30/30: A Poetic Evening

October 13th 

After some light house projects and a couple rounds of bowling for Tommie with his guy friends, we spent the evening at a free poetry reading by Richard Blanco (Obama's inaugural poet) at The Carolina Theatre.  

I always enjoy poetry readings because you get to learn about the backstory of the poet and it givers greater depth to their poems.  Blanco's poems (and stories) were very entertaining and funny, and explored concepts of culture, identity, and family, which are universal themes, therefore, easy to relate to.  It's great to see a poet like him gaining traction and interest.

After the reading, I had my book signed and told him that he ironically lives in the same small town in Maine as my parents (I did tell him, Dad, that you two have yet to meet.  He said that eventually it seems everyone there does end up meeting, so don't worry there's still time.)

Welcome 2013: A Four Year Review

It took me far too long this morning to figure out that I have been blogging for four years.  (I'm really bad at math.)  Here are some stats about my four year tenure blogging that Google helped me figure out.

Since I began this blog just before the start of 2009, I have moved from California to Massachusetts to North Carolina.  We have lived in four different apartments.  That's almost one state and one apartment per year.  Maybe it's time to settle down.

I blog an an average of 40-50 posts per year, which is half the amount of posts I completed in my first year.  I guess the "newness" blogging rubbed off a bit after that first year.

How to make Soup Can Luminaries is my #1 viewed post of all time, with almost 700 views.  Pinterest surely has something to do with that.

I have 246 comments total--most of which are from my family, though a few brave cyber readers share their thoughts here and there.  Thanks brave cyber readers...I appreciate knowing it's not only my family reading.

Obviously, most of my page views come from the U.S., but the second largest number of views come from Russia.  Who would have thought?  Then it's Canada, The United Kingdom, and India.

Today, I begin my fifth year of blogging and wish everyone around the world a great start to 2013!

Our *New* Anniversary

Last year, July 30th was a hot, sunny day in New England and I couldn't believe that I had planned an outdoor wedding that would not be rained out...it was a miracle.

So much has transpired over the past year--I started a new job, we traveled, I had surgery on my foot, my mom had surgery on her lung, Tommie started a new job, and we moved from Massachusetts to North Carolina. It makes the wedding seem like it was much more than a year ago...which is why I wish we could do it again!

But really, even if I tried to do it all over, I couldn't guarantee the sky that day would be so blue, or that everyone I loved could be there, or that the dress I ordered on a whim would be just right, or that Maya and all the kids would be so well-behaved during the ceremony, or that my Dad would make everyone laugh so much with his speech, or that my day-of wedding planner would be so supportive, and everyone who helped us in some form would be amazing, or that I would look back and appreciate it so much that I'd even want to do it all over again. This day last year was perfect.

Making Moves in 2012

2011 was another busy year. I took a new job and a new name; traveled to California, North Carolina, Chicago, and Turkey; I worried about my mom's health, planned a wedding, and finally got to see a show with male dancers (I'm not ashamed to admit this was a major life goal).

Sometimes the upcoming year looks blank and I fill it in as I go along, but at the start of 2012 I already foresee challenges and plans unraveling in front of me.

Maybe it's our age, maybe it's marriage, maybe it's mental instability--whatever the reason, Tommie and I feel like we're not quite in the right place to achieve our next life goals. Tommie wants a job that truly makes a difference locally, globally, or anyway. We want to make a comfortable living so we can start thinking about things like homeownership and foster care/adoption. 

I will always consider myself lucky to be able to call a place like this home, but because it is home it can also be too comfortable at times; it can be stunting; and it holds a lot of baggage. It is hard to say it, but home's role might be just that--a place that will keep our childhood sacred, a place we know like the back of our hands, and a place that loves us as much as it torments us.

We don't have a definite plan for 2012 yet; first comes fixing my foot and being there for my mom, then we will have to deal with the restlessness brewing inside us. It's hard for us to know what's right, and it's hard for our families to understand, but we've been in a holding pattern here, circling the same issues over and over. I think 2012 will be our year to reevaluate and make some moves.

Winterizing

It snowed last night, and though we refused to turn on the heat in protest of the early onset of winter and the thought of an early spike in heating costs, we did take other measurements to winterize the place--like pulling out storage bins full of scarves and mittens (I'm wearing both as I type this); putting our heated mattress pad, down comforter, and flannel sheets on the bed, and rearranging the bedroom so we'll be closer to the heater when we do cave in to the thermostat. 

We moved the bed from this side of the room...

To this side (which was seriously lacking in feng shui)...

 So that now, it looks like this...

We even found a multipurpose use for the aforementioned storage bins...by placing them at the bottom of the bed, we can set up our computer there and watch television shows and movies under the comfort of  warm blankets.  

The rearrangement also provided me with the perfect excuse to hang up my lantern from Turkey. Prettyyyyy.

Fall Along the Ipswich River

A few weeks ago, Tommie and I used a Groupon to rent kayaks from Foote Brothers Canoes and paddle a few miles up the Ipswich River. We went back to the area on Sunday to walk along the paths that wind through Bradley Palmer State Park and explore the footbridges we had recently paddled alongside.

We took Maya with us because she loves woodsy paths. She does not, however, love horses, and apparently this is a popular spot for riding. Tommie thinks her growling and barking is a "short-man complex"--that she's jealous of their long, lean legs. We tried to avoid the riding trails, but at one point had to outrun a pack of riders like we were trying to escape from the headless horseman. 

We won't be able to take these walks for much longer with winter on the way. We haven't minded the mild weather this fall, even if it's yielded unimpressive foliage for coastal Massachusetts. Soon everything will be covered in white anyway. It's important to enjoy the last few weeks before hibernation begins.

It Must Be Fall

From far away foods in my last post, to local fall favorites--we couldn't resist hitting up Russell Orchards (in Ipswich, MA) to get a taste of fall. 

I love that the smell of warm, fresh-baked cider donuts permeates the entire parking lot as you arrive. It even overpowers the smell of the farm animals, and I'm thankful for that. 

I know everyone says their orchard makes the best apple donuts...but these really are the best  :)  

Wedding Vendors

When Tommie and I first got engaged, we didn't have a wedding destination in mind. We took road trips far north, researched places online in the far south, and then we came across everything we were looking for in the Seacoast area of New Hampshire.

Tommie's dad, Don Watson, was our main photographer for the day and captured a lot of great shots! Several of his photos appear below.

Our welcome dinner took place on the enclosed deck at Warren's Lobster House in Kittery, ME. It was a casual, fun place to meet up as everyone arrived and enjoyed some New England seafood as well as the giant salad bar.

We chose to have our ceremony in the beautiful and intimate Fuller Gardens in Northampton, NH; perfect for a smallish wedding of up to 70 people.
Our titanium wedding bands were made by Minter & Richter Designs, Boston-based artists I came across on Etsy.com
Five-minutes down the road from the gardens in Hampton, NH is The Victoria Inn which has a cute covered pavilion in back. This meant I didn't have to rent an expensive, ugly tent--score! My family also had a place to crash at the Inn.
I ordered my dress online from a knock-off shop called Maryann Bridal to save money, and then had it fixed up at Alterations by Rosa in Salem, Mass. because she had fantastic reviews on Yelp.com
I was lucky enough to stumble upon my awesome day-of planner, JennieDee of Diamond and Pearl Affairs, on Craigslist. With the help of her planning friend, Tracy, they kept the whole day running smoothly so I could enjoy it.

Our reception food came from our favorite East Coast Mexican restaurant, Loco Coco's in Kittery, ME. They don't offer catering services, but they worked with us to deliver buffet pans full of flavorful food to our party. BML Catering based in Manchester, NH helped staff the evening.

Wild Orchid Baking Company in Northampton, NH made the cute lemon and vanilla cupcakes.
Lamie's Inn and Old Salt Restaurant provided lodging for Tommie's family and had an impressive and delicious Sunday brunch that many of us attended.

There are a lot of decisions to make when it comes to planning your own wedding. This process was daunting for two Libras, but we made it through and were so pleased with how it all turned out.

Our Wedding

images from www.coast2coastimages.com

I'm happy to report wedding day success!

All the planning, organizing, and countless hours on Craigslist and Ebay paid off in what amounted to a marriage celebration that truly felt like a reflection of "us." It was real, it was cute, it was natural, it was with our closet friends and family who have been with us for many years. There were no catastrophes, no major meltdowns, and on top of that, it was a beautifully warm and sunny day! New England weather finally came through! Since we planned the bulk of this wedding ourselves, I totally think we earned that.

The gardens were absolutely beautiful. Tommie's Dad took some fantastic shots (as exhibited in this blog), and our second shooter was very creative and patient as she followed me around the garden making me pose all over the place for pictures. ..ok, so maybe the truth is she had to basically ask me to stop posing.

Even Maya (the dog of honor) and all the kids were attentive and well-behaved. I was very proud. The reception that followed went smoothly with the help of our awesome day-of planner. We got to eat our favorite east coast Mexican food, catch up with old friends, and dance (though Tommie could use some new dance moves). There was fun, there was laughter, and of course, a lot of pictures to remember it all.

I'll post more details about our vendors soon for anyone considering a wedding in New Hampshire or the surrounding area.

The New Rainy State

States in the Pacific Northwest, like Oregon and Washington, have always intrigued me but I hear they get a lot of rain and that's depressing. Lately I have been wondering if living on the East Coast is any better. I check the weather every day and all throughout May it has been the same prediction: clouds, rain, and unseasonably cold temps. It's just insult to injury after we endured an exceptionally bad winter. Tommie and I recall the last time we had nice weather (for more than a few fluke hours) was in October on Columbus Day weekend of last year. That was over seven months ago.
My mom thinks we should get "sun lamps" to improve our moods, but I think it's beyond improving about this matter. The sun made an appearance this Saturday and I wasn't even happy to see it; I was mad at it...I knew it would be gone the next day, and it was. I'm indignant. I'm not joking when I say my goal for next year is to gain flexibility so that during the winter and spring stints of perpetual gloom, I can just leave...fly/drive/walk if I have to, until I hit sunshine...I don't care what direction or how far I have to go. I'll just use my usual guidelines: To avoid getting lost, stay between Mexico and Canada. There has to be sunshine somewhere in between.

This Isn't Funny

I wish the weatherman was joking when he said we'd get snow on April 1st, but I woke up to the sound of sleet tapping against the window and I was not amused. I pulled my snowpants out of the storage bin that I banished them to in March while groaning and cursing. I can feel my mood souring with each cold day that passes and I don't think I'm alone. I think we will all be elated when the first string of warm sunny days arrives. If indeed it ever does...

All Lion And No Lamb

We are at, what I hope to be, the tail end of 5+ months of cold. I am losing my patience (what little I had anyway). We are talking about almost half of an entire year of crappy weather, and it's not like we don't have days of rain throughout the rest of the year. So, here we are: March 22nd and when I look at the 7-day forecast for Boston I see no sign of warmth.

Some people think a high of 40 degrees is warm. They have frozen brain cells. I see low's all in the 20's and anticipated snow showers. We had snow yesterday too; fat, freezing flakes of unwanted, unwelcome, completely unnecessary snow. March is supposed to come in like a lion and go out like a lamb. Well, it's not lambing anytime soon. I want to turn my heater off . I want to take a walk in a light jacket. I want to put the ice scraper in storage. There are some people who don't mind dealing with winter...and then there's me. The northeast is a great place to live when you like to complain. It's also a very bad place to live when you like to complain.

Hearty or Stupid?

This week I had my third root canal and we got our sixth major winter storm. (The snow pile in our driveway is over my head). I'd be frowning if it didn't hurt my face so much. I know I like to complain, but come on, even an eternal optimist would at some point say, "Enough!"

This is exactly why I don't think the first snowfall is ever "pretty"...while others see lovely sparkling flakes floating down from the heavens, I see the world a few weeks later covered in muddy, icy mounds of despair. Optimism isn't something I've ever been good at, but I'm not quite in a pit of despair yet (it's more like a giant pothole), and our vacation to San Diego next week is the only thing sparing me from burying myself under the eight-foot mound of snow outside.

We New Englanders try to make ourselves feel better about being trapped in horrible weather by calling warm-weather people thin-blooded wimps, but you know what they really are? Smart!

I was raised in a hearty, cold place; I was raised to think I didn't deserve to be warm and comfortable all the time, or know what the sun felt like except for a few glorious fleeting months of the year. Winter is here to toughen you up...make you remember you can't have it too easy. Well, I get it! I'm miserable. It's not easy; it's not fun; life sucks. So how long do we have to do this for? How many more back-breaking storms before spring?

Let's face it, there is hearty, and there's just plain stupid.

Collecting Color

Thank goodness I have a summer wedding to plan during one of the coldest and snowiest winters. Thoughts of bright colored decorations and warm summer dresses provide temporary relief from the arctic world outside my window.
I have started to gather decorations to achieve my summer ceremony and reception visions and snagged some great deals so far:

* 12" yellow paper lanterns bargained down on Ebay: $1.68 each (I got 10)
* 10 turquoise table runners with free shipping on E-bay: $25
* 30 paper hand fans from a former bride on Recycled Bride: 0.35 cents each (I got 36)
* 2 blue metal vases on clearance at A.J. Wright: $5.00

I love finding good deals and that task alone could keep me busy all winter long. So, while snow continues to cover the ground outside, I'll continue to cover myself with brightly colored decor until summer arrives.

Winter Quest

Weather is never a factor when you live in a place like San Diego, but in New England weather is your biggest enemy. Winter is a test of physical and mental endurance and it can make doing something as simple as going to the dentist more like a quest, or a really horrible video game pilot. We "played" the pilot for this game yesterday when we had to use the Groupons we bought to go to a dentist in Boston (a 45-minute drive on a clear day). (These Groupons were my attempt to save a few bucks on dentistry; if only I could find Groupons for root canals.) The weather was awful...what began as steady snow turned into slushy rain then began to freeze over to ice, but if we didn't show up for our appointments, we had to forfeit the Groupons and I couldn't stand to lose more money over my teeth, so our quest began.

Just on the way out of the long driveway at my work, a co-worker attempting to turn into the parking lot in his little Scion, was stuck blocking the way; his small wheels spinning in vain. Clearly he wasn't going to make it past Level 1 of the quest. After 10 minutes of trying, he backed (or should I say slid) down the driveway and ditched the car in a snow pile.

Next, I met up with Tommie and we got on the highway for Level 2. Cars were moving slow at first, but maybe because someone had flung their sports car into a snowbank along the side of the road...a warning that Level 2 wouldn't be as easy. We inched our way through the mess. At one stage a tsunami of brown slush put into motion by a truck on the other side of the road, came crashing over the median and directly onto our car. It was so loud that Tommie actually ducked...inside the car.

As we neared the city (Level 3) impatient commuters picked up speed despite the slippery road and zipped around our car as fast as knives being thrown at a target. The spray behind them made us have to practically drive blind until we got to the the bridge (Level 4) where an ominous sign above us read, "Beware of falling ice and snow from bridges." Just what you like to read a couple hundred feet above the water.

As you can guess, we made it to the final levels. We found parking without getting the car stuck in a snow pile and surprisingly without getting another tsunami wave splashed on us from oncoming cars; we climbed a mountain of brown snow just to feed the parking meter (thanks, Boston); climbed another pile of brown snow just to get to the sidewalk (thanks, Boston); and right before we got to the door of the dentist, I dodged a pile of snow that fell from a tree above me and landed with a heavy thud on what could have been my head.

We made it through the quest, and at least we got something really cool at the end...like clean teeth, right? (How sad is my life?) And so I give the winter quest two thumbs down. Anyone else ready for spring?

Best Thing About Football When You Don't Like Football

I am not a "sports person." When I "watch" football, I am watching the fans in the distance with their funny painted belly's, or I'm laughing at the way that guy grabbed that other guys butt on the way down. And I used to always hate the way that Sunday football cut four hours out of our precious weekends. But over time I have learned to appreciate those four hours. Football freezes the majority of men and some whole families in front of the TV for an allotted amount of time and it's a time when non-sports fans can run errands without waiting in long weekend lines. It's my favorite time to go to the gym or go for a run. Aside from the cheers/screams echoing from peoples windows, it's quiet outside and there are hardly any cars on the road. I know that while the game is on nothing important is going to happen so I can do all the laundry, reupholster my chairs, and blog uninterrupted. I never thought I'd have a reason to wish football into overtime, but lately I've been excited to have the extra time to myself.

Giveaway!

***CLOSED 11/18/10**

Thanks for entering!

If you're anything like me, you love a good deal, and what's a better deal than a giveaway?

Ladies and gentlemen, I have for you the chance to win $55.00 for an online purchase at CSN. I was given the chance to host a giveaway and thought it would be a fun thing to do! Who doesn't like getting a prize? CSNStores.com is a group of online stores where you can find anything from a counter stool, to a set of cooking pans, to a new pair of boots. They have over 200 online stores to choose from (all of which I have probably browsed at some point during my recent moves). They are also a Boston-based company here in my home state.

If you would like to be considered for the drawing, just leave a comment (it can be on anything...say something home-related; comment on a past post, or that you don't even know why you're here--just that you take part in anything involving the word "giveaway"). One comment per person please. I'll draw the winning comment number using Random.org and announce a winner on Thursday, November 18th. Check back then to see who won (and if you do not have an e-mail address linked to your profile, please leave one so I can contact you). Good luck!

(*Please note: CSN only ships to the US and Canada and Canada is subject to international shipping charges. Sorry to those in other areas! Fulfillment of the prize is through CSNStores.com--not me.)

End of Fall

It's been a drab fall. Summer was hot; summer was long, and that has made for pretty lame fall foliage around these parts. Strong early fall windstorms didn't help the matter by ripping weak leaves off the trees before they peaked.I've done what I could to recognize the season...put out pumpkins from our final CSA pick up (I can say good-bye to eating vegetables now), binge on apple cider donuts, and heat up mulled cider mix, but the season's gone by fast and pretty much unnoticed. November is almost here and I am not ready for what that means.

What's nice about fall is that it throws in a couple of last minute beauties...days like today which are in the 70's, sunny and crisp. There was a pretty layer of white fog in the harbor today just before the sun was about to push through and I wished that Tommie wasn't at work already so he could grab his camera and take some photos. I wished I didn't have to go to work so I could take a long walk and maybe get more cider donuts because you can never have too many of those. If I ruled the world, I wouldn't just tell people to stay home on snow days, I would tell them to stay home on days like today...probably the very last nice day for six months. No one should spend a day like this in the office.

Bar Harbor Bust

Last weekend, on our hunt for wedding locations, Tommie and I planned a last minute trip with the dog to check out the scene in Bar Harbor, Maine. Bar Harbor has a lot of vacation rental properties, pretty outdoor settings, and lobster, so it definitely had the potential we were looking for. Unfortunately, it was just one of those trips where we came home feeling like we needed a vacation from the vacation.

Our few good moments consisted of, not surprisingly, food. Our first good meal was in Freeport, ME on our drive up. We had BBQ at Buck's Naked BBQ. The meat was cooked perfectly and they support local farms, so we support them. Then, before entering Bar Harbor we stopped at the Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound and had lobster cooked in sea water (which I think is the best way to cook them). The only downside was that they charged extra for butter. Our final good meal was at the Jordan Pond House in Acadia National Park. I had heard about the popovers, which are as good as people say, as was the baked brie and seafood chowder. The restaurant has outdoor tables overlooking Jordan Pond which would have been beautiful and relaxing has it not been completely overcast and our dog not turned into a werewolf that day.

Probably due to the traveling and an incident in the morning when an over-anxious lab tried to climb through our car window as we drove up to check out a wedding/rental property, Maya was in a sour mood. A typically mute and friendly dog, Maya began howling like a maniac whenever one of us went out of sight. She growled and lunged at other dogs during lunch. And when we finally got her on a quiet carriage path, she tried to eat piles of horse poop along the way. It rained almost the whole time; we didn’t make it to the top of Cadillac Mountain because it was a complete white-out. On the way back to the hotel, our take-out Thai food order from Siam Orchid was wrong (and not good). We also got lost trying to find our hotel on the way in, and got called bad pet owners on the way home.

(Maya recovers from her werewolf transformation)

In all fairness, under different circumstances, I’m sure it would have been a nice place to visit, but still not the right place for our wedding (a little too “regal” for us). If I had a do-over, I would plan in advance and book a place close to downtown Bar Harbor where we could walk around. I'd also get a place where we could leave Maya comfortably at the hotel (you can’t leave pets at the Best Western and it’s far away). I’d check the weather and really try to see Acadia on a clear, nice day, and I’d stick to eating lobsters the whole time.

Farm Fresh

Yesterday was the first day for pick up from the local CSA (community supported agriculture) that Tommie and I joined (we're splitting a share with my co-worker and the CSA happens to be on the same property as our office...can't get any easier than that).I can already tell it's possible I will eat more veggies this summer and fall than I have my entire life. It's a good thing. I always say, "I need to get more vegetables," then I go to the grocery store and come out with ice cream sandwiches. (It's not my fault the ice cream is in the same isle as the vegetables). But now I don't have a choice. I go down to the farm and pick up my farm fresh produce from the cute boys who grow and pick it...which almost makes it okay that there isn't a box of ice cream sandwiches tucked in the bottom of the bag.This week there was romaine lettuce, spinach, radishes, turnips, garlic scapes, baby summer squash, and swiss chard. We had a salad last night to try a little of everything. We put spinach in our sandwiches for lunch and cooked spinach with our fresh fish tonight. Popeye would be proud. I really can taste the difference. The spinach is crisp and I don't typically eat radishes but these guys have a subtle fresh flavor to them and aren't bitter. It's going to be a healthy summer.