Did we lose you yet?

We're back! We have returned to Massachusetts after a wonderful visit to Minnesota over the holidays. We had the chance to see almost everyone we wanted to, even if many of the visits were shorter than we would have liked. We spent Christmas with our families, rang in the New Year with the ever-expanding Nerd Clan (those babies can party!) and enjoyed lots of time with friends, visiting many of our favorite restaurants in the Cities.

Once back in Massachusetts, we both had lots to do. Jay returned to work at Smith College and has been enjoying a relatively quiet schedule over the winter break. He is currently in New York City with a group of students interested in careers in publishing. They are meeting with Smith alums at places like Jane Magazine, Scribner, and Random House. The image of him leading a group of undergrads through the streets of New York brings to mind the illustrations from "Make Way For Ducklings."

I have spent the last few weeks preparing for the Spring semester. I was offered the chance to teach a course on Anthropology and Food at Smith College. Jay assured me I was not infringing on his territory, and we will be able to carpool to work the day I teach. I will still be taking two classes at UMass, so it will be a little weird to go back and forth between instructor and student, but I am excited for the opportunity.

Still no snow here, although it has gotten much colder. We are patiently waiting to break out our snowshoes but may have to wait until next winter. We still have lots of places we want to explore, so we'll keep you updated on all our adventures! It was so much fun to hear people tell us they read the blog--we miss everyone a lot, and love that we can stay connected this way!

--hbc