little bow ties

They had a hard time telling at first, but it's official:  little bow ties here we come!

needless to say...

Those cute little meatloaves did me in.  Shortly thereafter I succumbed to three months of nausea that was teetering on unbearable.  And meatloaf or lentils or mushrooms or anything "earthy" or "mushy" was a no-no.  Yes, I was pregnant and in the midst of "morning" sickness (yeah right, mornings my foot).

So needless to say, I'm back.  Sans the nausea.  But with an aching back and a little baby bump.  We find out tomorrow the sex of the baby.  Then let the buying of cute Boden outfits begin!

a new year

Happy New Year!  It is hard to believe that 2012 has come to an end and that December is now a not-so-distant memory.  I'd been making plans to put together a long post on our September wedding (complete with professional photographer photos), but that will have to wait.  I mostly want to do that post for myself, so that the lovely details don't get lost to the passage of time as they are apt to do...

The past month had some wonderful moments and some sadness mixed in.  We decorated the house for Christmas, sent our our first family photo holiday card (which used our wedding photos), shopped for gifts, and enjoyed a date night to see Skyfall.  We saw friends and family for the holidays, which is always lovely.  We also mourned the unexpected passing of the hubby's stepfather on December 8.  Mid-December was a blur for us both, but especially for the hubby, and I know our marriage had its first real test during that time.  Somehow, we've come out the other side and here it is January 2013.

Throughout the month I worked on new recipes from various vegan cookbooks and blogs.  My favorites included:
~ Chickpea cutlets from Veganomicon (p. 133) - these are super-easy to make (chickpeas, bread crumbs, vital wheat gluten, spices) and give you a meaty main.  We baked them (instead of pan-frying) and topped them with Heinz chili sauce.  Next time with gravy (like a vegan version of chicken-fried steak).
~ Quinoa-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
~ Sweet Potato Surprise with Kale - oh. my. goodness.  This was delish.  But I'm a mac & cheese fiend, so I may be a bit prejudiced.

Both the hubby and I had New Year's Day off and we spent it just as we wanted:  reading and lounging together.  Oh, and eating black eyed peas and greens [Hottie Black Eyed Peas, to be exact].  Here's to a lucky and happy and healthy new year!

november

You know how the days fly by and then you look back and think, huh, nothing exciting really happened, but man that was fast?  This is how I've been feeling the entire month of November so far.  For instance, I am finding it very hard to believe we are pretty much halfway through the month already.  Where did the days go?  The weather is cold and rainy today.  We have the big duvet on the bed now, and the cats are now attached to it like glue.  And normally are so "helpful" when we are making the bed in the morning or trying to turn down the covers at night.

We had our first Halloween together in our little house and I had major high hopes for trick-or-treaters (given that I ran out of candy last year).  Such high hopes that I bought three jumbo bags of candy at Target.  And we had maybe one dozen kids all night.  And all night the mister paced outside to the front stoop to look up and down the street for kids to flag down.  It didn't help that the large majority of houses on our block were boycotting the holiday (even the lady who already has her Christmas decorations up seemed to have no interest in celebrating).  So now we have chocolate and Sour Patch "Zombie" Kids to last us through the winter.

This past weekend we had the mister's mother over for dinner.  He made stuffed mushrooms and fancy drinks for cocktail hour and I made successes from the past for dinner - Chesapeake Tempeh Cakes and Kale & Potato Gratin.  Yes, we fed a meat-eater tempeh and she actually ate it and seemed to like it!

Other things on the menu these past couple of weeks:
~ Breakfast for Dinner with Blueberry Oatmeal Waffles and apple-sage Field Roast sausage 
~ Spaghetti and Beanballs (from Veganomicon p. 189)
~ Butternut Squash and Apple Soup (from Ina; I use about half the curry) with crusty bread and salad

And now we are gearing up for Thanksgiving.  Spending the day with the mister's family in Richmond, Virginia.  A football game and oyster roast followed by traditional dinner.  Should be fun to have our first Thanksgiving as a new family.  Especially considering that last year I was in Texas for my grandmother's funeral, this year should be full of lovely new traditions.

a wedding and one (very short) mini-moon later...

Well, I'm back to my normal life now, and I'm going to admit that I feel a little bit of a let down.  I mean we've been working on planning a wedding over the last five months or so and now it is all over and I don't know what to do with myself.  The day was beautiful and joyous and ended all too quickly.  The weather was overcast with some spots of sunshine and in the low 70s.  My dress was gorgeous (made by a good friend and colleague using pieces from my mother's 1968 wedding gown) and the flowers were bright and fun (the mister wore an air plant and the groomsmen thistles; I had fiddlehead ferns in my bouquet for goodness sake!).

After the marathon wedding weekend where we had friends and family from across the country surrounding us with lots of love, we took a little trip to the mountains of Virginia for a mini-moon.  Just two nights, but good food and some nice time for relaxing were just what the doctor ordered.  And boy, it was pretty romantic with the leaves turning and the bed so comfy.  But now it's back to work...and laundry...and unpacking.

thinking back

Autumn officially starts tomorrow and so I've been thinking back on the summer that we've had.  Boy, I wouldn't say that it was boring.
~ We made wedding decisions and sent out invitations for our September 29 wedding (right around the corner!)
~ We had a beach vacation with my family and a trip to Staunton, Virginia for the beau's birthday
~ We moved in together and began negotiating the whole co-habitating thing (schedules, cleaning, cooking, etc.)
~ We survived some family drama, like my grandmother's health complications and move to assisted living, as well as some other things
~ We enjoyed our respective bachelor and bachelorette events with our good friends

And now we are heading into a new season and a whole new set of experiences:  newlywed life.

But before that happens we have some good friends getting married this weekend (one of our matchmakers, to be exact) and so we are looking forward to a weekend of fun.  It is a potluck wedding in Eastern Virginia and I'm making my friend Christine's Chickpeas with Couscous to take along.

Have a great weekend everyone!

so far, so good

Table set for breakfast with my parents:  over easy eggs on toast with mimosas & coffee

Over the years I've used this blog for a variety of purposes, from documenting trips and family events to documenting what I picked up at the farmers' market.  As I begin this new phase of my life (that of a "newlywed" in less than one month), I don't know what I'll be moving on to, but in the meantime meal planning is at the forefront of my mind.  I "pin" things to Pinterest for our quick weekday mealtimes, but feel the need to wax poetic a bit right here about the good, bad, and ugly of our weekly menus.

Last week, we had a lentil walnut loaf that knocked my socks off.  And a kale potato gratin that I made all pretty-like in my new tart pan (shower gift from my friend Abby).  On Wednesday night, the peach and tomato pasta we found interesting and it may make one more appearance before summer is over.  Tuesday and Friday turned into quick beans/rice/veg and leftover nights respectively; Saturday and Sunday we had my parents in town so we ate dinners out (although hosted breakfasts in).  So while we didn't follow the plan to the letter, we used what we had and had some pretty nice meals together.

The beau went shopping at the farmers' market on Saturday and purchased the following fresh produce that we'll need to incorporate in this week's meals:  crowder cowpeas (southern peas); kale; parsnips; fresh lettuce mix; one dozen farm eggs.

This week's menu (the beau is working the weekend this week):
Monday:  Tofu, Broccoli, and Cauliflower Masala over Noodles [holdover from last week; just meh]
Tuesday:  Artichoke and Olive Pizza [making the dough in the bread machine; will make enough crust for tonight and to freeze]
Wednesday:  Crowder Peas with Bacon Salt over Cornbread with Chopped Tomatoes [going for a "Southern" night]
Thursday:  Parsnip & Quinoa Burger over Lettuce mix with Citrus-Cumin Dressing
Friday:  Out
Saturday:  Mexican Night - Black Bean & Kale Quesadilla
Sunday:  Breakfast for Dinner - Frittata with leftover Veggies and Potatoes

I'll need to pop by the market at some point for onions, faux cheese (optional), and tortillas in addition to our normal bread, butter, and almond milk supply run.  But I continue to try to challenge myself to cook what we have in the pantry and freezer, adding fresh produce and "dairy" as needed.  So far, so good...

dinner time

I now officially live with a boy.  And from this point forward will live with this boy for the rest of our lives.  And as is my natural instinct, I want to feed this boy.  Coming from a Virginia matriarchal family, where food equals love, this is not a foreign concept, but cooking real meals for quick dinners is a challenge I need to face.

You see, living on my own for around ten years now, my dinner time has consisted of some pretty great culinary experiments, some pretty epic failures (pea loaf, I'm looking at you), and some pretty blah offerings.  The blah is what happens most of the time on the nights I stumble into the house starving and eating cereal or popcorn or roasted veggies/tofu/etc.  Lazy cooking.

Because I get home around 6pm and the beau gets home around 9pm, dinner time is my responsibility during the week.  I really don't mind (at least at Day Two) and have been trolling Pinterest for quick vegan-based meals that can reheat easily.  Yes, I plan on feeding a boy vegetables and grains and legumes without falling back too often on fake meat substitutes.

My dinner time plan this week:
Monday:  Gardein scallopini "chicken" cutlet + Kale & Potato Gratin (a staple recipe for me)*
Tuesday:  Quick vegetable curry with TJ's Masala Sauce + whole wheat couscous
Wednesday:  Grilled Peaches and Tomatoes with Whole Grain Pasta
Thursday:  Lentil Walnut Loaf + mashed potatoes (made with soy milk) + roasted carrots (work from home day, so can take a bit more time)
Friday:  Pasta with Creamy Squash Sauce (using up some frozen pumpkin puree and/or butternut squash)
Saturday:  Mexican night (tacos with TVP "meat" and veggies)
Sunday:  The boy's choice (seems only fair)

So, send me your good thoughts and any good recipe ideas!  Especially if you have any secret vegan slow cooker ideas that involve lentils and/or quinoa and are not SOUP.

*Yes, fake meat at the get-go because it was in the freezer and I had no real plans prior to Monday.  I promise I'll do better when next Monday rolls around.

shifting

I sat outside on our Library patio at work the other day to enjoy lunch in the great outdoors and was surprised at the number of acorns and fallen leaves.  Autumn is always such a wonderful time of year when the leaves change color and the weather shifts from humid and hot to less humid and hot.  It seems a little early, what with it being August and such, but Mother Nature knows best.

Today is going to be a day of shifting emotions as I head to the funeral of my great uncle (my grandmother's younger brother) and then to a meeting with the woman making my wedding dress.  A book-ended day of sad and happy.  I don't have anything profound to say, but I take comfort in the fact that with endings there are also new beginnings.

hitting my stride

 

Six days into vacation I think I have hit my stride:  wake up, coffee on the deck, cereal, bathing suit and sunscreen, beach, break, beach, lunch, shower, nap, gin & tonic.  It's a hard life.  The beau has only had the joy of vacation a couple of days due to his work schedule, but he heads back to join me at the beach tomorrow and I expect he's looking forward to a little beach, lunch, shower, nap himself (that's like gym, tan, laundry, except without the fist-pumping).

In the land of weddings, I got quite a bit completed prior to leaving on vacation.  Specifically, I sent out the invitations after a bit of drama over them getting printed just slightly off-center.  I did a little hand-trimming, but don't even know if others would have noticed.  But I noticed and cursed myself for trying to use an online printer and not splurging on the time it would have taken to get paper proofs mailed.  Live and learn.

Despite the off-center drama, the invitations did turn out pretty wonderfully.  We used an Etsy artist to design the suite of invitation, rsvp card, and correspondence card.  Jess did a really gorgeous job on our custom invites, incorporating our text and colors into a beautiful floral design that I absolutely adored.  I'll post pictures once all the invites have been received and the "surprise" is over. 

But with that task behind us, I'm enjoying the Olympics and hanging with my family and eating too much and drinking just enough.  We had a delicious arugula salad last night with fresh peaches and toasted pecans in a citrus juice/coarse mustard dressing.  I baked some tofu cubes to go with mine (the others had chicken) and it was the perfect summer dinner.  My mother can't remember where she got the recipe, but just throw those ingredients together and see if you like it too (no recipe really needed).

Okay, off for more Olympics-watching and G&T drinking!

*For other limited-budget brides that might happen across this post, just a little side note on the printing/ordering of Etsy invites:  just use an online printer if you don't already know a good local printer.  I searched high and low at local printers for high-quality paper (over 110lb cotton cardstock) and printing capabilities.  I wanted to use a local business to print the design that we had created by an independent artist.  I thought we were being responsible with how we spent our wedding budget.  But I got major attitude from the owner of the local invitation/print shop, who proceeded to lecture me about how I was putting the invitation industry out of business by using an Etsy invite design.  Needless to say, I did not give her my printing business even though she reluctantly agreed to look at my PDF file and see if she could print it.  Catprint.com had a great selection of papers and except for the off-center printing, I was really pleased with the outcome.

pretty stamps and the promise of new pens

I am sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and have the backdoor open, listening to the rain falling gently outside.  Our heatwave has subsided a bit, although it is still muggy and the window units are running in the other rooms.  I know it may be a waste of energy, but girl's gotta find her little joys where she can.

I've been having bridal showers and receiving surprise packages from the UPS and postal service guys.  One just came yesterday that I'm waiting to open when the beau arrives this morning.  Hard to not open packages, but I'm trying to be good.  I did shake it a bit already.  That also means the writing of thank you notes, where I am absolutely behind already.  But I restocked the pretty stamp stash yesterday and we are going to Paper Source today so I can score fun envelopes for the invites and new pens, well, just because.

We are also seeing Grandma this weekend.  The first time since she moved at the end of June.  It is a little strange going so long between seeing her - I am normally visiting every other weekend, but with her move we've decided every month is more manageable.  I talked to her on the phone, though, and while it seems like she has her bad days (and my mother normally bears the brunt of that), she mentioned to me that the food is so good she hasn't needed Tums since she got there.  If that's not a vote for 'yes' I don't know what is!

napkin rings and a mayonnaise bowl

Grandma has officially moved into an assisted living facility near my brother, sister-in-law, and parents.  She's not happy about it this week, but last week she was doing okay so the hope is that it is just adjustment jitters.  Much like how I got a little homesick my first week at college, living in a small corner of a room shared with three (turned out to be wonderful) girls.  Assisted living is like college in some ways - meals are designated at set times like a college cafeteria, and you have "classes" you should attend (but don't have to) in the form of planned social functions.  But I know this is a huge transition for a 90-year-old woman with a very independent spirit.  So keep your fingers crossed for Grandma that she settles in and feels at home very soon.

Preparing for the move, the beau and I helped my parents pack up and clean out a bunch of stuff from Grandma's house.  These "P" napkin rings (my new married initial) came home with me.  She particularly wanted me to have her wedding crystal, and so I packed it carefully and have already been trolling eBay and Replacements for pieces to fill in the set (just bought a mayonnaise bowl off eBay since Grandma had the stand and ladle, but not the bowl anymore).  I've also added some pieces of crystal to the wedding registry, although I know getting fancy crystal glasses for our wedding isn't the most practical thing to do.

P.S.  Didn't my grandmother get married in a more refined time?  I mean, a mayonnaise bowl, ladle, and stand was part of her crystal service.  Really?!

herbs, packing, and a power outage

I am overrun with herbs right now.  Mint, oregano, basil, sage, and rosemary.  In pink and yellow vintage pots in the kitchen and out in the garden too.  I've not been cooking a whole lot this summer, as we don't have a CSA subscription and I always seem to be on the road somewhere - to Richmond; up to Maryland; to Alexandria.  I am looking forward to the craziness of a long-distance relationship, Grandma moving, and wedding planning settling down.  We were looking for a new rental house, but at this point have scrapped that plan for the current one:  the beau moves into my rental house and we get settled enough to buy a house in less than one year.  Our realtor recommended buying within a year and it just seemed silly to pack and move to another rental just to move again.  I hate moving.

But now comes the fun of packing and moving some of my stuff up into the attic (or donating to local charities).  I have more clothes than I really need/use; my shoes are out of control; and magazines are everywhere.  I am excited for the challenge.  I am extra excited to have the beau living under the same roof.  Just need to get started on the packing (amidst the previously mentioned long-distance relationship, Grandma moving, and wedding planning).

This weekend we had a scheduled family girls' weekend surrounding a bridal luncheon thrown by my future sister-in-law and her aunt.  My mother, sister-in-law, and two of my mother's best friends were coming down to visit, we were going to do the luncheon, go shopping, out to dinner, even to see Magic Mike.  But alas, a scary storm came through on Friday night and knocked out power to my house, the bridal luncheon locale, and the hotel where everyone was staying.  So needless to say, things got a little messed up.  Although the luncheon was still lovely (albeit in another location), travel took twice as long as expected, none of the cute boutiques were open for shopping, and the girls ended up driving home the same night instead of the planned overnight.  A bit of a bummer.

Power is back on at my house now, so I am excited for a little coolness today as I get some household chores done and do some more wedding planning work.  Then it's on the road again this afternoon...

crazy fun and crazy sunburn

Our full day in Staunton was mainly focused on a Lunatic Tour we had scheduled as a surprise birthday present for the beau at Polyface Farm just outside of town.  Up bright and early, a quick breakfast at Coffee on the Corner, and then on to Polyface Farm.

Joel Salatin led our hayride tour (along with some of the Polyface workers and interns) and we squished on the wagons with 100 of our closest friends for the sold-out tour.  If you are a Virginia farm-to-table fan, you've likely heard of Joel Salatin and his crazy ways.  Love him or hate him, he's a big personality and we had a great time hearing about the farm and its philosophy straight from the horse's mouth.  And we saw a lot in our two hours - egg-laying chickens, meat chickens, turkeys, pigs, and rabbits.  Sadly no cows on our tour, but maybe next time.  There were tons of children on our tour, as well as farmers (or wanna-be farmers) from all over the country.  And the beau had a Polyface hot dog at the very end.  Crazy fun.  And we got crazy sunburned.

After the tour we made our way back to Staunton for a delicious lunch at Cranberry's Grocery (always love places where I can get a tofu sandwich!) and then a walk around town.  There was a vintage car show going on down by the train station and the beau took so many pictures of the various cars and hood ornaments (if you follow him on Instagram you got a taste).

We had a little rest back at the hotel and then made our way to Zynodoa for a leisurely birthday dinner full of locally-sourced and in-season ingredients.  Mojitos for cocktails, then bibb salads for our starters.  The beau had duck confit ravioli in beet sauce.  When I made reservations ahead of time I indicated that I was a vegetarian/vegan and the chef had responded to my (and fellow veg diners that night) request and there was a special roasted beet entree with huge beets in a leek sauce with carrot puree.  Absolutely delicious.  Being in Virginia, we took advantage of the local wines and took the recommendation of our server for glasses of Ox-Eye Reisling from Swoope, Virginia (not too far down the road) - not too sweet like so many reislings can be.  And for dessert we shared the maple cheesecake (beau's pick, being the birthday boy and all).  After all that food we needed to walk and made our way around town in the dark and quiet.

All in all, a wonderful relaxing weekend away.  Although we know we can't do that every weekend, we do know that Staunton will be a favorite spot to revisit in the future.

little road trip

West on Interstate 64 from Richmond; slight north trip up I-81; and then on to the historic Stonewall Jackson Hotel in downtown Staunton, Virginia.  We had a little road trip the end of last week and into the weekend in an early celebration of the beau's end-of-June birthday.  Staunton (pronounced Stanton, not Stawnton in a snide British accent as it can only be pronounced) is a lovely little town.  The main street (Beverley) is lined with restaurants and antique shops and boutiques and coffee shops and two (yes, two) old movie theaters.

Our first night in town we just had to go for a trip back in time, complete with aqua toilets in the bathrooms, to the 1940s Dixie Theater to see Dark Shadows.  We were the only people in the theater.  Which meant we could make comments the whole time - the best kind of movie-going experience in my opinion.  Well, aside from the movie-going experience of Union Station in D.C. where viewers yell at the screen regardless of who else is around.

We walked the town a bit and grabbed a late dinner at The Darjeeling Cafe:  black bean burger for him and the guacamole, hummus, pico trio for me.  Good food, quirky environment (in a former piano store), and friendly staff.

More to come next time:  a trip to a local farm and more yummy food!  Plus a car show thrown in for good measure...

uneventful

Well quite a bit has transpired since my last post here, although really nothing major has occurred.  Memorial Day weekend the parents met - over a lovely dinner at Tru Luv's and brunch at Foode (the beau's parents are divorced, so we had two different events).  And then on Monday I was without house guests and the beau had to work, and so I was left to my own devices and I sat on the couch, scoped out wedding photographers online, and watched a whole lot of "Bethenny Ever After" on Bravo.  It was wonderful.

And then this past weekend I a) went wedding dress shopping with my mother and b) met our likely wedding photographer with the beau.  Intermixed with that has been family drama (Grandma in the hospital again) and car drama (my car is in the shop right now; the beau got a flat when we drove to meet the photographer).  But all in all pretty uneventful.  Oh, there were some tornado warnings thrown in there too.

on the stoop

It is Wednesday morning and I am sitting leisurely at my kitchen table at 7:42am, sipping coffee and catching up on blogs.  While I do not love working weekends about once a month, I do love a mid-week break or a long weekend with the resulting comp day.  Today the beau and I are both off work and heading up to D.C. to catch lunch with one of my college girlfriends who is briefly in town.  Such a nice treat.

And it is a beautiful morning to have time to putter about.  The birds are singing, sun is shining, and I'm ignoring the layer of dust I can see on the shelf above the table.  Ignorance is bliss.

Last night when I got home from dinner with friends, I grabbed a beer (Magic Hat Elder Betty) and sat on the stoop for a while.  When we were kids and visiting my great-grandmother/grandmother/great uncle (as they all lived next door to each other) for the summer, we'd sit on Mom-Mom's front porch and watch the cars go by.  I do love sitting watching cars go by and last night was no exception.

We've gotten to a bit of a dilemma.  My job is rather distant from my current house and even further from the beau's house.  But we don't want to live anywhere in between (since in between is middle-of-nowhere).  So the choice is my city or his city.  And I thought my boss would help decide by telling me that I either a) could or b) couldn't telecommute more often in order to live further away.  But instead my boss said he was open to all possibilities and we'd somehow make it work.  And that he valued me.  It was a wonderful, caring conversation.  That helped in no way other than to solidify how much I enjoy working for my boss.  So the ball is back in our court, which I guess is where it should be.  We have to make this decision, despite there being no easy answer.

So I sat outside, in my flip-flops, with a beer, and watched the cars go by...

mother's day weekend

Happy belated Mother's Day to all the moms out there!  I spent a lovely weekend with my own mother - we met up in Alexandria, Virginia on Saturday and did a little shopping (dresses at the new Old Town Anthropologie), had pedicures, and then some Thai Tigers (vodka, lemongrass, ginger, chili peppers) and dinner.  Sunday we did some crafting on my save-the-dates, had brunch with Grandma and Mom's friend Melissa, and then some more shopping.  We were utterly exhausted by the end of the weekend, but for good reasons.

The garden has been getting a little rain and looks green and lush.  I spent a few hours last weekend pulling weeds and generally tidying up a bit.  The Chinese lanterns are popping up all over, since I let them drop their blooms and self-seed.  I've potted three of them for myself, but have more that I can pot and gift for others' gardens.  They are so pretty when their white flowers bloom into bright orange 'paper' lanterns.

spring break

 

My mother came to spend some time with me over her spring break (she works at a school) and we did what we do best:  a little shopping and a little wining & dining.  One of our favorite jaunts in the Fredericksburg area has grown to be Potomac Point Winery for their bistro (and wine and olive oil tastings).  We ate inside on this last visit since it was a little bit nippy outside, but soups and salads and glasses of viognier were just what the doctor ordered.  And then we split dessert:  mocha creme brulee.  Oh my.

For Easter Sunday, I spent time with the beau (or the fiance, technically!).  We attended Easter services at his church and had dinner with his family.  In the middle of those two events he took me to my first Easter Parade along Monument Avenue in Richmond.  We wore hats and held hands as we strolled up and down the avenue.

And now the work week is here again, which always seems like such a letdown.  My mother has left (leaving an Easter basket of chocolate & bath salts behind) and the beau is doing his thing an hour away.  Oh weekend, why do you fly by so quickly?

rings and things

So I've been sitting on some news since my birthday...  The day began slowly (bread pudding and coffee) and it continued at a leisurely pace throughout the day:  a drive down to Richmond, relaxing on the couch (the beau was fighting a horrid cold), a little True Blood viewing, and a lovely dinner out at Selba (a dinner where I wore a dress & he a suit coat - my birthday request).

On our way to dinner we took a slight detour.  To the Carillon in Byrd Park.  Where we first met last May.  Where the beau now led me, holding my hand.  And then he got down on one knee.  And said marry me.

And I said yes.

Forgive my silence until now, but we've been slowly telling family and close friends and just relishing in calling each other "fiance" and "fiancee."  But now we're ready to sing the news out to the world.  I couldn't be happier.