Not Your Average Joe's

In a collection of my favorite places, this restaurant would sure rank high on my list! It is called Not Your Average Joe's, and it lives up to its name. This restaurant is a small, local-owned chain in the Lexington, MA area. The first thing I fell in love with in this restaurant is its use of color. Every color is clear, intentional. The mirrors are positioned perfectly to make you feel like you have a view of "living artwork" in the room. I love this effect, even though (to be honest) I sometimes get motion sickness from staring into the mirrors. Walking into Joe's you just feel hip and cool. Sometimes I don't feel worthy. By the way, the food at Not Your Average Joe's is amazing. Every dish has a twist, like the caribbean buffalo chicken tenders with pineapple-mango salsa.

So what good does reading about my favorite restaurant do you? Not much unless you happen to be traveling to the Boston area. But I just wanted to put up a picture of a place that makes me feel happy. Something about the way the colors and design work with the food, the smells, the ambiance. I like the thoughts I think when I am in this room. Do you all have any places like that?

Digital Disaasters

Tonight the blessings and the curses of the digital age came home to roost: Kylie deleted her entire digital library of photos. These were years of her life, and at least one year of her art. I have to hand it to her...she was devestated but calm. I'd have been throwing the computer. David is now patiently working with a mac recovery program to see if anything remains to be seen. I'll post the results! 

Jillian is snoozing in her bed. I am trying to decide if I dare turn off her lights and close up her room. She was packing for Boston when she apparently fell asleep! Now what to do? 

Tomorrow we head north once again: cold and snowy. We stop in Atlanta, though, and pick up Mike and Em. Yeah! We'll feel complete again for a little bit. It has been a rough transition this week for Jillian and for us as well, if we are being truthful. Suddenly we have no guarantee of friends who are always happy to see us and go out to play. Oh, don't get me wrong. We have friends. But not any right now who will always be read for any new adventure. We are hoping to be able to meet up in ATL.

As for me...well I've been glad to emerge from my detox fog and resume a little bit of life again. I feel better and lost a little bit of weight, and most importantly I am ready to begin a good eating program that just might work! 

Church started its "One Life" campaign. This week Todd Mullins spoke. Next week our teaching pastor John Maxwell, and then our senior pastor Tom Mullins. We're enjoying the series and the call to commitment.

Nocturnal Nothings

It is 1:48 and every member of my household is up and active. What is wrong with this picture? Kylie is watching TV, Jillian is - presumably - getting ready for bed. Spring is working on a post card for the One Life campaign at church, and David was recently helping her. And me? I am hanging with my bloggies, as I put it. I love flopping on this couch and picking up my computer for the time I spend waiting for Jillian. Each night I bring my book dutifully to the couch, but somehow the computer is better company. At certain times of the day it will connect me with my friends, show me the world, or play reruns of the shows that weren't on tv this season. Does it get any better?

Life moves on here, slowly. I see Jillian trying to find a rhythm in this suddenly rhythmless life she has. Tomorrow we start back to schoolwork for all, so that will provide a structure for a week or so. Then off to Boston perhaps? I would be excited about going - I am excited, actually, except that my mom will be so upset that we are leaving once again. Somehow these things are personal to her, and she doesn't like to see us travel. Having so recently returned from Atlanta, a Boston trip will feel frivolous to her. 

In the meantime, this is the end of day two in our detox diet. David and I started yesterday. Was it only yesterday? Impossible. My head aches, my body aches. How is this possible just by altering the foods I eat? Wow! My book says that tomorrow I should feel better. I am standing on the promise. 

So that is about it. We are moping around the house nursing heartache and headache. 

Good night!