Thank you for all of your well wishes! I will continue the love story and pillow making on this blog because many of you have asked me to do so.

However, 50 percent of all money made from any pillow I sell will be donated to the Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation in the name of my brother, Americo Palladino who passed away almost five years ago because of this disease. The goal is to raise $2900 because he died at the age of 29. My hope is that some day they find a cure!

So please join me as I update the love story and create a new pillow weekly for a greater cause!

Much love,

Frances

Many of you have written to me to ask that I continue the love story so I will. I have a lot of planning to do in the next few weeks so I will not update the love story until after the wedding.

1000pillows will take a new turn starting December. It will be the story of our love and I can’t wait to continue telling it.

Love,
Frances & John

I highly recommend spending some time with the man in your life in a place like Melange Apothecary to learn what scent makes you irresistible to him.

The convenient roll-on applicator delivers the perfect dose of fragrance and is great to carry in your purse or pocket. The budget friendly price of $18 for a scent that is customized to make your man go crazy for you, is well worth the price!

Love Story continues…Life always seems to have its own plan for me. There is constantly a struggle when it comes to control. Some people know exactly what they are doing and when, while others get a clue along the way. I knew what I wanted to accomplish and what I needed to be responsible for in life, but it forever seems to have a bit of a different plan for Me! Instinct can only take one so far. I am learning that it is necessary to just let go.

Coming to Los Angeles may have been a test run for Boston. Boston would bring me relief or challenge my ability to accept some of the things that have happened in my life. To understand solace. Being alone, as I have mentioned before, was never needed or possible. I didn’t know how to be still, much less far from home. My Home… Alone…Quiet. I didn’t know what those words meant after so many years of being surrounded by people. Too many people. Too much of what everyone else always wanted but not enough time for me to decide what my favorite drink was or what Chicken Tika Masala was, or Pho, or real French Onion soup!

I had three days left in LA before my journey in Boston was set to begin. In the meantime I wanted to see John. I called him as we had been texting each other ever since I left Sonoma. At some point I told him about Boston and how soon my escape to LA was about to come to an end. He was supportive and thought that Boston would be a beautiful experience. He said that it would change me as LA had started to and he looked forward to witnessing that process. I was not sure what he meant by that at the time. What did he know that I didn’t ?!

Tuesday: I made plans for everyone to meet on Friday night at Firefly, a restaurant close to Joel’s place. I could tell from John’s response to my invitation that he thought he was going to be going out alone with me. It would be one of my last evenings with my friends and I really wanted to see as many people as I could before I left. I went to bed, eyes closed, body tired. I could not sleep. The anxiousness was starting to envelop my body. At first it was a feeling of small thoughts that drifted in and out of my head that quickly became a tidal wave of fear and worry. Was I doing the right thing ?! Even my Friday plans made me restless. Wednesday was Halloween and I made plans weeks ago to meet friends at the Gay parade. I was not in the mood to put on a costume and party it up, but I was told that Halloween in West Hollywood was a must see event that could not be missed. I took a deep breath and thought of the kiss I shared with John before I left Sonoma. For as nervous as he made me, his presence calmed me. With sweet thoughts, I drifted to sleep.

Wednesday Morning: TV brought with it a cavalcade of Halloween fun on the local Fox news channel. Two of the reporters were dressed up in full costume. Chicago news isn’t usually this fun and one would never see anchors dressed up for Halloween. I could not concentrate on the news because I was distracted by the female reporter who had her breasts propped up in a very sexy pirate costume talking about the weather. Chicago is just too buttoned up for this kind of on-air debauchery! It was like watching soft porn! Astonished, I said out loud, “Is this was it takes to get ratings in LA?” Joel just laughed and turned the channel to remove the festiveness of a holiday he sees no point in.

Breakfast was as it always is when you eat on the road. This morning was no exception with Philadelphia cream cheese spread and a touch of mixed berry jam over a toasted sesame bagel. My bagel reminded me of H&H Bagels in New York which is definitely worth the pilgrimage or worth frequenting if you live near it. Would anywhere I ate ever be able to give me the same kind of satisfaction that I knew I could depend on…like it did in Chicago?

The rest of Wednesday flew by and before I knew it we had to get going to meet Jen at her place to go to the parade. Joel and I did not find costumes so we decided to go as spectators rather than participants. Halloween is not one of Joel’s favorite holidays and it made me wonder how much he would enjoy the evening.

Apparently driving to a gay parade in a gay part of town is not a good idea. I was a little nervous about taking a bus in LA because…well, how would I know how to get back if we got separated? How would I know which bus to take? How does anyone know which way is up in this town when there isn’t a lake or the largest skyscraper in The States to at least guide me?! We waited for 20 minutes before the bus showed up and as soon as we entered the bus I knew this was going to be a very interesting night. There were two guys dressed in spider man costumes; another guy was dressed like a monk; and last but not least, there was a girl dressed like little red ridding hood and her partner, the wolf. What costume would I have chosen if Joel and I made it a priority?

We arrived at the corner of Santa Monica and La Cienega in West Hollywood. The streets were filled with thousands of people dressed in the most outrageous costumes. You couldn’t move on the sidewalks or streets. The sound of music was thumping from every bar and club. The air was filled with the smell of cologne, cigarettes, and weed. Forget about the contact high, everywhere I looked there were men and women showing off their assets. This jumble of people was endless, and what they were doing was beyond anything that I was used to in my everyday life. Men kissing men. Young women witnessing gay erotica at its finest. I’ve never been to therapy, but I could understand the need after how many times I witnessed gay men feelin’ up women’s bulging breasts all night long. At some point Joel vocalized how confused he was about what was real and what was…fantasy. I have never been to Margi Gras in New Orleans, but this night made me feel like I was in the middle of something similar. I was over stimulated with all of the eye candy. It was no longer a jumble of people. This was a jungle, and I was in the middle of a place that would not surrender me easily.

By 02:00 AM I was dizzy and Joel had had enough. Jen was shimming like she usually does and talking to a guy she once had a thing for. I was going to spend the last two nights with her, but by the looks of things, Jen was making plans of her own. It seems that I would yet again be back on Joel’s couch.

It was too late to catch a bus back to Jen’s so we all grabbed a cab. Joel and I headed back to his place. I remember wanting nothing more at that moment then to jump in a shower and wash every single square inch of my WEHO Halloween experience off of me. Exhausted, I crawled onto my well worn couch, laid my head down and was asleep in seconds. There was no time to worry about what was next.

Thursday: I had some long standing plans to see my cousins and extended family this evening. I wanted to catch up with my mother’s side of the family and have dinner with them. I also wanted to give Joel a break from me and from dragging him out last night so I arranged for a ride to the family’s pad and when I arrived, there were at least 15 people waiting for me. We drank and ate and laughed. I shared my experiences from Sonoma, Halloween and my anticipation for Boston. I may have mentioned something about John, but he was too new to really bring up like it was something serious. I hadn’t even had one evening alone with him.

I was blessed to be sitting in a kitchen of a Home that was filled with women who grew up with my mother and their kids. The food was incredible. It was a spread of traditional Assyrian dishes including: Basmati rice; beef cutlets spiced with onions, bread crumbs and a little turmeric; chicken kabobs with pita bread and dill cucumber dressing; lamb stew with potatoes and garlic; and my favorite, pickled vegetables and feta cheese. I was treated like a Princess and I ate so much my stomach felt like it would explode. Life was good tonight. Black tea and nazook made it even better. We have a saying in Assyrian that translates to “A full stomach makes for a peaceful world.” “Peaceful” Would Boston bring me peace, or would I continue to surround myself with more to make me forget?

For the complete love story please visit the Love Story page.
More to come next week…

By Stephanie Jaworski

I found this recipe for Linzer Torte on Joy of Baking and thought I would surprise him with it.

An idea for the wedding is to have your baker make your groom’s favorite desert and surprise him with it at the cake cutting. A delicious start to a sweet life together!

Another idea would be to print the groom’s surprise recipe desert and attach it to heart shaped measuring spoons like these from candles & such and send one home with each of your guests as wedding favors.

The Love story continues… The hazard of sleeping in random places is waking up and not remembering where you are. I had slept in a half a dozen places in the last two weeks so when I woke up on Joel’s couch, it took me a moment to remember where I was. Teddy had ended up on the floor facing me with his cute little perma-smile. Joel and I had worked hard over the last few weeks and this was the first morning we were able to sleep in.

I looked at my phone to see what time it was and noticed that there was a voicemail waiting for me from a number that I did not recognize. I needed coffee before I could even think about checking my voicemails. Up and alone, I got dressed and left in search of Java.

Pulverized bits of roasted bean goodness strangled through filters is an important part of my morning ritual. My being is always a bit brighter when I start my day with it. I found a Starbucks down the street from Joel’s on Ventura Blvd. It was 10am and the place was buzzing. The people were just as unique as their coffee orders. The tall, non-fat, Splenda latte was ordered by Angel a 20 something blonde, dressed to impress at 10am, in her shinny red stilettos, short ripped daisy dukes and fishnet stockings. The double shot espresso went to Kayeesha a “man” dressed in a skirt with hairy legs and long painted toe nails, and the mocha frap went to the only man dressed in a business suit. I was definitely not in Kansas or Chicago anymore.

I walked up to the counter and ordered a tall, decaf, vanilla latte. I always get decaf because I don’t like that jittery felling of the high octane stuff. I am addicted to the taste, but not to the feeling. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, I took a few sips from my newly minted cardboard clad cup of blackness and savored the way it felt all the way down. The frothy milk and vanilla just made me want to smile. It doesn’t take much…

I sat down outside and checked my messages. The Publicist from Body Worlds called to see if I was interested in coming back to work for them to do PR for the exhibit at the Museum of Science in Boston. I loved working for Body Worlds in Chicago and the thought of going to Boston intrigued me. My trip to California was definitely the start of something and a new journey to Boston might be more of what the shaman in the corner would have ordered for me if life was as easy as coffee.

I called the head of PR at Body Worlds who I started to call my “Fairy Godmother” because she made me an offer I just could not refuse. I was expected to be in Boston within a week which meant I would have to leave LA, fly back to Chicago, get my life in order there and be on a plane to Boston all in less than five days. It is amazing what life can bring when you’re not expecting it.

I went back to Joel’s and told him about Boston and we talked about the pros and cons. He felt that going to Boston would be a blessing because it would give me a chance to get over my ex-boyfriend, continue to heal from my brother’s death and allow me yet another opportunity to grow. The cons would be that my mom, sister-in-law and my nephews would have to adjust to being without me for the longest time I had ever spent away from them: Six months. I would support them, but could not be there for the day to day responsibilities of taking care of three boys and an elderly & sick grandmother. It would be a challenge.

As the day unfolded I booked my ticket to fly home to Chicago, called my mother to discuss the next steps and at about 6pm it finally hit me. OMG! I am going to Boston. It was easy to just say yes, but I have never lived outside of Chicago and have never been away from my family for more than a few weeks. I was going to be gone for at least five months and I didn’t know anyone in Boston. What was I thinking?

John Who?