Generation Gap

It must be a generational thing.

I am all about building social capital. I have heeded the lessons in Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone and understand that camaraderie is key to a successful society. I also know how important it is to interact with people when going through daily activities. However, there are times when privacy is important. After a long day, sometimes a girl just needs to decompress on the train.

I use my commute as 'Me Time.' I listen to whatever I want on the radio, read, write, or just zone out. In the morning, I have 30 minutes or so to get my head in the game. In the afternoon I take that time to let the day go and relax before heading home to enjoy my night with Josh.

To show that the train ride is all about me, I sit down in my seat, put my headphones on, and put my nose in a book. In my opinion, this is the perfect way to ride home and to show that I am not in the mood for chit chat. Apparently the older gentleman sitting next to me did not get the social cues I was sending out. He pulled out the tomato sauce recipe his late wife used to make for him and proceeded to tell me every type of meal that the sauce worked well with.

Of course I listened and engaged with this gentlemen. Despite wanting my 'Me Time,' I'm glad I listened  to him and took the time to chat with him. It was clear that he needed to talk about his wife and that this sauce was important to him. It made him happy to share his story, and I have to admit, the recipe looked pretty good. It was also nice to know that by taking the time to listen, I was making his hard time just a little easier. By the end of my ride, I was sad that I had to leave this man alone...and that I had not taken the time to write the recipe down. I sincerely hope that the next person to sit in my seat chatted with this man and help keep his spirits up.

Don't get me wrong, tomorrow I will be back to the typical 20-something train riding pose by being completely introverted. I will also hope that there is no generation gap mix-up and no one tries to engage with me when I am hoping to have some space. But for this time, I'm glad I took the time to take off my headphones, put my book away, and put this gentleman first.

1 Month

I can not thank you enough. This past month has been AMAZING!

One month ago today I decided to start blogging. I knew it would be fun and something Josh and I could look back on and see what we were up to. However, I never expected so many other people to enjoy it too! The feedback has been unbelievable. Not only have over 3,000 people viewed my blog, but the support I have gotten from friends and family is just beyond what I could have ever expected.

I have loved writing and expressing myself creatively for as long as I can remember. Yet, I never thought I would be sharing my writing with anyone. Until now I have always been nervous to share my work with others; I was afraid of what people might think. But now that I am, I have to say, I LOVE IT! I'm enjoying writing every night, noticing my surroundings in a new way, and working with Josh on the photos. It has been a great experience and I am so happy to be here and writing this.

And so, please keep reading and I leave you with this huge

borrowed from here

1960's Flashback

For over a year my Mother has told us about this man she has seen around town on a motorcycle. As she described him to us, he is a man who came of age in the 1960's and never moved on.

This man rides around, with his long white locks flowing behind him and wearing only a well placed loin cloth. She has seen him at the local library, the market, and riding around town. Luckily, when he goes inside, he does observe the 'No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service' golden rule, but when he is on his bike, keep your child's eyes covered.

Every time she tells us she has seen him, we always roll our eyes. There was no way this man was really as crazy as my Mom kept saying he was. And then...the other day...Josh and I saw him! And yes, he was on his bike, with his locks flowing, wearing only a loin cloth. If only I had my camera!

Friday Night In

Most Friday nights Josh and I meet up with friends. Either we have people at our house, go to one of our friends' houses for dinner, go to JP, or go to KICKS. It is our nice Friday night tradition that allows us to catch up with friends and relax from the crazy week. It is easily one of our favorite nights of the week.

This past Friday, we decided to take it easy. Life was a little more hectic than normal and nothing sounded better than a quiet night in. After work we relaxed and just took some time for ourselves. Then we had chicken soup, challah, and wine for dinner. A light meal and nice conversation was exactly what the doctor ordered.

Now that Josh is back to school and life is even busier than before, it's nights like these that keep us going. Taking time to just be together is the key to our relationship. Eating a light dinner, chatting, and snuggling on the couch to re-charge our batteries and re-connect is necessary for us. This Friday was the perfect time for us to do that. As an added bonus, we got to eat Josh's delicious homemade chicken soup! (recipe to come)

Orinoco We Love Thee

To celebrate knowing each other for 2 years, Josh and I went to dinner at Orinoco. We love it there because the food is always AMAZING and it holds so many wonderful memories. We must have eaten there at least 6 times in the past 2 years and we always get the same meal...and we are never disappointed. Last night was no different.

Our dinner started off with Caipirinha Tradicional. As always, it was the perfect drink to start off the night.

To go along with Caipirinha Tradicionals we had our favorite appetizer, the Tequenos. They are so delicious, I secretly hate having to share them with Josh. They are the best part of the meal: Hands Down

For the main course Josh had the Atun and I had the Pulvorosa de Pollo. We both love these dishes so much that it's hard to resist the urge to lick our plates. (some of the pictures are a little dark, every time I used the flash, the woman sitting next to us made a face, so I tried to keep it off).

Usually, for dessert, we dive into the best Torta Fluida we have ever had. Because it was a special night, Josh gave me my favorite thing of all, cake from PARTY FAVORS. It was a pretty great night.

Can't wait to see what year 3 will bring!

2 Years Ago Today

2 years ago today, I met Josh for the first time. It has been a wonderful and exciting ride that I am so happy everyday that I took. Sure, we have had our ups and downs, but the good times have far outnumbered the bad and now, 2 years in with our wedding behind us and our entire future ahead of us, I am more sure than ever that my life changed for the better on August 27, 2008.

People are often shocked to learn that Josh and I, until today, did not even known each other for 2 years and are already married. They ask why we moved so fast and how we knew it was right. The only answer I have is the same one I hated when I was single...we just knew. When Josh and I first met, we were older than many of our friends were when they met their spouses. We had also both had enough life experiences and relationships to know what we were looking for. On top of that, from the first time we ever spoke we were incredibly candid about our goals, life plans, and what we were looking for in a relationship. We knew right away that we were compatible on many levels. Add in the fact that we had a blast every time we were together, hated going long periods of time without talking or seeing each other, and had that feeling in our guts that this was just right, made it all very easy. Everything seemed to fall into place for us. But, I am the first to admit that it happened quickly and was intense from the beginning, but it worked for us.

I met Josh the old fashion way. After a bad breakup on my end, a friend of mine suggested that I meet her best friend's brother who just happened to live down the street from me. She told me all about him and we both decided he would be the perfect guy to go out with, test the dating waters with, and have a nice time with, but anything more serious was out of the question. Little did we know...

After a few emails back and forth, Josh invited me to go to dinner with him at Orinoco, a Venezuelan restaurant in Brookline. As cheesy as it sounds, it was the perfect first date. Because I was incredibly apprehensive about the entire set up (my break up was still new and it took a lot of convincing from my parents for me to even make it to dinner that night), I was 100% myself. I had nothing to lose and apparently everything to gain. Josh, who I like tease was the first date king at the time, decided to throw all caution to the wind and be completely himself as well. This led to the most down to earth, easy going, fun filled first date of all time. We closed the restaurant down and then spent another 30 minutes talking in the parking lot. It turns out I was skeptical for no reason. The night was perfect.

Things progressed quickly after that. It became clear that Josh was not a transitional guy but the real deal. We started dated seriously right away, met each other's friends and families and started planning our future. Before long Josh and I were engaged, and then married. It has been a whirlwind of an experience and I am so glad that I went along for the ride. In the last 2 years we have traveled, been to a million weddings and bar mitzvahs, sporting events, parties, quiet dinners, and movies. We have learned what the other likes to eat, watch on TV, read, and talk about. We have more fun doing random errands together than the average person, and our biggest arguments come from not being able to spend as much time together as we want to, not from a place of negativity or anger.

I know that I am lucky to have Josh as my partner. He supports me, cheers for me, cries with me, and does his best to make every day better. I try to do the same for him. Of course there are times when we get on each other's nerves, but there is no question that my life is better with him in it. Knowing that every day will be filled with laughter and dancing is exactly the way I had hoped my life would turn out. He truly is my perfect match.

While June 13th is our true anniversary, the day we committed to one another in front of our family, friends, and G-d, August 27th holds a special place in our hearts. It is the day that changed everything.

And so, to celebrate FINALLY knowing each other for 2 years, there will be a wonderful dinner at Orinoco, a drink or two, and most importantly, PARTY FAVORS VANILLA AND VANILLA CAKE!

Our Ride So Far...2 Years and Counting

Summer Reading List

This summer, despite my busy schedule, I was able to read a lot of great books. Reading has always been my favorite past time. Growing up, I always had a book in hand. I had a bedtime and a stop reading time. My Mom even gave me a bedside caddy so my book and glasses were never far away. This habit grew with me into adulthood. I'm rarely without a book, especially on the train. You never know when you are going to have a spare minute to get through a page or two.

This ability to read anything anywhere came in handy while I was in school. I never had a hard time finishing my assignments and keeping up with my personal reading. Now that I am officially done with school, I try to keep my reading list interesting and eclectic. I read everything from chick-lit to history novels to biographies. Currently, I'm on a bit of a World War II and feminist biography kick.

Here are my top 10 ten picks of books I have read recently. Although I recommend all of them, I definitely liked some more than others.

10. Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
  9. Letters From a Distant Shore by Marie Lawson Fiala
  8. Leap of Faith by Queen Noor
  7. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
  6. Dune Road by Jane Green
  5. Eat Love Pray by Elizabeth Gilbert
  4. 1 Dead in Attic by Chris Rose
  3. The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan
  2. The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw
  1. My War by Andy Rooney

Up next:
Spoken From the Heart by Laura Bush
Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner

What books have you enjoyed this summer? Any interesting suggestions?

Open Letter to Fellow Commuters

Dear Downtown Boston Commuters,

I know that this week has been really rainy and wet and that makes for a miserable commute. I sympathize with your desire to stay dry on your way to and from the office. But please, be respectful of the people walking around you. You see, no matter how careful you try to be with your

Umbrella

When the weather is

Windy

Your umbrella will wind up

Inside Out

And really, we are all just trying to get to our destination in one piece without being attacked by a renegade umbrella or spoke. I have found that a combination of a rain coat, rain pants, and rain boots do the trick better than any umbrella ever could.

Thank you for your understanding.

Fondly,
Samantha

*photos taken from the following sources:
1. Umbrella 2 .Wind 3. Inside Out

Babies Babies Everywhere

We are in the midst of a baby boom. Maybe it is our age, or maybe it is a coincidence, but in the last 2 months or so we have had 3 very close friends have babies and know of at least 8-10 more friends who have new babies at home. Add in all of our friends who are pregnant, have toddlers, and young children...that is a LOT of babies.

Josh and I love kids and can't wait until the day when we have our own, but that day is not now. If there is one thing we have learned from all our new parent friends it is that having a child is not something to take lightly. You need to be very sure you are ready to be a parent and care for a child before your little bundle of joy comes. After hanging out with some new babies this weekend, I would like to add another point to that sage piece of advice...you better be in shape!

So, while Josh and I enjoy newlywed life, daydream about our future, and figure out what is in store for us, you can be certain we will be at the gym every day doing more than just sweating to the oldies. Building up our biceps, triceps, and upper body strength begins TODAY! While babies are tiny and cute, they require a lot of carrying, maneuvering, and moving around. I want to make sure we are physically in shape to have a kid by the time we are mentally in shape to have a kid.

JP Shabbat Year 2!

At our Friday night dinner this week I promised my fellow JP Shabbat-ers a shout out. So, here it is!

Once a month, Josh and I trek all the way over to Jamaica Plain (ok, it's not really that far...but still) to gather in someone's living room with 20 friends and acquaintances to share in an hour of services followed by dinner, conversation, and community building. Now that JP Shabbat, as it is affectionately known, is in year 2, this one time minyan experiment has grown into a family-like gathering of sorts.

On the first Friday of each month, we meet in a different JP living room and 3 different community members take turns leading services. Each leader brings their own personality, style, and passion to their chosen portion of the night. This allows for the minyan to have a new and interesting feel each week. It also gives those of us who have less experience with the Friday night service in general, a chance to learn new prayers, tunes, and styles all in the comfort of a supportive group setting.

Although there are a few core people who come most months, the attendance shifts from meeting to meeting as well. This gives a fun flow to Shabbats and the added surprise of not knowing what to expect. It also helps to change up the type of food that is served. The rule of thumb is to have a dairy pot luck. Since there are so many people with food allergies in our little group (including yours truly) we try to bring labels for our dishes. In any other setting, this might be weird, but in our JP world, this just adds to the night, creating conversation, inquiry, and sometimes a little humor. We do try to streamline the process a bit with a sign up sheet, but generally, it is a free for all, and yet the meal combos almost always work out great.

As much as I enjoy the service portion of JP Shabbat, especially when Josh is leading as he did last week, I love hanging out after. Not only do we get to spend time with some very close friends, we get to make new ones too. Many of these people have become very good friends, others make us laugh uncontrollably, and others always keep us on our toes. No matter where you sit for dinner, you are having fun. That has never been more true than last Friday night.

After catching up with 2 friends who had been on vacation recently, I strolled over to sit with Josh and a lively group of JP Shabbat-ers. It turns out they were actually talking about Madison Ave Musing...and Josh hadn't brought it up! After taking many more requests for updates on our situation with Ralph, learning a few more tricks of the blogging trade from others involved with social media, and once again being shocked that people are actually reading and talking about my blog, we got into a HILARIOUS Ralph inspired conversation about horrible living situations. While I strongly believe that Ralph is the most frustrating person to live next to, some of our friends have had some pretty intense living and landlord situations over the years. There is nothing like trying to one up everyone with your most ridiculous horror stories to finish off the week right.

I think this is what I love about our Fridays in JP...they are so random. You never know exactly how the night will go and yet, every Friday we are there, it is a blast.

If you are in the area and interested in joining the JP Shabbat community (even if you technically don't live in JP) check out our google group.

Lynn Gets Air Time

As I mentioned before, my friend Lynn wrote a children's book entitled Home in Time For My Birthday.

On Saturday, Lynn and her book were featured on Reading with Robin on Talk Radio 920 WHJJ in Rhode Island. She was a natural on air and gave an excellent interview. Take a listen to what she had to say here. (you might need to log in or register to hear it)


It was a long interview and she was fantastic!

Sunday Funday Part 2

After our wonderful brunch, Jana, Eddie, Josh and I went down to Foxboro to visit the Patriot's Hall of Fame. While 3 out of 4 of us are HUGE Patriots fans, all 4 of us LOVE football. The hall was the perfect rainy day activity. Located next to Gillette Stadium, the hall not only chronicles the Patriots' history, but is full of hands on activities and is completely interactive. We had a blast playing in all of the exhibits.

Following the 'steps.' My feet look small!

Josh's feet look small too!

Doug Flute's hand print

Josh's hand is bigger than Doug's. I wonder if that means he can throw a Hail Mary too?

Listening to the plays...ready for the audible

Put me in coach, I'm ready to play. Today

Having a kumbaya moment

In the huddle

Measuring Josh's vertical leap

Seeing how quick I was on my feet

My new bling :)

The Patriots Hall of Fame was a blast! It's official: I'm ready for some footbaaaaallllll!

Sunday Funday Part 1

The best part about weekend guests is yummy Sunday brunch! Josh made everyone delicious eggs over easy and hand cut home-fries while I made coffee and was on clean up patrol. It was a special treat and was a great way to start our Sunday Funday with Jana and Eddie.

Although we started the morning off well, our afternoon excursion was even more fun... More details to follow.


How to make the home-fries (adapted from our cousin Margaret's recipe):

• Coarsely chop onion and mince some garlic. Saute in a generous amount of olive oil until they brown.
• Cut up potatoes into cubes.
• Add potatoes to onion and garlic and saute all together.
• Add seasoning, this is where you can choose your own adventure:
• Josh used fresh rosemary, salt, pepper, paprika, and green onions on Sunday
• Margaret also suggested trying with different combinations of green pepper, smoked paprika, winter savory, parsley, and/or thyme. For a fall treat, she also suggested adding in a couple of chopped tart apples.
• Keep moving the potatoes around and scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan.  Cook until the potatoes are ready to serve.  (You can speed the process up a little bit by covering the pan.)

On The Rocks

Just another Saturday night in the new house...

A Street Car Named Disaster

Only in Boston could you see this T...

Towing this T:

AHHHHH the Green Line

Did You Ever Wonder Why

Channeling my inner Andy Rooney, (he has been on my mind since I read his unbelievably touching, real, and fascinating account of his experiences as a Stars and Stripes reporter in World War II in My War) I can't help but think every morning "Do you ever wonder why... people cross busy intersections when they do not have a walk signal?"

I'm a true Bostonian which means I rarely wait for a cross light before darting from one side of the street to the next, even in traffic. Every day I take calculated risks and choose to sacrifice safety for time. But, every once in a while, there is an intersection that is just too busy and too dangerous to cross while there is traffic. One of those scary crosswalks just happens to be on my walk from the train to work.

At this one particular intersection there are many streets, people, and cars that merge together. Atlantic Avenue, Summer Street, 93 Surface Road, a detour for the Mass Pike, a couple of side streets, the Commuter Rail, Bus Station and the T all come together on one street corner outside of South Station. Every single morning, without fail, this part of Boston is a mob scene. Cars are trying to beat the lights while hordes of people pile out of South Station spilling over the sidewalk onto the street. Everyone meets in the exact same spot that politicians are shaking hands, newspaper hawkers are yelling out headlines, and pan handlers are asking for change. Basically, it is Samantha's Personal Hell. Armed with my ipod and the promise of coffee, I put my head down and push through the crowd.

In order to get to Dunkins, I have to cross the aforementioned major intersection. The pattern is easy: walkers have the right of way first, then the far lane of cars get their turn, followed by the near lane of cars. The entire cycle can not take more than 2 minutes. EVERY DAY a handful of people walk out in front of the near lane of traffic while the far lane drives, hoping to sneak across when the light changes. EVERY DAY the second light changes and cars in the near lane come flying through the intersection nearly missing pedestrians as they weave through the craziest corner in Boston.

This begs the question, what are these pedestrians thinking? These people are commuters. They make the same walk 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year. How have they not learned? The near lane gets its light AFTER the far lane. And these cars are flying off of a winding exit lane with an obstructed view of the road from the highway. You will get hit.

Fortunately, I have not seen anyone get hit. However, I still make my patented Samantha 'are you kidding me?' face at these daredevil pedestrians. What are they thinking?!?!

To answer Mr. Rooney: Yes, I often wonder why...

First Day of School

Yesterday was Josh's first day of school! All I could think about is this old Staples commercial.




Welcome back teachers :)

My Favorite Meal

The hardest part about keeping kosher for me was giving up Chinese food, sesame chicken especially. Josh started making this yummy dish for me about a year ago and I have to say, I love it. It tastes like the real deal and I don't miss my favorite Chinese restaurant anymore.

Josh made it for friends last night and it was a big hit. I highly recommend this recipe. We can't remember the original source, but it is DELICIOUS!

Ingredients (sometimes we like to double it to have lots of extra sauce)

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes(depends on how hot you like your food)
• 2-4 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions

*For the vegetarians out there, try this recipe with Tofu instead.

Directions

1. Cut chicken breast into 1 inch strips or bite size pieces.
2. Heat a large non-stick pan that has been sprayed with Pam(or 2 tablespoons of sesame oil for extra flavor) over medium heat.
3. Cook chicken for about 6 minutes or until no longer pink. Turn the pieces every couple of minutes.
4. While chicken is cooking, mix together honey, soy sauce, water, corn starch, ginger, and red pepper flakes.
5. Whisk until no corn starch lumps remain.
6. When chicken is no longer pink, add sauce to the pan with chicken.
7. The heat should cause the sauce to begin to thicken. If the sauce is too thick add a little water.
8. Sprinkle with sesame seeds
9. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken starts to soak up sauce.
10. When plating the chicken and sauce, Josh likes to garnish with some chopped scallions and of course more sesame seeds.
    

Perfect Night

I LOVE nights like last night! Josh and I had a very busy week last week, a crazy busy weekend, and are super booked for the rest of this week weekend. Life is hectic! Doing nothing but hanging out, eating dinner, and watching TV is always the perfect medicine.

Josh had dinner waiting for me when I got home. It was delicious!  We had a yummy combo of teriyaki marinated steak tips, roasted fingerling potatoes, broccoli, and salad with homemade Greek dressing. I am spoiled when Josh is on vacation!

Josh sized plate

Josh sized salad

Samantha sized meal

After dinner I baked some brownies, we caught up on the DVR, ate ice cream with good friends before showing off our new house, and went to bed early. A night like last night rejuvenates me to take on the next few busy days ahead. And to have the patience to deal with Ralph...who decided to honor us with more drama last night. 

Details to follow.  

Ten Apple Farm

After all of the Bar Mitzvah fun, Josh and I made our way to visit Josh's our cousins who also live in Maine. They live on a homestead called Ten Apple Farm which can best be described in their own words.

Ten Apple Farm is a diversified homestead in southern Maine. On ten acres of land, we tend a small herd of Alpine dairy goats, assorted poultry, and a large kitchen garden. The farm is forever in process, and we’re gradually rehabilitating our apple orchard, while renovating our 1901 farmhouse with attached barn, built on the traditional New England plan: Big house, little house, back house, barn. We hand milk our goats and make yogurt and cheese, some of which we age in the house’s stone cellar. Throughout the year, we keep a flock of heritage laying hens, and in the summer we raise chickens, ducks and turkeys for meat. Every year we work to expand the garden and the growing season, with a goal of modest self-sufficiency. To that end, we put up as much food as we can for the winter: Freezing, canning, pickling, and drying throughout the summer and fall.

Visiting the farm for the first time was an awe-inspiring experience. I have heard a lot about what they are doing on the homestead and about their values of self-sustainability, but to see it all in person was truly remarkable. Our cousins have strong, admirable values which they choose to live their lives by and are happy to share with others both inside and outside of their community.

We try to live simply, to revel in the natural world, and to celebrate our connections with humans and critters. Every day on this farm is a learning experience, and we’re eager to share what we’ve discovered.

Our cousins' photos and blog, which are housed on their website Living With Goats, and their books, The Year of the Goat and Living With Goats, chronicle their lifestyle, passion for goats, and the journey that took them from Manhattan to Maine. They also get at the heart of who they are as people and how their current lifestyle fulfills their values of self-sufficiency and living in harmony with the earth. As impressive as the above projects are, spending time with them on the farm brings to light a whole new level of understanding and admiration for what they are doing and, more importantly, why they are doing it.

Living self-sustainably, organically, and green are choices. Buying local and living in unison with the world at large are values to consider. For our cousins, it was the natural choice to raise their family on a homestead where they could live off of the land and know that the food they are eating is safe and healthy. It only takes seeing their 2 daughters running around the farm, climbing trees, and picking snacks directly out of the garden to see that they made the right choice for them. You can hear it in their voices when they talk passionately about their animals/orchard/garden, the excitement they have when they share how to make cheese/jam/new recipes, or the enthusiasm they have when running their homesteading workshops.

Josh and I were truly inspired after our visit. Living a more sustainable lifestyle is something we have been grappling with for the past year. 'Buy local' products and organic foods have been making their way into our home more often than not, and we have done our best to make better choices about what we put into our bodies. At the same time, we still eat a lot of processed foods and always choose kosher meat and poultry over local products. Finding the right balance between the two has been a constant part of our conversations as we build our home and create values for our new family.

This weekend we saw first hand what strong values and hard work can do. Both Josh and I were very taken with what we saw. We decided to try to do more on our end to follow our cousins' example by living a more sustainable life. While I highly doubt we will be trading in our city lives for a homestead in Maine any time soon, we do intend to make better choices when purchasing groceries. We also want to do our best to learn about where our food comes from before we eat it and work harder to use more fresh ingredients and fewer processed ones. I am grateful that our cousins took the time to show us around Ten Apple Farm and share their thoughts on sustainability and organic foods.

SNEAK PREVIEW

Our day at the farm...