Whew.

I'm back.  And a tad speechless.  The hub and I have continued our mad dash around New England and it is going to take me a few days to recover from this particular this lap.  I'm tired from head to toe, but so very satisfied.  Our home in Vermont has been successfully sublet and all of our worldly possessions are packed, protected, labeled and stored, ready to be loaded and taken to their next destination whenever we have one.  Now, we are all back in one piece in Maine, where there is power, heat, and water!  Hallelujah! And  whew... that one was a doozy.  I now have a recovery plan in mind that goes a little something like this:

Tonight I'm roasting fresh fish and making this Pearl Couscous with Olives and Roasted Tomatoes from Smitten Kitchen. Tomorrow I'm making my Tuscan Ribollita for my parents to try.  I'm also feeling a baking project coming up.  Nothing is more calming to me than cooking, and nothing could be a better celebration of being home with a working oven!

Why is it that my hands always get absolutely destroyed during moves?  My paws need some serious love.  I cut my index finger on a tape gun yesterday and it still hurts like you wouldn't believe. You know you are in trouble when you've already packed the Band-Aids (mistake) and have to fashion a bandage out of paper towels and packing tape.  So sad.  And don't get me started on my cuticles.  My plan is to go easy on them for a few days, and just douse them in Aveda Hand Relief on an hourly basis.  Eventually, I'll no longer have the hands of a dock worker.

How great is this Ork City Neighborhood poster?  My sisters collect them and I think they rock. 

Eventually plan to join the club and get the Boston and San Francisco versions. 

With business taken care of in Vermont, we can really turn our focus on finding our new home in Boston!  I'm starting to become downright obsessed with considering neighborhoods and stalking real estate.  My Sitemeter tells me that I have a lot of Boston readers, so tell me this, Beantown people, do you love your neighborhood?  Can't imagine living anywhere else?  Think it is the place of places to raise your brood?  I'd love to hear what you think.  We'd like to be near to the city, and have an easy commute to downtown for the husband.  Dog parks, locally-owned coffee shops, and a decent restaurant or 2 would be nice to have in the 'hood.  Public schools that rock would be nice.  I am in a serious fact-finding state, and all input is welcome.  I'm so excited for what comes next.  In the meantime, this is a week for Advil, arnica, Flatbread Pizza, and THE OSCARS (aka, my Super Bowl).  Bring it!