Something to Love About New England

I'm pretty sure they don't show this commercial outside of New England, but McDonald's has the most awesome spots up here for its McCafe New England specialty coffee. It deals with a Rhode Island (maybe Connecticut) fisherman "testing" his pal on New England terminology before he hands over the coffee.

I admit I had to ask about one of these terms (admittedly not a true New Englander... yet) but see if you can figure them out.

I Have a Secret

I have a secret, and I'm DYING to get it off my chest. But, as much as I hate secrets, I also respect the need to keep some things private (so don't worry those of you who trust me with secrets.)

So I'll keep my secret for just a little bit longer, but just know that some big news is coming from my camp.

C'mon Down!

In an effort to tempt fate and further the game show winnings, Stephen and I are spending tonight at The Price is Right at Foxwoods Casino in Conneticut. It should be fun and we'll have the opportunity to gamble afterwards, as well as go on a hunt for Wilson's BBQ that was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives the other night. Wish us luck - maybe one of us will be on TPIR!

So lovelies, what's on your agenda this weekend?

HOVA

A SUPER HUGE THANK YOU to PBS Gal for scoring my tickets to see only the hottest rapper March 11.

Jay-Z is playing at the TD Bank Garden and I am just so giddy at the thought of seeing him live!

Did anyone else notice the BP3 tour kicks off in Houston? Looks like Mr. Carter is giving a shout out to his wife, Beyonce.

Edible Arrangements

Here is the cake I made last week for the finale of my second course cake decorating lessons.
Have you ever seen something so pretty that you didn't want to eat it? Stephen hasn't; he cut into this cake the minute I brought it home.
Getting better, don't you think?

Each week we made different royal icing flowers for our basket. I won't lie, it feels pretty awesome knowing how to make fancy little flowers.

We learned the basket weave in the last class. A little practice on the boards, then onto the cake.
It takes a little skill (and a lot of luck) to make sure the frosting sticks to the cake.
Rim the edges with a rope design and voila!

Butterflies

My grandmother had the most amazing garden in her backyard - a beautiful reward for the hours she spent tending it. As a kid one of the best rewards for me was the butterflies that would flock to her oasis.

I would stand in the yard for hours, standing still like a statue with my hand out willing these butterflies to land on my hand for a close-up look. Often times they would. To this day it amazes my parents how an 8 year-old child could have such focus.

When my grandmother died and I flew back home for her funeral, I took a stroll through her backyard, not quite the oasis it was, but still lovingly cared for by my mom who had taken care of my sick grandmomther for years. No longer a child, but a grown woman stood in the same spots from 15 years before. As I walked through the garden, reminiscing on the memories, I thought about the butterflies. I stopped in my favorite spot where the tulips once grew. Thinking about how much I loved those tulips and how much I loved my grandmother, the most amazing thing happened.

A monarch butterfly landed on my hand. A gift from my grandmother to let me know that everything was, and would be, o.k. The kindest farewell to say she loved me too.

Today is the anniversary of my grandmother's death, and even though I haven't been grazed by a butterfly since, I know she is smiling down on me.

NieNie = Love

I've been wanting to write this post for a long time, but didn't know how to say it or where to start. Blogging is that weird mix for me of the personal and public. I love reading other people's blogs, but I feel like I'm breaking a secret if I talk about it. So I struggle when I find someone whose story deserves to be shared.

I don't know when I first got introduced to NieNie, but ever since my life has been impacted. If you're one of the few who hasn't been introduced to Nie, I highly suggest you jump on the train ASAP. I'm not going to recap Nie's story because she does that so brilliantly herself, but I want to talk about my experience with her.

Each of her entries is a reminder for me that love is real. I relish her posts about her and Mr. Nielson - a love so powerful you think you're seeing a movie. It's very rare that I don't leave her site with tears in my eyes. She's a brilliant writer and captures the daily routine of being a wife, mother and daughter so amazingly well. I guarantee that when you read Nie you will feel the same joy and hope that I do. I also guarantee that you will want to tell your significant other how much you love them, same with your parents; because Nie makes you realize how precious life really is.

So why write about her now? Well, because Nie was on featured on Oprah yesterday. I didn't get to see the episode, but the very lovely Joanna kindly posted a clip on her site. I will try to search for an actual clip on YouTube, but watch this clip for now.