zucchini bread baking in the oven.

van morrison playing out of the speakers.

reading outside as the clouds roll in.

early morning yoga, taking a moment to enjoy breakfast on the patio, consuming a full carton of raspberries, sweet summer sun, and a wrap dress. sure know how to make a girl feel good.

happiness on a mountaintop. circa 2007.

good morning!

i woke up around 6 before managing to fall back asleep for another hour plus. at 6 i thought that maybe i would go to yoga at 7:30, but i woke up just after 7:30. ah well. kim's going to come over for come coffee in the sunshine before heading down to the farmer's market. then we've got the WORLD CUP game around noon. i'm hoping to squeeze in a hike or bike ride before heading to the free concert at howelsen for the evening. i loooove the free concerts. they are one of my favorite things about steamboat in the summertime, and i look forward to them all year round. tonight is a full moon and i know it will be gorgeous. the band is "big kenny"-- half of the country duo big & rich. not really my style, but i go for the atmosphere and the company, so that will be just fine.

enjoy your saturdays.

lala.

amante.

big glass of wine.

friday evening.

perfect.

my heart is sad, today, for a tragedy that reminds me just how small this world is. on wednesday, a man doing the Tour Divide race (bike race along the continental divide from canada to new mexico) had a collision with a truck just north of Steamboat. he was pronounced brain dead yesterday. my friend laura was the ER doctor who saw him, and mentioned he was from connecticut. of course, i was sad to hear about this accident.

this morning i learned that he was from montpelier. my eye caught the small newspaper headline "Bicyclist brain-dead: Vermont man was in North Routt on endurance race" as i was walking out of the gym. i flipped to the article and saw that he was from montpelier. suddenly it all felt way too close. this man, who has lived in the community i was raised in, ate at my favorite spots, shopped at the co-op, went to the farmers market, biked the same trails, hiked the same mountains and crossed paths, i'm sure, with so many people i know. and here he was, in colorado, enjoying the beauty of this area and taking in sights i have seen so often. what are the chances? of course, i don't know him. i don't know his wife. i don't know his 4 year old daughter. but i feel connected to them through both of these places, and i feel so sad for them. it feels surreal to see such similar articles printed in both the Steamboat Pilot and in the Times Argus.

it is yet another (haven't we had enough recently?) reminder to appreciate every day with the ones you love.

"when you realize
how perfect everything is
you will tilt your head back
and laugh at the sky."

yesterday was one of those days where all day i could only think "how lucky am i? how blessed is my life!?".....

• i have been reading the girl with the dragon tattoo. it took me a long time to get into it, but once i did, i was hooked. i woke up yesterday at 6:30 and began to read, instead of exercise. by 7:30, i knew i wasn't going anywhere until i finished the book. i texted my boss: "finishing girl with the dragon tattoo. can't stop. might be late to work." and i proceeded to make coffee and read read read. i didn't get to work at 10. yes, friends, i was late to work because i was reading. and it was okay, because my boss was the one who recommended the book. and because he came in at 10 the day before due to the world cup game. my job, and my boss, are the best.
• it was a hot and sunny day out. we're talking almost 90 degrees here, folks. i had my office windows open, i was productive, it was fabulous.
• i left work, on my bike, to run errands for the office downtown. i zipped down alleys, i got things done, i casually rode back home on the bike path. i smiled at everyone i saw.
• i met molly on the bike path a bit later to ride back downtown for the young professionals network meeting. we mingled, we ate cheese cubes, and we listened to a panel of five local olympians tell us about their dreams, careers, and lives in steamboat. how cool is that? plus, two of them were vermonters (stowe and williston) and we had some bonding after the panel over learning to ski on ice, and how wonderful vermont is.
• we then hopped back on our bikes, rode over the bridge, and settled in at sweet pea market for some sandwiches. sweet pea is our indoor-outdoor market here in town, and this summer they have built a deck right up next to the river. they make THE best sandwiches using as many local and organic products as possible. they are delightful. so, molly and i sipped organic wines, waited for kim & laura, and feasted on beautiful sandwiches. i had the Brie LT. yup. BLT with brie. on housemade foccacia. heeeeaven.
• by 9, it was time to head home. i strapped on my lights and biked home in record time. i flew! the moon, which is full on saturday, was blowing boldly and beautifully and i literally sighed and thought "this is my life. i love it." over. and over. and over.

my heart was here today. thinking of the incredibly lucky girls at aloha arriving at camp, settling into life in a platform tent, changing into green & white, greeting new and old friends, taking swim and canoe tests, eating pizza in the dining hall, singing songs in the hale, and having trouble falling asleep after reading by flashlight or whispering with friends. and thinking, too, of the amazing counselors who are literally waiting to change lives, and who will in turn have their lives changed. who found a way to escape their other jobs, careers, and educations to make it back to camp. all sharing dreams of another best summer ever. waiting to climb mountains, paddle lakes and rivers, making forever friends, cook over campfires. sigh. i know-- it sounds so cheesy. but there is so much magic waiting to be had in fairlee this summer, and so many wonderful moments to come. cheers to an amazing summer!

note: i originally wrote this post last night, on aloha's opening day, but due to lack of internet access you are seeing it now!

i. love. summer.

summer is in full swing in steamboat, and i am soaking in every moment of it. this past weekend was simply delightful. a few highlights...

i bought myself a little grill for my patio on saturday, and had a few girls over for dinner. lauren, britni & jeanne joined me for a sustainable white wine, grilled black bean burgers on english muffins, oven roasted sweet potato fries, a salad made of local greens, and another salad of black beans, tomatoes, fresh corn, avocado & cilantro. we sat outside and feasted, and it was fabulous.



sunday morning i went to a two hour yoga workshop celebrating the summer solstice. we chanted, we did sun salutations (12 cycles on each side to honor the 12 months in the year!), we chanted some more, and we did 'yoga nidra' (a type of meditation) for 45 minutes. i left feeling restored, energized and happy. i rode my bike back home smiling and saying hello to everyone i encountered!

in the afternoon, lauren and i went for a little hike up mad creek trail, just north of town. it was a dreamy blue day, few clouds in sight. i can't believe i hadn't been up mad creek before-- it is incredibly beautiful. i felt like i was in the sound of music. it is almost as stunning as the views in the zirkels, but a much shorter drive out of town.

it is so wonderful to have lauren back in town. i love my boys here in steamboat with all my heart, and i'm finally starting to make some girl friends, but there is nothing like having a really good friend around (especially one that is a cousin!).

happy solstice, beautiful friends.

happy father's day.

happy father's day, dad. thanks for all of the free advice.

i love you!

friday!
yippee.

this week has been un-extraordinary, and yet i am so looking forward to the weekend. heading to dinner tonight in oak creek at a delicious asian restaurant called chelsea's-- best sesame chicken around! lauren and schmeltz and i are going, and that should be fun.
tomorrow the only thing on my agenda is a stop at the farmer's market... hopefully a hike or bike ride somewhere as well.
sunday i'm doing a 2 hour yoga workshop to honor the summer solstice. it's at the yoga center, which i rarely go to (much cheaper to just take yoga classes at the gym), and i am so looking forward to it.

what are you up to?

“We do not remember days, we remember moments. The richness of life lies in memories we have forgotten.”― Cesare Pavese

hot cocoa: $2.88

shrimp tacos: $8

tank of gas: $32

assorted summer attire: $100

an entire day with a dear friend who you've known for 21 years: PRICELESS.

i love you, kate waite!

oh, how i love saturdays.

• slept in til 9. showered, dressed.
• hopped on my bike to ride to the very first farmer's market of the season.
• encountered adventures riding in a blustery wind in a skirt.
• met schmeltz and torre.
• wandered the market, only purchase was asiago basil bread.
• quick trip down to sweet pea market for sandwiches. brie blt and salad. yumm.
• extreme wind storm that resulted in a downpour lasting all day.
• world cup usa vs england game at the boys' house!
• a solid hour nap.
• lounge time.
• milkshakes at johnny b goods.
• blueberries, grilled cheese on market bread, sweatpants, cheesy movie.
• rain drops dripping outside.
• goodnight!

in case you can't tell, i've started following some food blogs. fear not-- i'm not about to start documenting all my meals and posting them on catch the truth. but, when i find something good, i want to share it! i've been trying greek yogurts occasionally since last summer, but haven't really gotten into them. recently i read an article explaining why they are such a good option- they are strained very thick, and pack in the protein. so i've tried a few kinds. this is by far the best! chobani 0%. with 16g of protein in a 6 oz container with 120 calories! it is rich, almost like sour cream. i like the vanilla and the raspberry flavors, i haven't tried strawberry, and i wasn't entirely crazy about peach. today i'm enjoying the vanilla with blueberries (i bought a giant carton on sale!) that are the size of small planets. yum. try it for yourself, and let me know your reviews.
what delicious discoveries have you made recently?

It's all about the little things. Taking five minutes to sit on my patio in my pajamas to sip my coffee in the morning sunlight. Choosing the path along the river instead of through the parking lot on my walk back to work at lunch and stopping to smell the lilacs. Opening the window fully to enjoy the summer breeze. Delightful.

i'm about three (four?) posts behind what i'd like to have written, but here's a quick one. summer has arrived in the boat! today, of course, is grey & 50 degrees, but in general it's been warm, sunny and delightful. i'm riding my bike as much as possible. i just hopped on my bike, rode home, and whipped up this lunch. now enjoying it back at my desk. sandwich is wheat bread, whipped cream cheese, smoked salmon, and spinach leaves. i also made a smoothie-- frozen strawberries, frozen peaches, handful of spinach, vanilla yogurt, carrot juice & POM juice. i successfully made it only about 16 oz. when i make them for breakfast i fill up a whole nalgene bottle, and am often left way too full (but they just aren't nearly as good once they melt!).

anyway, cheers to summertime, delicious food, and riding bicycles!