Waatatown.

Some of the plates are in the cabinet, 
some are on the dining room table.
My warm fall and winter clothes, 
that may not be adequate, 
are still in my duffel bag.
Empty boxes are stacked in the living room.
Our bookshelf needs books.
There's a bike on our back patio,
one windy, narrow staircase away from pavement. 
Nights are spent tossing and turning
on an air mattress that loses air with each movement.
Such is life in Watertown.

We have moved into our house/unit/apartment in Watertown. (What does one call a part of a multifamily house?) Its a wonderful place and has great architectural detail, the wooden floors that cover the house creak and moan, we have a small backyard, and we're a block away from a bus stop. Its what I was hoping our Boston YAV house would be.
The move in process has been a bit slow as we have been working this week as well. After dinner my roommates and I go through the boxes of donated items that almost assuredly have been sitting in garages for some time. While we have found some odd items we have also struck gold. We have tons of great pots and pans, a set of 4 matching plates and bowls from Target in beautiful condition, loads of containers for leftovers and bringing lunch to work, and even a mug with a big K on it which instantly became my favorite.

A mug made for me.

Due to the holiday we started work on Tuesday. I spent Tuesday at my church, Hartford Street Presbyterian, and I learned all about the ins and outs of the garden project. The church has partnered with the city of Natick but the city, as government tends to do, has been dragging its feet on clearing the land. We can't plant until the land has been cleared. I've also started to reach out to people and organizations that might have grants for these sorts of community garden projects but we haven't had much response in this department either. I just have to keep on keepin' on. Slow and steady wins the race I'm told.

Yesterday I was at my non-profit placement, A Place to Turn. Its a wonderful place that serves thousands of people annually. A Place to Turn (APTT) is a "choice pantry" where clients come with a referral, they are logged into the in-house database, and a volunteer or employee walks around with them as they choose what they want from the grocery area (the employee or volunteer even bags the groceries for the client). There is a color code system to designate for different family size so that those with young children can take formula and baby food, for example. APTT also has clothes, shoes, personal care items, home care items, and even some toys for little ones. I have really enjoyed my time there and the employees are friendly as can be.

As a client was leaving the clothing area this morning, talking to his friend he came with, he said "This is the best pantry I've been to... by far... by far." I just happened to overhear the comment and it made me feel like I made a tangible difference in someone's life today. What can you do but keep that in your pocket and thank God for being so blessed? I will remember that moment for years to come.

Thanks for embarking on this adventure with me.

In peace.