Day 157: Mango goodness

We have been saving this mango, anxiously waiting for it to ripen during some of the coldest weather this winter.  Well, we finally cut into it and it was lovely!

Day 156: What?!

While out on a fruitless search for a store, we spotted this...a dineraunt!  If you Google 'dineraunt', 99% of the results are about this place.  The Duchess Dineraunt in West Haven.

Day 155: The package

This package has caused so much trouble.  First, the delivery company attempted to deliver it on Thursday, when of course we were not home.  Usually they leave packages in the vestibule of our building.  But no.  They just left a note saying they wouldn't leave it.  So I signed the back saying it was okay to leave.  But today, no.  They just left another note RIGHT NEXT TO the first one saying they'd attempted to deliver it again and wouldn't leave it.  It was as if the signed release was invisible!  So I had to drive out to the depot to pick it up.  Just what I wanted to do on my Friday night.  Good thing it was worth it - all the clothes fit!

Day 154: Persephone

A number of the books I've got out from the library are Persephone books.  Persephone Books is a London-based publisher that focuses on 20th century classics usually written by female authors.  I was introduced to Persephone by the lovely Helen, and I'm now hooked.  Inside the front and back covers of each Persephone book is a gorgeous endpaper.  This is from my current read, Hostages to Fortune.

Day 153: Lunch

A spontaneous slice of pizza for lunch with S.

Day 152: Lovely books

Okay, this might be too many books even for me!  I'm very lucky to have the Yale library at my disposal.  I am making my way through this glorious stack.  So many to choose from!

Day 151: Burns Supper

I was reminded by a friend's 365 that tonight was Burns Night, so I had to make my vegetarian haggis for Burns Supper.  I also made neeps, but they were actually the wrong neeps.  I forgot that British turnips are actually American rutabaga.  I even had a rutabaga in my hand at the store, thinking that it was the right thing, but then I changed my mind.  Oh well!  It was still a nice meal.

Day 150: Vegetables

Lots of unusual vegetables in one display here.  S was tempted by the pomelos so he bought one.  I hope he likes it!

Day 149: Yikes

A scene you never want to see when you pull up to your house.  An ambulance and a fire truck were parked outside our house when we returned from the movies.  We eventually deduced that it was for our next-door neighbor.  We saw her being taken out shortly after we went inside but she was alert and sitting up, so we're hoping it wasn't anything too serious. 

Day 148: Fries

I had a craving for french fries with mayonnaise, so S took me to Rudy's, which is a New Haven institution that I'd never been to before.  They were voted to have the 'best fries in New Haven' by a local paper, so we went to check it out.  They were pretty good!

Day 147: Really?

I opened my closet door to look in the mirror and this was sticking to the door handle.  I guess I must have put it there and forgot all about it. 

Day 146: Look, Mom!

The box of macaroni and cheese says I should use spread!  Maybe I should call and ask what they mean by 'spread'!

(Long story...inside joke.)

Day 145: Here he is!

Baby boy!

Day 144: I've joined the crowd

And finally read Twilight.  I thought it was pretty good, but not the end-all-be-all that much of the hype makes it out to be.  I'll read the next one, but I'm not in a huge hurry.  My niece lent me this copy and said I can have New Moon when she's done with it.

Day 143: Good source of iron

At the doctor's office, I was told that Cream of Wheat is a good source of iron. I had no idea!  I am going to try to eat more of it now.

Day 142: Restocked

I finally got to the grocery store and did a big shop.  We have fresh fruit again!

Day 141: Poor plant

Here is the kadhi patta or curry leaf plant I have been trying to grow since Thanksgiving.  My mom and I both took small cuttings from my aunt's huge tree in PA but as you can see, I haven't been successful.  I am actually surprised it's hung on this long...my mom's died right away.  It's just not warm enough for the poor little thing.  Maybe I'll try again in the summer.

Day 140: Little tracks

As we stepped out of the back door this morning, I noticed these tracks in the snow.  I guess they must be from a squirrel?

Day 139: Adding to the collection

I totally forgot about my mug collection until I happened to stop at the Starbucks in the St. Louis airport and right in front of me was the St. Louis mug!  Luckily I happened to have a layover in Charlotte, so I picked up that one as well.  Score!

Day 138: Downtown St. Louis

Sorry about the poor quality...you'll have to use your imagination to see that this is St. Louis at night from my hotel room. I even had a very distant view of the Arch.

Day 137: Wrigley Building

A quick trip to the city meant I was able to stay in a lovely hotel downtown.  Unfortunately this was not the view from my room, but I did catch a glimpse of it when I was walking back to my room.

Day 136: Lizzy

Lizzy was not happy when we went to meet my sister to exchange the kids, so she sat under the table at the restaurant we met at for a while.  Here is a photo I took of her under the table.  It was originally upside down, but I turned it around.  Her eyelashes are incredibly long!

Day 135: To snowy Chicago

Well, the suburbs actually, but same idea.  Here is Madi after sledding down the hill.  Elizabeth is to the right with her SpongeBob tube.

Day 134: From snowy New Haven

I was surprised to look out the window and find this snowy scene. 

Day 133: Exercise

I joined an exercise class that's Tuesdays and Thursdays.  It's been a long time since I did any organized exercise!  I had to take a long bus ride home because S is out of town.

Day 132: My new bookcase

Recently half of our office moved to another building, leaving behind some of their furniture.  The building was meant to put it into storage, but they haven't yet, so yesterday we looked around at what was left.  I decided this bookcase would be perfect in my office and I was right.  It fits right in, so much so that my boss didn't even know what had changed other than my desk looked a little cleaner!

Day 131: My Bears sweatshirt

For Christmas, my mom and dad got me a Bears sweatshirt, which I have been wearing faithfully since I got back from Chicago.  The Bears ended the season with a 7-9 record, but at least they won their last two games!  It's tough being a Chicago sports fan.

Day 130: Snow

We had plenty of snow over the weekend and thus on Monday morning, the backyard was covered.  At work, the gate for our parking lot is frozen open, so I've been driving to work.

Day 129: Scrabble on Sunday

We didn't play too much Scrabble in Chicago over the break, so we got out our board and played a few games over the weekend.  At this stage, I was about to use the 'k' in 'askew' to make the word 'plank' but I was blocked shortly after this picture was taken.  Grrrr.

Day 128: Would you buy this?

We stopped in Williams and Sonoma to have a look around and spotted this utensil.  Is this something you would buy?

Day 127: Happy New Year

New Year's Day mass at St. Mary's.  They had loads of Christmas trees and wreaths.