happy birthday to my lovely mama. we've enjoyed a splendid day of unlikely 78 degree breezes, walking on the beach, lunching outdoors, planting bulbs in gran's garden, walking to fort hill, poaching internet for episodes of grey's anatomy, ever-helpful field trips, and lobsters for dinner. hope it's been a perfect day for you, mom. as lauren said "you don't look a day over delightful." hope #60 treats you great. 

surprise!

this little blogger is in vermont. i flew in saturday night to surprise my mother, who turns the big 6-0 on thursday. i'm here for the whole week! with the exception of a two day jaunt to cape cod to see gran.

vermont, so far, is a bit damp and grey, but the reds and oranges of the trees make up for it. i have missed nine autumns in vermont-- or at least the peak weeks of those nine autumns. hello, trees. i adore you.

my first few days have been packed with comfort, coziness, and familiarity. french toast with real fresh maple syrup. sunday morning at the unitarian church. an afternoon walk in hubbard park with my oldest, dearest friend and then a crepe date downtown. making pesto & applesauce fresh with mom. a field trip to middlebury for some exploration, and a three-year-overdue lunch date with a camp friend at penny cluse cafe. tea and snacks with my mom & aunt. cozy couch chat time with jenna. dinner with the 'rents. so many warm & fuzzy moments. as always, the week is already filling up and flying by.

slow down! slow down!

happy friday!

i am digging this song today. it was on gossip girl this week, and it's simply fabulous for autumn.

other delightful fall (and not fall) wonders--

• the harvest moon. wow was that beautiful last night.
• heavenly blue skies, crispy leaves, yellow hillsides.
• riding my bike through said crispy leaves and the delicious sound that makes.
• a beautiful patty larkin & lucy kaplansky concert at strings with miss molly.
• fried seafoods at the young professionals network.
• my first seasonal trip up to visit the ski area execs.
• a quick quick quick chat with a long lost friend.
• new music.
• a random run-in with tourists from upper new york state. their kids live in vermont & the woman worked at vassar for years. hello small world.
• more small world- finally meeting a camp friend's college friend who just moved back to steamboat. once i figured out who she was, i literally said "HI MY NAME IS ELIZA AND WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE FRIENDS!" talk about overly enthusiastic outreach. ha.
• two of my favorite boys in town for the weekend on a break from their fire crew. looking forward to catching up & hiking this weekend.

One more, I can't resist...

discovery of the day. i'm in love.available on etsy. i want them all.

Dinnertime.

Monday night dinner. 

Locally grown asparagus & fingerling potatoes with some broiled salmon. 

Can you say YUM?

Dark Reese's Please.

Remember when I said I was going to eat a Reese's Cup in Granddaddy's honor?

Well, I'm a saver. So I bought the cups (dark- yes please!) that week. And I saved them on the counter in my kitchen. And then last week, I brought them to work as a treat in my desk. And then I saved them some more. Finally, after a long meeting this afternoon, it's time. And yum. Worth the wait.

Granddaddy, here's to you.

Summer 2010 has come to an end. On facebook yesterday I asked what people's favorite moments of the summer were. What was yours?

And what was mine, you ask? So many favorite moments this summer....

• Starting the summer off with an incredible week in Vermont, reuniting with some of my oldest and dearest friends, celebrating the marriage of V & Mort, walking the country roads with my parents, and soaking in the greenery.
• Two Red Rocks shows. Michael Franti & Spearhead with Kat, and Yonder Mtn String Band/Leftover Salmon with an assortment of Steamboat & camp friends.
• Lunches at Sweet Pea. The discovery of the Brie LT.
• Carrie's 4-week Shakra Yoga Series.
• Bearfoot Bluegrass at Strings.
• Enjoying many a grilled meat & sunset over Steamboat off the deck of 466 Cherry.
• Five fabulous free concerts at the base of Howelsen Hill.
• Hiking to Mica Basin solo.
• Peach-blueberry pie.
• Camping & hiking to Gilpin Lake with Kate.
• Late night bike rides with Molly.
• Warren Dunes beach day in Michigan.
• The Tibetan Monks Closing Ceremony. Blessings.
• Miles and miles and miles of biking.
• Planning a secret honeymoon getaway for Alaya & Chol.
• The many moments I made a conscious choice to appreciate the little things-- the good company, the laughter, the mountains & the sunshine.

For a visual of a few favorite moments, see here.

Thanks for following along on my adventures. And, thanks for being a part of them.

friday night

i can't remember the last time i was so excited for a friday. this week was packed full with a board meeting, bi-annual grant deadline, Impact 100 kickoff party, as well as all of the usual. by this morning i was feeling exhausted and ready for some downtime. i was done at work around five, and went for about an hour walk in the sunshine. i did the same loop last week, but it was far more pleasurable because i was having a phone date with jen. tonight it was just me, the ipod & the sun... but it was a nice way to unwind. i made an heirloom tomato, fresh moz & homegrown basil salad for dinner, and paired it with a glass of wine leftover from Impact 100. delicious. the yellow heirloom was incredible. combine all of that with some grey's anatomy catchup and a couple of chocolates, and you've got one happy sister on her way to relaxation. 

today it's all about the avetts.
i'm in love with their words.

and, really, what does the soundtrack to your life sound like? today, or always.

van morrison makes the best soundtrack to my life.
who sings your soundtrack?

life is good.
full of gratitude.
hooray.

Signs of Fall

Fall has definitely hit the Boat. I can feel it in the crisp, clear days but even more so in the dark, chilly nights. My slippers are back in action, and this morning I switched from my summery short robe to my giant fleecy robe in a moment of freeze when I hopped out of bed. I even turned on the heat in the bathroom briefly.

I can hear crispy leaves blow across the parking lot outside, and there was just a hint of yellow on the higher parts of my drive yesterday. The scrub oak around town is turning more red by the day, and the fields have a distinct brown to them.

Despite the lack of "school" in my life, going back to school always meant new jeans when I was growing up. I made a quick stop at the Gap Outlet over the weekend for new jeans, and wearing them today has given me a strong sense of "Ok Fall, here I am."

Don't get me wrong. I am a summer girl. I adore summertime, and this summer in particular has been exceptional. I've been dreading the closure of the long summer days. the sight of my container garden fading after the first frost, the need to pull on an extra layer. But finally, fall feels nice. It feels like going home to be revisiting my scarves and layers, to put an extra blanket on the bed, to dream of crunchy leaves, yellow hillsides, and crisp apples.

So, welcome fall...

LK Dodd

It's been five years today since my grandfather, my dad's father, passed away. I know-- it seems like I was just writing a similar post for my mom's father a few weeks ago. Both were extraordinary men who raised my parents well, and helped to pass many positive traits along to me. Granddaddy passed away during the first weeks of my senior year at Vassar. I'll never forget driving from Poughkeepsie to West Hartford alone, stopping at Dunkin Donuts for coffee & a chocolate donut as I did each time I made the drive, and arriving at my grandparents' home in the morning. It was a whirlwind of a day, emotion-filled, family-filled, and then in the very same day I was back on the Vassar campus. I chose to go only for one day because I didn't want to miss crew practice- with hopes of making a seat in the V1. I still think about that, and wish I had stayed for more than one day. I kept the roses from his service in my room at Vassar, and then they found a home dried in Vermont up until only last year. 


The day he died was the beginning of a new phase of my relationship with my grandmother. From that moment on, I made an extra effort to be in touch with her- to send postcards, letters, to make visits, to call when I could. I saw, for the first time that was truly tangible, how brief my relationships with my grandparents might be, and I made the most of it. I'm forever grateful for the extra four and a half years I got with her after Granddaddy died, and for the strength of our relationship as I became more of an "adult." 


Granddaddy gave me a sweet tooth- for Dove ice cream bars, for vanilla ice cream, particularly for Reese's peanut butter cups. He kept secret bags in the drawers in the den, and I knew just where to sneak in and snag one. 
He gave me a fondness for sharp cheddar cheese. Cabot, Grafton, anything that is seriously sharp. 
He gave me a passion for boats, for problem-solving, and for laughter. 
He built a dollhouse with electricity. It consumed my imaginary world for many years. 


Today I wear their wedding band on a chain around my neck. 
I'll eat a Reese's this week, and think of you, Granddaddy. 


He loved sailing second only to his family. 


This poem was a part of his service, on September 14, 2005. 


Sea Fever by John Masefield


"I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over."

Kale Chips & Self Love

i've been reading about kale chips all over the place recently. kale is a superfood, and i've never been exactly sure what to do with it. kale chips sounded like an interesting concept-- chopped kale, tossed in olive oil, s & p, and then baked in the oven until crispy. dipped in ketchup. they were... ok. i think part of the issue was trying to pair the kale chips with an italian dish. maybe it would have gone better with a burger or something. instead, the other half of the plate was spinach pasta, tomato sauce, onions & amazing sausage. maybe not to be paired again... 

what's your favorite thing to do with kale?

after a good workout at the gym, i took my time with grocery shopping, body product shopping, and buying myself some sunflowers & snapdragons that were on sale! i adore having fresh flowers in my apartment... it makes everything so cheery and i love treating myself to them. the sunflowers felt so fallish, while the snapdragons were more summery. the perfect transition bouquet for the first week of september!

Hello, Fall...

Coming at you live from the Steamboat library. 

Rainy evening, lots of layers, mint tea. 

lunch. crusty bread with homemade pesto, locally grown thai basil, colorado-grown heirloom tomato & fresh mozzarella. delectable. it's a recreation of dinner that torre and i made this week-- when we had sweet potato fries and spinach salad as well. today it's just a fast & easy & delicious lunch on the go. yum. 

heaven. 

"I was fair as a summers day
Now the summer days are through
You pass through places
And places pass through you
But you carry 'em with you
On the souls of your travellin' shoes

Well I love you so dearly I love you so clearly
Wake you up in the mornin' so early
Just to tell you I got the wanderin' blues
I got the wanderin' blues
And i'm gonna quit these ramblin' ways one of
these days soon
And I'll sing

The littlest birds sing the prettiest songs..."

-The Be Good Tanyas

my life is so blessed by beautiful and generous people.
today:

• a couple of fun emails from friends.
• a cookie. the perfect cookie. hand delivered by one of the best.
• mail! real paper mail! postmarked in vermont.
• an exceptionally friendly customer service rep.
• a dinner date with two of steamboat's finest ladies.

thanks for being so fabulous, y'all.
you make my days brighter and my smile wider.

farewell summer. 

hello fall. 

(hot coffee & cream of wheat with raisins)