Safe and Happy New Year

I'm ill with a chest cold, which is why I'm quiet...

but Happy New Year all - may 2008 be a good one for all.

Wednesday musings

- I have listened to John Barrowman's Another Side quite a few times lately. I absolutely adore his versions of Time After Time, Weekend in New England and Heaven. His version of All Out of Love is quite good, too. (Is it just me, or am I hearing his Scots come through on that? Maybe I'm just too used to Russell Hitchcock's Aussie...) It's a fantastic album top to bottom, IMHO.

- Took last night off from all things fanfic once I posted the first half of my fic due yesterday. Needed to for my brain's sake. Getting back to it today. Once I get the rest of the OT3 fic posted and finish up the pinch hit piece I'm doing for OSK, I'll be taking a writing break for a while. I have cross stitching that's screaming at me to get done.

- I really need to get my Christmas cards finished and mailed. At this point, folks MIGHT get them by New Year's...

- I really need to buy something for my dad & his wife today. *sigh*

- My friends list on LJ amuses me, especially the random threads about sex toys. :)

- It's sad that I'm excited that Erich and I are buying a snowblower. But I suppose that's what you have to look forward to when you're married and homeowners. Goddess, I'm turning into my parents.

- Speaking of Goddess... two days until Yule. I probably should get on thinking about what I'm doing this year.

Christmas Meme

Via friends on LiveJournal...


1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper.

2. Real tree or artificial? Real tree. I grew up with an artificial one, so now I'm a stickler for doing the whole tree lot tradition. :)

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the second weekend of December

4. When do you take the tree down? Anywhere between Epiphany and my birthday (a five day window)

5. Do you like eggnog? Yes, the soy kind with nutmeg sprinkled on top.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? One year nearly everything I received for Christmas was on a Cabbage Patch theme - and I was in pure bliss because it was during the whole craze. I still have the dolls I received that year. :)

7. Do you have a nativity scene? No.

8. Hardest person to buy for? Either of my parents - because they always tell me they don't want anything.

9. Easiest person to buy for? Erich, because he normally has a list that's easy to find.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I can't recall.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Sometime mid-December when I realize I'm now on a time crunch to get stuff mailed off.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? The huge Polish dinner spread at my grandparents' on Christmas Eve

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear (although I don't mind either... just no blinkies!)

17. Favorite Christmas song? Classical - Carol of the Bells
Modern - tossup between "Do They Know It's Christmas" and "The Closing of the Year"

18. Stay home or travel for Christmas? Stay home

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yes

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? We put a Santa on the top of ours. :)

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One Christmas Eve, the rest in the morning

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Pushy, pissy people who scream about the "War on Christmas."

It's November, and that means...

It's time to start thinking about holiday card exchanges! (*gasp*) I know, I know. It seems early. But really, truly - it isn't.

So here's the deal - in years past, I've done individual exchanges with cards. And I'm still very happy to do that - if that's what you'd prefer, lemme know in your comment. That way, you won't be put on a master list.

BUT - a few other bloggers I've known casually over the years have hosted bigger exchanges, and I want to attempt it this year. Because really - it's ALL about getting happy mail among the mountains of mags and bills in November and December.

What I need from you:

1) Your LJ name or your blogging nickname (if off LJ):
2) Your web address (if off LJ):
3) Your name and complete mailing address:
4) Your email address (for sending you the master list):
5) If you have a preference for either religious or non-religious cards, please let me know:
6) If this list goes over 30 people, do you want to be part of a 30-person only group, or the list at large?
7) Any other info you'd like to add (for my organizing benefit)?

Send this to me in either a private email to measiwitch(at)gmail.com, with the subject line of Holiday Cards, or reply via comment to this entry. ALL COMMENTS ARE SCREENED. You'll get a confirm email that I received your address.

Anyone who wants to participate, please add your info no later than November 11. The list will be organized and emailed no later than November 15th so folks have plenty of time to send cards.

Sitting Ritual

So... I'm planning on sitting Samhain ritual for the first time in, well... a while.

Partially because I have someone to quietly mourn and farewell (my mother in law).

Partially because this year's Samhain definitely is the passing of a time in my life.

Partially because I haven't sat ritual in quite a while.

Partially because I do, honestly, feel a yearning to sit.


I'm now at the point with ritual that I don't remember my own circle casting by heart. I used to have it to memory. I haven't cast a circle in, gods, two years? Three? Something like that. I'm a tad rusty. My athame's probably a tad rusty, too.


Le sigh. I'm a bad Pagan.

The real question is whether I sit tomorrow night, or do I wait until Friday, go to the TBS 1st degree, and then go out to my college ritual spot - the dock - and sit there. I haven't been out there in a few years. It is tempting.

But then again, I haven't exactly sat ritual at my own house yet, either.

Decisions, decisions...

Today will be an adventure...

And this morning's trip in on the train was only the beginning, I think...

But before I get to the day, OMG - people like The Ritual of Tea. I'm seriously stunned - because I was kicking myself miserably all weekend as I tried to grasp on to this one and write it. Even now, I have no grasp on the plot guys, and I'm in a bit of disbelief. So yeah, I'm stunned... absolutely, bouncing with glee stunned. (insert over-played Sally Field reference here).

And on to the adventure of the day...

First off - free taco day. So for all of you lucky sods who can get to a Taco Bell (and stand in the line that's guaranteed to be there), go munch for me. Given that the only three I'm aware of in the greater Boston area are all too far away from me, I have no chance in hell. BUT... for those Bostonians who don't know where they are - 700 Comm Ave on BU Campus, the Cambridgeside Galleria food court, and on Mass Ave north of Porter Square. I'm sure there are others, but those are the three I've personally been to.

(Fellow Rhodys, both of the ones on Route 2 in Cranston & Warwick are now renovated and reopened... and of course, there's the one at Providence Place. Go forth and taco).

Second - the Commuter Rail trains after 3 p.m. have no express service, so if you take a train that usually runs express in any way (that would be me), it's not happening. With the Red Sox parade happening, everything is insane. People were coming in on the 7:10 from Providence this morning - to the point that they had to turn people away from the train due to over-capacity. Trains after 3 aren't going to be anywhere on time due to this, folks, so be prepared for it. I don't count on getting home anywhere before 7:30 tonight - and that's only a half-hour late.

And on top of it, I'm sitting reception today.

At least I can take my frustrations out on carving pumpkins tonight when I get home, and then introduce my husband to the glory that are roasted pumpkin seeds, which I discovered he's never had before. I'm a bit stunned by that.

Apparently, it's a week of being stunned.

Random Sunday Thoughts...

My accomplishments this weekend:

1) Wedding invites are DONE (save two that we need new addresses for). All addressed, all compiled, all stamped. They go out tomorrow.

2) The Linens 'n Things portion of our wedding registry is populated. I feel like such a mooch. But I have to admit to being excited that I may actually get some of these things and finally break free of college decor-itis. Somewhat, anyway.

3) Laundry - ongoing. I'm on load 3. One more load of towels, and then a mini-load of delicates to go.

4) Erich and his dad put together our guest room bed (yes, ... an actual bed. With a headboard and footboard and everything!). Unfortunately, the Queen-sized boxspring will NOT go up our stairs. We removed the back staircase pole. We removed the front staircase ceiling molding. Won't happen. So... if you're in the general southern New England area and need a Queen boxspring (now or in the near future), lemme know. We're going to have to go purchase a split-style boxspring for the Queen bed. Depending on how that goes, we may have a mismatched mattress shortly, too. We can make arrangements somehow.

5) We narrowed our wedding ring decision down to five different bands. We've decided to get matching bands, rather than the newer trend of getting ones that each person likes. Thankfully, we both have similar tastes, so it's been fairly easy. Choices we're down to now are: A, B (possibly in the rose/white combo), C, D, or E (not bicolor).

6) Saw Harry Potter: OotP again today. It was Erich's Dad's 64th birthday today, so we treated him to a heavy breakfast at the Cracker Barrel, followed by the movie.

It was better on second viewing. Still not my favorite, but I did like it better this time around.

7) Attended the wedding of Erich's cousin, Katy, and her (now) husband, David. It was at Sakonnet Vineyards in Little Compton, RI. Lovely place. Definitely a setting I'd recommend to anyone looking for peaceful New England space - near the water, surrounded by the vines. Although it was a bit buggy in the evening (welcome to July). Otherwise, weather was incredible for July - absolutely perfect. I can only hope we have such good weather in September.

8) Went a little snarky with Doctor Who fandom. But I'm better now and moving on.



Good weekend. Definitely can't complain! :)

Music wafting in the air...

To sum up, before I go into detail… I had an absolute blast last night. It was nearly everything I could have hoped for.

Wednesday evening was one of those blessed nights in Boston – the weather was absolutely perfect. Low 70s, no humidity, a light breeze. Picture-perfect late spring evening to stroll through the streets of Boston. Once Erich met me at Back Bay station, we walked through the park toward Symphony Hall, through my old neighborhood where The Beast apartment still stands quietly. I’d forgotten how much I loved that walk through the Southwest Corridor park, passing the doggies at play in the fenced-in dog playground, past all the kids playing in the playground and basketball courts along West Newton Street.

And I’d forgotten how beautiful St. Botolph Street truly is in the springtime – all of the tiny little gardens were in bloom. Everything was much greener and more lush than I remember it. The new brick sidewalks add a richer feel to the neighborhood. It looks older, more distinguished. I felt a brief sadness for leaving it behind, even if the life that I’m leading now makes me incredibly happy. I won’t lie – I do miss my old Boston neighborhood. Had I not met Erich, I imagine I’d probably still be living in that little studio apartment on Blackwood Street, cozily holed up in that single room flat and teeny tiny galley kitchen, but with a glorious bay window that I spent so many hours sitting in, watching the world go by. I’d still be comfortable there, living in the amazingly quiet spot only blocks from two of the busiest streets in the city.

But we didn’t stop by the old apartment – I just took a glance down the street as we walked by. We were on a mission for a quick dinner before hitting the theatre, and the closest place was Boston Market… mmmm… rotisserie chicken. Which was, of course, quite yummy and not at all concert-going elegant, but perfect for us.

(I should note…the photos are not mine from last night – we forgot our cameras. Erich took a couple of interior shots on his cell phone, though, so maybe they’ll be good enough to post later)



We arrived at Symphony Hall around 7 p.m., picked up our tickets at the box office, and headed inside. The first thing you notice about Symphony Hall is that it’s very different than the typical classical arts theater. Symphony Hall is rectangular – an actual hall. It reminds me of a royal court – with two tiers of narrow balconies wrapping around three sides, all focused upon the stage at the front.



The hall smells of history - that wonderful old smell of varnished wood, musty from years of patrons, and the slightly stronger smell of aged leather. The seats are the original from when the hall was built; hard wooden plank seats that pull down, not unlike the wooden planks in older high school auditoriums, but covered in a thin layer of leather and brass bolted to the frame. And, considering the era that the hall was built, they're surprisingly wide and comfortable for the modern American body. Perhaps it was to accommodate the heavy skirts of the Guilded Age... *grin*

There are literally NO bad seats in Symphony Hall - the entire building was designed with acoustics in mind, down to having only a few narrow rows in the balconies to prevent trapped sound. In fact, it's considered as one of the top concert halls in the world. And I'd forgotten how incredible the acoustics are, until I heard the definition of the oboe softly playing among the orchestra's strings. No instrument gets lost. Our seats were first balcony, center section (but a bit off to the left) - two rows in, back in a romantic little nook with narrow wooden steps to get to our seats.

And at 8, the lights dimmed and the fun began. John Williams took the stage, and my inner band geek was all asquee.

The opener was a piece called "Fanfare for a Festive Occasion" by Williams. It was my least favorite - mostly because it just sounded a bit discordant, honestly. But I'd never heard the piece before. *shrug* No matter. I knew what was coming up. :)

Boston Pops concerts follow a specific format - three music portions (each usually themed), wrapped around two fairly brief intermissions.

The first portion of the program was titled "A Tribute to Bernard Herrmann."

The set:
The Inquirer, from Citizen Kane
Scene d'amour, from Vertigo
Suite from Psycho
Prelude from North by Northwest

Suite from Psycho was, by far, my favorite of this set - the hall lights darkened, a movie screen was lowered, and the opening drive scene to the Bates Hotel - followed by the infamous shower scene - was played silent movie style as the orchestra played.

Very very cool. :)

The Prelude from North by Northest also was accompanied by a movie reel - a montage of Hitchcock movies, including The Man Who Knew Too Much, Vertigo, The Birds, and of course... North by Northwest.'

We then moved to the first intermission.

The second portion of the program was titled "From Broadway to Hollywood." And that's exactly what it was.

The Set:
Hooray for Hollywood (Whiting/Mercer, arr. Williams)
Carousel Waltz (Rogers)
Exerpts from Fiddler on the Roof (Bock/Harnick, arr. Williams)
All that Jazz, from Chicago (Kander/Ebb, arr. Williams)

Hooray for Hollywood immediately made me flash to Mel Brooks entering Caeser's Palace in History of the World Part 1, because it's the song from that very scene. :)

The waltz was lovely.

I found myself silently singing along with any of the words I knew from the various songs within the Fiddler on the Roof suite. Tamara Smirnova, the principle chair first violin, had a beautiful solo. Absolutely wonderful.

And All That Jazz is just one of those pieces that has to be a blast to play. Brass instruments having entirely too much fun with mutes. Slides all over the place. Seriously... it's Chicago, which is has a score that I drool over as a musician. I envied them.

And we went into the second intermission, where Erich and I popped out of the main hall for a quick drink and a breather. It was quite warm in the main hall by this time (no a/c, after all).

AND... then we got to the part of the evening that I absolutely reveled in.

Part Three: "At the Movies"

the set:
March from Superman (Williams)

Three Pieces from Harry Potter (Williams)
- Fawkes the Phoenix
- Nimbus 2000
- Harry's Wonderous World

A Tribute to George Lucas and Steven Spielberg (Williams)
- Opener to Jaws
- Star Wars Main Theme
- Raiders March from Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Main Theme, E.T.

Oh yes... *gleams*

The only, and I mean ONLY thing that could have made me even more happy with the Superman theme would be to hear the incredible opening fanfare titled "The Planet Krypton" which chills my spine any time I listen to it and the sound of the brass gets gloriously fuller and brighter. But yes... the main theme from Superman by itself is fantastic. A poor trumpet had a fudged note (and there were a few collective gasps of empathy in the crowd - trumpet players, perhaps?), but carried right on as if nothing happened.

I cuddled up to Erich's shoulder during the Harry Potter set, all cozy. :) For viewers not familiar with these pieces on their own... Fawkes the Phoenix is the piece from the end of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, where Fawkes pulls Harry, Ginny, and Professor Lockhart into the sky. Nimbus 2000 is a little woodwind piece that you hear off-and-on throughout the movie series. Harry's Wonderful World is the big sweeping piece that starts with the main theme, and just rolls through all of the discovery in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's (aka Sorcerer's) Stone.

And then the movie screen lowered again... and we saw a familiar solitary female swimmer in the ocean, viewed from under the water as she kicked lazily.

And we heard a "dun-DUN"

And there were chuckles from all over the hall.

Now...

It really only takes two notes to recognize the theme from Jaws, doesn't it? I think that's what's so remarkable about Williams' music. Yes, I realize he steals bits and pieces from everywhere. Yes, I realize there are a ton of critics out there.

But seriously - there's something to be said for themes that are so incredibly recognizable with only the first few notes... Jaws, Star Wars, the end scene from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., the opening theme from Home Alone... and yes... Harry Potter. Take a look at the list. :)

The montage of Lucas/Spielberg movie magic continued into Star Wars, which of course received tremendous cheers as clips of all six movies flashed across the screen. Followed by Raiders, and a montage of all three movies. Lots of chuckles as the "gun scenes" with Indy and the local villagers flashed in sequence. And then the music soared with the main theme to E.T., with clips of a now waaaaay too young Drew Barrymore screaming as she meets the little alien.

Ah yes, it was glorious. The only piece that would have made the montage truly complete for me would have been to see a gigantic spaceship rise up over Devil's Monument with the big five note motif that runs through Close Encounters of the Third Kind, one of the first movies I ever saw (Star Wars, in the theater at age two - which I do in fact remember with only one scene in flashback - was the first).

Of course, standing ovation across the house. And Williams milked it - as well he should.

He came back out for encores:

Luke and Leia Theme from Empire Strikes Back (Williams)
NBC Nightly News "Mission" theme (Williams)

Williams made a joke about the "love" theme that is Luke and Leia - written before the world knew they were siblings (whoops). He also remarked that he's waiting for the "slow news day" when NBC News actually plays the entire theme he wrote for them (you can hear a good portion of it in the end credits for the program).

And then, as is traditional with the Boston Pops - the evening ended with Souza's Stars and Stripes Forever as the audience clapped along. And for a while, Williams had to conduct the audience to keep proper time. :) The American flag unfurled at the end (also tradition) to the roar of the crowd. And once the applause had died off, we returned to the glorious springtime evening weather and headed home.

Life accomplishment checked off my list - in amazing style.

The Evolution of Christmas

Luminaries
Originally uploaded by measi.

The weather outside belies the fact that it's Christmas Eve-- it's sunny. The grass on our lawn is still half green. It's surprisingly mild out. Two nights ago, we slept all night with the windows wide open. In December. In freaking New England.

So I admit that I just don't feel like I'm in the holiday spirit this year. It feels like Easter, to be honest. Yet here we are, the day before Christmas. Granted, Christmas hasn't been a religious holiday for me for over a decade now. But I still view it as a separate holiday from Yule and still important to me. Yule is for personal reflection. It's a quiet spiritual retreat. Often I celebrate it in little moments throughout the day-- even in the middle of holiday parties where I'm surrounded by coworkers or friends. Christmas, on the other hand, I see as a celebration of community. For me, it's not just the 25th-- the 24th was always more important to my family. So now Christmas has evolved into a two day celebration of love and connection with others. I honestly need people around me at Christmas.

As a child, Christmas Eve began with two yearly traditions. The first was the luminaries that every house in our neighborhood used to display on Christmas eve. The day before Christmas Eve- my father would grab his wheelbarrow (on snowless years) or empty white buckets left over from the pool chlorine and head up to the northern street of our neighborhood to get a hefty amount of sand, candles, and paper lunch bags. He'd then come home, bring my brother and I into his workshop, and we'd help him pour a measured portion of sand into each bag. Then we'd help him carry them and place them along our property-- one would help with the bags. The other would place a candle into the center of each bag. And my father would finally follow, adjusting the spacing and lighting the bags just before nightfall. On Christmas Eve, no one in our neighborhood would turn on their Christmas lights (other than the tree inside). Only the luminaries lit up the night. Every house had them, lining the gutters along every property line, creating a candlelit runway (which was my parents original explanation... we were creating a runway for Santa to come).

The other happened at six o'clock exactly every Christmas Eve. Dinners were planned to make sure the kids were all outside about five minutes before to witness Santa flying around Billings on his sleigh. It was a fantastic sight-- he'd make two huge circles around Billings so all of the children could see that he'd be coming that night... and then would disappear (we children presumed he was heading elsewhere to show other kids he was coming, too). In reality, Santa was a big wire framed light display, hooked onto the side of a helicopter. It was one family's treat for the city every year.

Still this year, I'm finding it very hard to get in the spirit. Something's not right... and I think my blaming the weather is just a cop-out.

Maybe it's because I have an itch to fill luminaries...

Holidailies Recipe Swap: The Turkey

I made this turkey for Thanksgiving for the past two years... and have had a lot of email & comment questions about it...

So, as a response to a Holidailies prompt, here's the recipe for the turkey. This is based upon the recipe from Alton Brown's Good Eats. I highly recommend it-- you'll get an exceptionally juicy turkey-- even when it's a few days old and has been in the fridge!

15-20 lbs turkey
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 gallon water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup kosher salt
Peel of one navel orange.
1 tablespoon whole allspice
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Canola oil
One can chicken broth (optional)
1 large red apple, quartered
2 medium white onions, quartered
2 cinnamon sticks
2 sprigs of rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)

In a large pot stir together the stock, water, brown sugar, salt, all spice, black pepper, cinnamon, orange peel, and thyme. Bring to a boil, turn to medium heat and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely. (this will take a while-- give yourself at least 3 hours before the next step).

Place the turkey in a clean 5 gallon bucket and pour the brine over it. Cover and let sit over night. Flip the turkey in the morning, a few hours before cooking. Remove it from the brine, rinse it gently to remove any excess salt, pat dry and place it in its baking pan. Rub the entire bird liberally with canola oil.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, place the red, onions, cinnamon sticks, and rosemary (and/or fresh thyme). Sprinkle with about 1/4 cup water and microwave on high for 7 minutes.

Place the apple, onions, cinnamon sticks, and thyme or rosemary inside the turkey cavity. If desired. place a long stalk of rosemary resting along each leg for additional flavor.

Preheat oven to 500F. Roast the turkey for 30 minutes until it gets a golden brown color. Turn heat down to 350F. Tent a piece of tin foil over the breast of the turkey. Add can of chicken broth to the bottom of the roasting pan (for help making gravy from drippings). Bake for 2 1/2-3 hours more or until the turkey has reached an internal temperature of 161F.

Remove turkey form the oven and allow to sit for 20 minutes or so before carving.

Success

The 20 pound turkey was a fantastic success... and oddly only took about 2.5 hours to cook (no... really. We're shocked too, but it's true). We've eaten, are now passed out around the living room, waiting to make room for the pie.

So safe and happy Thanksgiving to all. :)

And Happy Birthday to Ivanna, who reads my journal.. and to my cousin Marya, who doesn't.

Last day

My personal stuff is removed from my office. It's definitely not bare-- the work of an administrative assistant requires that there's a ton of paper everywhere. But by five, I'll have the last remaining things on my desk tidied and labeled. It feels very, very weird to be leaving here. My emotions are a bit mixed today. I honestly consider that to be a good thing. I'll put of my thoughts to writing tomorrow during my downtime. I have a few topics to roll through in my head before I type them out. I may not finish them. I might not write them all down, depending on the tone they take. Some may be too trivial and fleeting to really consider noteworthy.

I'm happy that I'll have the next few days to decompress, regear myself, and enjoy the holidays. Erich and I bought our turkey yesterday (in case we had to buy frozen, since we didn't order one). We decided on a large turkey to ensure leftovers. Last year's 14 pound bird just didn't have enough for our liking. I think I maybe was able to scrape out one good batch of turkey salad from the leftovers. So this year we're going on overkill- a 22 lb turkey for four people.

Heh.

As of now, the group will be Erich, his dad, our friend Matt, and me. Quiet and cozy.

Tonight I'll be making my shopping list for the rest of the supplies needed, plus food for the weekend. We're going to the annual LAN party on Cape Cod, starting Friday night and running through Sunday. Lots of soda, snacks, and coffee are needed.

Other little mentionables...

I signed up to participate in Holidailies again this year. I'll be posting at least one entry per day from December 1-January 1. If there's anything specific you want me to write about (read: I need some ideas!!!), toss a comment my way so I can start scribbling. This includes odd memes, Thursday Thirteens, and any random topics.

I also was accepted into the Thursday Thirteen blogroller this past week-- for anyone stopping by... Hi there! :)

If I haven't already done so, I'll be dropping anyone who requested a card a little confirm email & to swap addresses where requested. If you're interested in one, go here. :)

Okay, I'll stop. Seven more hours... :)

Holiday Cards!

It's that time of year again... :)


Next week, I'll start writing out the cards. And this year, I have a bunch of address labels to use up, since by this time next year, I'll have a new last name! (eep) If you want a little holly jolly in the mailbox, please do the following for me...

Please email me at measiwitch@gmail.com, with a subject line of CARDS!!!) and send me the following:

1) Your name & full mailing address
2) Your email (if you want my address in return)
3) Your webpage, blog, etc.- to make sure I have you on my list
4) The holiday you personally celebrate (if any), because I do personalize cards. :)


Or, head over to my LiveJournal (if you have a LJ account) and add the info into my screened comments.

Halloween prep

For those coming to visit my Thursday Thirteen-- welcome! Just scroll one entry down. (but I hope you'll read more!)

It's been a crazy, frustrating week here. I'm muddling through okay and hoping for a light at the end of the tunnel to arrive shortly... but yeah. *sigh* It's involved some 'ritas and yummy food at the Texas Roadhouse and some serious half-talking, half-crying to Erich so I can get my thought settled. (please note: The issues are NOT about our relationship at all- we're doing fantastic).

On brighter, happier things... we did a ton of Halloween decoration shopping last night. After last year's crazy turnout for trick-or-treaters (and confirming it with the neighbors), it seems that ours is THE neighborhood with candy. I've dreamed for years of being able to really have fun with the whole neighborhood Halloween thing. I grew up in a great neighborhood for it too, and despite the changing times... I'll hang onto the illusion that kids still go out for candy on October 31st.

Samhain or not, this Pagan enjoys the campier side of the holiday. :)

The thing I discovered last year is that our front door is crappy for Halloween. Our front steps go straight to the door with no landing. So in order to open the door, then open the storm/screen door, I had to have kids back up. And of course, I was also trying to keep cats *in* the house at the same time. It wasn't good. Frustrating, in fact.

So this year, we'll start using the mudroom, which is a secondary front entrance. It started as an outdoor porch- we know this because both the outer door to the mudroom porch AND the inner door into our pantry has a brass mail slot in it. We figure that when Anna (the previous owner) had the house resided with vinyl, they took the leftover amount and just closed in the porch completely to use it as an old-fashioned lean-to shed. There's no heat out there. It's used for mail collection and keepng things really cold in the winter. We have a few random boxes out there of stuff not yet sorted plus the spare styrofoam coolers for when they're needed for travel. We can prop the door permanently open for the evening for treaters while keeping the rest of the house shut. It's the perfect space.

So the plan is to put black tarping paper on all of the walls inside our mudroom porch, add some cobwebs in there, and then put a blacklight in the overhead socket so it looks a bit eerie (but not completely scary). We'll cobweb our box elder bushes. It'll be fun and easy-- and over the next few years, it'll probably go a bit over the top. But hey... it's Halloween. Why not? :)

Erich's taking the day off for a mental health day, so he'll start with the first rounds of treaters while I make my way home. Based on the traffic I saw last year, he might take the brunt of them. Traffic was hellish last year. Even with my train arriving at quarter to seven, I doubt I'll be home much before seven thirty.

But it'll be fun. I'll take photos as we put this together this weekend.

Oh... and because I forgot to post them on Sunday as promised, here are the answers to last week's Thursday Thirteen songs. I'm not surprised at the ones that were recognized (especially #3 and #8). I would have been shocked to see someone get #10 or #12- considering #10 was from an obscure album, and #12 is an even more obscure ELO song from Xanadu. I was surprised that no one got #5, but maybe it's just me from my generation who grew up watching American Bandstand on Saturday mornings... :)

1)A Kind of Magic – Queen
2) Make Love to You – Etta James
3) Cult of Personality – In Living Colour
4) Send Her My Love – Journey
5) Bandstand Boogie – Barry Manilow
6) Bad – U2
7) A Question of Time – Depeche Mode
8) Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
9) Runaway Train – Soul Asylum
10) The Earth Is – Air Supply
11) Mea Culpa – Enigma
12) The Fall - Electric Light Orchestra
13) Closer to Fine – Indigo Girls

9.23.07

The date is set. The site is reserved. The dress is chosen.

:)


Pardon while I sit at the wall stunned for a few days as this sinks in...

Frank & Teresa get married

Has it really been nearly two weeks since I updated? Where has this month gone?!? Lots of catch up on, and I'm going to force myself to break up the entries by topic...

It's continued to be a busy summer- the Year of Weddings continued on Thursday evening at the celebration of our friends Frank and Teresa. Frank and I went to college together and have known each other for about a decade now. I met Teresa about a year into Frank & T's relationship. They're a fantastic match for each other. The wedding and reception were very elegant, yet still had that wonderful relaxed atmosphere about it. T had selected Ocean Cliff in Newport. As soon as we went on to the back patio, everything looked familiar to me for some reason. I know I've been there. But I honestly can't remember why, and I'm certain I didn't STAY there with family. Very weird.

And shocker of shocker to those who know me-- I was actually wearing heels - STRAPPY heels, even - to this thing. AND... I didn't so much as wobble on them.

*beams*

In any case, it was a lovely wedding- romantic, happy and tear-ey at the same time. I haven't yet updated photos, but I'll be sure to do that and edit this entry later today... :)

He's not old...

My dear Erich is now 32. :) With how crazy August has become, his celebrations are taking on some Polish inklings... festivities that go on for days. Last night, it kicked off ON his birthday with a chicken feast from Boston Market followed by an evening of goofing off and raiding with our new guild in World of Warcraft. Good times, good times. :)

After work tonight, we're heading back to Big Fish (see last entry). Erich and I both love oysters, and Big Fish has them at 49 cents each. Can't beat it. We'll curl up to the outdoor Tiki Bar on what promises to be the best summer weather of the season, toss back probably a dozen each and enjoy some Sangria.

Next weekend, we'll throw a joint BBQ with Gina, who's birthday is on the 18th. Burgers, beers, poker... it should prove to be an interesting evening.

Happy birthday, hon!

Year of Weddings, Take 3

And... we're off again. To a wedding (that is not mine. *grin*)

(hey... I'll get around to it. Really.)

Other than Canada, this will be my first time out of the U.S. I'm quite excited.

Nassau, here we come. One full week in paradise.

Erich and I leave tomorrow morning around 10, and get into the Bahamas around 3-ish. We'll be there a full day earlier than anyone else from the Providence crew of friends (about 10 people total).

I have a new bathing suit-- that actually fits! and looks good! and hides my icky spots (mostly!). For the $85 price tag, it damn well better. :)

Other than the wedding itself and the bachlorette party (a day long catamaran trip to an island for snorkeling, etc.) I have no schedule whatsoever. I plan to relax. A lot.

While I'm gone, however, I propose a challenge to you-- give me topics and questions. I want to have some good mind-chewing fodder to write about next month. Anything. Seriously. :)

I don't know how my access will be over the next week, but if I can't log in while on the trip, I'll see you all on June 30th.

Best,
Mel.

Mom's 60th

It's been a while since my last post, I know. For some reason, I'm always very quiet in the spring as far as blog writing is concerned. I suppose it's because I have some odd burst of energy that makes me want to go do things... but this year, it's honestly just because my brain is going twenty places at once and I hardly know what day of the week it is.

This past weekend Erich and I did the road trip down to Easton, Pennsylvania to visit my mom. Her 60th birthday was last week, and I promised her that I'd be down to see her as a combined Mother's Day/birthday thing. What she didn't know was that Jim (her boyfriend) had called me a month ago and let me know that there would be a surprise party that weekend, too.

The driving was uneventful. A bit of traffic (what is it with New Haven?!?) and lots of rainshowers, but nothing major. The drive is so much nicer now that we're in Rhode Island-- it took nearly two hours off the trip, just by our highway access.

Two of Mom's close friends from California had flown into town, too. This didn't raise any suspicion since I've often shared trips to PA with them. The house was very cozy-- Erich and I took over Mom's room. Her friends had the other two bedrooms. Mom got comfy down on her new couch, surrounded by cats and the doggie.

The party itself was fantastic. My uncle and Jim had invited nearly 70 people. It was a big, loud house party. My uncle hosted the thing-- he has the perfect house for it-- complete with a beautiful full bar in the basement, pool table, and tons of different nooks to chat with people. He wisely hired a catering service to serve as waitstaff and a bartender.

Erich and I served as designated drivers for the evening. We both had a couple drinks first thing so we didn't feel like we were completely left out, but I'm glad we decided to volunteer. People definitely needed the help home.

We drove back Sunday after helping Jeanne and Dee get to the bus to the Newark airport. But before we left, Erich had to take some yard pictures. I WANT MY MOM'S YARD!!!



Time for bed. More soon!

Melinda & Kevin's wedding (San Diego, pt. 1)

So onto some travel stories... :)

Today, I'm going to talk about the important part of our vacation: Melinda and Kevin's wedding. First and foremost, that's why we went to San Diego, of course. All of the other stuff will wait until tomorrow's entry.

Erich and I have a ton of photos from the weekend. Other than ones that are blurry, I'm just uploading them all. I really can't eliminate any from this. So feel free to browse the wedding photos here (pops in new window). If you can't load them for some reason, leave me a message in the comments with your email, and I'll send you a direct invite to them.

On Friday afternoon, Melinda and Kevin held an "unrehearsal dinner" with family and close friends at a local Italian restaurant that apparently has been the host for many Melinda family events. Both Erich and I were barely functioning due to our horrendouns flights the night before, but with some serious Starbucks therapy, we managed to get ourselves up and dressed. Thankfully the restaurant was literally only about five minutes from our hotel. I met both of their mothers and friends and family of both the bride and groom. And I finally met Mary and her husband, Joe. By sheer table selection, we didn't have much of a chance to talk that day, but promised to catch up at the wedding. We had a lively conversation with everyone at our table, including (now looking back... I'm a bit embarrassed because it wasn't the place) topics on my upcoming wedding. Thankfully everyone had some very reassuring comments to give me to stand my ground on planning.

After stuffing ourselves full of entirely too much great food (oh god, those cannolis), we rolled ourselves outside, saying goodbye to everyone until tomorrow. Erich and I went back to the hotel to rest up and had a very romantic evening to ourselves (again... more on that tomorrow).

The next day, we puttered around for the morning before heading up into the mountains to the small town of Julian for the wedding. We admired the countryside on the hour-long ride up. This trip was Erich's first time west of the Missisippi River, so he was fascinated with how different everything was. (so was I, because it was quite different than the much more familiar terrain of Northern California to my eyes).

Despite some silent worry on my part, we arrived to the B&B with about fifteen minutes to spare before the ceremony. Melinda and Kevin, based on their spiritual and cultural background, had decided up on a Wiccan handfasting for their wedding ritual. The High Priestess was just casting the ritual circle as we arrived. Once she'd completed the circle and opened a spiritual door to allow us to enter, we joined Mary and Joe in the right seating area. We remarked on the beautiful scenery and the picture-perfect weather of the day.

And then the music started... and the ceremony began.

In a word, their wedding was beautiful.

I've been to many weddings in my life. Oddly, however, this was my first handfasting, despite my now thirteen years of following a Pagan path (however lax the past few years have been...). It also was the first wedding I can recall being completely relaxed at. It never felt like a function. It was completely relaxed. And with only about 60 people or so, it was incredibly intimate. During the ceremony there was laughter... and tears... but overall, complete joy from all involved-- including me, who normally is shy about expressing a lot of outward emotion.

As the High Priestess wrapped the wedding cord for the third time around their wrists, binding them together, I just beamed. Kevin and Melinda are married! Yay!

At some point in the afternoon, amid all of the conversation, I realized how strange but wonderful it is that I was celebrating the union of two friends on the other side of the country. Strange because this was actually only the second time I'd spent time with them in person, yet wonderful because despite not spending physical time with them-- I probably have discussed things deeper with them over the past five years than most of the friends I see on a regular basis here at home. Odder yet was meeting Mary and Joe for the first time, yet feeling that it was only the most recent in many times together. I suppose that's one of the joys of taking internet encounters to a more personable level-- after a time, there really isn't a difference between blogging friends and other friends who simply live far away. :)

Does that make sense?

By the end of the afternoon, we were celebrating the glory of the patio heaters. After all, we were more than 4,000 feet above sea level, and by that time we were entirely in the shade. Most of us were huddled in front of them in some form, chatting and laughing.

We ended the afternoon as the sun set over the mountains, giving a beautiful, colorful farewell to the newlywed couple. We said our goodbyes to everyone and made our way back down the mountain to our hotel...

It was a perfect day.