Cookie Cutters

Remember those cookies we decorated the other night?

We were making my mom Get Well cookies, but I couldn’t tell you that or post pictures of the cookies because it would ruin the surprise. We used new cookie cutters I had just gotten from William Sonoma. I saw them on a few blogs last month and happened to see them when I was in the store and couldn’t resist them.

I should mention that the cookie cutters were not easy to use. The dough stuck to the letters making the cookies less than attractive. Next time we’ll use more flour on each letter each time we press them on the cookies. This is Andrew’s not happy face. (Not very intimidating, but I promise, he was actually really irritated and distressed)

This is Andrew’s reason why. Exhibit A. Giant hole in cookie.

Fortunately all turned out well in the end. We just used the cookie cutter to make the outer shape of the cookie and then pressed the letters on individually with our hands instead of in the fancy cookie cutter like you’re supposed to.

We could only fit so many into an envelope for my mom so we got the extras:) A fun one Andrew put in my lunch:

Others we ate while watching the Olympics with friends:

PS My mom’s cookies were more exciting that just “I Love You” over and over. She got:

Get Well Nancy
Miss You
I Love You Mom
Get Well Soon
and my personal favorite, Surgery Sucks (originally misspelled as Surgey Sucks, thanks to yours truly)

As for me and my feet, we’ll be walking

As Andrew and I were debriefing our days over dinner I was telling him about things I had read.

1. I saw this blog. She is one of my favorites. Always great photos. Always encouraging stories. Always wise words. She mentioned Lent. But I thought, “nah.”
2. Then my co-worker sent my this video. It’s about educating children so they will eat healthier. Did you know that we’re the first generation to have shorter life expectancies than our parents? I had forgotten that fact until Jamie Oliver reminded me of it. Sad. I’m actually working on a Dept of Health obesity prevention initiative so I really enjoyed the video. It got me thinking about eating healthier and exercising more. And then I felt guilty about the tacos I was planning to make for dinner.
3. Then I saw this title and it said: Simple Green: Go on a Carbon Fast. “Ah ha!” I thought. “I should give up driving to work for the next 40 days! It’ll be healthier for me, greener for the environment, and a daily sacrifice!”
4. Then I saw this article about the green dilemma and my plan was solidified. I didn’t want to be the person saying one thing and doing another.

So there you have it. An idea was born. I’ll be forgoing driving to work for the next 40 days. In all honesty, I should be doing it anyway. I live a half mile from work. But with the cold weather, rain, snow, wind, construction, tardiness, etc. it’s easy to make up excuses to drive.

Andrew patiently listened and tried to follow as I bounced between my million thought processes and findings that led me to my conclusion. I think we have conversations like this a lot. Me talking about one thing that was derived from a dozen little bunny trails. Andrew looking at me with a blank stare saying: “Wow, I don’t know how your brain works that much.”

He decided that he’d give up his late night snack. He said he loves to stick his hand into the candy jar right before he brushes his teeth. It’s not good for his teeth he decided.

Our conversation ended with me saying, “Ugh! 40 days. That’s how long it takes to form a habit! By the end of this you won’t want candy before bed and I will enjoy walking!”

We laughed.

And he said, “Ugh. Great. We’ll be greener and healthier people?!”

A New Venture

I know that I struggle to post regularly as it is, but I’ve gone and added more to my plate:) Before I tell you what it is, I’ll tell you that I think this new addition will be enjoyable, not terribly time-consuming, and fun to look back on in a year. I’ve started another blog!

It’s sort of a Project 365 blog, but I’m going into it with the expectation that I won’t actually accomplish all 365 days. 

You can read the first post here and then Days 1 through 31. I wasn’t able to post all of the days until yesterday, so unfortunately I’m forcing you to back track and read them in reverse order. Sorry! But now  that I’m caught up it will be updated regularly:)

I hope you enjoy a little glimpse into our lives! We won’t always be exciting, but we’ll always be here!

Check it out!

Just What She Always Wanted!

I realize this post is about 2 months late, but the point of it isn’t about Christmas. It’s updating you on our excitement from last week.
Andrew and I celebrated Christmas early since we spent Christmas in Illinois.
Here is Andrew patiently waiting for me:

We decided that since it was a pretty informal Christmas we'd just wrap everything with newspaper to be more green friendly:D We definitely got black ink everywhere!

I was very excited for the giant box! Check out the adorable bow Andrew made out of newspaper. I was so impressed with him.

Yep. I savored it. I don't know why I opened it so carefully. This is right before I opened the box and saw a gray metal top with hinges on one side. I totally thought he got me a filing cabinet for Christmas, which oddly, I was really okay with. In fact, I was pretty pumped to start organizing! I was only bummed that it wasn't black--We planned to have a black office so I wasn't sure why he had gotten me a gray filing cabinet.  You know you're getting old when you're excited about completely fine with receiving a filing cabinet as a gift.

Well, before anyone starts thinking I married a total loser, I'll let you know it was not a filing cabinet at all. It was A MILK BOX. Yep, you read that right. A milk box. Munroe Dairy to be exact!

In Rhode Island we have access to multiple dairies that still do milk delivery. We log in online, choose our groceries for the week, and the milk man delivers them in the morning!! How cool is that? I have a milk man! (FYI he is actually a man so I’m not just being politically incorrect).
I am such a proud owner of this box. Into which the milk man places things like this:

Or local bread, cheese, butter, etc. I couldn't be more excited.
All of that to tell you that Andrew and I have a milk man. It only takes 24 to 36 hours to get the milk from the moo to you! So if you come visit and we feed you cereal for breakfast, know that it’s the freshest you can get:)
Also, this was part of the Christmas week I mentioned a few weeks ago. We had the most exciting week!
As I also previously mentioned, we’ve experienced the learning curve of getting back into a routine, settling back in at work, adjusting to marriage, unpacking, organizing (still no filing cabinet), etc. In this process, we decided to order our groceries online to have them delivered. Peapod is surprisingly affordable. 6-10 bucks flat delivery fee and they’ll get your groceries for you, bag them, and carry them up your stairs to the kitchen. Who wouldn’t pay that to avoid spending 2 hours at the grocery, loading and unloading the car, and then carrying them up flights of stairs?! So Monday night we were elated to have our groceries delivered! Elated partly because it was such a relief to not go, partly because we didn’t have to go out in the cold, and partly because we had probably been home for a few weeks without going grocery shopping yet! This was a great way to start the week.

Tuesday, day 2. Surprise! A KitchenAid waiting for us when we got home! Unbelievable.

Wednesday, Day 3. We awake to a little sprinkling of snow. Awesome. And as any little kid does on Christmas to see if Santa came, I peered out the window to look for footprints in the newly fallen snow. Yes!! Milk man came! It was our first delivery!!

Fresh milk, bread, cream, eggs, and apples. Ahh:)

Thursday, day 4. Our bedding arrived in the mail!

Friday, day 5. Surprise! A wedding gift was waiting for us when we got home from work. Such a cool picture. We love it!

Saturday, day 6. Some dishes we ordered to complete our set arrived from Macys.

That would conclude our excitement for the week. Most of the things were items we purchased for ourselves so I don’t intend for this to be a bragging post, but there is just something exciting about receiving mail/packages/surprises everyday.
PS I wanted to share a picture of my wrapping. For some reason, I found it hilarious to wrap with newspaper and tried to pick stories Andrew would like or pictures that would be funny.
Exhibit A. Ben Bernanke. He’s wearing a bow tie. I tied the bow right over it. Andrew laughed a lot. I was so proud of myself.

Wheew, that was long!
Sorry!
Love,

Slowly, but Surely

I am experiencing a slow, re-introduction back into the real world, so forgive me for being MIA for so long.

I have much to say and many plans/hobbies/stories to share, but for now I'll leave you with some photos from our wedding:) Once we get unpacked, paint, the bed arrives, the bedding arrives, etc. I'll be back with lots to show and tell!



The wedding day went fairly smoothly--not without a couple of hitches, but overall nothing too traumatic. We enjoyed a week in Marco Island at an amazing resort and then took a mini road trip from Florida to Rhode Island with all of our new goodies and my college crap in tow:)




Here are some links to pictures our amazing photographer put up on his blog.
Part I
Part II



I'll be back soon! I can't wait to update you on our lives. And tell you about this week--I like to call it Christmas Week. I'll tell you more about it soon!!



Much love!
Mrs. Pierson;)

Almost Famous

Yesterday at work I noticed a blog post on my Google Reader. It was from a wedding blog site called WeddingBee.com. The website features brides from all over the U.S. who document their wedding planning experience. It gives brides lots of good ideas for venues, vendors, decor, etc. I noticed the bride in this post was using the same photographer as Andrew and I. I always get excited when I see something I recognize in a post because that means the bride is somewhere on the West Coast of Florida and I love to see their opinions of the same venues/vendors that I also checked out. Then I noticed a picture of Andrew and I! We're basically famous! haha. Okay, not really. But we were pretty surprised and excited to see ourselves featured on someone's blog as inspiration for choosing their photographer!

I guess that means you'll be seeing our engagement shots. View at your own risk! They're pretty mushy. The photographer said, "when you don't know what to do, just kiss!" It's obvious from the pictures that Andrew and I didn't have a ton of ideas for poses;)

P.S. Can you tell that I'm really procrastinating on final details? I haven't posted in months and now I post 3 times in a week! :D It's the Thank You cards from showers. They are sitting in front of me, staring at me. I'm trying my hardest to ignore them, but I'm really running out of legitimate excuses!

Continually procrastinating,

Post-edit: It's 1:00 AM, but the Thank Yous are completed! All shower gifts and wedding gifts to-date have been written, addressed, and sealed. The envelopes are just waiting for a stamp and trip to the post office! Wow, it feels good!

Grocery List

I am still away on my blogging hiatus (deep in the midst of wedding details), but I couldn't resist posting this DIY project from one of my favorite blogs: Design Sponge.

There are some great grocery list templates which seem so helpful and functional! You don't have to go all crafty and make a clip board, but print the lists, plan some meals, and make an organized grocery list!

New year, new you!

Enjoy:D

Life Gets Away.

Between moving, holidays, and wedding planning, life has taken me by storm. I can't believe that I have been too busy to blog! October 31st? C'mon! That's unacceptable. Some people have begun to think that I gave up on them and the blogosphere. Others were concerned that my blog was broken or thought that their computer broke. Fortunately, none are true. Just don't give up on me because I haven't given up on you! I will be back in full force in a few weeks! Maybe a month, if I'm more realistic. Andrew has already instituted the Stress-free Spring and I'm excited. That will mean lots of reading, lots of adventures, lots of days trips, and lots of blogging!

I don't think I was prepared for the whirlwind that was to come! Since I last posted so much has happened. I've been to Florida and back. Attended a wedding. Seen old friends. Enjoyed bridal showers, one of which was the biggest surprise (story to come). Taken on new projects at work. Turned one year older! Completed pre-marital counseling. Andrew and I took a 25-hour Amtrak train from Providence to Chicago. We spent a week visiting with family. My mom flew in and surprised me. We've received fun new presents like a Flip on which I can make an apartment tour for the blog! We've flown back to Rhode Island. He's gone back to work. I've been sick in bed.

Lot's of exciting things to update you on.

But unfortunately they will have to wait a little longer. Right now I have to go work on the ceremony program. Then the list for the DJ. The job of a wedding planner never ends;)

Be back soon! I promise.

Quick Update

No time to write but I wanted to update you and let you know that:

1) A lease was signed for a new apartment! Very exciting, but it was very unexpected and happened quickly. So this weekend is the final push for the big move.

And 2) Mouse poop. We have found mouse poop everywhere as we move things out. I would like to emphasize that this should not be interpreted as a reflection of my hygiene. There are just holes everywhere in this apartment. In cabinets, for heating pipes, under radiators, etc. That mouse (I like to tell myself it was only that ONE) was on my kitchen window sill, under my bed, in my spice drawer, everywhere. SO THANKFUL to be moving and to not know this until now. Yuck.

Okay, I have to go move some more boxes, but I'll be back soon!

Happy Halloween!!

Wicked Good Times

Hello again! Sorry I've been gone. I'm drowning in wedding planning stress & guilt. Please don't read that as progress; it's more of that hanging-over-your-head sensation where you feel guilty and overwhelmed by all that needs to be done, but never really make any progress. Yeah. That's where we're at.

Last weekend we set out to book the honeymoon. Dis-aster. We had plans and lofty goals and then they were all trampled on by our little friend, reality. So we are getting married on Saturday evening and were planning to leave Sunday for our honeymoon to maximize our time at our destination and account for traveling back to New England. Our plans may or may not have involved a little trip to a country we like to call, Costa Rica. However, to make a long story short our hopeful plans were thwarted by such details as a two hour post-reception drive to Orlando, an early morning flight Sunday, a full day of traveling both there and back, a 24-hour drive from Florida to Rhode Island, a rental car, a 4-hr drive out of the way from Orlando to Tampa and back through Orlando, and packing said rental car in between. So we're back at square one. Actually, it's a little worse. No one's stressed at square one, you're just uncertain. We're uncertain and stressed. Blah.

On a happier note I plan to figure out bridesmaids dresses this weekend. Finalize. Yes, it's less than 3 months away and I still haven't made the decision, but it's difficult. I'm not wearing the dress, I don't have to buy the dress, my girls may not like the style, and I don't like to make decisions. All of this has equated to another big wedding failure on my part! Ugh.

Rehearsal dinner, now that may be solved this weekend as well. Andrew's mom is headed to Tampa tonight to spend the weekend checking out the church, reception site, possible rehearsal dinner venues, meet the future in-laws, etc.

What else? We have invitations. Maybe a future apartment which will be incredibly wonderful. Hopefully. I always hate to say that when I know I could be looking back at this blog in 9 months cringing at my naivety because it actually turned out to be a terrible, horrible nightmare. Like mice or noisy neighbors or the fruition of my irrational fear of gas heating blowing up the apartment. It happens more than you'd believe up here. At least one a day Andrew insists.

Well the real intention of this update was to inform you of the wicked fun we're going to have this fall courtesy of Andrew's new employment. That's right, his connection to the happenings in and around Pawtucket are wicked awesome. I can say wicked, I've lived in New England for over a year. One of these is a Fall Foliage Train ride. The train will take us through Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, stopping at a Fall Bazaar with antique shopping, crafts, food and fun! We're pretty pumped.

We're also really excited about the restaurant tours/cooking lessons. Restaurants all over the state (we're a small state, don't make fun) offer evenings where they teach you how to prepare a meal and then feed it to you! We can't wait.

Okay, that's it for now. If any pictures turn out tomorrow you'll be the first to see them!! Enjoy your weekend!

Missin' you. No really, I miss writing.

Recipe of the Week

Meatball Casserole
from Taste of Home

2 Servings
Prep: 40 min. Bake: 20 min.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup uncooked penne pasta
• 2 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons egg substitute
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• Dash salt
• Dash garlic powder
• 1/4 pound lean ground turkey
• 3/4 cup marinara sauce or meatless spaghetti sauce
• 1/4 cup 2% cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, egg substitute, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt and garlic powder. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well.
2. Shape into 1/2-in. balls; place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes or until no longer pink.
3. Drain pasta and meatballs. In a small bowl, combine meatballs with marinara sauce. Spoon half of mixture into a 1-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with half of the pasta, cottage cheese and mozzarella; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers.
4. Cover and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted.
   
   
   Yield: 2 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving equals
453 calories
12 g fat (5 g saturated fat)
66 mg cholesterol
804 mg sodium
55 g carbohydrate
5 g fiber
30 g protein.

For shorter prep time purchase pre-made meatballs.

It's cold and it's fall so start breaking out those casserole recipes! They'll warm your bellies and your heart:D

Worst. Weekend. Ever.

I was excited and prepared Friday to come home and write a nice happy post. Unfortunately, that has been postponed for a bit while I address more pressing issues, like traumatic life experiences.

After work on Friday Andrew and I had an appointment to check out an apartment. We viewed an incredibly awesome loft apartment (if I can persuade you, maybe you can persuade Andrew) and then walked back to my apartment to make dinner before heading out for our marriage study.

We were pretty hungry so Andrew walked straight into the kitchen while I put my jacket on the coat rack. We were not in my apartment for more than 15 seconds when Andrew shouts and leaps back.

"Oh boy," I thought, "not another one of those creepy-hairy-crawly things again." He had just killed one of those a week ago, but didn't react like that.

As if he's just seen a ghost he turns to me and says, "A mouse just ran across your counter." I think I stopped breathing at this point and was near fainting. De ja vu of last year's mouse fiasco.

I had heard voices in my neighbor's apartment as we walked up the stairs a few minutes earlier so I promptly recruited help. My downstairs neighbor was in the upstairs apartment so they both came to our rescue. They both non-nonchalantly said, "Yea, that mouse ran across both our counters this week too."

Um, What?! That is NOT okay!

1. Mice should not be running around rampant inside our apartments.

2. If mice do happen to romp around inside they should NOT be on the counter! They live in little holes in base boards and wander around the FLOOR! How do they get onto counters?

One neighbor said, "I have traps downstairs. Let's just take care of this." The other neighbor said, "There are humane traps you know. I'm outta here." And just like that, he left.

Andrew and the neighbor spent the next five minutes trying to figure out how to set the traps. Then they put peanut butter on them. "Peanut butter? I thought you were supposed to put cheese out for them," I said (obviously educated by cartoons). While they talked about their strategy for placing the traps that little rodent ran across the counter again. Again!! Ugh. Without getting to eat dinner Andrew and I dashed out to our study hoping for the best.

I could barely concentrate at the study. Between dreaming about future apartment possibilities and panicking about the thoughts of a mouse in my apartment, I was useless. And to top it off we shared mouse stories at the end, including ones about mice chewing off their legs to get out of the trap. Needless to say, we arrived back to my apartment with a plethora of situations to return to. Dead mouse. Mouse feet in the trap. A mouse hobbling around with a trap on it's leg. You name it, I was anticipating it. What I didn't anticipate was what actually happened. We returned 3 hours later and I waited in the car while Andrew went in to remove the dead mouse. Andrew walked upstairs and reappeared a few minutes later. But instead of going to the trash can he walked towards my car and says, "No mouse."

Great. I walked into my apartment, uncomfortable in my own haven. I stood on a chair while Andrew removed items on the counter one by one to look for the mouse. Why does this seem necessary? As foolish as it felt, standing on the chair just made me feel safer.

Saturday Andrew checked the trap. "Um..." he said, while staring in the corner with a flashlight.

"Um, what?!" I shrieked back.

"Um, worst possible scenario. The trap is gone."

"Um, what?! Where is the trap?!"

"Don't know."

I start having visions of a mouse that got snapped in the trap and is hobbling around trying to get through a crack with a big piece of wood following behind. Andrew moves a dresser and sees the trap underneath. He slowly moves the dresser to reveal the trap in its entirety. Entirely empty! The mouse ate all the peanut butter and got away!

"We just fed a mouse!" I yelled. "We just fed him and let him get away!"

Round two. Andrew decides that we'll put less peanut butter on the trap and we'll put it back out. We proceed to spend the rest of the day Saturday around the apartment making phone calls, emailing people, working on wedding details, etc. Mind you, in my studio we were never more than 8 feet from the trap. About 7:30PM Andrew decides to check the trap again. He'd been peaking throughout the day for a mouse near the trap and nothing. In fact, there are two traps. One on the counter behind the microwave where he was hiding last night. He checked both throughout the day.

Trap behind the microwave: Untouched. Trap on the floor 8 feet from Andrew: licked clean. Twice now, we've fed the mouse and let him get away!! Third time is a charm, right? Wrong! Sunday check-up. Clean. Not an trace of peanut butter and he got away. Obviously those traps were useless.

I happened to run into my neighbor in the parking lot and asked if they caught the mouse or if their traps were being licked clean as well. "No, our traps are out and untouched, he assured me. Before I could even walk back up stairs he emerged and said, "Scratch that. We've been robbed." At this point it was not as much of a surprise and almost funny. We'd all been duped by a mouse!

I went out Sunday afternoon and bought new package of traps. A different type of trap. One that assured victory. We set them out and to my disappointed they weren't touched at all Sunday night. It turns out the neighbors downstairs finally caught him on their kitchen counter Sunday evening.

A sad ending compensated only by that fact that the mouse had to have eaten twice his weight in peanut butter those last two days. RIP little guy.

PS The traps are still out in case he had any siblings or offspring. I'm sure you'll hear about it if he did.

This year it's MY fault

It's definitely fall.

It's so crisp out. Morning. Day. Night. I turned the heat on in my car for the first time last night. It smelled like winter. I can't believe fall is here already and winter is just around the corner. In fact, fall has already peaked in some places! Wow.

Oh, and my apartment is freezing. Now I remember why I spend so much of the winter months under my down comforter, with my computer on my lap, and just my little fingers sticking out. It's pretty much impossible to do anything that requires exposing appendages to the frigid air, which eliminates basically everything except watching the tv burrito-style and washing dishes in hot water. And who wants to do that 24-7?

Well, unfortunately, this year, it's my fault that I'm so cold. My landlord converted the building's heat from oil that he paid for to gas that individual tenants pay for. Simple enough, right? Wrong. You've probably learned by now that nothing is simple with me 0:)

Well, since Andrew is now employed there is a little glimmer of hope that the January wedding will bring with it a sparkling, new, spacious apartment instead of cramming in my little studio. The only problem is that I will have to sublet my apartment. Well, as dreamers do, we starting searching around a little on Craigslist and some other cool mapping websites that utilize Craigslist data. I'm such a mapper, aren't I? Even at home I can't quit mapping. As could be expected we found one we liked. Then another. Then another. Unfortunately, they're all available now. Hmmmm...no predicament is too big to overcome! Maybe I'll just move now.

We thought we'd test the waters to see how easy or arduous it would be to sublet my apartment so that we were prepared. Always planning, aren't we? As much as people want to deny it, Providence is basically a college town, so renting at the start of a semester is ideal. But if I could sublet sooner...I'd just move into the new apartment sooner:) Well, we didn't realize the hot ticket we were sitting on. We had over a dozen responses of people interested in subletting the little studio! BUT I don't have anywhere to go and people want to move in ASAP. Talk about unnecessary stress to add to my life.

For now we're showing the studio and making regular appointments to check out other places as well. We haven't found anything perfect yet, but we know we'll probably have to compromise on a few things. For example, one apartment had a great kitchen, dining room, location, and washer and dryer, but not great bedrooms and a tiny, unattractive bathroom. Another had a great bathroom, great kitchen, but no closet space, tiny bedrooms, and a worse location. For now, we're still looking. There is always the option to hold out, save money, and hope for the pieces to fall into place in January. It's quite the juggle trying to get someone into your apartment and get into another one at exactly the same time! Wheew.

Anyway, all that to say, I've yet to set up a gas account in case I don't stay here too much longer. But at the same time, we've only looked at two apartments and neither were ideal. We'll see. In the mean time I'll keep my whining about freezing indoor temperatures to a minimum since it is my own fault. In fact, I'll probably brag this weekend about making my first fire of the season. I might even take a Christmas-card style picture of me sitting in front of it, in an ugly sweater, sipping hot cocoa. But don't get your hopes up.

I'll also keep you updated on the apartment hunt. The goal will be an apartment with decent size rooms (2--one for a guest bedroom. It'll have your name on it:)), an acceptable bathroom, and a better than average kitchen. A washer and dryer would be icing on the cake:D

That's it for now. Take care and stay warm!

Chillin' (literally),

Today's THE Day!!

Everybody stop what you're doing! Get ready to stand up and shout!

Andrew got a job!! It's true!! He made it through two rounds of interviews, surpassed all the other applicants, and was offered a position! He accepted the job and started TO-DAY!!

Okay, stop yelling and jumping and check out the website of Andrew's new employer.

Note: Whatever you do, do NOT click "Skip Intro", you will miss the harmonious, glorious, phenomenal song and be directed to more important, but less entertaining information.

(Turn your volume on). This is our new favorite song! We love it. It's music to our ears. Warmth in our hearts. And yes, it's money in the bank! I think my favorite musical genre is "Mens A Capella." Is that allowed? Cause I'm serious. (Remember this A Capella obsession?)

There are actually two organizations he'll be working for in Pawtucket, referred to by locals as, The Bucket. One is at the tourism council and the other is a community development corporation (CDC). He's not doing architecture per se, but he is at least using one of his two master's degrees, urban planning.

He'll be working to improve the neighborhoods, create safe affordable housing, revitalize the community, and promote economic development and tourism. It will be a great experience for Andrew and introduce him to lots of people. If you need to find Andrew over the next 10 months he'll be busy making the Bucket more walkable, attractive, and safe.

That's about all I know for now, I'll keep you updated as he figures out what his job entails. Maybe I'll even dedicate a week to highlighting great aspects of Pawtucket. I'll call it something like "The Best Kept Secrets of the Bucket." [Que Blackstone Valley quartet again.]

In the meantime, basically picture us doing...

A lot of this:

A little of this:

Some of this:

Lots of this:

A little more of this:

All the time. This:

And if we want to take a little jog down memory lane we'll remember this from last year. Some call it The Adventure of the Century, we simply call it, Fate.

This is Pawtucket, my friends. This is Andrew proudly embracing Pawtucket one year ago.

Thankful for the Bucket,

Recipe of the Week

Chili (Taco Soup)

Ingredients

• 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 can pinto beans
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can kidney beans
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 pkg taco seasoning
• 1 pkg ranch dressing
• 1 lb ground beef (ground turkey)
• 2 cups rice
• Chicken bouillon to taste (2 tablespoons)
• Tortilla chips

Directions

1. Brown beef/turkey.
2. Stir beans, corn, beef/turkey, taco seasoning, and ranch together in a large pot.
3. Simmer 20 minutes or until thoroughly warmed.
4. Cook rice and bouillon as directed.
5. Pour chili over some rice in a bowl. Eat with tortilla chips (and a spoon when necessary).
6. Feel free to sprinkle cheese or sour cream on top.

It's one of my favorite dishes! Enjoy!

The End.

Amidst our usual dinner chatter Andrew and I discussed our days, talked about the crazy people he encountered on the bus, refined items for our registry, and shared in our dislike for endings. I had been thinking yesterday morning about how much I hate when things end. And Andrew had mentioned at dinner that he was coming to terms with the end of his youth with all this wedding planning. We then went on a depressing tirade about all the endings that we hate. I'm not sure at what point it sounded like a good idea to make a post out of it, but I plan to redeem it by promptly posting tomorrow so you don't have to see this everyday for the next two weeks as you check my blog for an update:) You can thank me later.

I don't like that time at the end of the day between 7:30 and bed time. It's as if night just haunts me and lies to me and makes me feel as though I'm already out of time to keep me from being productive with the numerous hours I actually have left.

Sometimes I hate the end of a good book or a good movie. If it's good, I never want it to end. Especially when it's anticlimactic. I walk around feeling like there is something missing. Something unfinished. Incomplete.

Or there is the disdain for the end of life. I don't know if I will ever be able to accept death. It's so permanent and sad. That's the worst ending of them all.

There's the end of relationships--simple friendships or romantic ones. Sometimes it's an obvious, abrupt end. Other times a few weeks passed, then months, then years, and then at some point you realize that it's over. You are not friends anymore. And that's strange.

Then there's the end of life chapters. That's what I'm really disliking now. Putting everything into a mental box with a label, "Childhood," "High School," "College," "London," "Grad School," "Illinois," etc. It's silly really because let's face it, they've been over for a while. I haven't stepped onto the high school football field to cheer in seven years, but everything happened so slowly that it took me a long time to realize it's over. My next role in that type of setting will be as a parent.

There's the obvious, and much lighter: end of the weekend. No one likes to say goodbye to the days and nights of relaxing, socializing, and dreaming.

And what about the end of plant life? Flora, if you will. No one likes to see their bouquet of flowers wither and die. It always happens sooner than you'd like or expect.

Then there's the one most currently despised. Andrew's villain. The end of summer. Fall. The Sunday evening pit in his stomach when he realizes it's 4:30pm, pitch black out, and time for a new week to start. It's cram time. Squeeze in anything you didn't get to do yet. Fun is over. o-v-e-r.

The funniest thing about this fall-induced pity party is that I love change. Right after I thought about all the types of endings I hate, I remembered how much I love change. How is that? It seems paradoxical. Change is inevitably the ending of one thing and the starting of another, but I love it. I love it's newness, it's excitement, it's freedom from boredom. My only guess is that change can come in slowly so that I hardly realize one thing is ending and another is beginning. I guess that's why we get along so well--change and I. It dupes me.

So in honor of this week's big official ending--summer--and the start of his wonderful brother, the favorite child--fall--I'll be posting my favorite chili recipe tomorrow! It promises to keep you warm on a chilly, dark, fall evening!

Go embrace change. Maybe even an ending or two.