2012

Oh, you guys.

(Well, maybe just you guy. It's been a while.)

Happy New Year! I've missed you.

How was your New Year's? Mine was, basically, the best.

We went to a cabin in New Hampshire, where we spent the weekend eating good food and lighting fireworks.

I didn't take my sparkly legwarmers off, except to go in the hot tub.

I rang in the new year surrounded by many of my most favorite people in a gorgeous location.

2012 is off to a fantastic start.

Monday Adventure

On Monday, Dewey, Kristine and I went to the North End.

Any trip to the North End has to include a visit to Polcari's.

I could spend hours inside that store.

Their wall of coffee makes me happy.

So do their snacks. I bought some dried apricots. They were amazing.

Afterwards, we went to Cafe Vittoria and got affogato.

(That's what it's called when they pour espresso over gelato and Abbie dies of deliciousness.)

It was an excellent Monday off.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day, Friends!

I've been fretting needlessly over stupid things and haven't gotten a chance to make my valentines this year. Tonight I have big plans to go home, enjoy the spring-like weather, make some dinner, and sit down with some paper and glue.

Anybody who wants a belated valentine, send me your address! abigail.cyr@gmail.com

Swedish Fair

Every year at the beginning of December, some part of my family goes to the Swedish Christmas Fair in the South End. It's funny that it's become such a tradition because we aren't even a little bit Swedish (though Dewey did have the Kirsten American Girl Doll when we were little), but every year I look forward to eating a Swedish waffle with whipped cream and watching the Santa Lucia procession. This year was no exception, especially after I tried the special Swedish Christmas soda that they sell. It's delicious!


{There was a one-year-old eying my waffle. She was adorable, hence the awkward face.}



{There are always lots of vendors selling all sorts of wonderful Swedish Christmas decorations.}


{I never like soda, but this is amazing}

Happy Thanksgiving!

{For the second year in a row, Dewey and I got coffee at Diesel Cafe after the Somerville Turkey Trot. I think I can get behind this tradition.}

Yesterday, my friend Manoli asked me if I was happy. After careful thought, the answer was a resounding yes. That is due entirely to the fact that I have so many wonderful people in my life.
I have parents who have my back no matter what, and who encourage the baking of twelve pies at Thanksgiving.
I have a sister with whom to run Turkey Trots (at the same time, but NEVER together, of course) and then get coffee.
I have friends who are as excited for our Eighth Annual Day After Thanksgiving Extravaganza ('Stravaganza for short) as I am, and friends who willingly volunteer their homes for these events.
I went to a wonderful college, where I met people who gchat with me while they're in England, California, New York and Somerville and invite me to see live music and help me find really sweet jobs.
I have roommates who watch The Holiday with me even if they hate it, just because it's my favorite cold-weather movie.
And I have a blog, where I have met so many lovely people who so willingly share their lives with Strangers From The Internet.

This year at Thanksgiving, I'm grateful for all of the amazing people who have made me so wonderfully, resoundingly, happy this year. Thank you for being a part of my life.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!


{"I will take your picture with your phone and you will put it on your blog," said Dewey. So I did.}

Poultry

To prep myself for Thanksgiving this year, I've been listening to This American Life's Poultry Slams from years past. The episodes, produced (almost) every year, focus entirely on stories about poultry- primarily chickens, but sometimes turkeys, too, and they are hilarious, and you should be listening to them, too. The one from 2003 is especially funny- I found myself closing the office door at work because I was laughing so hard during the first act.

Hopefully, tomorrow I'll be back with my grateful list, but in case I'm not, have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone!

Picnics, playing in fountains, graduation parties, watermelon and mojitos at the boat club and perfect weather make for a fantastic memorial day weekend. I hope yours was wonderful, too.

*I took a little blog break because I was uninspired and grumpy, and something needed to change. It did just the trick. I missed you guys, though, and I'm so glad to be back.

Merry Christmas!

I hope yours is full of cookies and happiness.

Thank you so much for stopping by here, friends. If I could, I would give everyone who reads this blog a whole sidetable full of presents.

P.S. Sarah, Giovanna, and Neo-TRAD, send me your addresses! abigail.cyr{at}gmail.com

Today and tomorrow I am grateful for:

kind strangers.

friends who would get teeny tiny tattoos with me.

my awesome, completely unexpected (and maybe undeserved) job.

parents who taught me that the most fun part of thanksgiving is taking in as many strays as we can find.

a sister who, no matter how much we fight, wants me to meet her at the finish line of her road race so we can walk home together.

Man, people are awesome, no?

Happy Thanksgiving!

I started high school on 9.9.99

{Image borrowed from Commonwealth. I hope they don't mind!}

Ten years ago today, I started high school. I went to a funny high school, and I sometimes hated it. I hated the way all the teachers knew who I was, even if they'd never taught me (and they all knew that I shouted a lot, so they yelled at me a lot), and I hated the way all of my homework was hard all the time. I also hated the way you couldn't get away from someone, and how hard it was to make friends at first.

Even though I sometimes hated it, though, I'll always be glad I went there. It is rare in high school, I think, to have teacher who will meet with you individually every single week to talk about ideas or give you extra help. It is rare, I think, to be able to say that you learned as much in high school as you did in college. (For me, to be honest, maybe more. But that's 'cause I didn't try very hard in college.) The rarest thing of all, though, and the thing for which I am the most grateful, is the friends I made, once I finally did make friends. Many of my favorite people on the planet are people I met in high school, and I'm so lucky they're my friends. It's why I wanted to go to that funny school in the first place, and it's why I'm so glad I stayed.

Happy Commie-versary, Commies!

I Feel that the fact that my pumpkin is sleeping says something about me.

This is my pumpkin. His name is Jack.



When I found Jack at the Pumpkin Patch, I knew he needed to be mine.
You see, he was lying on his side, taking a little rest. I like to do that, too.
So, I took him home, where he sat on my kitchen table for a week.
Then, the night before Halloween, when I have always carved my pumpkin always and forever, it was time to give him a face, complete with closed eyes.


He was sleeping, but that wasn't clear to me, so I needed to give him some Zs.



Happy Halloween, Internet!
Love,
Abbie and Sleepy Jack