friday.

my friday wake up was greeted by the most stunning blue sky. it looks like colorado out my window, but with birds chirping and green grass and daffodils and a bit of humidity. i like it.

blue sky + new outfit + listening to bearfoot bluegrass.

less of a rush this morning as i'm not participating in the carpool.

lovely plans with jenna tonight.

a few of my oldest friends gathering tomorrow for the wedding celebration of our lovely erin. looking forward to celebrating love, dancing & enjoying the company of my beautiful girls!

gratitude for the little things (& big things too): 


fresh sumatra coffee, laughing coworkers, my first pair of heels ever, sweet potato fries, my first groves family holiday in 6 years, a delicious yoga class, a mother who will hem my pants, 70 degree hazy skies, michael franti on the radio, an evening walk with my dearest&nearest, and sleeping with the window open for the first time this spring...

terrific tuesday.

i got to try something new today. it was delightful.

what was it?

i got to work from home. yup. i got to wake up, put on yoga pants & slippers & a flannel (my favorite costume for life, basically). brush my teeth, pull up a bun & brew some coffee. eat my egg & toast.

and then, instead of getting in the car for a lengthy drive to work, i got to open up my laptop and settle in at the table. and in general, i was fairly productive. i won't lie, i got some laundry done too, but i impressed myself with the amount that i was able to stay focused.

i had a lovely lunch break with chunky tomato soup and a grilled cheese of cabot, homemade pesto & spinach on more red hen bread.

and now i've finished my workday. and instead of driving all the way home, i get to walk to the gym.

i could never do this every day, but it sure was a treat today!

a perfect night:
zumba, thai takeout, an episode of modern family, incredible cupcakes, and hours of quality conversation with my oldest and nearest. i love that jen & i spent so many years living in different worlds (rural colorado vs. new york city!) and still somehow returned to vermont still being so similar. veggie pad se ew, same beliefs and lifestyles, alligned life plans, remarkably similar wardrobes, so many lovely little things.

and today:
the sun is shining & i've got a short day at work!

april showers had better bring me some damn daffodils.

today: booming thunder, giant puddles, heavy rain. pb toast and sumatra coffee. delicious leftovers for lunch & dinner. laughter & productivity at work. continued phone tag with several dearests. yoga. tree pose. delightful discoveries for future fun. enjoy this video-- love this song!

the remainder of my sunday was just as domestic & enjoyable as the morning... a long & sweaty workout, a touch of breezy sunshine on the deck, mending buttons, starting projects, a late afternoon maple cremee treat, laundry, making chicken-veggie-alphabet soup & biscuits for dinner, and more reading. quiet days make the weekend feel lengthy, and for that i am grateful!

Drizzling Sunday Morning.

I awoke after a serious night's sleep to a wet world outside. Dreary weather always seems like a good excuse to be cozy for a while. I started the morning with slippers & coffee & the Wailin' Jennys, followed by with cooking blueberry pancakes & local bacon for myself and my parents. And then, some newspaper reading & blog catching up. I love mornings with no rush, and no agenda.

hello from pump duty.

dad is out of town, and mom is sleeping. this leaves me sitting in a cozy chair with a timer set for 45 minutes. every 45 minutes, i go downstairs, run the pump that keeps our basement from filling with water.

did i mention that my parents have been doing this for about 72 hours now? hence the "mom is sleeping" part... they've been gracious enough to let me go about my daily routine with only a pump pump here and a pump pump there, but now with dad gone tonight, i had to step in and assist.

let it be known-- staying up past 10 pm is challenging for me. i love my sleep.

in the meantime, enjoy--

this video that was a favorite last winter.

seeing this makes me painfully homesick for my former life. instead, i'm trying to channel my heart to feel blessed that i got to spend five lovely winters enjoying it.

a new blog discovery.

i love this shirt. i have it in "red multi" and not only does it put a smile on my little woodchuck face every time i wear it, but it is so.comfortable. i think about getting a second one constantly, but that seems so silly.


time to go run the pump. goodnight, lovelies!

as hoped, today was a much better day!

highlights included bringing  a new plant into my cube (anything to brighten it up!), scooting back to waterbury to go to yoga on the clock, a warm sunny walk with jenna, fresh asparagus & a beautiful sunset out the window during dinner.

and another really awesome part?

yup. today was what i've been known to call my favorite holiday! while the holiday is celebrated at scoop shops across the country, there's something very special about enjoying a cone in the state where ben and jerry began their endeavor. sadly, the montpelier ben and jerry's scoop shop closed down several years ago. and my office moved only last week out of waterbury, where the factory is! so at lunch several of my coworkers and i embarked on a little adventure to the mall in burlington where we thought there was a b&j shop. no luck! but with ice cream on my mind, i convinced my mother to take a break from standing guard in the basement to come meet me after yoga for a sweet treat. silly, perhaps, but well worth our time to stand in a sunny line for a free scoop of the good stuff! it was the perfect way to enjoy one of vermont's many fine treats.

yesterday was a rainy day full of windshield wipers, cold coffee, adjusting to a new office space, and feeling sorry for myself. my parents finagled a flooding basement, zumba got canceled.... 

today must be better.

here is a treat to start your day:

obsessed with adele at the moment, and esp. this song.

"if there is any secret to this life i live, this is it: the sound of what cannot be seen sings within everything that can. & there is nothing more to it than that." -storypeople

oh sweet spring.

spring has unquestionably arrived in vermont. and oh, what heaven. crystal clear blue skies, chirping birds, and temps near 60 blessed us today. i started the day with leisurely coffee and toast.  then walking downtown for errands & a sweaty gym workout & back up the hill. i settled on the deck for the afternoon, smiling at the crocuses, painting my nails a bold red, enjoying warm sun on my bare arms and reading a delightful book. mmmm... call me content!

one month later.

so, here i am, one month after i departed from my world in steamboat. a giant send-off with all of my favorite people, and a few final runs on my mountain... a four day drive across the country, a few days to unpack, three days of orientation, and on friday i will finish my fourth week of my new job. phewph- what a whirlwind!

have i settled in? i'm getting there. i'm still seeking a consistent routine in my days, figuring out the best timing for driving to work, when the gym isn't too busy, how to fit regular yoga practice into my days, and how to not waste my entire evening on the internet searching for apartments, catching up on tv episodes, and chatting with friends who are thousands of miles away. i've found my yoga class (wednesdays at 6), i've made strides in getting bed to read at reasonable hours, and i've learned that it takes 18 minutes door to door to get to work. of course, that's all being rapidly restructured and adjusted as i learned last week that my job is moving from waterbury to williston, adding about 15-20 more minutes onto my daily commute, and removing me from the little town i've only just begun to explore. so, the settling part is shifting.

do i love it? i don't love working in a cubicle, and i don't love driving. i do love having dinner with my parents every night, doing activities together, and joining our daily lives together after nine years in separate states. i very much love living down the street from my very oldest friend, just as we did for eight years of our childhood. i love being adults together and dealing with issues like accruing over time & buying houses, rather than chemistry homework or mean gossip. i love montpelier, the community, the culture, the people. i love the idea of my new job-- of working with people similar to my age who are also incredibly fun, of being a part of the team that influences the best practices of a large business, of exploring the many new opportunities.

is it worth it? currently, no. do i see it being worth it soon-ish? yes.
i had it going pretty darn great in steamboat, and i think we all know that. i had a seven minute walk to work, an incredible job that involved working with wonderful people and sitting in an office with two huge windows looking out at trees and a ski mountain. i had a giant crew of incredible friends to socialize with, 400 inches of snow to ski in, and a very consistent daily balance of working, exercising & socializing.
i made the conscious choice to give up that life, and to move my world to vermont. i know it could be along time until i feel as content & established in my life here, and i knew that when i left steamboat. yes, i miss my life there, and particularly the people i had in my life there, but i'm learning quickly to not compare steamboat to vermont, and instead to appreciate the specific things about vermont, and my life here (wise words from the former boss right there...). i know it won't be the same, and i wouldn't want it to be. my relationships here will be different, either with people who have known me forever, or new people i meet along the way. the routines won't be the same-- but i do hope to maintain the work-exercise-socialize-life balance. i look forward to the day that it feels easier, but i know i'm in a good place in the meantime as well.

i know i'm on my way.