Quilt with Love

This past September my sister, mother, and bridal party threw me a bridal shower that was fabulous. Well, actually the whole weekend was one of the best of my life. In lieu of a traditional bachelor/bachelorette type situation, Bryan and I and our friends spent the weekend out in Cutchogue, where we all rented a house and relaxed (and partied). Our friends Patrick and Liz, as well as my sister, bought and prepared all the food we ate that weekend. They did a TREMENDOUS job. Everyone was astounded by the delicious spread. Each meal topped the one before it. It was amazing. I especially enjoyed Saturday night’s pasta extravaganza. Patrick made homemade brioche croutons that make my mouth water to this day. It was amazing- truly. Something else I was so appreciative of was that most of the ingredients for the food they prepped and cooked came from places like Trader Joes and Whole Foods, so we were eating really high quality proteins and produce. I was grateful for that touch. AND lucky for me I have a lot of friends who do not think twice about lending a hand in the kitchen or with general clean-up. It was a real team effort, and I felt so blessed to have so many amazing people be around me at the same time.

At the bridal shower I received so many beautiful gifts. I was literally floored by everyone’s generosity- and not just with the gifts, but with the spirit that accompanied the day. Everyone seemed so genuinely happy. I basked in the warmth that everyone produced. I felt like I was glowing. There is nothing like the feeling you get when so many people willingly and happily come out to help you celebrate a milestone in your life. The only thing that compares was the actual wedding day, where I experienced more love in one place than I ever have before.
At the shower, my bridesmaids presented me with some group gifts- a basket of wine with a fun little poem that marked each new experience Bryan and I would eventually share, and the Pièce de Résistance… a handmade quilt with squares made by my family members and best friends. I literally burst into tears when I saw it. My dear, dear friend Meghan planned it out soup to nuts and was the driving force behind the whole thing. In her family it is a given that the woman getting married will receive a quilt with squares made by family members and friends, and while I do consider Meghan to be a part of my family, I NEVER expected to be included in such a tradition. Meghan’s family has treated me like their own and I love them as my own, but still, I just never expected to be presented with such a thoughtful (and time-consuming!) present. Everyone that made a square did it lovingly – it is obvious that they each thought carefully about what to put on the square and took the time to create an image or quote to reflect what they wanted to say. For those people who weren’t able to make squares, they used their words and the cards they gave me as a way to convey their feelings, which I still have and intend to make a scrapbook out of, as a complement to the quilt.

The quilt is hands down one of the best gifts I have EVER received. Every time I look at it I feel loved and cherished, and I feel like my relationship with Bryan is being celebrated. The quilt defines the phrase “made with love.”

Jams and Sauces and Pickles, Oh My!

Wooo it’s been so long! Sorry, readers. Lucky me, I got a temp job! Quality of life shot through the roof. It has nothing to do with health, but sort of something to do with education. I’m filling in for someone on leave at SUNY Farmingdale. I’m really enjoying my time there.

Anyway, the past few weeks have been totally crazy. Bryan’s grandpa got really sick and landed in the hospital, so for a couple of weekends in a row we went down to see him. The man is a miracle. He’s 95 and is so interesting and has a lot of enthusiasm for life. He’s really independent- he lives alone and drives himself everywhere. He just bought a new laptop and is reading books about computer software. I’m very impressed with him.

He and Bryan have a special relationship, so I’m really glad that we’ve gone down so much. We’re going to continue to make the trip every few weeks, and a serious bonus is that Bryan’s aunt, uncle, and cousins live down there too, and they are excellent company. Bryan’s uncle basically lives on a farm. I am so, so, so impressed with all of their hard work. They plant EVERYTHING and live in such a wonderfully sustainable way- they can and jar all their off-season produce, and they cook all of their own food (for the most part).

I was astounded by their pantry, and they asked us to come back when it’s berry picking season (apparently it’s still a lot of work, even with all the people down there to help out- his aunt and uncle have 3 kids, 2 of which have spouses and children of their own!). I could not be more excited. They kept warning us, but I just kept telling them that I volunteered on a farm for FUN. I went on my own time and picked strawberries ALL DAY LONG on a hot June day. And it was glorious. I mean, don’t get me wrong- I think farming is insane. I would be a nervous wreck if my livelihood were dependent on crops, but to be a part of something that is so much greater than ourselves- to connect with what makes us function (the food we eat!) was incredible. So I’m in heaven down there and I cannot wait for harvest time.

Anyway, they sent us home with 2 boxes of stuff- it was AMAZING!!!! They gave us homemade jam- strawberry (my personal favorite), a couple of kinds of grape, applesauce, tomatoes, 2 kinds of pickles, and tons of potatoes. They had the biggest sweet potato I have ever seen in my life. Another excellent thing about all the food they grow is that they don’t spray their plants- they don’t want to expose the little children who spend so much time out there to all the chemicals. When we last left them, they were looking into ladybugs as a way to control pests. I LOVE IT!

Anyway, it’s so clear that all of this hard work is done with a lot of love- they share what they have and they are happy to do it. They give food to their family, their church, and their friends. I'm so happy to be a part of this family. I’m really excited to be more involved in what they do.