A year and some change later (okay, almost 2)

(picture by me)

I am giving this old bloggeroo business another go. In May 2010, about a year after my last post, a lovely person by the name of Anna commented on one of my posts. I don't know Anna except for her wonderful blogs, including the awesome one she does with her sisters, Have a Cute Day. I started this blog as a way for me to connect with the friends I had who disbanded after Chicago, so it was quite startling (and admittedly flattering) that a complete stranger had read my blog and told me she thought I had "a very nice way of enjoying life." Anna is absolutely right, I enjoy my life and try to savor the good and beautiful in life. The sad, the hurt, the ugly - always reminds me of how fortunate I am.

In the past year, I've really gained a new appreciation (addiction) for blogs. I have seen how people have opened up their lives to virtual strangers - making themselves vulnerable to their readers. I am shocked/saddened by the ignorance and hatred that comes with the territory - anonymous posters who make snarky comments. I don't get it. The world is too bad of a place for people to be ragging on those who'd like to share their vision of beauty.

Admittedly, since I've started reading (no, devouring) blogs, along with re-joining the workforce, my spending has risen sharply (I'm looking at you Anthro!) But I don't blame the style blogs for my vices - I assume complete responsibility. If anything, these blogs inspire me to take pride in my appearance. I always feels much better, which makes me treat others better, when I know I've taken the time to breathe and attend to how I present myself to the world. Mostly it is a harried working mom, trying to do it all, and succeeding in some areas more than others.

There is so much to love these days - a healthy, hilarious and wonderfully energetic 2 years and 8 months old little boy who is picking up Mandarin, a mostly healthy, hilarious, and very supportive husband, a job I enjoy (but am really underpaid, but I have a job, and one that I feel good doing), the health and love of my parents, my brother, my amazing girl friends, close and far, a big house with a big weeded over garden (must do something about it this summer) in the city, and last but not least a closet bursting with beautiful things.

Harvest, Bake, Harvest

On Saturday we had a few people come over to plant some seeds in our vegetable garden. Our vegetable plot is currently taken up by 8 rhubarb plants. There are a few tendrils of lettuce coming out of the dirt and rampant scallions growing everywhere in patches, including the flower garden. There are these huge leaves on the rhubarb stalks, which I learned are toxic! That factoid makes the rhubarb slightly mysterious and dangerous in my eyes.






After chopping off the huge fans of leaves and rinsing of the dirt, I was left with beautiful stalks of pink-tinged green. After much chopping and copious amounts of sugar and butter, there was the most beautiful and satisfying rhubarb crumble (thinking of you, L).




I have a friend who will not allow her son to play in dirt - in the meantime, the Noo is constantly dirty and dusty from crawling and rolling. In the beginning I tried harder, but now I just make sure I get the little rocks and tree barks out of his mouth and that he doesn't pull the plants or flowers.

Speaking of plants - the most fragrant and beautiful lilac bushes are on the side of the house. They make me so happy. These and the peonies that will bloom any day now . . . . Friends, please come visit!

Happy Spring!

Hard to believe that in a few months I'll have been here for a year. At a bbq yesterday, I met a woman who moved here from NYC two years ago - she said she still tells people she moved here recently. While there are still days when I am unhappy about being here, weekends filled with sunshine, warmth, friends and good people do help. That a little Noo who likes to roll around in the dirt. I take him to the play ground and he likes to lie on his stomach like he's swimming and brush away all the wood chips and then scratch his fingers through the dirt. I caved in - there is no use. We have a big backyard, so we might as well take advantage of that and let him be. Guess it's time for daily baths.

The backyard makes me very, very happy. I'm sad that my late FIL is not here to share this time with us, but I'm convinced that he's there when the Noo is crawling around, trying with all his might not to pick/crush the flowers. Yesterday we had people over to do some yard work as part of the cooperative we have started. Next week are planting the seedlings we started in basement - tomatoes, kale, etc. The rhubarb my FIL planted is already ginormous - guess I'll have to learn to make rhubarb pie!

The flowers are sight to behold and most of them haven't even come up yet!

Taking a sewing class was a great idea. Although I'm just starting out, it's been a great way to relieve stress and be crafty - much better then watching crap tv (especially now that we have said goodbye to our cable). It's definitely not as easy as it looks, but not entirely scary either. My next project is going to be a convertible dress that involves one seam! I'm skeptical - we'll see. I think I'll try to spin out a few more of these little bags so the insides start looking a little more polished.

Hard to believe . . . .

The Noo is turning 1 in a few weeks! I really can't believe it. He is already his own person with his jokes, persistence, refusal to have us show him how to do things. In the beginning I had a hard time visualizing him as anything but a little, helpless warm . . . loaf. Of course we are throwing him a birthday party of which he will remember NOTHING, but we really just want to have an excuse to have our friends over to enjoy and celebrate spring (the rate at which things are bursting through a frenzy of spring showers is unbelievable and so, what's the word, hopeful). Of course I made the party invites - postcards I made on my trusty Gocco press.



The text turned out really well - very even application of ink - the stars not so much - very faded especially on the ends. But I actually like that, I guess - it lends a vintage appeal. The color of the paper is actually more of a light mustard/curry yellow - my latest color obsession. On the invites we stressed that people should not bring gifts - that's very important. Just bring libations so we can get rip roaring drunk (I know, very appropriate for a 1st birthday party, um guys . . . . where's the baby?) I also plan to have a pinata for the kids and adults who are kids at heart to attack - it will be filled with organic fruit lollipops, apples and clementines (this place is starting to have an effect on me), oh and what the hell, some gluten, nut, dairy-free something or another. On the menu - Asian fusion - thinking potstickers and cold sesame noodles and some kind of cucumber salad.

In other news, wrapping up my sewing class tonight. I sort of know how to sew now. Well, at least I know how to make a wristlet - which means I also know how to make a pencil case and make-up bag, sort of. Will post photos of the fruit of my labor later.

Looming over everything - the day to day, the fun, the creative, the yuck is of course the D. What a sad monster it's become. But I still chip away at it. A little a day (ok, more like every few days). My grad school compadres are leaving me behind in the dust. This must shock me to do something. Really.

Missing in action

My mind, body and spirit have been MIA the past few weeks ever since I had the audacity to stay up past midnight and have TWO drinks on my birthday. Later that weekend the entire house was hit with the plague. On Mon. and Tues., my cold was so bad the husband had to leave for work late and stay late when he came home for lunch so that I could sleep away the incredibly persistent sinus headaches that hit me like a semi. Add on top of that a sick toddler (he's toddling around - not a baby anymore!!) who wanted to nurse around the clock like he was a newborn. Well at least I didn't have clogged ducts.
On top of that, the MIL was out-town for a whole two weeks visiting the newest addition to the clan (I am absolutely in love with my new niece!) In the beginning I seriously thought I was going to lose my mind (out of sheer panic at spending 24/7 with the boy), but it turned out to be not so bad, except for the week and a half I was out of commission. We went to playgroup one day - a most interesting experience; aside from the fact that all the children were white except for the Noo. It was also fascinating to see the range of development for infants around his age. There was another 10 month old trying with all his might to crawl and a 12 month old who wasn't crawling . . . . the nice thing was that no one seemed particularly concerned (at least not outwardly so, although I have to say I was a teensy bit only inwardly). Of course the other day one of E's colleagues made him feel bad (and then he felt bad about feeling bad) when she asked the Noo to give her five and then he stared at her blankly and she said "All babies know how to give you five" (eyeroll).
There was one toy that scared the bejezus out of the boy - a plastic toy with different shaped holes that made a weird wheezing sound when you inserted a block with the corresponding shape - it made him launch into a full-on cry! Pobre! He's not even really a baby anymore and that makes me incredibly happy and sad at the same time.

I love my friends

On Friday I came home after a day of walking around downtown Boston by myself. It was nice - walking around the Common, chilly but sunny. The best part was darting in and out of stores, without having to worry about a little guy getting bored of looking at clothes (he really expresses himself these days when he's feeling disgruntled). The worst part was not having any $. I still managed to go to Sephora to get my free birthday lip gloss. They taste horrible - I hate lip products that taste/smell like artificial fruit. Blech. But they were free, so what are you gonna do.

When we got home, the hubster told me there was a package for me. He looked at me suspiciously like I'd ordered something for myself, which of course pissed me off. But I proceeded to feel much better when I opened it and discovered a lovely surprise from one of my bestest friends evah! An early birthday present in the form of a lovely handmade dahlia mug:

Here it is, holding my morning chai latte fix. This lovely mug and my trusty frother make me very happy. Ah, the simple pleasures of life. I feel very blessed to have friends who understand me. And here's the Noo looking perplexed - he's trying to figure out why his mother was taking pictures of an inanimate object instead of him. This is his sullen supermodel look.

I dread the next two weeks - I am going to be hanging out with the boy with no help from the MIL as she will be off in Portland, OR, eagerly anticipating the arrival of her second grandchild (very exciting of course - Noo will have a cousin, we will have a niece)! I am trying to figure out how to keep busy and sane. I have to remind myself that moms do this all the time, with very little support and I can do this, too. I have been very lucky with having the MIL around . . . . Must call J to see how she is doing it in Utah and by herself!!

Why Cambridge may be getting off my shit list

We had a great weekend - incredible spring-like weather, took the boy out for walks and to play on the baby swing - he was giddy and besides himself. He does this thing where instead of exhaling when he laughs, he inhales - it cracks everyone up. Of course today it snowed sideways, pelleted and rained. But it's ok, all is forgiven. I no longer hate Cambridge because over the weekend we discussed amazing and relatively cheap Mexican food down the street from us. We'd heard great things about this place, Tacos Lupita, but I figured it was great by Cambridge standards, certainly not Chicago. OMFG. When the tacos came out and I bit into the soft, warm, FRESH corn tortillas, I almost wept with joy. Just thinking about it makes me smile. Of course there would be nothing for me if I were a vegetarian - not a gringo burrito in sight. Pretty sure the beans were swimming in lard (the boy lapped those up - he was actually smacking his lips). The hubster smiled as he was eating and said, "We are going to be alright." It's true. We will be.

Every year when my birthday rolls around, I keep thinking how great it is that I was born on the first day of spring. Of course it hasn't mean a whole lot for the past decade or so I've spent
living in the Midwest. I don't think it'll mean much this year, but one can only hope. Especially when I have this dress to wear:

Of course by the time I got to it, my size was gone. So it is getting altered, but I heart it so, it's worth it. It's completely out of my usual neutral color palette, but so cool in a modern "ethnic" way, a more subdued take of the Chinese embroidery jackets I used to wear in college with Doc Martens (when I thought I was so badass). I think the color is versatile enough - it's bright - so I can make it summery or autumnal with different accessories. Might work with some skinny jeans now, since it's pretty short. The hubster splurged on it, but I rationalized it based on how many times I will wear it in the next few months (my b-day, nathaniel's b-day, a wedding in may, eli's birthday, LOL).