I hate to be too candid about my honeymoon.

First of all, I'm putting a honeymoon on par with New Years Eve. Or, at least mine is. The way there's so much build up and excitement to the new year, so much pressure to have a bigger, better, bolder New Years than the last. And post New Years, you are bound to be peppered by the constant chime of, "What did you do for New Years?"

Maybe, for New Years Eve, I just wanted to stay home, eat popcorn, and watch movies with my honey. Maybe I didn't care about New Years at all. Maybe I didn't celebrate, or went to bed early. And yet, the question is constantly asked, and my frank answer is always met with a certain amount of disapproval.

Our honeymoon was tumultuous, at best. To kick start the whole shebang, we got to the airport nice and early on Monday morning- bright-eyed and bushy tailed, only to find out that our flight had been rescheduled to leave an hour earlier, but we'd never been notified. Apparently "this can happen" "when you buy your ticket early". Excuse us for planning ahead.

Our cabin was ransacked and we were robbed our second night in Grand Cayman-- my wallet, our brand new, never-been-used, nicer-than-we-could-afford wedding present camera, and charlie's $10 aviators. A strange compilation but alas, stolen, never again to be seen. Though we were given interesting insight to the police on Grand Cayman after spending an hour doing a handwritten report with a detective, two cops nervously pacing the grounds in dark sunglasses. As per Caymanian dialect, I'm happy to say that the police report was full of mispellings and the word "tings" in place of "things".

There was a shooting in Hell (a town aptly named for the overabundance of lava and limestone, as in, "this must be what Hell looks like")... apparently there is some gang activity on the overwhelmingly large 20 mile island.

Our rental car was sideswiped on our last day; people drive on the left in Grand Cayman, and someone came flying up the left side and sideswiped me. I noticed, with much annoyance, that their little yellow convertible looked totally untainted as they sped off into the exotic (though suddenly unappealing) sunset. Our little Toyota Yaris was not so lucky.

And to cap it off, we got stuck in Detroit on a runway for 2 hours on the way home because of the heavy fog in Madison.

It wasn't all bad. We had each other, we had a beautiful beach and a great little cabin, and we were able to rest and relax, which is what we really needed post (traumatic stress) wedding planning. It just wasn't what you'd typically expect. So when people ask me, with excitement in their eyes, how my honeymoon was, and want me to spill all the juicy, sexy, exciting details, I'm a little at a loss for how to describe it. And it was sexy and exciting... just not in the typical sense.

Here Comes The...

If the cascading curls and sticky hairspray don't serve as constant reminders that it's my wedding day, then the endless nausea and ceaseless butterflies in my chest cavity will.

It's not the marriage or even the wedding that's killing me... it's just the anticipation. I'm glad I only came three nights and two days prior to the wedding; any more and it may have been the death of me. Idol time is the worst.

I recently reconnected with an old friend and boss (hi Hilary!) who told me to just let all of the jitters and bad feelings leave my soul.. good advice. And she's right. The negativity is useless. But it's easier said than done.

When I stand up at the alter next to Charlie, I know all the nervousness will leave and I'll feel great. And that's really what it's all about.

The Eagle Has Landed

(as we always say in my family.)

We've made it, despite the 2 feet of snow that the universe so generously decided to bestow upon us yesterday. And we will get married on Saturday, even if it's only the minister, my parents, and God as our witness.

Toby, my parent's foot and half tall beagle/ bernese mountain dog mix is nuzzling is spotty nose into my armpit right now. He's the dwarfed, inbred product of a Bernese dad (yes, ladies, that's right... the Bernese was the DAD) and a Beagle mom. As a result, he has the coloring of a Bernese, the short fur of a Beagle, the thick body of a Bernese, but the unfortunate, short legs of a Beagle. And, he's adorable. He's got that perpetual puppy look... it's impossible to walk anywhere without being stopped by gaggles of teenage girl, or full grown men gone weak in the knees, captivated by his charm.

Hopefully, people will have safe travels and make it to my wedding. My bachelorette party is changing minute-to-minute. I suppose there's nothing we can do but wait. And listen to tiny, dwarfed dogs snort into our laps.

I'm looking at the 10 day forecast... awesome. Looking good Vermont.

Way to really pull through last minute and snow from yesterday through next Monday for me, Vermont. Especially when I have people traveling from all over the country this weekend. Really chill of you.

Update.. in picture form..

So I went shopping at Target today for honeymoon outfits... I didn't realize until I had this on (and was trying unsuccessfully to fit my entire butt through one leg hole...) that this is shorts, not a dress...





My cute nephews, Aidan and Gavin






Our "we're totally ready to get married in a week" faces:

Seven

days... until I get married.


Getting married is stressful; Charlie and I decided that next time we get married (to each other) we will NOT do a traditional wedding. Elope, destination wedding... something easier to manage. People only agree to the traditional wedding ceremony because they don't realize what they're getting into. Even if you keep it as low key as possible, and you're the most easy going bride, you're still going to have plates piled high with stress by the last week or two.

I suppose that's to be expected. In the spirit of the event, here's the song I'm listening to, as sung by B.B. King and Eric Clapton:

I'm gonna love you
Like nobody's loved you
Come rain or come shine
High as a mountain and deep as a river
Come rain or come shine

Well I guess when you met me
That it were just one of those things
Don't you ever bet me
Cause I'm gonna be true if you let me
Oh you're gonna love me
Like nobody's loved me
Come rain or come shine
Happy together unhappy together
Won't that be fine
Day may be cloudy or sunny
We're either in or we're out of our money
I'm with you always
I'm with you rain or shine

You're gonna love me
Like nobody's loved me
Come rain or come shine
Happy together unhappy together
Won't that be fine
Day may be cloudy or sunny
We're in or we're out of our money
I'm with you always
I'm with you rain or shine
Rain or shine
I'm with you always
I'm with you rain or shine

The Devil in the form of Wet Food

The cats have recently been introduced to wet food.

This was a C.E.Koop solution to the Leopold bullying

(see, Leo eats Bitty's food whenever possible, despite having his own... because he's a bully... and Bitty's too timid to A. stop him or B. eat his food, so she opts to go hungry. Historically, Leopold hates wet food. In the past, like a great pet owner, I have bought them little containers of various types of wet food... Fancy Feast, Friskies, Purina... etc-- in flavors that I don't even treat myself to, like Veal or Salmon.. and Leopold always turns his velvety nose up at the very site of them... the little chunks of food sitting in his bowl until they congeal and then turn hard and dark and I angrily throw them away. But I digress..)

Charles, in remembering my regaling of the wet food situation, suggested I buy wet food only for Bitty, to solve the Leo-eating-Bitty-food situation.. so I tried it!

Well, lo and behold, Leo DOES like wet food... or, at least, the idea of wet food.. or, at least, he can't stand to see Bitty get something that he doesn't get. (The nerve, I tell you)



I'd equate wet food to cat crack. In the mornings, there's no peace. I have systems, you know? I get up, start my french press coffee, and THEN feed the fatties...... but now, images of salmon and veal in gravy chunks have been dancing through their tiny minds all throughout the night, and I only serve as a reminder of their beloved wet food. I stumble out of my bedroom door at 7 am, eyes still adjusting to the light, hair a mess, and they are instantly at my feet, bleating like they're in pain, weaving in and out of my legs as I walk. It's horrible.

And even now, all cats fed and happy, I have to sit and listen to the sound of Bitty licking Salmon Patte off a ceramic plate..... it's rough. Is this the rest of my life?!

Thank you, Hilary, for expanding my world view with Regretsy (where DIY meets WTF). I never knew such a site existed, though there is clearly a HUGE need for it...


I know I haven't posted in forever (sorry to all 2 1/2 of you that read).

I'm working the floor with my best Marc Jacobs hankie tied around my neck, listening to Stevie Ray Vaughan play Riviera Paradise... let me tell you something, if things were different (aka I wasn't about to marry the love of my life, and Stevie hadn't died tragically in a helicopter crash years ago) I'd be ALL over that.

Stuffed Mushroom Caps for Dinner

I'm having dinner at Jenny's tonight, so I decided to make one of my favorite dishes-- Artichoke Stuffed Mushroom Caps.

I love this recipe for many reasons- one- it utilizes every part of the mushroom, two- it's absolutely to die for, and three, though it takes a bit of prep work, it's really an easy recipe, but the finished product gives the allusion of being made by a great chef.

So, I'll share it. And if you make them, please let me know how the come out!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
24 mushrooms, stems removed and chopped (I generally use about 10-12 Cremini mushrooms and 3-4 Portabellas)
salt and black pepper to taste
1 12 ounce jar of marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 cup shredded italian cheese blend
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, or to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook the onions and mushroom stems in the hot oil until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl; add the artichoke hearts, cream cheese, sour cream, Italian cheese blend, and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Stir the mixture until ingredients are evenly distributed. Stuff the mushroom caps with the mixture. Arrange the stuffed mushrooms on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until the filling begins to bubble, about 20 minutes.

And voila! Stuffed mushroom caps!