The Little Things...

~ The sound of a honking goose as it flies overhead. One of my most favorite sounds.

~ Chive blossoms. They're so beautiful that I don't want to trim the plant....

~ A free iced green tea from Starbucks in celebration of Earth Day.

~ Using my own coffee mug for the above so as to avoid their #6 plastic lids!! Ahem.

~ Seeing the doctor on Monday and having her tell me that the baby is now head down (at least for that moment ~ fingers crossed!).

~ Hearing my baby girl's heartbeat.....I could listen to that all day long....

~ This container that Sophie and I planted about a month ago....

~ All of the donations we made to Goodwill and the library over the weekend as we make room for the new nursery!

~ Breathing room now that our house is a little bit more empty!!!

~ Sophie's expression as I attempt to blow out my birthday candles....totally priceless!

~ Sweet birthday wishes....thank you to everybody...!!

~ Watching Mary Poppins with Sophie for the first time and seeing her face during the more magical scenes!

~ Yellow Snapdragons....

~ I mailed Letters #6 & #7 in the 52 Week/52 Letter Challenge.

~ Adele's latest CD, "21" (my birthday gift to myself).....I am IN LOVE with this CD. (add this to my list of ALL THINGS ENGLISH!)

Image via Amazon

~ Hearing Sophie singing "Rumour Has It" from the backseat. "Rumour Has It....ooohhhh."

~ THE baby bump. Well, on second thought, there's nothing little about it!!!

Happiness is....

MY GARDEN!!!!

Yesterday, Sophie and I spent the morning planting all of our summer crops. It wasn't very hot out yet since it was early morning (we finished by 10:30 AM), there was a nice breeze and the backyard birds were serenading us as we worked. What a nice way to spend the morning! Last year was a little challenging in the garden so I have high hopes for this season. Fingers crossed!

I like to take photos periodically throughout the season ~ I'm always amazed when I look back at them later at how quickly everything grows.... So this is a quick shot of two of the beds as of April 26th....

* Notice how well our lettuce, spinach, cabbage, onions and potatoes are coming along???

Every year I intend to officially start my "Garden Journal". Well, this year, I finally did it. This is my first entry....

As I was planting yesterday, I was amazed at how dark the soil was, thanks to the compost we spread on the beds a couple of months ago. In some spots, it's so dark that it's almost black. I can't wait to see how well the veggies grow this year!

As of today, we have the following planted:

Mild Mesclun Mix

Red Sails Lettuce ( I really love this one!)

Spinach

Spring Onions

Onions

Cucumbers (Pickling)

Zucchini

Sungold Tomatoes (small, cherry-like tomatoes, our family favorite!)

Cherokee Purple Tomatoes (an heirloom, the birds love these!)

Roma Tomatoes (my first year trying these)

Better Boy Tomatoes (for caprese salad!)

Sweet Basil

Red-Skinned Potatoes

Red Cabbage

Ambrosia Melon (cantaloupe~so delicious!)

I forgot to plant the radishes so will do that soon....

Due to the baby's pending arrival, I planted less than I would have otherwise but I think it's still plenty enough to keep me busy!!!

38

As it turns out, April 26th is my birthday. I am 38 today!!! So, in honor of my birthday, I am celebrating via blog by sharing 38 things about myself....

1. I am a true procrastinator. I tend to take more pleasure in doing things when it's "the last minute". This applies to everything. Catching planes. Arriving at a party. Studying. Planning vacations. Everything. This is the one thing my husband would change about me. I saw a sign the other day that said, "I have not yet begun to procrastinate". Yep, that just about sums it up....

2. I despise the Beatles. EEEKKKK!!! Don't hate me. A song of theirs just came on Pandora and I had to switch the channel.

3. My favorite color is blue. Well, and seafoam green (almost everything in my house is this color).

4. I prefer cold weather over hot weather. I'll do anything to avoid being in the sun. I feel so much like myself when I am wearing layers.

5. I've been with Alain, the love of my life, for over 18 years now. And I am constantly amazed at how our relationship seems to get better over time. I am a very lucky woman!

6. My garden and my compost pile make me feel powerful.

7. I don't trust people who don't like dogs or people who claim that animals don't have souls.

8. I am obsessed with reading about societal issues.

9. I would like to be an eternal student. There are so, so, so many things I want to study.

10. I'm a twice-a-day shower-taker. It's maybe the biggest luxury in my life.

11. I truly believe that adventurous eaters who are passionate about food make better sexual partners.

12. I have a real problem....I cannot resist warmed blueberry scones from Starbucks. And they are so bad for me.

13. My dream careers: party DJ (!!!), city planner, pastry chef, food critic (although I'm a vegetarian!), architect, writer, specialty retail shop owner.

14. I am a feminist. A proud one. I am fiercely passionate about womens issues.

15. I'm a nine-hour sleeper. Ideally, I like to sleep from around Midnight to 9 AM. As you can imagine, this does not jive well with having young children.

16. To add to that, I am a true night owl. I have my biggest surges of energy and spurts of inspiration late in the evening. So, as you might guess, I am NOT a morning person. Not in any way, shape or form. In fact, it's best to keep your distance from me until around 10:30/11ish.

17. Living in Suburbia is slowly wearing on me. Lately, our part of town is more and more crowded. It's loud. There are too many cars and too many people. I would rather live totally urban or totally rural, where there are other benefits. But this just seems unhealthy to me. Good thing that hubbie seems to agree with me....

18. Jane Goodall is my idol. LOVE HER! She is such an amazing person and a gentle soul.

19. Music is my sanity in life. It can cure almost anything for me. In recent years, I've even learned to appreciate a good, good country song.

20. I wish there were more animals in my life. Maybe a bird for indoors. A pet rabbit. I long for some chickens. I dream big dreams about having a horse and maybe a few goats.

21. I'm a strong believer in reincarnation.

22. I don't really watch TV. Earlier this year, my husband finally agreed to let me cancel cable. I feel like our lives our richer now. When I tell other people, they look at me like I have six heads...but I know that I'm the one better off. Funnily enough, these are the same people that always ask me how I get so much done. Hmmm....

23. Secret confession -- I'm not a beach person. I try so hard but I'm just not. I find it tolerable when the weather is cooler and the beach is more empty. I like days when it's cool enough to wear rolled-up pants and a sweatshirt and you can have a nice, quiet, peaceful walk on the beach. But, in all honestly, I'd prefer a mountain vacation or a really nice city vacation.

24. I have some serious wanderlust lately. Mostly, I'd like to travel around the country visiting close friends. My closest friends all live far away from me....

25. I miss red wine and blue cheese. As soon as this baby pops out (as if it's that easy), those will be my first requests. And maybe a margarita....

26. My favorite body part? These blue eyes. My daughter's are IDENTICAL. This makes me so incredibly happy!

27. My parents are crazy young. I entered their lives when they were a very spritely seventeen years young. I sometimes forget how much this differentiates me from most people. But when I do remember or someone reminds me, I thank my lucky stars. When my parents were 38, I was almost finished college. And here I am still having babies!!!

28. I majored in Business Administration (yawn) with a minor in Anthropology. But I also have about an 80%-complete Masters in Biology. Maybe one day I'll go back and finish that. The only problem is that the second semester of Organic Chem would be waiting for me. Criky!

29. On that note, possibly my biggest dream in life is to obtain a Doctorate degree. I'm not sure it'll happen but Dr. Audrey sure sounds good to me!!! Knowing that I'll have two daughters only reinforces this wish!! The problem is that I'm not getting any younger...

30. I am a true Southerner. To the core. People laugh at me when I tell them this. I guess I'm not a typical Southerner in any respect. And I ditched my twangy Southern accent somewhere around 1992. But I know where I feel most at home and what's in my heart. (And yes, I do have a subscription to Southern Living.)

31. I find vacuuming to be extremely therapeutic.

32. I think a person's character is defined by how they treat people who can do absolutely nothing for them.

33. I have three sweet, gorgeous, delicious baby nephews. Benjamin, Yaron & Emilio. Unfortunately, they all live ridiculously far from me and I never see them. Side Note: I'm glad that this division of the family produces girls to even things out. :-)

34. Adding to that, secretly, I'm really happy that I'm going to have two daughters. I honestly think I'm a good Mom for girls. (I really hope so ~ I suppose only time will tell!)

35. My favorite part of the day is reading to Sophie at night. I love it so much! I hope that she loves reading as much as I do. It is so enriching in one's life.

36. I am a compulsive list maker. Nothing is more satisfying to me than crossing a completed task off of one of my to-do lists.

37. I dream of having Sarah Brightman's voice and singing abilities. In another life, I'm quite sure I was a flapper/Broadway star. In this life, I clear a room when I sing!

38. On this birthday, as with every birthday, I raise up a toast in memory of my dear friend and fellow free spirit, Brian Paul Mercado. Thanks to knowing him and in part because of losing him at a young age, I appreciate EVERY birthday and understand how lucky I am to live each day. Bri, you are still loved and missed, every single day!!! Cheers....

It's the Little Things

I've had an uninspired week. I don't know how else to describe it. It's been busy with a family visit last weekend, garden planting (!!!), Passover, a reduced school schedule for Sophie (due to Easter/"Spring Break") and my normal crazy number of projects, visits with friends, etc. Even though I've been busy, for some reason, it still seems unsatisfying. What can I say ~ I'm weird.

This morning is dark, gloomy and rainy. Soph's school is closed today. Pooh! Alain rented "Homeward Bound" for her and she is transfixed. It really is a great movie!!! Anyway, that's allowed me a few somewhat peaceful minutes of "surfing" and blogging. In my "travels", I was so pleased to come across a new blog....honestly, it was the name that captured me...."A Serenade for Solitude"....remember my post about quiet & solitude? Well, this blogger hosts a regular Thursday series called "The Little Things". And I really appreciate this. Our lives are so harried and busy that we have to make an actual effort to slow down and appreciate the small things. (I've been buried in David Wann books this week so this is all very fitting!) This week, making my own list of "The Little Things" will definitely lift my spirits....

It really is the little things....

A nice, warm shower all by myself.

A warm mug of herbal tea.

A big, furry dog lying on my feet as I type.

The $4 dress I found for Sophie at a consignment shop earlier this week. It's from Gymboree, has green stripes and a beaded strawberry at the neck. She absolutely loves it and is wearing it for the second day in a row. Will try to capture a photo so you can see how well it fits her personality...

A deep and dreamy sleep.

A really good book.

Spring.

Plating the first summer-crop seedlings in my garden.

Sunshine.

The color yellow.

My backyard birds.

Time to daydream.

A husband who can clearly see when I need time alone.

Reading a book alone at Starbucks for over an hour, in peace (see above entry).

Receiving an unexpected package from a friend, with a handwritten card and a gift.

A very nice dream involving Colin Firth.

Little baby kicks in my belly.

Hearing good things about my friend, Helena's, newborn.

My brother's race team winning the race last weekend.

The song, "It's Not Unusual" by Tom Jones. Lifts me every single time, without fail.

Pinterest. My greatest source of inspiration lately. Join me, won't you?

Lunch with my dear, lovely, funny friend, Calvin, and our "bakery crawl" around Charlotte.

David Wann's book, "Simple Prosperity" (someone speaks my language, TG!)

So there you go. I could write all day but Sophie is BEGGING me to play with her. And that one of those little things itself, isn't it?

Next week I'll make my list on Thursday....

Images via Martha Stewart Weddings and David Wann's website

10 Reasons Why I Love Daufuskie Island!!!

1. The island is only accessible by boat. Our particular ferry ride took an hour. But what a ride! All the beauty you take in during that hour.....well, it's amazing. To Soph's delight, we even saw some dolphins swimming by...

2. This was our car for the day. What fun! The island does have a few cars belonging to the locals, but we only saw two during the day. The island is only about 5 miles long and 2 1/2 miles wide. Who needs a car? And, believe me, I am HAPPY not having to drive a car all day!!!

3. These are the types of roads you'll encounter on Daufuskie. Sand. With tons of trees and surrounded by nature. There are very few houses and ZERO COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS. Heaven, in other words. What a welcome change from "the real world" we live in on a daily basis!

4. The trees. I'm not sure what this particular type of tree is called. They are nothing less than magnificent. And draped with loads of Spanish Moss. Try as I might, I couldn't manage to get a full tree into one photo. Tough problem to have!

5. Pat Conroy, quite possibly my favorite Southern author (Prince of Tides, anyone?), taught at this school. He wrote about the experience in a book of his titled, The Water Is Wide. I haven't read this one but you can bet it's high on my reading list at the moment.

* This school is called the Mary Fields Elementary School. It's a 2-room schoolhouse that was built in 1930.

6. The locals are ridiculously helpful and friendly people. I encountered a few while we were aimlessly driving around (on purpose) and they stopped us to make sure we weren't lost and in need of directions. Funnily enough, I encountered the ones I met later on when we went back to the marina for the ferry ride home. They approached me to make sure we found our way around okay and had a good time and enjoyed the island. I loved looking at all of the locals' houses as we were driving around...

7. The beach. Aaaahhhh, the beach. Sophie and I were incredibly lucky. We had this entire beach ALL TO OURSELVES for almost two hours. The tide was low so we had a blast walking around and checking out all the shells, dead jellyfish, seaweed, driftwood, etc.

8. The island has a long and very interesting history. I didn't know much of anything before I arrived. But I did manage to hit most of the historical points during our golf cart travels. To learn more, visit here.

* This picture is of the Silver Dew Winery. This tiny building was constructed in 1883 to store oil for the lamp in the island lighthouse. It was converted to a winery in the mid 1900's ~ the winery closed in 1956.

9. Images such as this one are a dime a dozen. It's just a very beautiful place!

10. Sophie & I enjoyed a magical, peaceful, nature-filled day together. We were both very happy and content. Who can ask for more than that?

* Sophie actually fell asleep in the golf cart with her head in my lap. FOR AN HOUR! So I got to drive around during this time to check out all of the historical points on the island. It was super peaceful for me....

Mommy & Sophie Trip to Hilton Head Island

We're back! I survived four days alone with Sophie!!! :-)

Better than that. Much, much better. She and I had a blast and made so many beautiful memories! I think she'll remember it for a long, long time to come. I hope so! For me, the highlight of the trip was the day we spent on Daufuskie Island (deserves it own post ~ to come). For Sophie, it seems her highlights were the pony ride at Lawton Stables, playing mini-golf and feeding the fish. For now, here are a few of my favorite photos....

Mom's Favorite Photo

The ONE photo we got together. I wish it weren't so dark! The harbour has some amazing sunsets!!!

Sophie snuggles with Blue Man on the balcony, right before his naptime!

Sophie, frolicking and happy, in the surf on Daufuskie...

A self-portrait. Driving the golf cart around Daufuskie Island for an hour while Sophie slept in my (slowly diminishing) lap.

Nursery Details, Part I

I am hard at work on My Nesting List. Hard at it. I'd say the item that gives me the most heartburn (which I have plenty of these days, believe me!) is the nursery. We've been using this spare bedroom as a storage unit for the last year or so. Well, cleaning it out is NOT FUN. But I'm tackling tiny little bits at a time and I finally feel like I'm getting somewhere. There's still much left to do though....

Honestly, creating a nursery is one of my absolute favorite parts of having a baby. I had so many ideas for this nursery that it's taken a long time to decide which way to go. I even debated orange walls with a transportation theme, inspired by Dwell Studio's Transportation pattern.

That didn't go well with all of the nursery furniture, bedding, etc that we have so I had to tone down my vision. Sophie's nursery/room is green and blue (we didn't know the gender before she was born) so everything we have is green and blue. SO, in the end, this nursery will have light blue walls (still debating the exact shade) with all sorts of pink (yes, pink, can you believe it?) and green accessories. I started creating an inspiration board and I add little bits to it as I find them. It's actually been quite helpful.

I've made three (small) purchases thus far to decorate the nursery. This baby girl is inheriting Sophie's old dresser/changing table. Maybe it's because I'm the oldest child (by almost seven years) but I don't want for Baby Numero Dos to have hand-me-down everything. So, inspired by this photo in the Pottery Barn Kids catalog, I made a quick trip to Anthro and picked up loads of new knobs to try out on the dresser. Hand-me-down dresser, yes. But spiced up a little bit. In the end, I decided on some light pink glass flower knobs. I just put them on today and they really are sweet....

Dresser Before

Dresser After

(due to my Type A personality, I was somewhat annoyed at the slight differences in the glass color of each knob. I'm trying really hard to let it go....)

Close-Up of New Knobs

As with Sophie's room, this nursery will also have a strong bird theme. I guess I just love birds. Recently, I stopped by a local antique store and picked up this "vintage" birdcage. It's so adorable. I'll paint it some shade of pink and then hang it once the room is painted.

Lastly, I picked up this sign to hang in her room.....and I'm hoping to do a collage above the changing table with this sweet little sign in the mix.

After putting all of this together today, I started to get really excited. I look forward to the day when it's all complete and the nursery's new inhabitant is all snuggled up and cozy in her sweet little cocoon.

NYC Wish List for April 2011

It's that time of year again! The family will be heading to NYC in the next month to celebrate my birthday. How much can we possibly squeeze into 3 days? We'll see. I'm going to try to fit in the below. Wish us luck....

~ Take Sophie to the Butterfly Conservatory at the American Museum of Natural History

~ Take Sophie to the Whale Room at the American Museum of Natural History

{Photo by Denis Finnin/AMNH}

~ Visit Moomah

{photo via Moomah site}

~ I didn't make it to Pop Bar on my last trip. While this isn't high on the priority ranking, I'd still like to check it out....especially if the weather's warm.

~ Enjoy another picnic on Cherry Hill in Central Park (the last time was just too good NOT to be repeated, Sophie talks about it all the time)

{my own image from last year's picnic}

~ Visit the The High Line; I've heard and read so much about it...it's about time to see it in person.

~ Take Alain & Sophie on a tour bus (you might remember I did this in August and I LOVED IT!) and take more inspiring pictures (see here and here)

~ Possibly visit my dear friend, Helena, and her brand new baby (due April 10th - or is it the 13th?!?!?!) out in Westchester - I know Sophie would go NUTS over the train ride!!!

~ Visit with "Uncle Jordie"

~ Wish Mr. Kaplan a great big "Happy Birthday" in person!!! :-)

~ Stop in Fishs Eddy. Yes, this is on the list every time.

~ Wander with no destination. Discover something new.

~ Be amazed....

Randomness

I've been a busy little bee lately. So much going on. So much on my mind. Here goes....

*** With regard to the 52 Week, 52 Letter Challenge, I mailed #4 today.

*** I'm making a huge effort to de-plasticize my kitchen. After reading articles (such as this one and this one) and research and books for what seems like ages, I decided there's no time like the present. About a month ago, I was reading a magazine (can't remember which one) and this really caught my attention:

about #6 plastic (PS) --

"Made of petroleum byproducts, commonly used for meat trays, foam food containers, and Styrofoam. PS can leach carcinogens and hormone disrupters, contributing to infertility and cancer, and its production requires carcinogens and ozone-layer depleting compounds. Because PS is so light and unsinkable, it' s easily carried by wind and is a main component of marine debris."

That last sentence immediately made me think Chris Jordan's photos of dead albatrosses with stomachs full of plastic. I don't understand how anyone wouldn't be moved by this.... We are all responsible.

I was particularly interested in #6 plastic because its not recyclable where we live. After reading the above, I came home and tore apart what I have in the frig, etc to see what #6 plastics I could find. Luckily only one but a very concerning one. Hmmmmm. So is anyone familiar with Danonino yogurts for kids? Normally I would never buy these because they're not organic but my daughter is very attracted to them in the store and I've bought them for her on a few occasions. Yep, you guessed it, #6 plastic. Not recyclable and potentially harming my child. I was angry. Since then, I check products in the store before I buy them. No #6 for me.

Last week I almost passed out when I realized that the to-go lid for my Starbucks latte was #6. WHAT? Call me naive but I expected a bit more from Starbucks. So not recyclable AND I'm also ingesting whatever toxins leak out when my EXTRA HOT drink pours through the lid to land right in my mouth. Swallowed and right down to my unborn child potentially. I was pissed.

In my research (and who knows what to believe), I know that this form of plastic is FDA approved. Does that make me feel any better? Hell no. I don't trust that. All the evidence seems to point to the fact that PS can leach potential toxins into food/drink. And, honestly, why take a chance? I'm so glad to know all of this now. I thought I should pass it along so that others might know as well....

This week I finally went out and bought a whole bunch of glass containers of varying sizes. And all of my plastic Rubbermaid, etc went into the recycling bin. Already I feel better. AND, as a bonus, I was able to buy Anchor products which are still made in the USA.

*** I just finished the book "American Wasteland" by Jonathan Bloom.

I discovered this book on The Non-Consumer Advocate blog. I thought I'd have a hard time getting into a book about food waste. WRONG. It was actually quite fascinating. By the end I realized I already do more than most as far as this topic is concerned. I compost all of my fresh fruit & veggie remains and I use my own compost in my garden. Still, I've renewed my other efforts to reduce food waste:

1. Plan meals in advance. This is hard for me because I don't enjoy cooking AT ALL but I'm working on it.

2. Shop smarter. See example below.

3. Be better about using/eating leftovers (also not easy for me). See sites below...

4. Store food properly (working on this) and understand expiration dates.

5. My store already donates produce that is "going bad" and offers a sale rack so I'm making a bigger effort to check out the "sale rack". Today is a great example:

There were 2 very large tomatoes in a bag, a little soft but otherwise looking great and they were priced at $1.58. Way too good to resist! I can use them for dinner tonight (Caprese salad anyone?) so they're perfect. When the cashier was ringing them, he didn't realize they were "on sale" so he just punched in the number on the little label on the tomato. $6.38. I pointed out his mistake and he immediately corrected it. I saved $4.80 and saved these 2 tomatoes from the possible dumpster. I was so proud!

The book also turned me on to two great sites:

1. Love Food Hate Waste (as it turns out, the English are putting the US to shame as far as efforts to reduce food waste go!)

2. The "Green Granny" videos. Love these!

*** I've been wanting this book for a long time. This morning I stopped by Borders to pick up a book for Sophie and I found it in the Clearance bin for $5.99. I was SO STOKED. I can't wait to make things with these vintage patterns. I'll share when I do. I love this book...

*** Guess how many pillows I'm sleeping with these days? FIVE!!! Yes, the belly is getting quite large these days and I'm just starting to get a little uncomfortable during the night. All those pillows help a lot. The baby is moving around a lot more now and I can feel that she's much bigger. Sometimes she kicks so hard I feel like her foot will pop right through my belly.

*** With regard to My Nesting List, I've made plans for the Mommy/Daughter trip. Sophie and I are heading to Hilton Head Island for part of next week. She LOVES it there (she calls it "The Turtle Beach") and I know she'll be so happy when she finds out we're going. I'm also excited just to be at the beach for a little while when it's not yet really hot out. I have all kinds of plans for us while we're there ~ mini golf, ice cream, playground, biking, nature walks on the beach, etc. I'm really looking forward to my first vacation trip alone with my girl.

Musings on Mad Men Season 4

As we all know, I am totally and completely smitten with Mad Men. Earlier this year, I finally managed to convince Alain to cancel cable and it was a great decision......the ONLY bad part being that I can't see Mad Men right when each episode airs. I have to wait for the entire season to be released on DVD. Well, last Tuesday was the big day.....I was at Target bright and early and purchased the Season 4 DVD. Alain and I have watched one or two episodes each night since then. Much to my dismay, we finished the season last night (why oh why do they have to be so short???). Here are my thoughts:

~ This season was dark (oh Midge!) and wouldn't rank as my favorite by any means.

~ I despised Don for most of the season. He was just AWFUL.

~ It still seems completely out of character to me that Don would keep a journal. ???

~ My heart broke for Sally in almost every episode. That girl needs some serious love and attention. And she's so, so, so precious!!!

~ Betty Draper Francis is so despicable. I abhored her each time she appeared on the screen. In some alternate universe, if I were an actress, I wouldn't even want to play the part.

~ I knew right away that Joan didn't get the abortion. Whew. Craziness... I can't even wait to see how Roger reacts when he finds out.

~ On that note, I don't want for Greg to come back home.

~ I am still so angry that Betty fired Carla. WTF???

~ Henry has definitely grown on me. I look forward to seeing what happens now that he's turned on to how horrible his wife is....

~ Episode 7, "The Suitcase", was my favorite of the season.

~ THIS was my favorite moment of the entire season (from "The Suitcase")....because I find the relationship between Don and Peggy to be the most interesting....

~ Ms. Blankenship was a real highlight of the season. I loved the comedic relief. She was AWESOME...

~ Like Rachel Menken in prior episodes (oh how I miss her!), I really liked, admired and respected the character of Faye Miller. Although I didn't understand some of her actions with Don, I hated how hard she had her heart broken (even though I knew it was coming). These are the two women I've seen on the show (Rachel & Faye) who were truly just too good for Don.

~ Toni Charles was so adorable and I loved her with Lane. I wish she were a bigger part of the story.

~ I almost fell off the couch when Lane's father clubbed him with his cane.

~ I was truly heartbroken when Anna passed away. She was one of my favorite parts of the entire series. I guess I want for Don to have someone who really knows him, someone that he can be himself around. Maybe Peggy will fill that role now that Anna is gone?

~ Don is a horrible, horrible father.

~ I am so embarrassed to admit that I am secretly attracted to this guy (because I truly can't stand his character)...

~ Peggy is still, for me, the real highlight of the show. Seeing her grow personally and progress in the company is something I look forward to the most. Please don't disappoint Matt Weiner! I love how her character continues to surprise me (hello....getting undressed with the new Art Director).

~ The scene with Peggy & Joan's reaction to Don's engagement (which is insanity!) was like sweet candy to fans of the show.

~ Roger continues to have the best lines in the series. He is hysterically funny! My favorite of this season was when he gave the massage/mani/pedi to Joan and she went to thank him...to which he replied, "Since I've been rubbing you the wrong way, I thought I'd have someone rub you the right way!" (not verbatim but close enough).

~ The one exception to Roger having the best lines was Faye's line that Don only "likes the beginnings of things". I think that's an example of foreshadowing at its finest!!!

~ I love, love, love Don's new office. And Roger's too. Great set design!!

~ Love him or hate him, Don Draper/Jon Hamm is simply one of the most gorgeous men to walk this planet....

Read the NY Times article here for the status of Season 5 (to Season 7 -- WOOHOO!!!)....

Matt Weiner already KNOWS THE ENDING to the series? That alone is enough to keep me interested....

{All three photos by Michael Yarish/AMCTV}