Summer To Do List

I have a feeling that this spring is going to be as short as this winter was long. Just yesterday, Boston hit 80 degrees and this sun finally seems to be shining all day, every day. It's still the beginning of May, but if this weather is indicative of anything, it's that summer is coming for us, fast.

This will be my first full summer living in Boston and since about February I've been making plans of all the fun things I want to do in the city during the summer months. Now that the weather is finally cooperating, I think it's time to start making plans for this long awaited summer.

Take the ferry to Provincetown. Because I both enjoy going to Provincetown and riding on ferries. There are always fun things to do and crazy people to see in P Town so hopefully AJ and I will make it out there at least once this summer.

Walk the Harbor Walk. Not the whole thing, I guess. It's going to be a full 47 miles once it's fully completed. But it would be fun to walk it to Charlestown or South Boston on a breezy, sunny day. Nothing like walking along the water in the summer.

Eat a lobster roll at Sully's.

Attend Shakespeare in the Park at the Boston Common. I think they're performing King Lear this year!

Browse the food trucks at the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Especially The Cookie Monstah.

Go to a game at Fenway. We've gone to two games so far but both nights ended up being chilly and windy. I want to go to a game when no jacket is needed! Good thing AJ got tickets for a game in June.

Take day trips. I'm thinking Newburyport and Concord.

I'm sure this list will grow as summer gets closer and I hope we can fill it to the brim with fun things to do!

Recommended Read: Peyton Place

When I used to intern at a small publishing company, if there weren't many tasks for me to do that day, I'd occasionally scour Amazon and read the first few pages of books that looked interesting—professional, I know. But I found a lot of great books that way! One book I found was Peyton Place. I hadn't heard of it before, even though it's been around since the 1950s.

I bought it on a whim at my school bookstore and once I started reading it, I couldn't stop! I think that my favorite part of this book is its scope! The author, Grace Metalious, writes about an entire town and its inhabitants with such ease and artistry. The book is easy to read and easy to follow despite how many characters there are. This is one of the books that simultaneously makes me want to give up writing and inspires me to be better.

The book is a composite of all small towns, but is specifically set in the fictional, New England town of Peyton Place. It fully embodies what every small, New England town is like and all the characters are exceptionally realistic. Further, when this book was first published, it was seen as extremely scandalous and was even banned in some states! While it might not be seen as scandalously now as it was then, there certainly are a lot of dirty little secrets that are enticing and exciting to read about.

Peyton Place is so full of beautiful prose and intriguing story lines, you will find yourself absorbed in this little town from the first page! I highly recommend this novel and I'm wondering if anyone has read the sequel, Return to Peyton Place. I certainly wanted the book to last forever, but I'm also wary of sequels. Thoughts?

Hello Again

To say I've taken a slight hiatus from blog writing is an understatement. And I've really missed blogging! I'm not sure why I struggled so much the past few months to carve out some blog time, but this semester was a lot busier and required a lot more work than the last and I think that had a lot to do with it. Happily, this semester is slowing down (only two classes left!) and I am really, really hoping to find more time to write.

Spring has finally come to Boston and although it still gets chilly at times, it feels wonderful compared to the snowy, cold, gray winter we just endured.

I had to make some returns at the mall in Cambridge today so I took advantage of the sunny day and walked across the Longfellow Bridge into Cambridge. It was a lovely walk despite the construction that seems to be everywhere (the only downside to warmer weather in the city) and the Charles looked so blue and beautiful under the sun!

Trees are blossoming, restaurants are setting up tables on the patios, and everyone seems happier. This summer will be enjoyed to the fullest by anyone who survived this winter!

Scenes From a Snow Day

Like I mentioned yesterday, I love snow and I think that the best walks occur when you hear snow crunching under your boots while a soft breeze swirls tiny flakes around your legs. Bundled up in a long puffy jacket, a knit headband and scarf, and fuzzy gloves with a travel mug of hot coffee, I ventured into the snowy streets of Boston this morning.

The travel ban was lifted over night, the T is running, and some people are heading back to work, like AJ did around 7:30 this morning, but it's still quite clear that the city is not back to its pre-snowpocalypse status. There are few cars driving around and the Common is filled with parents taking their children sledding. 

The sidewalks—some of them—have been shoveled to a small path that only one person can squeeze through at a time. There's a snowman at the corner of Charles and Beacon and the ducks in the garden are just barely peaking out of the snow.

Despite delays, closings, and soggy shoes, most people seem to be relishing in the fun and magic that this much snow brings. People are smiling as they walk through snowy paths and saying 'Good morning!' when you pass them in the garden. It seems that most people are enjoying the snow while it's here…except maybe this guy.

Snow Day

When I checked the forecast on Sunday, I was pretty certain that today would turn in to a snow day. The city has been preparing for it and yesterday I got the email from school canceling my classes for today and AJ took today off at work (he'll work Saturday instead) so that he didn't have to worry about getting to work—public transportation isn't running today!

I've always loved snow and I love it more now that I live in New England, where you actually get snow days when the conditions are like this. In Minnesota, we would would get a few feet and still have to go to school! Snow days are the best. It's a day where you can stay inside and do nothing at all and not feel guilty about it, because it's what you're supposed to do!

So far our snow day has consisted of waking up at 6:30 (we're too used to our early wake up call to break it), making a whole 12 cup pot of coffee, and eating coconut-banana pancakes with agave and lots of fruit. I've also read a lot and expect that it's what I will do for most of the day!

If I get ambitious later, I'm thinking I'll bake oatmeal cookies. Tomato soup and grilled cheese sounds like the perfect snow day lunch to me so that will certainly happen at some point. I'm so lucky that AJ is able to stay home and be safe here with me. I don't think I'd be able to enjoy this comfy day if I were worrying about him getting to work and home in this blizzard. We're fortunate to have heat and power and plenty of food and I hope that everyone else is fairing just as well through this storm!

What I've Been Reading

It's been a while since I've written a new post. January ended up being a bit busier than I expected, although the last week was a bit slower and more relaxed. When AJ and I got back to Boston, after spending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Connecticut, it seemed that we had a constant stream of visitors! First it was my mom and sister for a few days, then my cousin for a week, and then my in-laws for a weekend. I went back to Connecticut with them for a few days and then my mom and her cousin brought me back to Boston and stayed for a few days.

But now things have calmed down enough for the new semester to begin.

Despite how unexpectedly busy winter break got, I still got in a lot of reading time. Reading really is the best way to pass the time during these chilly winter days. To get back into the blogging habit, I want to do a quick recap of the books I've read so far this year.


A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
I read this book for the third time around Christmastime and it felt like a completely different book. This is probably because I was in high school the first two times I read it and a lot of things have happened in my life that have allowed me to read this book in a new way. I found I could relate to it much more. I love the fact that this book has endured through many years even though it is not part of the typical literature canon—never once in my years of schooling have I been assigned this novel even though it is undoubtedly a classic. Smith captures a specific time and place and brings it to life. Reading this book, I felt like I was living the lives of her characters. I doubt that this will be the last time I reread it.

The Faith of a Writer: Life, Craft, Art by Joyce Carol Oates
As you might assume from the title, this book is a collection of essays all regarding being a writer and what it entails. There is a lot of autobiographical information of Oates, herself, along with bits of information and knowledge from other famous writers throughout history. I liked learning about Oates because I am always fascinated by writers and their lives, especially writers who have such productivity  like Oates. I was a bit let down by it, though, because I did not feel like I learned so much about the craft of writing itself—but that might not really be the objective of the book. Regardless, it is full of useful and insightful information. It's a thin text and can easily be read in a day.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
I picked this one up right after Oates's book and found that it was a bit more helpful in the writerly advice arena. This book, too, had a lot of autobiographical information. I skimmed a bit of the areas that didn't seem to pertain to being an author because the rest of the book was very focused on the craft and I was so eager to read those parts! King gives a lot of advice and discloses what kind of writing habits work for him and why they work. While his techniques might not work for everyone, they're definitely worth knowing, trying, and understanding—I mean, look at how successful he is. He must be doing something write.

I'm reading two books right now, The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova and Black Dahlia & White Rose: Stories by Joyce Carol Oates. I'm reading two because The Historian is close to 700 pages long so sometimes I need to take a break and read something else!

My 2014

Another year has (quickly) come to an end. I'm so looking forward to what 2015 will bring. I'm sure it will be a year filled with happiness and adventures and unexpected moments. I'm thankful for every new year, just as I'm thankful for every year that we say goodbye to. Now, I'm excited to look back on 2014 and look forward to the what comes next.

We started off the year with a trip to Minnesota in the middle of their coldest winter to date. We went to The Mall of America and visited family and friends. We'll go back again soon, but hopefully in warmer weather this time. 

Also in January, we took our engagement photos, which also just so happened to fall on the coldest day of the year. I couldn't feel my toes by the end of the shoot! But the photos are still great. 

We celebrated our one and only Valentine's day as an engaged couple this February with a fancy dinner at a dimly lit Italian restaurant and a lovely cake made by my MIL. 

In March, AJ and I moved to Boston for his final internship before his graduation. He worked a lot and determined that he did not love working in an out-patient facility and I read, wrote, and worked in this lovely city. 

I turned 22 on April 10th while we were still living in Boston. My mom and godmother drove up from CT to be here and a few friends from the North Shore came for a dinner of pizza from Fig's. 

May was a busy one! First, I celebrated Mother's Day with this pretty Mamma in Boston. We did all her favorite things, which included relaxing in her apartment in the morning with coffee, followed by a walk through the Public Garden where we sat and people watched from many different benches, book browsing at Barnes & Noble, and pizza from Upper Crust.

 Also in May, I graduated from Fairfield University! I really graduated in January, but I walked with my class in May. Luckily, it was a beautiful, warm Spring day and all my favorite people were there to watch me walk. I was also treated to a delicious brunch at my favorite restaurant in Connecticut, Centro.

AJ graduated, too! After a few years of constant studying and working, AJ graduated with a degree as a Physical Therapist Assistant. He then passed his licensure exam and was offered a job in Boston!

Every year in June, we go to Chatham for a relaxing week and this year was no different! This was AJ's second time joining our family trip to the Cape and I think he's starting to love this beach town almost as much as I do! I can't wait for our next trip out there to eat lobster rolls and Chatham Candy Manor chocolate and to sit on the porch for hours every morning, reading and watching the gentle waves get closer and closer. 

We celebrated our fourth 4th of July together with a family barbecue at my cousins' house and reminisced about the past four years. 

At the end of July, we celebrated our four year anniversary together with an al fresco dinner of finger foods followed by a movie and macaroons. 

In August, I finally visited my sister in New York City and spent a weekend with her and her friends all around town. 

I was also lucky enough to celebrate my wedding with the best bridal shower, thrown by my mom and sisters at my mother's house. All of my favorite ladies were there to help me celebrated and I was so generously gifted beautiful gifts along with a delicious brunch followed by cake and cookie trays. 

At the very end of August, AJ and I moved back to Boston for his new job and for me to start school. We are so happy here and were so excited when we moved back!

AJ turned 24 in the beginning of September and we celebrated with a delicious Italian dinner in the North End and some gifts, which included a magic bar cake. 

I also started grad school in September and quickly got to work reading, writing, and figuring out how to balance my classes and my teaching job. 

October was the most important month of the year because we got married! We had a lovely ceremony in New Canaan, Connecticut and had the best time at our reception in Darien. Every time I watch our wedding video, I wish we could have the exact same party all over again! This was definitely the highlight of our year. 

In October, we also did some festive, New England activities, such as eating apple cider donuts and picking apples at an orchard in North Andover and visiting Salem the week before Halloween.

In November, we celebrated Thanksgiving on our own. I cooked a big meal and we happily ate together before taking a nice walk through the Common and Beacon Hill before we started decorating for Christmas! 

And finally, in December, we decorated our cozy apartment for the holiday. We baked, watched Christmas movies, and burned candles that smelled like pine to get in the spirit of Christmas before heading home to celebrate with our lovely families. 

It was a crazy, amazing, and fun year and I'm so thankful for all of it. This was a big year of change for me but I had family and love surrounding me every step of the way and it could not have been better. I hope all of you had a wonderful 2014 and I wish you all a very happy new year!