catching up: Alison's Wedding
some favorites from the wedding...
Monday, August 31, 2009
Grace in Small Things 221:365
1. taking some trash out to the dumpster & hearing the frogs peeping in the pond.
2. good songs on the iPod the whole drive home. i didn't need to skip to the next song even once.
3. jeans & a white t-shirt.
4. using a pad of pink Post-its means no one at work will steal it. boys refuse to use pink. heh.
5. an episode of The Big Bang Theory i hadn't seen before. conveniently, on a night when the Sox were off.
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power of suggestion? or wishful thinking?
for some inexplicable reason, i have the sudden overwhelming urge to watch It's a Wonderful Life.
i'm not sure if this is a product of the Winter-like climate this office is kept at or if i am just wishing it would be cooler. (outside, not inside. any cooler inside and even the herd of penguins living in the coffee room will migrate to more temperate regions.)
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Grace in Small Things 220:365
1. flipping through a magazine, i found beautiful flowers i love. so many pretty colors.
2. Blue Velvet petunias
3. Citrus Blend lantana
4. Tigereye rudbeckia
5. Strawberry Seduction achillea
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Saturday, August 29, 2009
Grace in Small Things 219:365
1. “He’s a warrior, man. He’s intimidating when you see him walking out in his full gear and that’s exactly why." (Daniel Bard on Tek's kickass play at plate last night that saved the go-ahead run from scoring)
2. i got to start a new scent--cucumber melon--of Bath & Body Works shower gel.
3. cupcakes.
4. new music.
5. a dominant outing for Clay Buchholz. man, it's good to see him pitch with some confidence again!
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catching up: Fenway Tour
i have a ton of photos (some dating back to ::gulp:: early July) that i've been meaning to share. so i'm going to post my favorites in groups over the next few days to get caught up.
some favorites from my tour of Fenway Park & spending the day in Boston...
Friday, August 28, 2009
Grace in Small Things 218:365
1. catching myself showing little quirks that my Gram had. like the way i sometimes tuck my thumb between my first two fingers when i'm sitting still & not using my hands for anything.
2. making my friends laugh.
3. the Autumn issue of Kraft Food & Magazine finally arrived!
4. this blurb about the Nick Green relief appearance last night:
Green and Rocco Baldelli escaped to the batting cage in the tunnel between the dugout and clubhouse. Green threw him three different fastballs, but Baldelli forbade curveballs. "I didn’t have a cup on," Baldelli said.
Green tried a cutter in the impromptu warm-up.
"It didn’t cut," Baldelli said. "I said, ‘Don’t do that.’"
5. turns out it was a good thing i didn't carry my iPod with me this week. i had a major case of butterfingers & dropped my phone four times. something i rarely do. my phone can take it; my iPod definitely cannot.
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Thursday, August 27, 2009
Grace in Small Things 217:365
1. listening to the birds singing in the trees as i walked to my car to go to work.
2. cheddar cheese. yum.
3. lots of sweet new babies being born recently. babies make me happy.
4. discovering new songs since i decided to leave the iPod home & listen to the radio this week for that very purpose.
5. two scoreless innings of relief from Nick Green. which was both of the funniest & kinda coolest things i've seen in a while. how many infielders can come in & give up no hits & no runs (there were some walks but they didn't do any damage) *and* hit the low 90s on the radar gun?
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Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Grace in Small Things 216:365
1. that i am a listener. so few people really sit back & *listen* to others. it's one of my favorite things about myself.
2. all the clips they are playing of Ted Kennedy remind me how much i love the Boston accent. there's just something about it...a quality i can't seem to put into words.
3. anticipating the return of new tv! i'm starting to see previews of season premiers of favorite shows!
4. the return of Tim Wakefield to the Sox rotation. man, it felt good to see him back on the hill!
5. Big Papi. walkoff homer. nuff said.
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Give Me Five Monday: August 26, 2009
first of all, yes, i know it's not Monday. i'm rebelling. =P but the topic was appropriate, what with school just starting again in my neck of the woods, and me being ready for some Autumn weather. (wishful thinking but, hey, state of mind, right?)
Give Me Five back to school memories.
1. new school supplies. i used to get giddy (oh, who am i kidding? still do!) at the prospect of brand new pens, notebooks, binders, folders. i would scour the sale ads that would come in the Sunday paper. and then i would cruise the special "seasonal" aisles, in search of the perfect supplies for that year. (this was back in the day when you still had some choice in what supplies you would use, because your class list would tell you "blue pens, Number Two pencils, two 3-subject spiral notebooks, etc" but you could still choose the brands & styles you wanted. i've seen recent supply lists & holy specific!) once i had acquired them all, i would label them all carefully and assemble them in my (brand new, of course!) backpack. and then for the next month, i would peer in at them with glee & anticipation. kind of like i do now when a new office supply order is delivered. heh.
2. a new classroom. teachers do a lot of work to get their classrooms ready & decorated for their students. i think i appreciated it from a very young age. i used to be so excited to see the wall decorations and the learning centers, the calendar and the bulletin boards, the name tags on lockers and desks. there is just something about a freshly prepared classroom that i found exciting. and it wasn't just for "back to school"--i was excited to see the changes that would come with each new month. what would the new theme be? what new shape would my name tags take on? why yes, i was a geek. why do you ask? =P
3. third grade. i went to a small Lutheran school from nursery school through eighth grade. the school was two floors. the main floor had the gym, the main office, the nurse's office, the library, and the Kindergarten, first and second grade classrooms. i remember the year i started third grade. it was the first year that i would be upstairs. this was a big deal to me, for some reason. the upstairs was a mystery to me. the Big Kids were up there. and teachers i only saw in the mornings when we would line up to go inside or at school assemblies. to be grown up enough to have your classroom on the second floor must mean you had arrived. i remember the first time i walked in line, up those dimly lit stairs, turning at the landing to climb the second half of the flight...and feeling so old. i was all of seven years old (my October birthday meant i was always one of the youngest in my class) & i thought i was so grown up. oh sweet little Dawn.
4. sixth grade. Mr Ryskowski. this was the first time i had a man for a teacher. if i thought i had arrived in the third grade, when i got to go upstairs, then this was *really* the big time. big kids got male teachers! female teachers were for babies! (here's a twist of irony for you: the classroom i climbed those stairs to in third grade? same classroom i had for sixth grade too. they had switched around the classroom layout when i was in fourth grade. so, two huge, in my mind, milestones revolved around that one classroom.) also the first time i would change classrooms during the day! keep in mind that this was a small school. we would only rotate between 3 classrooms with the seventh & eighth graders. Mr R taught English, Mrs Higgins taught history, and Mr Moll taught science. the other subjects were handled by our "home room" teachers. but still! a man for a teacher! changing classrooms! the trauma of having to change into gym clothes in the locker room! this was the big time!
5. starting high school. remember that small school i mentioned? well let's keep in mind i graduated eighth grade with about fifteen kids, most of whom i had gone to school with since i was 3. in a school that had ten classrooms. my high school? was public. three floors & about ten *million* classrooms. i had more kids in my homeroom than my entire graduating class the year before. and my two best friends when to different high schools. to say i was in absolute shock for the first couple of weeks years would not be an understatement. i walked around with eyes the size of saucers, mute, just trying to navigate an environment that was so unfamiliar i might as well have been in a foreign country. i knew all of a half dozen people in the whole building & if i caught a glimpse of one once a week, that was something. it was a LOT for a quiet, shy girl to take in. i'm pretty sure i said about a dozen words without actually be forced to speak because i was called upon. i would eventually meet some new people & make some new friends & talk enough to get Chele & myself some stern looks, but i remember that first day in that big building & my hands still get a little sweaty even after nineteen years.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Grace in Small Things 215:365
1. Gmail (finally!) coming out with the "Contact Chooser"--a feature i have been hoping for since i started using Gmail over three years ago!
2. the rain letting up just long enough for me to get from my car to my apartment without a replay of Sunday. ;-)
3. a nice juicy cheeseburger for dinner.
4. Remy & Don giggle-fits in the NESN booth.
5. two words: Victor. Martinez.
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Monday, August 24, 2009
Grace in Small Things 214:365
1. the preview for the new Jennifer Aniston movie Love Happens that comes out soon. which i really want to see. but it's a major chick flick. so now the question remains: who can i hold hostage bribe convince to go see it with me? =P
2. having some fun plans coming up over the next couple of months to look forward to!
3. feeling the seeds for some blog post ideas starting to grow.
4. a Mike Lowell 3-run bomb over The Monstah & into the Boston night...
5. ...which i am convinced is a direct result of the most awesome surprise Lil Foot's Mommy sent me that arrived to brighten my Monday. i love it so much, i will even risk sharing the less-than-flattering post-home-run photo with the cheesy grin.
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20 Questions: August 24, 2009
1. Where were you last week at this time?
same spot. right here at my desk.
2. What’s your favorite way to eat tomatoes?
oh let me count the ways... i ♥ tomatoes. i like them by the handful (in the grape tomato size). i like them on a tomato sandwich with a little salt & some mayo. i like them in salads & as sauce. i love them as bruschetta. but i think my very favorite way? caprese bites.
3. Ok, let's be honest. How often do you use your turn signals when you drive? Do you follow the rules or do you only use it when you feel it's necessary?
OMG holy pet peeve. i *hate* when people use a turn signal like it was an option they couldn't justify paying extra for when purchasing their current vehicle. i use my turn signal every time i turn, every time i change lanes, every time i get off a highway exit--even if i am the only vehicle on the road. i do it from such force of habit that, sometimes, i even turn it on when pulling into my parking spot at home. this way? i can rail without being a hypocrite when people move into my lane RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME without so much as a single blink of their signal that they intend to cut me off & take over my lane as if they have more right to be there than i do.
4. This past week, were you more predator or prey?
i was pretty much going along, minding my own business all together, until someone preyed on my Sunday & pretty much shot it all to hell for me.
5. What is the first tv show quote to pop into your head right now?
"Did she get off the plane? Let her off the plane, Lady! LET HER OFF THE PLANE!!!" "I got off the plane."
6. Next time I go to church:
it will be a Communion Sunday.
7. What was your third grade teacher's name?
took me a minute or two to recall. that's right. Mrs Murphy. the first teacher to really scare me. we would get called on at random & have to recite a multiplication table from one all the way up to twelve (you know, 3x1=3, 3x2=6, 3x3=9, etc) and if you got more than two wrong, you had detention to practice. we've discussed, at length, that in Dawnsworld, numbers are the work of Satan, so you just imagine how that made little third-grade-Dawn feel. =P
8. When was the last time you went grocery shopping? Name 3 things you bought.
that would be yesterday. linguine. a tomato. crackers.
9. What would the title of your autobiography be?
"Are We There Yet?" (the title i have frequently considered changing the name of this blog to, except for the fact that for nearly five years now, it's been "thoughts from along the broken road" and there is something to be said for continuity.)
10. How many pieces of unopened mail are sitting wherever you put your unopened mail?
two. a credit card statement to be reviewed & filed and a credit card application to be shredded.
11. What 5 emotions do you feel most often?
gratitude. joy. loneliness for the special people i don't get to see often enough. frustration. contentment.
12. If you got a new pet right now, what would you name it?
it depends. boy pet? girl pet? before settling on Casey for my last pup, i toyed around with Baxter. i also think Maggie is a great pet-name for a girl pup (even though it's pretty common). i think i would have to meet the pet first.
13. Admit something. Anything.
i don't know what the hell i'm doing half the time.
14. Choose a free gift: a daily back massage, dinner at a restaurant once a week, or a brand new book each month.
dinner out. i am not a fan of letting a complete stranger get all up in my personal space (no matter how professional they are) and i am not sure i could come up with a book i want to actually own (i only own the ones i really love, otherwise i would be overrun with books). dinner out once a week is something i could live with though!
15. Name 3 foods that are currently in your freezer.
corn. a big bag of tilapia. Blackberry Cobbler Blue Bell ice cream.
16. If given the chance and you could pick the person, would you want to switch lives with someone on earth for one whole day?
no way. i think my life is pretty amazing, truth be told, and i wouldn't want to blindsided with someone else's problems & have to deal with them.
17. How much cash do you usually carry with you?
each payday, i take out enough cash to replenish my supply to around $100 (give or take, as close as i can get it, since i can only withdraw in increments of $20). i buy almost everything--including groceries--with cash, because i think it makes me more conscious of where my money is going. it's a lot more difficult for me to hand over cold hard cash when i make a purchase, rather than mindlessly swiping my debit card & penciling some numbers into my check register, where money feels so ambiguous. the $100 has to last me the entire week (a self-imposed limit for groceries, incidentals, whatever; i do use my debit card for gas so i don't have to go inside and i do allow myself more when i am travelling, but that's budgeted separately)...and you know what? since implementing this plan, i have *never* run out. i always have money left in my wallet.
18. How are you today?
pretty good for a Monday. i was borderline 'meh' but then i got a lil bit o' happy in my mail!
19. What's the scariest weather situation you've experienced?
the three hurricanes that came through my area in 2004. New Englanders don't really know what a *real* hurricane is actually like. trust me. i didn't til i experienced them firsthand.
20. On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest), how attractive do you think you are?
ehh... 6? 7, maybe? i think i am pretty average, really. i don't think i am scary-ugly, but there are *tons* of prettier, cuter, more beautiful people out there.
i've come so far
All alone, I didn't like the feeling
All alone, I sat and cried
All alone, I had to find some meaning
In the center of the pain I felt inside
(from "Sand and Water," Beth Neilsen Chapman)
"I didn't notice because I'd drifted into a state of constant absence, many months, if not years, before, staying numb to avoid a creeping unhappiness just under the surface."
(author unknown, essay in Redbook, November 2006, "The Awakening")
---------------------------------
three years ago, i shook free of the numb and the unhappy and the emptiness.
i've never looked back.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Grace in Small Things 213:365
1. the color combinations that sunsets give us. this evening it was a sky the color of a juicy ripe peach's flesh as the backdrop for lavender clouds.
2. stocking up on some good snacks for my lunch bag. i like to have lots of choices while i'm working. you never know whether the need will be sweet, salty, crunchy or creamy.
3. the smell of Bounce dryer sheets. the classic scent please.
4. a new season of Top Chef has started! (i'm late, because I DVR'd it, but yay for new tv!)
5. my friend K's birthday. we're going to celebrate it in March, in person, with a yummy treat at WDW! ;-)
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Slice of Life: August 23, 2009
when i went into the grocery store, the sun was shining.
when i came out of the grocery store, it was considerably cloudy.
halfway to my car, the clouds opened up...the rain came down sideways...
and i? was drenched.
but only on the left side of my body.
hafta love Florida Summer.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Grace in Small Things 212:365
1. the breeze that kicks up as a storm is rolling in.
2. going to Disney on a whim.
3. playing with my camera.
4. hearing women quietly discuss "how cute" my hair is when they're standing behind me. because let's face it, everyone likes a compliment.
5. the Red Sox having an answer for the Yankees after the obliteration in the previous game.
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confirming what we already know
Your Soul Is Connected to the Fall |
 You are a somewhat sensitive soul with a tough exterior. You are street smart and wise about the world. You have the heart of a poet, but you're not too eager to let anyone else see it. You are very creative and deeply talented. You are still looking for the perfect outlet for your expression. You embrace change and think the cycles of life are beautiful. You don't shrink away from the darker elements of life. |
Read more...
Friday, August 21, 2009
Grace in Small Things 211:365
1. September Redbook in my mailbox.
2. Pollo Caprese at Macaroni Grill.
3. "A house that does not have one worn, comfy chair in it is soulless." (May Sarton) -- i am all about things that are comfy!
4. another week in the books. another badly-needed weekend ahead of me.
5. Jerry Remy back in the NESN booth!
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