Reality

This post is for people who say I am good at household things and that I never post negatives.

Here is a major shortcoming that I have that I am finally willing to admit publicly.








Hi, I'm Ashley and I kill plants.

Everybody now: Hi, Ashley.

I looked over at my tiny cactus just now and noticed his major slumpage. I asked Bryan if it was dead because he was standing near it, and when he touched one of said cactus' prickles the whole thing deflated like a soufflé.
He laughed really hard and then put the cactus over near the other potted plant that also recently kicked the bucket.

This guy has been going strong for the entirety of our marriage, though:


At least they haven't ALL died...

We're Home

We made it back to Boston after a wonderful trip home!
I'm sad our trip was over so quickly!

Tonight: Beet Risotto and home made bread!

Beach Week

After an incomprehensible amount of traffic, and a baggage thief at the airport we finally made it to the beach.


A girl grabbed my suitcase and left the airport (leaving her suitcase behind). The baggage claim attendant figured out what happened, found her number and called. She returned an hour later to switch bags and we were finally able to leave Jackson. The traffic was so bad (not to mention the pouring rain) that we were able to catch up with the others who had left hours before us!! Our travel ended up totaling 15 hours, but we made it!!

All rain all day today... Tomorrow there will be sun, I know it!!!

A Note on The Easter Bunny

For Easter (several months ago) Tiffanie set up the girls' Easter baskets downstairs in the living room and sprinkled flower petals from the door over to the baskets (these were supposed to be indicative of footprints). The girls wake up like normal and wander downstairs like normal and while Adele is experiencing the excitement of bunny-shaped chocolate, Martha is going berserk because of, "the HUGE MESS the Easter Bunny has left her to clean up!!!"
Then and there, through the fits and rages the child swore of the Easter Bunny and declared him unwelcome in her home. She wanted no more gifts from him EVER, and if he must bring something for Adele again next year she specially requested that he leave it at the neighbors house with a note for where Adele might pick up her goodies.

Flash forward to the playground in mid-July, yesterday...
We are drawing with chalk!! Shapes, a long train, a house with people, fruit, a rainbow... And then I get a special request from Martha to draw the Easter Bunny. I do.


"Can you draw his flower footprints?"
"sure" and I do.


"now don't forget to draw me being super afraid."
"how did you look when you were super afraid?" she poses and I draw it.


I immediately send the photos to Tiffanie so she can catalog the date and time that these issues arose. (just in case her therapist needs to know in a few years)

Good Morning

From Boston-Logan International Airport!


For some reason my alarm was set to quack like an insane duck at 3:00am. The 3:00am part I was aware of. The quacking part, not so much.

Now after an intense and VERY intimate moment with a lovely TSA agent (Bryan also got a pat down. He was also asked if he was wearing an anklet HAHAHA--- just like on Seinfeld! He was a little bit insulted.) we are watching the sun rise over the the tarmac.

Family, we're coming! See you soon!

It's a Beautiful Day

In our neighborhood!

Looking Forward

Martha and Adele are back from vacation and I was so happy to see them today! We should have some adventures this week so I'll keep as updated as possible.

In forward-looking news, we are T-minus 4 days and counting until Family Beach Week!!! This is year 26 if I'm not mistaken. (this is only year 6 for me, and I'm so glad it's a tradition I get to be a part of!) I am so excited to head South and soak up some if that heat advisory's sun!

Fluffy Heaven

Bryan ate one and insisted he was having a sugar overload. I think they are delightful!

Oh My Heavens

My sweet, fluffy, marshmallowy heavens...
Where have you been all my life?

They're not chopped into marshmallows yet, but they will be as soon as they set... Waiting for marshmallows to be ready is torture! I already licked the beaters... and the spatula.... and the bowl....

Having vacation has really allowed me to dig deep into baking and cooking this week! I LOVE IT! Yesterday I made bagels. I've made them before but not since we lived in Starkville. I should really make them more often (and then I guess I'll have to run even farther every day to make up for it...totally worth it.)

They were SO ugly, bless their hearts.

But they were SO good... I keep talking about them like they are past tense. I think there's one or two left. Two left, and one lost to the boiling water means we've eaten 9 bagels in two days. ummm..... I'm going to go running now.

Independence Day

We watched the fireworks from Ian's rooftop. Way better than going to the river like last year...












We listened to the 'Independence Day' movie's presidential speech while we watched fireworks which was pretty funny and amazingly patriotic...
Anyway, Happy Independence Day! I hope you saw beautiful things tonight!
Tomorrow: The Beach! (again!)

Happy 4th of July

I think I'll go have a cupcake now!

Fireworks tonight!

The British are Coming!

Revolutionary War reenactments today on the Common!
















And also Super 8 was a pretty good alien movie and a really good blow-things-up movie. Plus it made me want to go home and dance to 'My Sherona' over and over (which I absolutely did.)
And the tacos to follow were exceptional!


(I think the shrimp sticker looks like a caterpillar)



(I think the beef sticker looks like a pig) (I didn't get a look at the pork sticker... I wonder if it also looked like a pig)

Crane Beach

The beach was magnificent!

low tide, when we left around 5:00

A perfectly appropriate book to be reading at the beach!

high tide at 10:30 when we got there

We had snacks, lunch, naps, books and music. A lovely lovely day.