Maura Grace

Wow the weekend felt like a marathon of parties, Friday night was the opening reception to the Pony Show which went amazingly well, Saturday night was Josh Golemans surprise birthday party and Sunday was the super Bowl at Ryan, Katie and Nate's loft.

LOOK AT OUR NEW BOOKSHELVES!  I GOT THEM FOR FREE!  Apparently the man got many emails right away and I was the 6th email and he chose me because I was the most convincing!  They are old library bookshelves from U-Penn.  I really want to have them spray painted chartruse or red.  I feel very lucky because Chap and I were in great need of bookshelving and these will last us a lifetime and more!

Last night I attended my first Tupperware party! This is a prize I was bidding on and didn't win but the sweet girl who did had so much Tupperware of her own she gave it to me knowing I loved it!  The orange color just grabed my eye!  My first piece of Tupperware was the pie holder (with the yellow lid) you gave me and Tricia for Christmas two years ago and since then I have found two other vintage pieces at thrift stores.  I'm not so into the new tupperware mainly because of the colors but (yellow is my only exception), I enjoy the older colors so I am going to contiune to keep my eyes pield at thrift stores and yard sales. I will say that I also choose to use glass containers over plastic for food storage but cute vintage pieces of Tupperware are so fun to have around.

This weekend I am going on a retreat with Halligan and her friend Jess whom she works with, we are going to Millmont, PA in the Bald Eagle State Forrest and staying in a cabin with a few other folks.  We are leaving Adam and Chap at home, it should be fun!  There is a snow storm comming through so we are hopping for snow tubbing and hot cocco by the fire.  I'll share more when we return.  Have a great weekend! I miss you!

This week Halli, Jesse, Katie Inglis and I meet over at Katie's loft and had an areobic dance workout hour,  we had so much fun and got a great work out in!  It was so much fun that we are mad we didn't do this sooner but now we know and we will now be doing this every week! 

Also I love Dr. Oz!  Do you ever watch him on TV?  He come's on in the morning from 9-10 on abc! 

I am sitting at home on this very rainy, cold and windy Monday morning just loving life!  I am in love with my weekly schedule. Having every Monday and Friday off is alright with me.  I have hit the ground running in 2010.  I feel like my year is filling up so fast here is what I have so far:

Dates of events for 2010

1. Chap's 26th birthday March 8th
2. Mollie Evans march 25-28thish SGC conference
3. Ambrose parents coming to Philly Mar 12 and leave Wed 3pm, Mar 17
4. I start back farming April 1st
5. I turn 28 April 7th
6.  Kids photo shoot with Josh and hopefully other friends in Philly parks
7.  Marcy gets married in Oxford, May 28th (lydia also has her birthday that day)
8. Tricia's 31st Birthday July 12
9. Ambrose family trip July 11 - 18 and home by July 21
10. Fly to Austin to look at houses
11. Mom turns 60 August 24th.
12. Goleman's get married! Sept 2010

there are other little things too like dinner parties and biology classes but the list is the major event so far.

*2010 RESOLUTION* were SPF 30+ everyday I'm outside in the sun!In years past I have not done so because of having Dad's olive skin there is zero warning that the sun is doing me any harm...but it is!

By the way I am loving the book you got me "Animal Veggitable Myricle" you were right it is a great book for me to read. I like that it's written by a family that is changing into their farming lifestyle for the first time because of that it feels easy to imagine myself changing someday, and it not being too daunting.

Hearing the rain and wind has me wishing for hearty summer storms when it's warm and the sky is full of thunder.  I have some great farming memories of working in the rain picking and washing veggies all day.  It was always exciting to run out in the field with rain gear on to get the next bushel of veggies then go under the tin roof shelter and wash em up and package them for market. I was amazed that my hunter wellies failed me time and time again on the farm. I think it's becuase I have the "fashionable" model (which is good for city living and county walking) and I beleive I will someday need to get the workers quality version with the actual tighing strap at the top to keep water out from above!

We have been doing almost all of our eating at home lately and we're just getting better and better at it, I wish you were closer so you could come eat with us at home! Our resent favorite is flank steak tacos and flank steak salads!