Boston + New England

Catching a Glimpse: Boston

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Boston's cobblestone streetsNo matter how many times I walk around Boston, I still find myself taken aback by the beauty of this city.

Something about the curve of the street, the cobblestones, the shadow and light, flags blowing in the wind. And even the neon Red Sox sign. It caught my breath.  This street has felt a lot of footsteps. Seen so much history along with the mundane.

Next Friday is my birthday and my driver’s license was getting ready to expire. Luckily, where I was working yesterday wasn’t too long of a walk to the Haymarket branch of the RMV. A month ago when I went to the opening of Boston Public Market, I noticed that location.

As I was leaving the RMV, I saw this street and had to double back and take a couple of pictures. All the tourists were too. Or maybe they were just like me. Locals seeing Boston with fresh eyes and wanting to keep a piece of it.

For the past few months, I’ve been reading Chani Nicholas, a really interesting astrology website. For those of us who are Virgos, we’ve been in a pretty interesting cycle.

Before I even read about it, I could feel a pull to the past. Like things were resetting and coming full circle from a few years ago. I was wondering what was going on, so when I read about Venus retrograde in Virgo, it started to make sense. Below is a portion from one of Chani’s posts.

Venus will be retrograde from July 25th to September 6th 2015.

Within our lifetimes (thus far) Venus has gone retrograde between the signs of Virgo and Leo once every 8 years. Therefore you can look to see what of significance happened in your life 8 years ago to get a feel for what this retrograde cycle could be about.

Venus deals with issues of love, connectivity, art, pleasure, pleasing, what we value, how we feel about what we value, creating culture, erotic energy, Goddess, anyone who identifies as a woman and all things to do with relationships. When Planets slow down to station retrograde, they tend to have a powerful effect on our lives (especially given the topics they govern).

This Venus retrograde begins in Virgo. Venus in Virgo is said to be in its fall; it is said to not “work as well,” meaning that all this Venus wants to do is work. That’s not what the goddess of love and hanky-panky usually likes to do though. Therefore this Venus station retrograde could have us working over time.

I suggest utilizing the energy of Venus in Virgo stationing retrograde by doing intentional ritual (Virgo loves a good structured, devotional practice) that is focused on purifying, cleansing or cleaning (Virgo wants it tidy) out old baggage from past loves. That could be emotional messiness, physical objects that are cluttering up your energetic space or habitual patterns that cause romantic casualties.

I’ve gotten back into my yoga practice and have been working hard. Figuring out some other things too. This weekend, I still have a lot to do, but definitely plan to take some time to stop and smell the flowers as I head into my birthday week.

Have a wonderful long holiday weekend!

Subway Stories: Self-Injection on the Red Line

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red line train stationI’ve seen strange things on the Red Line. That’s why I started writing Subway Stories. The kid running while brandishing a machete in the train station is something I will never forget.

Manspreading is something that I’ve noticed and been annoyed by. Apparently the term is so common, that just this month it was added to OxfordDictionaries.com.

Well, my commute got even more uncomfortable this week. There are some things that really should be done in the privacy of your own home. There are some things you really don’t expect to see happening right next to you when you’re on the train. A woman injecting herself with a needle is one of them.

It was Friday evening and I had gotten out of work a little on the early side. The train wasn’t that crowded. I walked over to stand by a pole and then the woman sitting in front of me jumped up and rushed to the door. Apparently, she didn’t realize she was at South Station and needed to get out. She didn’t make it and the doors closed right in front of her.

I was just happy that an empty seat had suddenly appeared. I sat down, pulled out my book and started reading.

Then either the next stop or the one after that, the woman sitting to my left shifted to get up. But instead of getting up, she reached into her bag and pulled out a needle.

I looked at her and she didn’t look crazy, drunk or strung out, so I didn’t jump away from her. I hoped I was reading her correctly and that she would not stab me with it. I thought about that show What Would You Do? and hoped for the best.

Apparently, what I would do is not say or do anything. She started preparing her needle and injected herself in the shoulder that was farthest away from me. She put the cover back on the needle and put it away. Then settled back in her seat as if nothing had happened.

Maybe she was diabetic and needed insulin? An EpiPen probably would have been injected in her thigh. I cannot possibly imagine another reason why someone would need to self-inject on the train. Do you?

Patty Chen’s Dumpling Room

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Dumpling Roomm Smart CarYou never know when you’re going to find food blog inspiration. While I was driving yesterday, I noticed this smart car driving in front of me. It’s one of very few times that I hoped for a red light, so I could take a picture of the car. I was intrigued. Dumpling Room? Were dumplings being delivered? Where was this place? An investigation was needed.

As you may know, my curiosity often gets the best of me. So I looked up the website and found that Patty Chen’s Dumpling Room is in Central Square. You can order online and they deliver in the Cambridge area. But sadly not in Quincy. I called to confirm. The car belongs to a family member of the owner who lives here.

The Dumpling Room looks like a really cool place, that I would like to check out at some point. They cater and have a Dumpling School. But it’s not a school, it’s a party!

You can get together with friends, family, colleagues or any group and have fun learning to make dumplings! Looks like a good time!

Has anyone been there? Or tried their dumplings?

Creative Mornings: Boston

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Copley Square BostonThis week had a lot of emotional and work-related ups and downs.

But, I did manage to look up and notice the beautiful sky in the middle of it all. When I’m feeling like this, I know that I need to get my mind right. To stay positive and be mindful.

As I write this post, I’m listening to The Lively Show. The show is an interview with Lynn Robinson and focused on intuition. It’s quite a good pick-me-up and helping me stay in the right mindset.

A few months ago, I learned about a breakfast lecture series for the creative community called Creative Mornings. These free morning lectures are held in different cities all over the world and are quite a wonderful resource. I encourage everyone to go if you get a chance. From what I can tell, each month there is a different theme for the talks.

I was finally able to attend a Creative Mornings event in Boston a few weeks ago. The stars aligned and I had the time and found a lecture that interested me.

It was amazing how it worked out. I had just listened to an On Point podcast called, Zen And The Art Of The Free Throw, where George Mumford was interviewed by Tom Ashbrook about how he teaches mindfulness to athletes to help them perform at a higher level. They also discussed his new book, The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance.

It was just a day or two after hearing the interview, that I received an email that Mumford would be speaking at Creative Mornings in Boston. I registered right away!

When I attended the event, which had a theme of Collaboration, I thought they were giving the book away to attendees. But it was only to a few people and I didn’t get one. I put it on hold at the library and have been number one in line for weeks waiting for it. Maybe I’m not meant to read it yet, since I am finishing up another one. It feels right to write this post now, so I will probably write about the book after I read it.

Click here to see some more photos taken by other people. I had a great time and learned a lot at the event. Looking forward to attending more!

Girls Night Out: Hard Rock Cafe in Boston

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Hard Rock Cafe outdoor seatingLast Saturday was a girls night out!  Two friends and I wanted to get together and just relax. Have a simple meal and some summer cocktails.

I learned that Hard Rock Cafe has special tropical inspired drinks for the summer in mason jars. Who doesn’t love mason jars? Plus, when you order one of these drinks, you get to take a mason jar home! It has a cover and a hole for a straw. I’ve already used mine several times.

So many drinks to choose from!

Summer Splash Daiquiri – BACARDI Limón Rum, amaretto, Finest Call Mango Puree, sweet and sour mix and strawberries.

Hard Rockin’ Mai Tai – Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, BACARDI OakHeart Spiced Rum and amaretto mixed with made-from-scratch lemonade, pineapple juice, grenadine and splash of Sierra Mist®.
Summer Fizz – BACARDI Gran Reserva Maestro Rum and Cointreau Orange Liqueur shaken together with muddled fresh raspberries, Black Cherry Reàl and lime.
Summertime Blues – Fresh blueberries, mint and Blueberry Reàl muddled together with made-from-scratch lemonade and topped with Red Bull Yellow Edition.
Back Porch Tea – BACARDI Superior Rum, Bombay Sapphire Gin, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, iced tea, made-from-scratch lemonade, muddled basil and mint with a hint of Monin Cucumber.
Hard Rock Cafe Cocktail Back Porch TeaMy friends had the Summer Splash Daiquiri and Summertime Blues. I was intrigued by the Back Porch Tea.
It actually had a cucumber in it! Mine was not too sweet, plus nice and minty.

We all enjoyed our drinks and our mason jars to go! Our meals were delicious too. The servings are huge, so you won’t leave hungry.

For dinner, I had a veggie burger and parmesan fries.

The parmesan cheese sprinkled on the fries was a nice touch. The veggie burger was remarkably good.

I’m often hesitant to try veggie burgers when I eat out, because they can be quite bad. This was such a pleasant surprise. It was made of black beans, but didn’t have a bean consistency. If I recall correctly, the burger was topped with a huge mushroom and roasted tomato. It was quite divine actually and I’d definitely order it again.

This Hard Rock Cafe location is right across the street from the Millennium Hotel. If you’re staying there while on vacation or business, you’ll have a convenient and good place to eat.

If you’re a local and want to go, it’s right around the corner from Haymarket on the Orange and Green lines, if you’re taking the T.

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After we ate, it wasn’t very late. The night was still warm and there were many people milling about.

Music was playing and Faneuil Hall was just steps away. So we walked around, then sat on a bench and talked. And talked. And talked.

It was nice catching up and enjoying being out. We still remember the winter well and want to make the most of what is left of the summer.

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Disclosure: While our meals were free, we truly enjoyed them!