April 22

Today is the birthday of Vladimir Lenin.  And Vladimir Nabokov.  And probably thousands other people, but those two always stick in my mind for April 22.  It was a holiday of sorts at school when I was growing up, Communism and all.  I always think of April 22 as when spring REALLY starts.

I needed some normalcy after this past week.  So I shopped for a patio set.  Now, I'm on a serious budget, and I have some seriously limited space to work with.  Have you ever bought patio furniture?  If not, I refer you to this Apartment Therapy post I just saw - Small Space Outdoors.  While it shows some absolutely pretty bistro sets, they range in price from $200 to $2,400.

I was hoping for something modern, and closer to $100.  I succeeded, but it involved trips to 3 stores and some spray paint.  Behold, my new deck:

I am looking forward to at least 5 months of breakfasts and dinners as this table.

March 18

A friend's post on Facebook made me feel I don't post enough pics of my fluffies, and I need to remedy that, stat.

March 3

March 2

March 1

So I am sitting at Beehive, and I notice a very familiar bottle on the shelf. A bottle I haven't seen in at least 20 years, but one that was always in our home growing up. It's Riga Balsam, and it was only available when someone traveled to Latvia and brought a present. We usually put in in coffee, like you do with cognac and brandy. And the crafty people would turn the bottle into a vase to gift.

So I tell all that to the barkeep, and he makes a lovely experimental drink with it. It tastes like the woods and the sea. Turns out he doesn't know why the bottle is there, he's never seen it before. We all learned something new that night, and I will definitely be back for a funky Riga Balsam again.

Feb 28

I am working backwards. Since all pics are date stamped, I'd rather put them up ;)

This was a lovely walk from book club that night. Winter is fickle here, and it was gorgeous weather.

March 8

Boo. I skipped a week. Sometimes working 14 hrs a day really puts a cramp in your style. So in honor of International Women's Day, I present you...my new snow brush and snow shovel! They are both made in Canada, have telescoping handles for easy storage in the trunk, and were quite necessary today!!!

Feb 27

Thoroughly Modern Millie is sucking my will to live. So here's a giant cat box enclosure in development.

Feb 24

Domesticity. I has it.

Feb 23

It's Defender of the Fatherland Day in Russia! Rejoice!

On a more fun note, I went to my favourite-of-all-times restaurant for my birthday - Gaslight Brasserie du Coin in Boston.

Where we proceeded to take very silly pictures of eating dessert...

Feb 20-21

Even though I keep skipping a day here and there, this whole picture exercise

 has been fun.  This was my mood at the end of a rehearsal last night:

So to liven up the mood - today is my birthday, and thus far it involved:

Drinking prosecco with Mum on Skype

Going out to lunch with the best co-workers ever

And having tons and tons of Russian cake

I am totally stuffed right now, and it's only 6:30...

Feb 19

...And then, when all hope is lost, and the world is a very dark place indeed, you receive a shipment of glittery peacock feathers, and all is right with the world again...

Feb 18

My day was so long and stressful, let's pretend I decorated my walls instead...

Feb 16-17

Yesterday I went out walking in this beautiful night snowy city of ours.

Today I hung up some art groupings.

Feb 15

Hurray! Less than a block from work! Opened this week! Maybe even just yesterday, I clearly don't pay enough attention, even though I pass it daily!

Feb 14. Anti-Valentine.

This is one of the most fantastic bars in Boston. Four of my friends live within walking distance of it. Up until this month, I'd have to travel at least 30 min to get to that bar, or anywhere.

This is the timer from my drive from the Haven to my house tonight. And I had to stop for every light. Ahh, happiness.

Feb 13

My grandmother IS Amanda Wakefield. Heart-wrenching. Thank you, Cherry Jones, Zachary Quinto, Celia Keenan-Bolger and Brian J. Smith.

Feb 12

Totally appropriate for fording streams, but oh, oh so ugly :(

Feb 11

Footwear not appropriate for climbing mountains and fording streams.

Feb 7-8-9-10

What? There was a blizzard!