eggs! I think not. So we ventured into Glastonbury and ended at Ken's Corner Breakfast and Lunch. It was delicious. I had eggs florentine; yummy!
After breakfast we headed to Belltown Orchard to pick some apples. It is a fall tradition that we have adopted for a few years now. Belltown is great because you get to ride a tractor all around the property and stop only at the apples you want to pick. AWESOME. The apple fritters are good too. We came home and I made my famous apple crumble. Best recipe ever.
Yesterday I took that day off that I've been needing. Work is kinda hectic and I won't have the opportunity to take a day off for a while. It was a perfect battery recharging kinda day... Finished my book, ran errands, visited a friend , went to Moms house to help them mount their new TV and had dinner with them. No complaints here. Now if the rest of the week can be smooth and wonderful like yesterday, we are in business.
Ciao
S

Need another day...

2010-10-19T18:34:00.003-05:00

I'm still feeling like the weekend got the best of me. I feel gypped. I need another day...
What would I do with another day...
* Visit some lovely friends that I miss terribly
* Clean my room... all under the bed and behind the pictures and stuff
* Hang with my mom. She has been asking for a computer purchasing date for weeks now.
* Catch up on homework (yup my inner nerd has been calling me out)
* Go to the movies
* Visit my sister and more importantly her children... oh how I miss them
* Take my camera out and shoot the world
* Clean up the computer (download all those pictures to free up some space for the new ones)
* Go to the museum to see MCEscher
* Go to the library and spend the day reading
* Two words... mani-pedi
* Shop for some new fall gear
*Make a phone date with some friends that live far and talk until the phone is too hot to hold (yes this has happened to me in the past)
* Clean out my closet (to make room for the new fall gear)
* Order a dumpster and go to town (should probable make sure hubby is not around for this one)
* Detail my car, inside and out
* Go through all the million magazines I have and get rid of the ones that I'm not gonna read.
* Get my hair did.

Ah... how I love to daydream.
Ciao
S

Quiet morning

2010-10-18T10:38:00.003-05:00

I had a super busy weekend so I made plans to go in late today... hence I'm still at home.
There is NOTHING like a quiet morning to yourself. I slept late and then went right back to sleep. Enjoyed a yummy cup of coffee cozied up on the couch with a blankie. Spent the morning picking up around the house and goofing around on the interwebs. Basically none of the things that I meant to do. And that is just fine.
Fall is in full effect; the leaves are brilliant, there is a distinct chill in the air and the days keep on getting shorter. Instead of dreading winter I am looking forward to the cold days when we are forced to stay home watching the swirling snow storms. I am avoiding thinking about sleet, frozen rain and below zero temps and instead forcing myself to think about tea, and hot cocoa... soup and stew. Reading books like crazy and watching all the movies we never got to during the summer.
Next weekend hubby and I are celebrating our aniversary... yippee. Really looking forward to spending some quality time with the hubster.
I'm gonna go enjoy the rest of my morning.... later peeps.
Ciao
S

It's not my birthday...

2010-10-09T10:30:00.004-05:00

I've been in a really quiet place lately. Today I'm sitting in my "office" and doing homework and other general internet/ quiet time stuff. I have my ipod on shuffle and this song comes on... (I've cut out some of the repetitive stuff)...

I’m having a private party
Ain’t no body here but me, my angels, and my guitar singin’ baby look how far we’ve come here
I’m havin’ a private party
Learning how to love me
Celebrating the woman I’ve become, yeah

I tried to call my mother, but
She didn’t get where I was going
I called my boyfriend and he said
Call me back a little later baby
I hung up the phone, I felt so alone
Started to feel a little pity
That’s when I realized that I
Gotta find the joy inside of me

I’m gonna take off all my clothes
Look at myself in the mirror
We’re gonna have a conversation
We’re gonna heal the disconnection
I don’t remember when it started
But this is where it’s gonna end
My body is beautiful and sacred
And I’m gonna celebrate it

All my life (all my life)
I’ve been looking for (I’ve been looking for)
Somebody else (else)
To make me whole (ooo)
But I had to learn the hard way (ooo)
True love began with me (ooo)
This is not ego or vanity (ooo)
I’m just celebrating me

Sometimes I’m alone but never lonely
That’s what I’ve come to realize
I’ve learned to love the quiet moments
The Sunday mornings of life
Where I can reach deep down inside
Or out into the universe
I can laugh until I cry
Or I can cry away the hurt

I’m having a private party
Ain’t no body here but me, my angels, and my guitar singin’ baby look how far we’ve come here
I’m havin’ a private party
Learning how to love me
Celebrating the woman I’ve become, yeah

Happy birthday to me
Happy birthday to me
Happy birthday
Happy birthday to me
Happy birthday to me
Happy birthday

Everyone needs a little quiet time.

Ciao
S
(the song is by Indie Arie, Private Party)

Highs and Low

2010-10-03T11:12:00.002-05:00

I was riding that high for a while before it crashed. I'm just not sure where are the happiness went. I'm having a not great day and really want to just get back into bed and declare it a do-over. Not gonna happen though. I've got homework and laundry and a family get -together to do. Hate the to-do's.... oh well. Put on a happy face and get through it.
Fall is here and I'm trying to enjoy it. Next week we go back to the football game and this time we are ready. This week doesn't seem so stressful so it is probably a good time to step back and choose happiness.
What I really wanna do:
* go apple picking
* make apple crisp and eat it with yummy vanilla ice cream
* make chili and pumpkin muffins
* go to a fair and eat a smoked turkey leg
* drink hot coffee and cider and tea all day long
* go for a walk and shuffle through the leaves on the ground
* get up early, get in the car and drive. Get out when we get there and just take a deep breath. Then, turn around and come home.

Ciao
S

September

2010-09-24T14:00:00.002-05:00

It's hard to follow up on that last post. I still feel lucky but now I feel bad if I complain... dang.
Oh well. September has continued to be a long and chock full month. Last weekend was so super fun and full of activity. Hubby and I are season ticket holders to the newest football craze, UFL; Go HartfordColonials!!! Saturday was the first game and what a super good time. We weren't quite sure what to expect as far as tailgate and pre-game; so we made some mistakes: 1) we did not bring any food 2) we did not bring any beer 3) we did not bring lawn games, tables, blankets, music or anything overly fun. We did bring some bottles of water and skip-bo. We are huge skip-bo fans so the card game was fun as always but you try playing in the back of your car, while 14,000 people are grilling and tailgating. The kids in the car next to us were laughing at us, not with us, I'm pretty sure. We walked around the parking area looking for any folks that we knew were coming to the game. We didn't find anyone but we witnessed all sorts of "tailgate" fun. It looks like pretty serious business. Huge flags, lots of beer, some beer pong, grills of all sizes and flavors and lots of food. The smells were amazing. This is not just dogs and burgers my friends. There was seafood and steak and sausage and kabobs. This is gourmet back of the car goodness. After spending some time exploring we made our way into the stadium and into the food line. You try walking around all that tailgating and not get hungry. We had sausage and peppers that left a LOT to be desired. Especially after witnessing the food goodness right outside.
The game was AWESOME! The Colonials played a great game. I enjoy football and let me tell you live football is even better. The only thing that got really lame towards the end was the live feed. There is a guy that stands near the edge of the field and whenever he crosses his arms it means that the station that is televising the event is on a commercial break. The game would have ended a half hour earlier if it wasn't for that dude. I did not like him and was getting kinda cranky towards the end of the game. We stayed until the last few minutes and then ran out trying to get ahead of the parking lot traffic. The best parts of the game were: 1) the canon being shot for every TD 2) the people we sat with were awesome 3) of course getting to spend some time with hubby. Things I learned: 1) Bring some food to "tailgate with". I think we will start small next time and just buy some grinders or something and then maybe buy a portable grill in the future (maybe). 2) Wear a hat during the game. We sat on the sunny side of the stadium and although it was cool and cloudy out, my face was tight and red the next morning. 3) Do not eat the stadium food.
The other super fun awesome event that we attended last weekend was the wedding of our friends Todd&Rebecca. The wedding was at the NewHavenLawnClub. Beautiful venue, great people, awesome wedding. The ceremony was really sweet and so full of love. Todd chose his 6 year old son as his best man; so adorable. The food was good, the band was fun and the company was even better. I got to hang and dance and celebrate with some seriously great people. Some that I haven't seen in a really long time.
I can't believe that was already a week ago. On to the next wedding couple. Going to a bridal shower tomorrow at one of my FAVORITE restaurants AGAVE! Love it. I am really excited for Kyle&Kenny; super cute couple.
Okay peeps, have a great weekend.
Ciao
S

Feeling pretty lucky

2010-09-16T05:50:00.001-05:00

Throughout this bought of crazed life business I am happy to say that I feel pretty lucky. I know that I am knocking on Murphy's door by saying this but I do.
Hubby and I have been together for 15 years this year and we still laugh at each other and sit through lunch having a million stories to share. Don't get me wrong, it isn't always that way but it always ends up that way and isn't that the most important thing. I love my job. It isn't the most glamorous or most challenging job that I have ever had. But the community is amazing and the folks that I work with on a daily basis are wonderful. I get to go back to school for a steep discount and that is also pretty cool. Not only it is a great benefit of the job but it is so rewarding in it's own way. I never thought that I would go back and here I am. It's not easy but it feels right.
About 5 years ago I suffered from a herniated disc and it was crazy painful. I elected to not have surgery and manage it on my own through chiropractic care and exercise. I can say today that it was the best decision. I feel great. Once again, this isn't always the case but I have learned a lot about my body and limitations and to me that was much more rewarding that undergoing a "quick" fix that might not have been quick or a fix.
I have never been one to go forward with life full speed ahead and make peace with my decisions. I have always fretted over every decision, doubting the outcome. But from where I stand right now I'm pretty happy with where I am. It only makes me that much happier to see where we go from here. I know that I will still fret and second guess myself, but at least I can rest assured that no matter what the decision, it is always the right one.

Ciao
S

September is kicking my butt

2010-09-14T19:00:00.002-05:00

It is one of those months that is CHOCK FULL of fun, and work and other crap that isn't fun.
Today though.... today was one of those rare days that was a sneaky treat. Hubby and I had an unexpected lunch date. It was wonderful. I'm pretty sure if he's reading this he is rolling his eyes, but I had a wonderful time. First it was DELISH. We went to GinzaJapanese restaurant in Bloomfield. If you haven't gone... GO. I had a special roll called "Out of Control" and hubby had the angry dragon (which is pretty appropriate if you know him) and we both thoroughly enjoyed them. It was a beautiful day and we were joking and laughing and just happy. Yup I said it... we were both just happy (and no sake was involved!). I'm feeling pretty lucky today, even in the midst of a CRAZZZEEE month I am happy. This upcoming weekend we are headed to a football game and a wedding. I will tell you all about it next week.
Ciao peeps. Smile.

S

Today

2010-09-05T18:35:00.002-05:00

Today was one of those days that you dream about. One of the days that you feel like you want to bottle up and take with you for always.
I worked yesterday so I was super tired and when we finally made plans we had to get going right away to get to where we wanted to go in time. We originally had plans to go to the Woodstock fair but because of reasons too numerous and not story worthy we weren't going. Instead we decided to go to the HillStead Museum farmers market and then go to RosedaleFarms vineyard for a wine tasting. Last week I met an Italian exchange grad student at the University and invited her to spend the day with us, turns out it was her birthday, so I was super happy that she wasn't alone today. When I studied abroad I spent my birthday there and remembered how lonely it was. Interestingly enough I also remember that we had a wine tasting that night as well.
We started at the farmers market and had a really wonderful time tasting all the cheeses and checking out all the gorgeous produce. There were peppers the size of a small child's head. I bought some manchego cheese from BeltaneFarm... delish. My girlfriend bought some cow's milk cheese from another vendor. That vendor also sold lamb sausage that we really want to go back and pick up. HillStead Museum grounds are gorgeous. The day was so bright and breezy and beautiful. From there we drove through Simsbury to get to RosedaleFarms. Gorgeous drive. The wines were wonderful and we bought some super expensive produce to make a caprese salad for dinner. When we got back to my friends house we cooked eggplant on the grill, made the salad, smoked/grilled some burgers, sausage and steaks. It was a meal fit for a king. All the while drinking really good wine. We ended the gorgeous meal with an apple pie. I am so stuffed. And so happy.
My new italian friend had a fabulous birthday, I soaked up an amazing day. Really truly what more could a girl ask for.
Ciao
S

Looong weekend

2010-09-04T07:04:00.002-05:00

Hi Peeps.
Today marks the beginning of a long weekend. Oh the thought. I love it! I, personally, think every weekend should be three days long, but that is neither here nor there. This weekend is the emotional end of the summer and beginning of school, although most people have already gone back to school. Today is a gorgeous day, so get out there and enjoy.
Today I am assisting on a wedding photo shoot. I have been doing a lot of these this summer and loving it. Today is no difference. Tomorrow we are headed to the Woodstock Fair. I've never been and look forward to spending some time with friends. Monday I will be home catching up on homework and housework and married work.

Ciao
S

Resolved...

2010-08-27T13:54:00.005-05:00

As all resolutions generally go.. I'm already failing.

I haven't updated in almost TWO WEEKS...

My newest resolution is to start the resolutions on Sept 1st. That at least gives me a few days to shake out the cobwebs and start everything in the same week...school and resolutions.

What have I been doing for two weeks... well let me give you the highlights:

* Enjoyed a gorgeous day at Bishop's Orchard winefest. Good wine, good friends, super delish jerk chicken for dinner.

*Shot a wedding with Jenn. Great location, rainy ceremony, long ride home. I always enjoy working with Jenn. She has a great eye and really gets her clients! Love it. (two more this summer!)

* Had dinner with Mom.

* Long overdue drinks (or um decadent dessert) with a good friend.

* Walk with a friend.

* Babysitting on a terribly windy stormy day.

*Swimming with a few little ones on a terribly windy and stormy day. ;) My youngest nephew took great pleasure in running and jumping into the pool into my arms. I dissolved in laughter every time at his funny faces and the deluge of water that rained over me with every jump. I could have done that for hours.

* Not enough hanging with hubby. He went on tour and then I was a busy bee. We will see each other sometime in 2011.

* Book club was small but lovely, as always. Delicious dinner and super yummy delish rhubarb dessert (mental note get rhubarb and make something yummy!).

* Tonight I'm going to visit Jenn and Margeaux with Colleen. I haven't seen them in a few weeks and I can't wait to snuggle that cutey! Margeaux too! :)

So glad that it is Friday. It has been a super duper long week and I am looking forward to having some down time before school starts.

Hope you all enjoy the weekend.

Ciao

Resolutions

2010-08-13T14:32:00.003-05:00

I tend to think that resolutions are better set in the Fall than in the dead of winter. There is still hope in the air in the fall. Here we go...
I resolve:
* to get my mantra on.... I was so much happier when I chanted "choose happiness" on a daily basis.
* to stop putting shtuff off. What am I really waiting for. Perfect does not exist. NOW is gonna have to do.
* to be patient. This Fall promised to be BUSY. I am back to to school, teaching another class, going to a couple of weddings, assisting a couple. All on top of being a regular ol' married family cleaning lady. UGh. Therefore I resolve to take a deep breath and not sweat the small stuff (I think this might be the hardest one).
* to remember that the gym is not about getting skinny.... but about sanity and strength and having time for myself.
* to continue to be fiscally responsible. Hubby and I made a vow to one another to curb the spending and I think it is working. It is not easy, therefore the resolution.
* to say No. I am the social butterfly that wants to go to every party and get together for lunch and drinks and dinner... and that does not jive with the other resolutions. This does not mean that I won't still do those things, but I will try to make sure that I am not doing those things instead of studying and going to gym.
* to take better advantage of free things in my community. This supports the fiscal responsibility.
* to slowly and surely clean out my office, closet, drawers, purse, attic... Get the drift! Dang. I swear that there are piles everywhere and I'm not sure what is in any of them
* burn all my photos on to DVDs. My computer has got 3 years worth of pics. I'm scared to even mention it, in fear of my computer crashing. Really need to get on that.
* to be a better blogger. I want to tell you more about what I'm doing, reading, eating and watching.

Ciao
S

Best. Night. Ever.

2010-08-09T15:25:00.011-05:00

If you know me, read this blog or can even read... you know that I am slightly obsessed with Suzanne Vega. Earlier this year I blogged about my long and twisted sad story about missing concert after concert. Not any longer. Guess what I did last night!!!
So here is the story. I am signed up on the SV website to receive emails concerning upcoming concerts. The week before last, while on vacation, I received such an email. Much to my surprise there were two concerts listed in CT (the closest I can usually get is NJ or NY). One in Ridgefield and one in Norfolk. Since I was on vacation I couldn't really focus or get a handle on what dates and where these towns were. I was satisfied that they were in CT and after vaca was over.
When I got home from vaca and defogged, I once again noticed the email from SV. I quickly put an APB out on facebook if anyone wanted to go, especially my BF since we were canceled on last time. No answer. I texted another friend and tried to guilt him into going... he was busy. I therefore quickly considered this one another missed opportunity.
Until.... late Friday night got the "Someone posted something on your Wall..." Yes, BF wants to go and wants to buy tickets ASAP. Whoo hoo!
We made plans to meet up at Inifinity Hall in Norfolk, CT to see the beloved Suzanne Vega. Whoohooo!!!
The venue was totally awesome and the staff there was really nice. We had a little time to catch up before she took the stage. When she did it was mesmerizing. Everything I hoped it would be. She did a super sultry Caramel and played lots of greats. The comes intermission. We walked a bit outside, took the obvious pictures in front of the sign, walked back inside and noticed these gorgeous photos hanging along the corridor.

Really amazing stuff; Aretha, Ray Charles, Bob Marley, Jerry... we walked to the back the gentleman back there overheard us commenting on the gorgeous photos wondering what archive they came from. Turns out the announcer used to photograph for Rolling Stone and these were all originals. He is a great photographer. But it also turns out that the very nice gentleman was selling CD's and that after the show SV was going to be signing them. What what!!???!! We go back to hear the second set and it is better than the first if that is even possible. SHE PLAYED MY FAVORITE SONG. YES THE ONE THAT THIS BLOG IS NAMED AFTER. I ALMOST FELL OUT OF MY SEAT. The song is not that popular and it is really old so I didn't expect her to play it. I had already resigned to screaming it out during the encore... but she played it and it was AWESOME.

Needless to say we were first in line to get our cd's signed and BF told her the story about the canceled concert and we were way to excited for her. Check out the pics.

Ciao peeps.
S

Lists

2010-08-06T07:31:00.002-05:00

I know you must miss me. It's been a looong time since I posted, but I was busy on vacation.
I haven't downloaded the photos yet, somehow laundry and dates for drinks seemed a bit more important. So here is a list about what I miss about vacation:
- high fives from Olivia
- high tide
- low tide
- I just finished my vacation book (The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest) and miss it
- Iced Mocha
- Gelato (no we didn't go to Italy but P-Town had some pretty authentic gelato)
- Walking down Commercial Street
- sitting on the deck drinking limeade
- Skipbo
- Olivia... and Judy and Jeff
- Yummy croissants from delish french bakery, PB
- the beautiful sunsets (almost every night)
- The Loose Chanteuse and date night with hubby
- All the yummy food
- French 75
- the itsy bitsy spider
- coffee at Joe's and then even better coffee at the other place

Things I don't miss:
- the hard as a rock bed
- heat rash
- all the rude tourists (read= people that aren't staying in P-Town that are just there to see) that don't pay attention to where they are walking
- the creepy masseus guy
- $2.25 laundry that costs $3.25
- all the bird poop that covered the car (ewwww)
- not getting the suggestion about the best lobster sandwich in town until the last day, and it was already closed.

You probably don't understand most of this, but rest assured that vacation was AWESOME!!!

Ciao
S

My week in pictures

2010-07-19T21:25:00.010-05:00

Mini vaca

2010-07-16T08:37:00.004-05:00

This week I went on a mini vacation to Vermont with my Mom. My sister and her family have been going for years, and for years the kids have been begging my mom to join them. We finally decided that it was time to go. On Sunday we got in the car and ventured North. It was a 4 hour drive and the scenery was spectacular. Driving through the mountains was wonderful. My only complaint was that the Sunday drivers were out and driving real slow. We made pretty good time on the way up and were already swimming on the lake by 11:30am.

Monday we decided to spend the afternoon in Burlington. We drove to the Echo museum and spent a few hours touring their wonderful exhibits. It is a real hands on kind of place so the kids had a blast. Afterwards we walked around and had dinner on Cherry Street and dessert at Ben and Jerry's. Tuesday, our last day, we ventured back to the lake and paddled around and made friendship bracelets and read and got some sun. A really wonderful little mini vacation. Got me ready for the real thing.

Ciao
S

Today

2010-06-20T21:11:00.002-05:00

I know, I know... I said that I was taking a mini break... but still. I had to post about today.
Starting with yesterday... yesterday I thought that we could wake up today and go to the center to see the traveling wall and maybe do the grocery shopping and maybe take a walk... but today... today I woke up and decided that today I was just gonna do today.
I've been so busy lately that I have forgotten to just stop and be in the moment and enjoy that moment for everything it is worth.
Today instead of looking at the alarm clock and figuring out what needed to be done and when, I looked at the clock and went back to sleep and couldn't have told you what time it was all day.
Today instead of worrying about meals for the week and snacks and groceries, I cooked what there was in the fridge and ate whenever I was hungry. It was delicious and satisfying.
Instead of being stressed about school and vacations and events and exams, I slept late, read my book, puttered around the yard a bit, watched a movie and drank a whole pot of coffee.
Today instead of worrying about life and time tables and years flying by, I loved every minute of spending the day with my love. Tomorrow is for tomorrow but today was lovely!

Ciao
S

Vacation

2010-06-13T20:06:00.002-05:00

I know I've been MIA for a bit. Been kinda busy with school and been thinkin' my posts are a bit lame. I don't really have much to say and I'm not sure why.
Lately I've been starting so many posts and never posting. Sorry.
This last one was all about the upcoming vacations and how excited I am and all that jazz. And then ... I never posted it. I reread it and thought... LAAME!!
So... in an effort not to be lame... I may take a bit of a vacation from blogging (although that does seem a bit lame).
I need to remember what this space is and why I want to continue. I'm thinking... redesign and new ideas and all that...
This is not about you... it is all about me.
Ciao ... for now.

S

School

2010-06-06T10:43:00.002-05:00

I'm going back to school to get my MBA. I'm about 1.5 classes in and it is hard to stay positive and be happy about it. I know I made the right decision and have enjoyed meeting new people. Going back to school reminded how great it is to learn to expand your mind... yeah all that is great. The problem is that I am an "ENDS" oriented person. If I knew exactly what it was I was working towards it might make it easier to keep working. My whole reason for starting right away was that if I waited for a reason to go back to school it would take forever to finish. This way at least I might be half way through when I finally realize why I'm there. But dang... it is hard.
Especially when it is summer time and there are lots of things to do and people to see and places to go... so glad this is my only summer class.
Back to homework...

Ciao
S

Random love

2010-05-31T16:07:00.003-05:00

A list of random love:
* Right now my hubby is downstairs cutting up fruit for a fruit salad.
* Hiking is good for love and serenity.
* New games that the whole family can play.
* Being the greatest aunt because I wasn't afraid to teach my nephew to drive.
* Pulling up to my sister's house and having children throw themselves at you while screaming your name.
* Cleaning out a pile of junk and finding an old gift card with money on it!
* Looking forward to walking in the evenings.
* Sleeping with the window wide open.
* Not caring about having to get up early to go to work tomorrow because it has been such a lovely weekend.
* Visiting friends that put on a spread to make your mouth water and calling it "light snacks".
* Taking an evening stroll by the ocean.
* Putting plans back in place and life into perspective.
* Counting down the days to vacation.
Ciao
S

New post

2010-05-24T08:38:00.002-05:00

I keep checking in on all my peeps to see who posted what and what everyone is up to... and realized it has been over a week since I posted.
So here are my happenings (in list form):
- Finished one class, got an A
- Started my next class (and actually just finished the first homework assignment)
- Made super yummy fish tacos for dinner the other night
- Spent Friday near the shore with one of my besties H.
- Watched "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" and thought it was fantastic
- Watched "My Sister's Keeper" and did not like the changes from the book
- Counting down the days until VACATION
- Am on mini-vacation today, continuation from Friday... 4 day weekends are the way to go!
- Planted the tomatoes, basil and peppers. Hubby is in charge of keeping it alive this year.

More soon!
S

Moving on...

2010-05-17T05:32:00.003-05:00

What a lovely weekend. The weather was delicious, the events were great, and yet it doesn't feel quite complete. I'm really not ready for Monday this week. Can I take a rain check (although I REALLY don't want it to rain), can we postpone? Can I a get a weekend redo?
Oh well.
This week I am looking forward to:
- tonight I get to hang with Colleen and that mean I get to see her cute little Nolan, and that can't be bad.
- I only work 4 days this week. Yahoo!
- AND I'm not working next Monday so super long weekend here I come.
- Friday I got a hooky day coming my way and I get to hang with the lovely lady H! So looking forward to that.
- My next class starts, and although that doesn't sound like it belongs on this list; it means that I am slowly progressing through grad school and that is something to look forward to.

Ok, that's enough. I'm ready for Monday now.
Ciao
S

2010-05-09T08:37:00.002-05:00

Mom,
Wow what a year. Last year at this time I was still searching for my next opportunity, and you were there by my side every step of the way. I was a stronger person knowing that I had you there for me. From you I get strength, respect and unconditional love. Not a day goes by that I don't sing your praises or want to call you to share my stories. 'Thank you' and 'I love you' don't begin to express my love and gratitiude. I look forward to this day and everyday that I get to tell you and world how great you are.

Sister-
You are the mother that everyone wants to be. I'm not sure I ever told you, but a couple of years ago I entered you into a "Mother of the Year" contest. I wrote about your dedication, your encouragements, your creative nature and how much love you have and share with everyone.

Mothers-
To all my friends and family. I wish you the bestest, happiest Mother's day. A few shout outs to the new moms; Colleen, Cindy, Louisa and Kate; Sara with the newest addition; and of course the moms to be Jen and Heather. There are so many amazing moms out there, I hate to leave anyone out. If I missed you; a very special shout out to you! Happy Mother's Day to all!

Ciao
S

Today....

2010-05-06T18:55:00.002-05:00

The final exam is next week and the take home part of it is a DOOZY!!! Dang. I am struggling. The final, in class will be hard but manageable, I hope. Then 9 day break and the next class starts. 6 weeks, two nights a week for 3 hours at a time... did I mention, 3 HOURS AT A TIME, AFTER A DAY OF WORK!!! Hmmm... that will be interesting.

My aunt left today. It was so nice having her here. I will miss her. I will have to start a savings account called "trip to Italy"!!

And..... drum roll please.... THEY ARE DONE PAINTING THE HOUSE. It's done! All done. It looks AH-MAY-ZING!!! Really and truly. Make a drive by and tell me how awesome it looks. The company did a great job, but really truly the guy that deserves all the credit (besides my hubby for talking me into it!) is Mezinho (not sure really if that is how he spells it)! He was the head guy in charge, below the head head guy, and was the one that did all the work. He is new to the area and able to do all kinds of work. I recommend him highly for all your painting needs (indoor and out), he is able to do landscaping, tiling, stone work... you name it, he is up for it. Let me know if you are looking.

Pictures definitely to come. Just as soon as the exam is ovah!
Ciao
S

May day, may day....

2010-05-03T12:50:00.004-05:00

May is here, my mini-vaca is coming to an end and the house is almost done.
Mini-vaca was AWESOME. I really couldn't have asked for a better break. I relaxed, I window shopped, I spent lots of time with the famiglia (family). I got a facial (stay tuned for the review), I spent time with Jen, and Nolan and his mom.

Book club was awesome... gosh, it went by so fast. I suspect the next couple of weeks will too. School is ending and Commencement is almost here. Yowser. My next class starts before the end of the month and I will take it for 6 weeks, 2 nights a week 3 hours at a time. So really if you don't hear from me... be nice.

Ciao
S

Vacay days

2010-04-29T10:41:00.002-05:00

I'm on a mini vacation. AND LOVING IT.
Yesterday I took the fam (Mom, Aunt and Uncle) to Clinton Crossing for a little retail therapy. I swear I could live in the Kate Spade store. I TRULY love her stuff.
Today I am hanging with the painters at the house. I threw the doors open to let them paint them while I enjoy the GORGEOUS day we are having. The wind is blowing a little gentler than yesterday and it is a perfect excuse to sit and enjoy the open doors.
I'm also doing some laundry and some vacuuming to pass the time. As soon as I can close the doors I will head out, get the car looked at, pick up the dry cleaning, and then hang with the fam a bit until I get to go visit with Nolan and his mom. Then, oh glorious of days, it is bookclub tonight. Yippee.
Tomorrow is facial and then a long walk around the reservoir and who knows what else. Maybe reading my book in the sunshine!
Saturday and Sunday are chock full of family fun! Saturday night we celebrate my niece and my sisters' birthdays and Sunday is a family tradition of sorts... we celebrate the patron saint of Pratola Peligna. Mass in the morning and then food and music and fun all afternoon.
I am so excited!
Ciao
S

Online Auction

2010-04-28T18:55:00.001-05:00

In memory of Darlene Ann Smith.
Please bid!!!

Online auction.

Ciao
S

family

2010-04-25T14:08:00.002-05:00

Gift Weekend

2010-04-24T08:18:00.002-05:00

I was supposed to work this weekend. All day today and most of the day tomorrow; and then yesterday evening I was told, "Don't worry about this weekend, I can take care of it. I'm sure you have better things to do than this!" Whoa. Gift weekend for sure.
I'm home, relishing the "free" time and besides homework, trying to figure what I am gonna do. Hmmm....
Right now the house is getting painted (outside) so I am desperate to get out. All of the windows are covered in plastic, so the sun can come in but you can't see out. It is kinda like a cocoon. This morning I stepped out on the front porch to shake out the table cloth and there was a guy out there. He totally startled me. I couldn't even tell there was anyone out there. But the house looks great and will be done soon! YAY!

Ciao
S

Bad Day

2010-04-22T06:03:00.001-05:00

The day before yesterday was the worst day ever. Started bad, ended bad. Trying really hard not to let it ruin my whole week, trying really hard.
On my way into work I was the most obnoxious driver. I was behind a woman at a light and she was stopped at a green light, so I started honking... obnoxiously. She was stopped because there was an ambulance coming. The whole intersection was stopped, patiently. EXCEPT ME. I was mortified. Even now, writing it, I am embarrassed.
Came into work and was intent on not letting this day get worse. Until it did. Ever call, email and action that I made had some sort of mistake in it. I had to do everything over and over and over. UGH. Then my student worker decided that it was "bring your friend to work day". Now don't misunderstand, he is a great kid and has always done the work, and been an all around good worker, so when I saw that he had a friend with him it didn't really phase me. I went to lunch and all was well. When I got back and "the friend" was still there and they chatted the whole time, I was totally miffed. I knew that it was more my "mood" than anything else. The rest of the day continued on as the beginning. Just crap. I was late for class so I missed the part where the professor explained that the homework that was due could be handed in next week because....
I went home looking forward to a quiet night at home.
NO SUCH THING.
Not really sure what made me think that my home life would be immune to my bad day. TERRIBLE DAY. It was almost like a countdown, 10...9...8...7.... and there was the fight. Stupid fight, I'm sure. No real substance to it. As far as I could tell anyway. Hope this doesn't spark another... "What do you mean, no substance..."
ugh.
Calgon, I'm insisting you take me away!
At least yesterday was better. Have a great day y'all.
Ciao
S

What about prom Blaine? What about prom?

2010-04-17T14:44:00.002-05:00

It is officially prom season. I almost missed it until I pulled onto my street last night and saw a tons of gals teetering on impossibly high heels, and boys with top hats and sneakers. Ahhh... the age old American tradition. I ran in the house and hubby and I watched from the window as all the couples converged on my neighbors house. Then a party bus showed up and the street was clogged with parents with cameras.
This morning as I was leaving the house I saw a corsage in the street, all torn to bits. For sure thrown in some poor boys face.
Ahhh... prom season.

Ciao
S

4.9.10

2010-04-09T12:47:00.002-05:00

Today marks the beginning of my month of madness. Really it started on Monday, with the studying and the lecture and the exam... but today my aunt arrives. She and her husband are celebrating 50 years of married bliss and as a gift her children are sending them to spend a month here in the States. They are Italian and don't speak any English. And they are staying with hubby and me for two weeks. AND THEY ARE STAYING WITH US FOR T W O WEEKS. Don't get me wrong. I am very excited that they are coming for a visit and I'm sure we will have a great time. But... 2 weeks is a long time. Especially that it is during the month of madness... I have another lecture coming up, I am involved in the search for our new provost at the University which means that I have to work over a weekend. Plus school is ending therefore I have a final exam to worry about. On top of all of that I decided to take a trip with them to Niagara Falls. Yup. It'll be crazy.
So if you don't hear from me this month; or better yet if you see me and I have that "glazed" look in my eyes... poke me to make sure I'm awake and then call me May 17 when things wind down.

Ciao
S

April

2010-04-02T08:18:00.002-05:00

April showers bring May flowers... but we were a week early.
Gosh the rain the past couple of weeks was depressing. It was so hard to keep happy.
But today... TODAY is glorious. I got to take today as a vacation day; at the last minute. There is nothing like a day off when you didn't think one was coming. Next week is gonna be a doozy so I am spending this weekend trying to rejuvenate. Not easy knowing; I have a lecture on Tuesday, so spending Monday night studying, Wednesday taking the exam that I spent Monday studying for and then Friday my aunt arrives and the fun begins.
Last night was book club. Good book, great girls, de-lish food and a huge glass of wine. A great night was had by all.
Today, is gonna be a good one. Hope you all enjoy the fabulous weekend.

ciao
S

Bookclub, smoothies and curls

2010-03-14T11:58:00.008-05:00

This weekend has been pretty laid back. I met with the "adventure book club" at Perk on Main in Durham. The adventure was crepes! One of the families in the book was french so we had crepes for lunch. Then I headed to my sister's place to hang with the kids and help my niece get ready for her "someone special" dinner dance.

Ciao
S

Bookclubs

2010-03-14T11:17:00.003-05:00

Here are the pics from last book club and lecture.

We ate delish spinach pie and polenta. So yummy.

Ciao
S

Weekend Weather

2010-03-07T12:27:00.005-05:00

We have been blessed with some super amazing weather this weekend. Hope that it is indicative of the weather we will be getting and not some crazy fluke. It is New England after all and you never can tell!
I am trying to get all my cleaning and tidying up so that I can go for a walk. Yeah! We'll see.
I have had a super awesome weekend so far and I don't want it to end. I was so tired Friday night. I came home ran straight up stairs to change into some comfy clothes, warmed up some yummy leftovers and deposited myself on the couch. Ahhhhh..... so nice.
Saturday was filled with fun fun fun. Hubby and I went to visit my mom at the salon where she shaved his head with a straight razor. My hubby always has his head shaved but every now and again he wants an old fashioned straight razor shave. Afterward we went to the grocery store and battled the lines. Dang... two weeks in a row I went to the store in the midst of crazy weekend shopping. Hate it! Back to the house for some unwinding, then DATE NIGHT. We aren't the weekly date night type so when we do designate a date night it is always fun. Originally we were going to a bar to see a band... those plans changed so we were on our own. My ipod has been screwed up for awhile so we went to the .... MALL. We are both mall haters. Not so strong on my end because after all I do know that mall=clothes and makeup and shoes.... but not a fan. The store was jam packed but I was able to recycle my old ipod and get a spiffy new purple one! Love it. Then we ventured to the jewelry store to replace a ring that hubby has beat to heck. He is really hard on jewelry.
Last but not least we were walking back through and hubby saw a hat that he liked. I must preface this story with the fact that hubby really REALLY loves hats but he has the biggest noggin and it is NOT easy to find his size ANYWHERE. So... the fact that he saw a hat in this particular store... I was already chuckling to myself because this is the type of store that doesn't really carry large sizes. We walked in, walked around and I expected to walk out... but hubby found a hat, popped it on his head and.. it FIT. Not only did it fit, but it was BIG. I started laughing; uncontrollably. It was just so funny that we happened to be in that store and found a hat that fit and looked great on him. The icing on the cake was that it was on sale and only cost $15. I mean HILARIOUS!

Ciao
S

My new BFF

2010-03-05T16:41:00.002-05:00

Last night was the much anticipated lecture by Kelly Corrigan at the University. It was my first big lecture in Lincoln Theater and with an author. To have it be Kelly Corrigan was the icing on the cake. I have been a fan since the first time I saw Transcending on Youtube. I don't know when it was, but I remember it. Once you see it you won't forget it, but you will watch it more than once. It was so touching and moving. When I got here and learned that I would be involved in this lecture I was ecstatic. To top it off I introduced the book to book club and invited them to the lecture as well. My mom was there with her best friends and my best friend made it too! Everyone had a great time.

She was an inspiring speaker, she made us laugh and cry. I was lucky enough to spend some alone time with her and she is one of us! She is down to earth and easy going. One of those people that you instantly want to be friends with. She invited me to friend her on facebook it's official we are BFF.
Ciao
S
PS. Thanks to all that joined me! Hope you had as great a time as I did.

March, March, March, March, March, March....

2010-03-02T20:13:00.002-05:00

Yay. MARCH!
I am so glad that we are getting closer and closer to Spring! This morning even smelled a little like it. I heard birds chirping and the sun was shining. The days are longer. There is so much to be happy about.
Last week and last night were a doozy of a week.
This week I am excited about a lecture on Thursday night.
Kelly Corrigan is coming to speak at the University. I read her book, have watched pretty much every video available of her online... and I get to be her escort while she is at the University! Hello! Super exciting.
So, if you are in the area and able to join... you can reserve tickets at 860-768-4228.

Hope to see you there.

Ciao
S

Just wanted to say Hi!

2010-02-25T23:11:00.005-05:00

I didn't want a whole week to go by without sending a quick shout out to my peeps.
What's up?
I've been super duper busy this week so not much to report without complaining... and I don't want to waste your time with a lot of complaining so I won't.
Here are the good things:
- Friends gathered to drink in my honor. Chocolate martinis and dessert, what more could a gal ask for. The headache the next morning was not the more I was asking for, but the party was lots of fun. Dance party and laughs are the words that spring to mind!

- Family brunch on Sunday to celebrate my birthday and my moms'. My sister put out quite a spread and we feasted. Afterward the ladies took a quick trip to the mall. We NEVER get to spend time just the three of us, so it was quite special.

- Last Friday I spent most of the day with one of my closest friends. We shopped and ate and talked and walked and spending time with her is like getting a massage and seeing a therapist all at once!
- I'm back at the gym. I am so excited to get that time back again. I am so glad, you don't know how much I needed that.
- The days are getting longer! Whoo hoo!!! Yippee!
- Although it has been rainy and gloomy this whole week, at least it hasn't been snow!
- This year may have started out a bit rocky but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. All things happen for a reason and I'm going to make this reason a good one.
Ciao peeps.
S

Birthday

2010-02-17T17:31:00.005-05:00

Today is my birthday. Hubster and I have had an amazing day.
Started out with my hubby making me breakfast. Very super deliciuous. We had one appointment to get our taxes done and the rest of the day was all ours.
We got in the car and headed out to the northwest corner of Massachusetts. We were going to North Adams to visit Mass MoCA. We are always good road trip partners so the trip was fun. Driving up the mountain in Mass was amazing. We really enjoyed the scenery.
We arrived at MM by noon and enjoyed some light lunch in their eatery, Lickety Split. Can't believe we passed up the ice cream. Next of course was the gift shop. A girl could go broke in there. Great assortment of stuff from kids stuff to kitschy rock stuff. I got a gorgeous blue bag... my book bag ceremoniously broke in the middle of the snow storm last night. Not a good idea to hit the gift shop first as we had to lug the stuff around, oh well.
The exhibits were really great. I love contemporary art. Hubby, not so much, but he appreciated it nonetheless. InVisible: Art at the edge of perception was super great. The Sol LeWitt installation was really cool too. To see his early work in the same space as his contemporary work was very interesting. We headed out at about 2:45.
I could feel my 3pm coffee fix getting the best of me so hubby tried his best to remember where that coffee place was. The first place we pulled into was closed. Oh well. We kept on driving... hairpin turn is very scary. Then in the distance COFFEE. So glad we found this place. Coffee was DE-LISH. Shelburne Falls Coffee Roasters, you can smell the coffee roasting next door. We even bought some to bring home.
We got home at about 5pm. We were both hankering for sushi, but not really wanting to drive to far to get it. I searched a little online and found Sapporro Japanese Restaurant in Wethersfield. The reviews were really good, so hard not to try it out. There weren't a lot of people when we got there (never sure if that is a good sign or not). We got three rolls and a soup to share. Everything was good and we had a great time. Best part is that they give you complimentary bread pudding with ice cream for dessert. Yum.
Now we are home and I'm a year older. Yay.

We talked a lot about this coming year and what it will bring. 2010 has already proved to be a doozy so we are ready to see what the rest of the year will bring.

Ciao
S

Valentine's day!

2010-02-14T15:47:00.003-05:00

Whoa, this week really turned out to be a doozy. So glad that it is over and we are all in one piece. Some things will be drastically different around here, but we will be better for it. I won't explain but know that we are on the mend.
So on this last day of the week of love, I remind you to choose love. It is a choice... just like happiness and fulfillment... you can choose love. It isn't always the easiest choice but it is your choice.
I love therefore I am. :)

Ciao
S

Random Love

2010-02-13T14:24:00.001-05:00

* my job- this has been a tough one for me. Lately I have notice that it isn't just growing on me, I love it. Being in higher ed is really great and I am excited that it has given me the opportunity to further my own education. Lucky me. The people here are amazing and the work itself is interesting.
* cooking- I love love love to cook. Everyday if I could. It is one of the things that I miss most about being home. When I was home I could have a meal ready for hubby every night of the week. I love that. Not because of the wifely duty of it but because it meant that I got to cook every day; plan menus, taste and try new stuff.
* I really truly love dark chocolate, almost to the point where I don't want milk or white anymore.
* The children in my life. My friends kids, my sisters kids, random kids that I see in stores. I really love children. Their innocence, unbiased emotions makes me so happy.
* This blog and reading blogs in general. Bloggie friends... love ya!
* Snow days... when you're finally home in your comfy sweats and you can watch the snow swirling. love it.
* The cape. For a couple of years we went every summer... then had to take a couple years off for various reasons. This year we go back and I am ecstatic.

Love ya,
S

Bookclubs

2010-02-12T07:01:00.001-05:00

I am so super lucky to belong to 2 great bokclubs right now. One is made up of all amazing women. We are all about the same age, same stage in life and generally like to read the same things and drink the same kind of wine. I have been a part of this group since last January. They started 5 years ago from a Craig's list posting. I know, can you believe it! They are a very loyal and caring group. I am thrilled to have them in my life.
The second book club is much smaller and more intense. We incorporate an adventure with every meeting. I probably shouldn't have joined this club because I started graduate school at the same time, but how could I resist. Adventure book club! It's awesome. On top of the adventures, these people are amazing! We never run out of things to talk about and I love having an excuse to hang out with them. Of course the other best most loveliest thing about book clubs is the reading. I love to read and always have. Growing up I lived two blocks from a library and went there as often as possible. I was starting to get into a rut with the books I was reading and love that the book clubs force me to read things that I may not have otherwise picked up. Yay.

Love
S
(I think I'm up to date on the postings. It's been a rough week people but thanks for hanging in!)
And in the pictures above, we are not full groups.

Friends

2010-02-10T17:01:00.003-05:00

I am the luckiest when it comes to friends. I have found some of the most amazing friends in the world, and some in the most unlikeliest of places. The other day hubby and I were driving home from a birthday party and we both felt so lucky to know the people that we know. We are collectors of people and we love it most when our friends make friends. Friends are the family that you wish you had.

Love
S

Sister

2010-02-10T08:37:00.004-05:00

Again, I know that you hear more about my sister and her family than any one else, but they are awesome. My sister is the most hard working, loving, loyal, caring person that you and I both know. She can cook, she is crafty and creative. We always have fun. Her kids are also loving, creative and caring. I try to spend as much time with them as possible because they mean the world to me. We may not be a large family but we love each other so much.
We talk almost every morning. It is my favorite part of the day. I get to hear the meltdowns and what the kids are eating and wearing. I wish we lived closer so that I could "just drop by" but we still get to see each other pretty often. I wish everybody had a sister like mine, and they had a family like hers... you would feel so lucky... like me. I'm also lucky that I have gotten to be such a large part of the kids lives.

Ciao
S
(oh and another thing I love.. that has only entered my life today... SNOW DAY! Yippee. Hubby is a teacher and has always held snow days over my head, until today. My first official snow day! Whoop whoop!)