I wish I had bought this camera

#iloveantiquing

Arlington/Belmont 1/Belmont 2 youth choir

The combined youth choir sang at a fireside tonight with the Massachusetts Boston Mission presidency.  They did a fantastic job.

There's always time for antiquing

I found two cool antique shops in Providence.  #antiquesareonmyradar #iloveantiquing

UMelt

 I went to Providence to go to UMelt, my coworker's son's gripped cheese restaurant.  It did not disappoint.  I ordered the #10 -- The White Trash -- which has macaroni & cheese and BBQ pulled pork.  #umyum #umelt #epbucketlist #EProadtrips2016

Today's road trip: Providence, RI

Lakota Bakery for the win

My friends have never been to Lakota Bakery (say what?!?) so I left a box of cookies on their porch tonight.  They were a big hit.  #lakotabakery

Bucket List

Since I've lived in Boston I've wanted to ride all the subway lines to the end and back.  #iknowweird My plans changed for tonight (I'm too sore to go back to the gym) so I'm riding the red line to Braintree and back.  I'm usually on the train about 15 minutes at the most so I'm going to enjoy reading for a long stretch.  And people watching.  #mbta #bucketlist

TBT: My freshman dorm mates

M. Smith Hall/Heritage Halls/BYU.  Congrats to everyone who got accepted to BYU last weekend!  I'm taking about you, Emma Patton!

It's in the mail!

My boss/friend Karla mailed her application for U.S. citizenship today!  She wanted to get it done in case you-know-who becomes president and tries to send her back to her country.

Twins on the move

Torrington, CT

This is the house my sister-in-law Kim grew up in.  #torringtonCT

Latest antique

This podium or book holder (or whatever it is!) was only $10 at a really cool antique shop in Longmeadow, Mass.

Brownies

I tried a new brownie recipe in my new Pyrex pan.  I might have to take a break from #themattdamondiet today and try them since I already had some pumpkin cake earlier.  #onepoundforwardtwopoundsback #thatmakesnosense #ihavedonewelluntilthisweekend

I'm a sucker for an old red truck

#somewhereinconnecticut #nophotographicregrets #thatmeansiturnedaroundandwentbacktotakethisphoto

I love this old sign

Hartford Temple

I drove to Hartford to check out the new Temple that is under constrution.  It's really cool.  I can't wait for the Open House.  #iammormon #mormontemple #hartfordtemple

Today's adventure is in Connecticut

New favorite show

TBT: it's Girl Scout cookie time

I sold the most cookies in my troop one year and it was me going door-to-door in my neighborhood and calling church friends.  In other words, my dad did not take the order form to work and pass it around.  I loved being a Girl Scout!  #girlscouts #girlscoutcookies #thinmintsarestillmyfave

Gather Here - new shop!

If you sew or love fabric or not -- go to the new Gather Here shop in Cambridge!  It's amazing and open late (until 9pm Mon-Thurs!!).  It's at 1343 Cambridge Street.  I've been following the progress of preparing their new shop so was happy to finally get there.  #ilovetosew #icollectfabric @gatherhere

Energy balls

I'm trying to not bake much since treats are not part of #themattdamondiet so I made these energy balls that are pretty good. 

Six months

My mom has been gone six months today.  I took this photo in August of 2014 when she was in rehab after surgery on her hip.  I love that red sweater and her looking through her glasses.  #imissmymom #dementiayouarecruel #pattonmemories

Out of State

Some days I just want to leave the state (temporarily).  Like today.  I drove up to New Hampshire (it's only about 35 minutes away) and found two new antique shops.  I didn't buy any of these items (the pink Pyrex bowls were $200!) but I did find a few cheap books, a tin, a blue Pyrex bowl, a pink Pyrex dish (one was $10 and one was $12) and a brand new Sherpani messenger bag, which incidentally, is not an antique.

For the Burnetts

This is the project I was working on.  Today marks five years since my friend Mat Burnett died from cancer.  I mod podged photos that I've taken of their family over the last 13 years on this big heart.  #imissmyfriendmat #valentinesday #arlingtonwardfriendsareforever

Seen at the mall!

Do it Myself

I changed my own ceiling light (I have 18 foot ceilings).  I've always had guy friends help me but I pulled the couch over, stood on it, and did it myself.  I also cleaned a vacuum roller.  Bam.  What next?  #doitmyselfday #epcondo2016

The worst part about tonight at the ER...

...was having to tell the firefighters my age and weight.

Cookies for the homeless

100 bags of cookies are ready.  Because I spent 2.5 hours in the ER tonight I didn't get to make more cookies and now each person will only get one.  #maybeiwillmakecookiesforthefirefighters

So much for working out at the gym

I tripped at the YMCA on a power box that was in the walkway and fell hurting my shoulder, elbow, knees and the left side of my face/head hit the floor.  I got a free ride to the hospital in this ambulance (well, it's probably not free).  Nothing is broken but I'm very sore, a bit rattled and my left arm is in a sling.  #thefirefighterswerecute #ithinkishouldgetafreemembership

TBT: Hermana Patton

One year ago Hermana Patton became a missionary.  #LDS #missionarysmiles #imissherbutinevertellherthat #sistermissionary

Cookies for the homeless

I made 4 batches of chocolate chip cookies tonight and will bake more batches tomorrow.  #bakesomeonehappy #112cookiessofar #cookiesforthehomeless #madeatmidnight

#heart

My friend Michelle never tells me no when I need help with a project.  #arlingtonwardfriendsareforever #foodstoragebackdrop #beforephoto #youhavetowaitfortheafter

YW improv night

Maren is leading the Young Women in a night of improv.  She's fantastic!  #arlingtonwardyoungwomen

Bake someone happy

My friend Emily Raymond, who is awesome, is putting together 100 care packages for homeless people in the Cambridge/Central Square area for Valentine's Day.  I'm going to bake chocolate chip cookies and bought a big bag of chocolate chips tonight at Costco.  #bakesomeonehappy #inevergetacart #ibuyonlywhaticancarry

A good mix of mail

Magazines, a book, coupons, a postcard, a letter and a valentine!  #ilovesendingmail #andilovegettingmail

Can you read his sign?

It says SEEKING HUMAN KINDNESS.  I gave him a few dollars and wished him a good day.  #seekinghumankindness #iwanttogobackandtakehimtodinnerandtalktohim

Maddie loves her sparkly shoes

Nice display!

#thebookofmormon #cambridgestakechinesenewyear2016 #lds #wearemormon #massachusettsbostonmission

Cambridge Stake Chinese New Year celebration

My backyard

Snowy Killian Court at MIT

Deep down I hope Boston gets dumped on.  But not 108 inches again!  #bostonwinter #MIT #nofilterneeded #IGersBoston

Snowy Muzzey High.  #thisiswhereilive #shotfromthebusstop #nosnowdayforme

TBT: The Reds

The Reds with their Schwinns in sunny California.  #pattonmemories

Nano progress

The Nichols

My friends recently remodeled their kitchen and did all the work themselves as a family except for the tile and countertops.  They are moving this weekend (not too far away thank goodness and really close to Kimballs!) and I had this idea to photograph them in their kitchen.  I raced over at 9pm last night and this shot is my favorite.  #arlingtonwardfriendsareforever

The gym

I joined the YMCA a few weeks ago.  Then I bought work out pants.  Last week I went for the "get started" session.  #babysteps  I didn't have time to go home and change and I thought the trainer would be showing me around the place and telling me about the equipment.  She saw me and said, "you aren't dressed to work out?"  I told her I thought she'd be showing me around and she said, "that's a tour".  OK then.  Tonight I went back for my real "get started" session and it was great.  I am interested in doing weights so she showed me how all the machines work and I tried each of them out.  I think I'm going to like #workingoutatheY

Subway reading

I'm really enjoying this book and even carving out time to read at home (that's something!).

From Amazon.com:  The Sound of Gravel:  RUTH WARINER was the thirty-ninth of her father’s forty-two children. Growing up on a farm in rural Mexico, where authorities turn a blind eye to the practices of her community, Ruth lives in a ramshackle house without indoor plumbing or electricity. At church, preachers teach that God will punish the wicked by destroying the world and that women can only ascend to Heaven by entering into polygamous marriages and giving birth to as many children as possible. After Ruth’s father―the man who had been the founding prophet of the colony―is brutally murdered by his brother in a bid for church power, her mother remarries, becoming the second wife of another faithful congregant.
In need of government assistance and supplemental income, Ruth and her siblings are carted back and forth between Mexico and the United States, where Ruth’s mother collects welfare and her stepfather works a variety of odd jobs. Ruth comes to love the time she spends in the States, realizing that perhaps the community into which she was born is not the right one for her. As she begins to doubt her family’s beliefs and question her mother’s choices, she struggles to balance her fierce love for her siblings with her determination to forge a better life for herself.Recounted from the innocent and hopeful perspective of a child, The Sound of Gravel is the remarkable memoir of one girl’s fight for peace and love. This is an intimate, gripping tale of triumph, courage, and resilience.