A Coat For Me

Yes, I've successfully cut out the pieces for my first coat! I used this pattern from Butterick.com and managed to get a blister cutting through the thick material (I think I need new scissors). But it was worth it :) I'm so excited for this coat! When I'm finished, I anticipate it will come under $30. How's that for a custom-made wool coat? I know, I do already have a pea coat, but I decided to make this one for several reasons: 1) Teal is more fun than grey (and, yes, the material was on sale!). 2) I can make it longer. I really like my brown coat that hits at mid-thy because it keeps my hips warm. This way, I'll have a warmer coat that's longer, too. 3) I can add a hood (my brown coat also has a nice big hood that fits over my hair even when it's up!). This idea occurred to me when I realized I had extra fabric--read on! I'll be using the lime green wool as the front and back liner. For the sleeves (and hood), I'll use a dark grey satin that Momma gave me. I'm not sure how wind proof this coat will be, since it's not felted wool, but maybe with the wool liner and a sweater underneath it will be alright. The hood was a fun gamble, though. Because of the fabric dimensions and two-way grain-line, I ended up with almost a whole yard of extra fabric. So, I traced a pattern from my brown hood and cut out pieces in the teal wool and lining. I think I will make this hood detachable, since I don't always need a hood. I'll use snaps instead of buttons, because my hair always gets caught in the buttons on my brown coat when I wear my hair down without the hood. I think the hood will turn out well, though--it's a pretty simple pattern :) So, having gone through all that, I still have 1/2 a yard of extra teal wool (no green wool or liner, though). Any ideas as to what I should make with it?

Eternal Memory

This morning, the Feast of the Archangels, Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Rafael, my Grammy died. Grammy was my father's mother. She was born in 1919 (she always said she wanted to live to 2020). She would have been 89 in October. She was a hoot, too! She always had a joke to tell, sometimes the same one once or twice. She always told us the story of how she used to sign her name before she married Grand Daddy: "Well, it was LO for Lois. V for Vivian. And E for Ellis. But that was before all this love stuff!" As a wedding gift (one of the many she gave us!), she sent T and me several vintage $.20 stamps that had LOVE spelled out in flowers and vines, "because two of these will cover postage now." She would tell us about the time she forgot to screw the cap on the ketchup bottle, and shook it all over the kitchen. She explained her daily exercise routine--starting in the back bedroom, she'd march through the long hallway, past the dining room and kitchen, through the living room and step up onto the fireplace hearth, step down, and march back to the bedroom. She liked Ritz crackers spread with butter. Grammy had a four bedroom house, but she always said "It's really just a one-bedroom, with three walk-in closets!" (One "closet" was mostly full of her sewing stuff. Gram was a great seamstress! I made this shirt from material she sent me.) She had a passion for material--all sorts of material! Most of the time, when she'd visit a fabric store and buy material, she didn't have anything planned to use it for. But if she really liked the pattern she would buy a yard or two, fold it nicely (Grammy was a fabulous folder!), and put it in one of her walk-in closets. Occasionally throughout the year, she would take various pieces of material out, unfold them, look at them and say, "My that's pretty!" And fold it nicely again and put it back in the closet :) We will miss Grammy. She was full of life and LOVE and wonderful stories. But, she had a "good long run" (as the saying goes), and we'll see her again. I'm sure of it.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Blessed are they whom You have chosen

and received, 0 Lord.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

They are remembered from generation

to generation.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

In blessed repose, grant, O Lord, eternal rest to the soul of Your departed servant, Lois, and remember her forever. Eternal Memory! --Excerpts from the Byzantine Office of Christian Burial

Sewing Again

Here is a picture of the shirt I made using the free pattern (here). While I think it turned out alright, I understand now why Momma refused to work with anything this silky. It's not that it's impossible to sew, it's just darn frustrating sometimes because of the way it stretches. Also, I don't think this shirt will stand the test of time because the material is rather prone to snagging and ripping. So, we'll see how long it lasts (but it was all free! Thanks Momma!!). The pattern instructions say that the hardest part is getting the gathering in the front even, and they were right. This pattern required a lot of tweaking, especially around the neckline which puckered funny due to 1) the gathering, and 2) the interfacing (making the material more stiff in that area). But, I think I got it figured out--after a bit of ripping and re-sewing! I had thought about adding flutter sleeves (because I like the way they look--modest but without restriction), but because the shoulders were so wide to begin with, they just made the shirt look way too big. So, I took the sleeves off, seamed them together in the back and added them as a ruffle on the bottom (which is why it is so much longer on the sides than in the middle). I added the contrasting pink material for modesty and comfort (and so that I don't have to wear a camisole under the shirt). All in all, another shirt with which I'm happy.

Movies and Painting

I visited my friend Mandy last night (who is due to have her little girl next month! (and who is also the co-founding member of the Boston chapter of the Philosophers' Wives support group)) and we painted some Noah's ark pieces together. Since I have a (relatively) small number of paints, I was able to pack up all the necessary accoutrement and head down to her house. It was so much fun! Paining, as I grew up doing it, was somewhat a communal thing. My family usually painted (or crafted) on the kitchen table, and there were always people coming and going, ooh-ing and awe-ing over the painted (or crafted) pieces. I can't say that I've not enjoyed painting by myself lately, but it was just so nice to have someone else there painting with me! It's funny how similar she and I are, especially because our (philosopher) husband get along so well, too. On Flixter (on Facebook), she and I are soul mates! And speaking of movies, we both like to put a movie on while we're doing other things--cleaing the house, cooking, painting. Last night we watched the Sword in the Stone (yeah, I do really like that movie!) and--ELF! Yes! A Christmas movie in September. Shocking? We loved it. ("I just like smiling; smiling's my favorite.") A grand evening with a good (and adorably pregnant) friend :) Check out my Noah's ark album on Picasa

Noah's Ark

Sew Much More

The other night I cut out several patterns, one skirt and three (different) shirts. The material pictured here is for the skirt (the solid) and one of the shirts (the print), using this pattern. I hope it won't look too old-lady-ish. I started sewing the pink shirt last night, (with this FREE pattern) in hopes that I can make it nice enough to wear to a party on Friday. It's coming together alright, but I think I have a lot of tweaking to do before it fits really well. I don't think I'll need buttons on this shirt, but if I do use them, I'll probably do something more muted than the green or orange here--a bit too bold for the pattern. The old pair of pants I wanted to use for this pattern turned out to be a bit tricky. I'll just have to see how it comes together when I start sewing it, but it turns out I didn't quite have enough material in the pants to cut out all the pieces. For one of the back panels, I have to sew together three pockets to make a big enough piece. Even with that, I still had to use a different material for two of the side panels. Should be interesting. I'll have one of the back pockets, a belt loop, and the waistband on the front left shoulder piece :) T wants a shirt like this for his own--do you think a shirt made out of old jeans would be too... mountain-man-esque?

HONEY!

If any of you who read this are interested in delicious, farm fresh, raw (non-heated) honey, this farm in central Pennsylvania has a great deal--hurry and contact them before they run out! Even with the shipping, this is the best deal I've found for raw honey, and the taste is unbeatable.

For more info about the benefits of raw honey, see this site (You might be able to find their brand of honey in your grocery store).

Also, local raw honey is great for combatting allergies, so if you're in the central Pennsylvania area, get some! :)

New Fabric and Fun Plans!

I've decided I'm a lot like my Grammy when it comes to fabric. Though, instead of buying fabric "just because" I like it, I usually force myself to find something to make with it. Or, if it's on a really good sale, I get it and figure out what to do with it later. Part of my need to make things comes from my lack of walk-in closets (aka, spare bedrooms) :) I simply don't have the space to store folded material for very long. So, in browsing fabric.com over the past few weeks, I finally put together a shopping cart that I was satisfied with and the order arrived last week. I got three different wool materials (love wool!), a nice cotton print, and a knit jacquard. The orange/red material on the left is the knit (I think I'll make a nice winter skirt out of it--what shirts would go with that pattern?); the flower stuff in the middle is a lightweight cotton (another skirt? Maybe a jacket lining?); the green and teal on the right are both 100% wool--the green is a lightweight gabardine and the teal is a heavier crepe material. I have decided to use the green (it's a really bright green, but it was such a good deal! And I like lime green) as the liner for a pea coat I'm making. The teal I haven't decided on yet, but I think I might sew a jacket out of it (maybe using the cotton as a liner). The other fabulous wool I got is a nice teal color (it's one of my favorite colors to wear) in a basketweave pattern. I am very happy with this fabric (thanks for the advice, Paulus!). The only aspect that might be a problem in a warm winter coat is that the weave is fairly loose--it's not felted wool. That's why I'm lining it with the lime gabardine. Does anyone know how to waterproof loose-weave wool? I know that felted wool is essentially waterproof, but I would imagine the looser weaves aren't as impenetrable. Anyway, those are my fun new fabrics. Updates to follow! :)

"He Will Be Great Before the Lord"

Blessed Feast of the Conception of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist, John! (In case you haven't noticed, Byzantines like long, descriptive titles for feast days (and saints). Mary's full title is: All-holy, immaculate, most blessed and glorified Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.)

I've always loved the story of John's conception. Especially how Zachariah is struck dumb because he does not believe the angel who tells him he will have a son! I often feel like I should be made mute at my frequent doubt. After all God has done for His people, why should we not believe in His promises? If He has promised, it will be granted. Elizabeth says, at the close of the passage in Luke's gospel: "Thus the Lord has done to me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men." And thus the Lord shall do for all those who have faith in His promises.

Troparion
Sing, O barren one that didst not bear, for thou hast conceived the lamp of the Sun Who is to enlighten the whole world suffering blindness. O Zacharias rejoice and shout: 'The Prophet of the Most High is to be born.'

Sew Happy

Forgive the pun. All I can say is I am my father's daughter :) And proud to be! On Monday evening I did quite a bit of sewing--mostly mending and altering. Not to complain, but whenever buy new clothes, I always have to alter them, whether it's because of my Hobbit lineage or my always-not-in-style figure. Anyway, here are some pictures of what I did. It was quite productive. Widening pants (yes, as often happens, as one grows up, one grows out). I added a strip of material all down the outside seam. It actually ended up being pretty easy. The waistband was one that overlapped a good deal in the front, and, by chance, it fit perfectly with the added strips on the side. Side slits in shirts (part of that out growth thing) Fixing my Hobbitses problem :) A sneaky way to hem wide-legged pants (where just rolling up the cuffs tends to pucker) is to fold it up, sew it, and iron the hem back down. It also keeps the nice store-bought hemmed look (which I could do if I had an invisible stitch cam, but I don't). So that was my Monday evening. Finally got a chance to take pictures of it all. Next up: more shirts!

Sing a Song of Soup

The Mock Turtle's Song

Beautiful soup, so rich and green, Waiting in a hot tureen! Who for such dainties would not stoop? Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup! Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup! Beau--ootiful Soo--oop! Beau--ootiful Soo--oop! Soo--oop of the e--e--evening, Beautiful, beautiful Soup! Lewis Carroll

-----

Well, our soup tonight was brown, but it was pretty yummy! And it was in a nice tureen, too (a Thanksgiving present from my Taylor-Love). (Yes, Kayleen, the pot matches our stovetop tea pot. We love it!) Doesn't it remind you of a cauldron? It's my favorite pot :D

Brown lentil soup with sour cream, served with sour dough toast and artichoke and olive hummus. Mm...

------- Roman Lentil Soup (from Nourishing Traditions) 3 medium onions, peeled and sliced (or 3 leeks, washed, trimmed and sliced) 3 carrots, peeled and sliced 2 T butter 2 T extra virgin olive oil 2 quarts (8 c) beef or chicken stock (or combination of stock and water) 2 c red or brown lentils (soaked in water for 7 hours) several springs fresh thyme, tied together 1/2 tsp dried green peppercorns 1/4 c fresh lemon juice or whey (not powdered whey!) sea salt sour cream In a large pot, cook onions (or leeks) and carrots in butter and olive oil for about 30 minutes until tender. Add stock and lentils and bring to a boil. The lentils will produce a great deal of foam--be sure to skim this off. Reduce heat and add thyme and crushed peppercorns. Simmer, covered, until the lentils are tender, another 30 minutes. Remove the thyme. Purée soup with a handheld blender (best gadget ever, if you like blended soups). Thin with water to desired consistency (if necessary). Reheat slightly and add lemon juice or whey. Season to taste with sea salt. Ladle into heated bowls and serve with sour cream.

Pilates (Pi-law-tees)

Tuesday, T and I had our very first pilates mat session. It was lots of fun! We weren't terribly sore after it, either, which is important. I like to feel a little sore, but not so much so that I can't move! We had biked in to work that day, biked to the pilates studio after classes, and then we biked home. And if I didn't already know where I got sore from biking, I'd say that all that biking in one day was more of a workout than the pilates. But, I'm just pleasantly sore in pilates-esque areas (all the tiny muscles in and around my torso, basically). T and I are signed up for 5 weeks of Tuesday classes. Should be great. We'll also do small group classes occasionally, on the pilates equipment. If you want to check out a comprehensive Website on a pilates studio, visit this one, run by T's Korean cousin-by-marriage. (For those of you who read this in the Seattle, WA area--go check it out! She's awesome!) The studio we're going to is awesome, too, but I like Ki Lan's Website better.

Concerning Hobbits

"Their faces were good-natured rather than beautiful, broad, bright-eyed, red-cheeked, with mouths apt to laughter, and to eating and drinking. And laugh they did, and eat, and drink, often and heartily, being fond of simple jests at all times, and of six meals a day (when they could get them). They were hospitable and delighted in parties, and in presents, which they gave away freely and eagerly accepted."

I have recently refreshed my interest in Hobbits (to be expected when one sits in on a class concerning the philosophy of Tolkien). I want to be a Hobbit! I'd probably be most like the Fallowhides, who still loved the peace and quiet, but were fond of adventure and knowledge and learning (most Hobbits prefer genealogical books to others, especially books with information they don't already know). I want to live in a Hobbit house, with bright round windows and a big round door.

My Hobbit house would have lots of green and yellow in it, those being favorite colors of most Hobbits (and me too!). There would be no stairs in my Hobbit house, though I'm not sure it would be actually underground, like the smials of the real Hobbits.

If I had a Hobbit house, it would always be full of good food to share with everyone who visited. And, no matter when you visited, you would always be invited to stay for one of the six meals common in Hobbit households (breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, lunch, (tea,) dinner, and supper). There would be lots of laughter and smiling, too :)

We would have (at the very least) a nicely tilled fruit and vegetable garden, maybe even a full farm with goats and chickens and wide green spaces to enjoy. We would wear shoes only when necessary.

Hobbit houses have to have Hobbit children (and, normally, quite a few of them; along with cousins, aunts, uncles, grandhobbits, and any other miscellaneous family members who will fit). I would love to have a whole mess of beautiful, curly-haired, little-bitty Hobbit babies running around my house.

 But did you know I already have a Hobbit husband? At least, he's part-Hobbit. He is close to the earth, has hairy feet, hates shoes, loves presents and green and yellow (but usually blue and yellow), and--most important of all--he loves mushrooms. Maybe he's Elven and Hobbitish--with his straight blond hair, slender facial features, and giant-esque height (for a Hobbit), he could well be descendant from both races!

 Also, I think my parents are part Hobbit. (Good) food was certainly a prominent feature in our house growing up, and despite all the wonderful blessings and enjoyment of good things, they are "curiously tough." They also have mountains of mathoms all over the house :) So here's to Hobbits and our dreams!

A Stumbling Block and Foolishness

Today is the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. This feast is celebrated on this day in both the East and the West! T and I went to Divine Liturgy today at the Melkite Cathedral in West Roxbury. Although the chant melodies are completely different, and although the language is Greek and Aramaic instead of Slavonic, it was still the Liturgy of Our Father Among the Saints, John Chrysostom, and it was beautiful! The Gospel of today was John's account of the crucifixion: the crowd shouting "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!," Mary at the foot of the cross and being entrusted to the care of the disciple whom Jesus loved, the blood and water flowing from the pierced side of Christ. A sobering passage, so close to the start of the Byzantine liturgical year. The Epistle today was from I Corinthians (1:18-24)--explaining the true significance of this feast. "The message of the cross," St. Paul says, "is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." For "Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom," but, as the priest said today, the cross is a stumbling block to the Jews because they could not accept that their Messiah would be humiliated by suffering the death of a criminal; the Greeks saw it as foolishness because Christ's death is not logical--the Greek philosopher's god had no emotion, no love, and no self-sacrifice. And yet, "to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength." Antiphon Prayer "O Christ God, who were nailed upon the Cross for our sake, purify us from our sins. Strengthen our faith. Fortify our hope. Inflame our hearts with love for your Cross. Make us temples of the Holy Spirit. For You are our Light and our Life and to You we render glory and to your Eternal Father and Your All-Holy, Good, and Life-Creating Spirit, now and always and forever."

We bow in worship before Your Cross, O Master, and we glorify Your Holy Resurrection.

Icon of the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross

Success!

Well it's official. My first real sewing project this year has turned out well! I bought this shirt pattern from Butterick.com and tried it with some material I inherited from my Grammy :) It's certainly not perfect, and it puckers a bit on one side of the bodice (which may be due less to my sewing and more to the fact that my right shoulder is lower than my left), but I can always fiddle with it. It's also really comfy and--here's the real seller--I like how it looks on me! I've made a few clothing items before (most recently a skirt), but I have never really liked the way they look, so I don't wear them much. This shirt, though.. I like it! :) Hey Mikey. In other sewing news, I sort of finished the kimono, but it's way too big. I mean really big--I could take an entire panel out (almost) and still have too much material draped around my shoulders. To be fair to myself, I think it's only a sizing thing, because T tried it on and he said it fit fine. Don't worry, though, I won't give it to him. Even T would have a hard time getting away with a flowery fuchsia kimono! I'll probably just remove the sleeves (and shorten them) and take about 12 inches off both sides (yeah, it's that big). What I should have done in the beginning is measure my other kimono--the one I liked so much--to get an idea of proportions. Oh well. At least the pink one is too big rather than too small. Not so much wasted material that way! Here's hopin'! Now I need to try the other shirt pattern I bought.

(The Real) Grandparents' Day

Did you know today is the real Grandparents' Day? That is, today is the liturgical Grandparents' day (in the Byzantine rite). Because today is the day after the feast of the Conception of the Theotokos--a day when we remember her parents, Joachim and Anna, grandparents of Jesus. Tradition holds that an angel visited Anna, telling her "the Lord has heard your prayer ,and you shall conceive and bring forth, and your seed shall be spoken of in all the world." To which, she replied, "As the Lord my God lives, I will bring this child as a gift to the Lord my God, and it shall minister unto Him holy things all the days of its life." The icon above shows the meeting of Joachim, who also had been visited by an angel, and Anna. Her robes are billowed out behind her, indicating her hurry to share the wonderful news with her husband, whose feet are firmly set, a fitting foundation for such a family. Their couch (bed) is in the background, along with both their houses, connected by a cloth mantle. This couple's simple "yes" to God changed the course of history forever, bringing into the world the Holy Theotokos, God-bearer. Nationally, grandparents' day was first celebrated in 1973, founded by a woman from West Virginia. It's now celebrated in the U.S. on the first Sunday after Labor day (this year on September 7). September was chosen because it signifies the "autumn" years of our parents' parents. But the funny thing to me is that the Church has already been celebrating grandparents' day (around the same time, even) for thousands of years!

Buttons, Buttons Everywhere!

On Saturday, I went to the button store. I spent a lovely half hour sifting through the "button bin," which is quite a random collection of all sorts of buttons. You can buy one button for a quarter, or a whole little box of buttons for $5. So I picked up my little box, and slowly accumulated $5 worth of unique, colorful buttons. I was actually quite surprised at how many sets of buttons I was able to discover. Now, I have to decide which buttons to use on which shirts. What do you think of the options below?(The brown striped material is a pair of old pants that I can't bear to part with, but aren't wearable anymore.

Yes, the middle option is the same material as the kimono. I had a lot of it.

And the silver stuff is a pair of pants which don't fit, but the material is cool.)

Thunder Storms Mean...

Thunder Cake!

I even used fresh tomatoes from the BC organic garden and eggs from a farm in central MA. The frosting is European chocolate butter cream frosting.. mmmm :)

"Is That a Technical Term?"

My friend, on how to display a pretty link to photos in my blog:

"Uh, I had trouble with that too. I forget how I eventually made that work.

"It takes some dinking around [with the program]. "Then you get some Java mumbo jumbo, then you go back to your blog and put the Java in a page edit linky place." Ah, how I love the technological world we live in!

Nativity of the Theotokos

Today we celebrate the birth of the God-bearer, Mary most holy--the woman who's "yes" changed the world. Many "yes's" have changed the world--every time a couple says yes to life, the fabric of the universe is changed by the creation of a new and eternal soul. Think how excited Joachim and Anna must have felt when they found out, nine months before, that they would have a child. I can only imagine how happy Anna must have been to finally hold her daughter, after so many years of waiting. Truly, they were a blessed couple who trusted fervently in God's promise.

Today is also my sister's birthday :)

Taylor's First Race!

A 4.2 miler in Bare Cove Park (south of Boston). It wasn't quite what we were picturing, but it was a very plesant evening (despite a few mosquito bites for both of us)!

From Taylor's First Race!

An Educated Lady

Look at me, Momma! I've finally framed my diplomas and put them in my office :) It was my treat to myself for this school year (having had both degrees for over a year, I figured it's finally time to put them up)! Now I'm really an educated lady!

Back to School

Ahh, that fresh time of year when every store has a back-to-school-sale! All the incoming students are moving into the neighborhood: oodles of moving trucks and parents and leftover items strewn across the streetscape, and loud parties, once again, late into the night! The mornings are cooler now, though still not cold, and when we wake up early the sun hasn't yet made it into our windows. It brings back memories of grade school when my siblings and I trucked off to school on that first day of class, bemoaning the loss of summer, and longing for the three-day weekends approaching (so we could sleep in). (Of course, in those days, waking up early was a novel experience and we were surprised the sun was up so early, too!) T is very excited about his classes. He's still enjoying his LSAT prep class, which goes through the end of September (the LSAT is in the beginning of October), but he's very excited for all the FUN "candy" courses he'll be taking this semester: philosophy of science, Heidegger, Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit, Trinitarian missions and the human good, Plato's Theatetus, and the Cappadocian fathers. Don't worry--he's only actually taking three of those classes, but he's sitting in on the other three :) Silly husband--because in addition to all his classes this semester, he'll be busybusybusy getting out law school and philosophy PhD program applications! And it's back to school for me, too! Yes. I've finally decided to take advantage of the fact that my husband is at a university. I got the "school bug" several weeks ago and have decided to sit in on two classes this fall. I will be attending Philosophy of JRR Tolkien with Peter Kreeft (and I will be recording the sessions!), and Classical Mythology with Meredith Monagan. Both are awesome professors, and both classes are on Tuesday/Thursday after I get off work. It should be fun! (Also, it should be fun because I don't have to write any final papers or take any tests!) However, these next few months will be pretty busy in the office, too, and I will have to miss probably two weeks of class to cover during the receptionist's vacation (I might be able to get to the Tolkien class as "lunch hour" deal, but we'll see how that flies once I figure out who's able to cover for me). It will be an exciting semester, for sure!

How Time Flies!

A year ago today, T and I officially moved into our condo in Boston. It's kinda strange that it feels like so long ago and still, somewhat, like yesterday. Last year it was quite hot when we were moving in. This year it didn't seem nearly as sweltering (though that may have been because we weren't moving our stuff up three flights of stairs). I wonder if this winter will be even colder than last years. We're well prepared, so we're not worried, but I just wonder... Last year, September 1 was a BC football game day. And we did not yet have our resident parking sticker for our car, which we parked in a "no parking on game day" zone. It was, sadly, towed to a far-away no-man's-land tow-lot and T had quite an adventure picking it up (Funny thing: they don't give you directions on the T/bus system to this tow lot, only driving directions. If your car's been towed, how would you be driving?). This time last year, I had already been working at BC (as a temp employee) for a week (I wouldn't be hired, officially, until September 17). I can happily say I've been very satisfied with my job, despite a few non-ideal weeks here and there. As far as jobs go, this is still the perfect one for me! I also have to say, walking around all weekend (we didn't drive anywhere), I'm very glad we aren't moving this year. It's nice to let time flow from one season to the next without having to change so much about one's situation. I think this is the first year since 2002 that I haven't moved (ahh, the life of a college student and newlywed)! I did get the "cleaning bug" a few times this summer, but I've enjoyed being able to sort through just a few areas at my leisure, rather than feeling obligated to sort through everything before we have to pack it all up to head out somewhere. This past year has been filled with many blessings, and we are happy to be starting our second year in Boston! Life is good.