the chickeneers.

this is simultaneously hilarious and stupid. but since you all know what a lumineers fan i am, i had to share.

friday.

• i am loving daylight in morning and evening.
• maple yogurt with great granola is the best afternoon snack.
• dogs are expensive to feed, maintain, and keep happy.
• stairmasters make me sweat.
• brett and i have three days off together starting tonight, and i am so excited. we're headed to the cape until monday. i think the last time we had three days off together (heck, probably even two days off together) was in september when we also went to the cape. feels like a little vacation!
• my wedding dress is ordered (!). 
• i can't stop listening to 'family of the year' at work and in the kitchen. 
• my trip to canada was a total whirlwind, and ended up being one day shorter than planned. i flew from montreal to toronto for a meeting, and then flew back to montreal. never done that in one day before!
• i think my ski season might be over. morses closed this past week, and sugarbush is closing mtn. ellen after this weekend. maybe i'll get in a day at lincoln peak the following weekend, but it seems unlikely.
• where will i find the first crocus?
• talking on the phone can be really fun.
• the end.

yes.

play.

"it's a happy talent to know how to play."

-emerson

tuesday tidbits.

• the sky is blue today. oh, so blue. get me out there!
• part of this morning's workout involved being a human rubber band. or really, being a human inside a giant rubber band connected with my rockstar workout buddy jen. running and shuffling and laughing a lot.
• digging the band 'family of the year.' i learned yesterday that they are playing nearby on april 6th and promptly made plans to go. not missing out this time!
• do you like buffalo chicken? i didn't think i did, until about a year ago, when i fell in love. i've made this buff chicken pizza a few times (i just make it on a regular crust instead of french bread. i'm sure french bread is also delicious).
• i'm going on a canadian adventure this week! not nearly as exciting as this one was, though.
• today is the birthday of my college friend emma. sometimes she reads this blog. so today i say, cheers to you, e! 

to the woods.

john muir said, "the mountains are calling, and i must go." today my dear friend kate is taking the same words to heart, and embarking on a journey beginning in georgia heading north on the appalachian trail.  i am so impressed, and tremendously proud, of the choice she made to shake up everything in her life and start this adventure.  wishing her great strength, calm peace, a warm tent, incredible views, and plenty of hot drinks. xo

saturday.

an early morning kitchen dance party, breakfast burritos, save the dates in the mail, snowy & blustery skiing with j, afternoon burgers & beer with b, a country drive, and a cozy movie. ah, yes.

lately.

hi friends. sorry it's been a little quiet over here lately. things are a bit busy right now, but i hope you'll keep stopping by.

• friday nights can be the quietest evenings with the easiest dinners. tonight b and lu are out, and i somehow got excited to make a good dinner: roasted asparagus and butternut squash ravioli with a "clean out the fridge" ricotta basil parm sauce. delicious!
• now i'm trying to decide how to spend my evening: pulling together some data for work, doing a project for the city committee i serve on, or watching grey's anatomy. what do you think will win?
• i got a new hoodie from old navy last weekend. it was $13. it is so soft. i cannot stop wearing it.
• this week i went on a day trip to montreal. for a two hour meeting. that was in french. 
• next week i'm headed back to our neighboring country for meetings in montreal and toronto.
• wedding planning is coming along splendidly: we have a venue and a date. we have a caterer and a dj. we have a rockstar wedding party. i've ordered my dress. and lots of other fun little things are coming along wonderfully. despite some stressful moments and a quick timeline, wedding planning is quite fun!
• i am loving the extra daylight in the evenings. what a difference it makes.
• i want to see the alabama shakes. i doubt they will come anywhere near here. 
• it snowed this week. surprisingly, it was relatively light, good quality snow. i got to enjoy a morning ski with mom & lu at morses, and brett had his 'best ski day in vermont' at sugarbush with friends. 
• i want to go to the beach oh so badly. our big plans for a spring beach trip (to mexico? bahamas? somewhere warm and delightful) got overrun by our engagement (jeez!) so now i just get to start dreaming of a honeymoon. and plot long weekend trips to florida. and then get realistic. le sigh.
• today was grandmommy's birthday. it's been three years since she passed away, and i still miss her so often. 
• i discovered this gelato. particularly the sea salted caramel. nothing is better. nothing, i tell you.

something.

"remember that everyone you have met is afraid of something, loves something, and has lost something."

-h. jackson brown jr. 

be a good one.

"whatever you are, be a good one."

-abraham lincoln

be nice.

two years on the job.

today marks two years at my "new" job here in vermont. it's hard to believe it's been that long, although other times it seems i've been here forever. i'm grateful for the endless learning exchanges, the great team, the bottomless mug of coffee (and variety to enjoy!), and the opportunity to engage employees and support our local communities.

outdoor play.

there's little that i enjoy more than playing outside with people i love. the only other thing that can influence how much i enjoy this is the weather. this past weekend was the perfect trifecta. two bluebird days with temperatures getting close to fifty. saturday morning i enjoyed a ski at morses with my parents. it reminded me of skiing with them at vista verde when they visited me the year i ran the nordic center, as the sun was so warm and the sky so blue! we were there before the snow really softened, but it was delightful regardless. on sunday, i headed to sugarbush for a day of sweet spring skiing with two of my oldest friends, laura & jenna, and j's dad. the weather was perfect, the snow didn't transform to slush until the very end of our time, and there were smiles all around. 

speedy parents.

old golds.

appreciating.

currently appreciating:

• tea & scrabble dates.
• wearing skirts and dresses. today is day 3 out of 4. comfortable AND dressy.
• new scarves. best accessory ever.
• that little black dog who wags her tail for me every day.
• sushi dinner with my parents and b.
• audio books.
• pushups. 
• a full mailbox (a new dress! a stamp from india! hot cross buns!).
• daylight lasting well past 6 pm (and day light savings on saturday).
• easy dinners.

it takes guts.

colorado: two years out.

two years ago this morning, i left my behind my little steamboat world. i awoke with a bit of a headache from my farewell bash the night before, enjoyed bagels with my boys, finished packing and cleaning and scrambling, took a final gondola lap with brett, said tearful goodbyes to a few more friends, and hopped in my car loaded with the contents of my apartment, two pairs of skis, and a bicycle. 

i've now enjoyed life in vermont for two whole years. i've developed a wonderful life, enjoy a good job, and have settled into a sweet routine that includes family, best friends, and sweet dogs. moving across the country has brought brett & me closer, and now we have a wedding planned. for all of this, i am grateful.

this morning (without knowing that today is my departure anniversary) brett asked me how often i miss steamboat. the answer is that i miss steamboat all the time. not in a negative, life-sucks-now sort of way. just in an appreciative way. i loved my five years in colorado- the lifestyle, the people it brought into my life both at vista verde and in steamboat, the blue sky, and the growing up that i got to do there. i carry all of those lessons and memories with me here in vermont. 

the top three things that i miss--

1. my people. those dozen or so sweet friends who came riding, skiing, stumbling, and smiling into my life in moments of adventure or loneliness. for the laughter, the bike rides, the free concerts, the powder days, the dance parties and the happy hours that we shared together. some of those friendships have survived a few thousand miles of distance thanks to technology and effort, while others have not. friendships take time to develop, and consistent exchanges. we've got a few wonderful folks we're getting there with here, but patience and persistence are necessary. 

2. the community. those mountain people are some good folks and i met so many great people through my jobs, committees, fitness classes and more. i felt known and embedded in the community. despite spending the first 18 years of my life in montpelier, it's different to re-establish yourself as an adult in the community. i'm getting there, through committee participation, a partner who works in a prime downtown shop, and becoming more of a peer to the "grown ups" of my childhood. it's different, too, to not work right in the community where i live. 

3. the culture. i miss the powder clauses on snowy mornings, the short walk from my apartment to the office, the happy hours everywhere, the public buses, and the mountain town. in vermont, i appreciate the incredible food culture, the frequent live music, the enthusiasm for a variety of activities. i love that i can choose to go nordic skiing on a snowy day and not get grief for not hitting up a powder day on the mountain. i love that i can go for a casual bike ride and not feel as intimidated because i didn't ride a major pass, or mountain bike from one peak to the next. 

so, here's to carrying a little steamboat in my pocket. and continuing to appreciate all that vermont has offered me. 

dear sugar.

i've been reading cheryl strayed's book called "tiny beautiful things: advice on love and life from dear sugar" off an on for a while now. dear sugar is an advice column, and the book was recently published compiling some of her best and never-before-published columns. i've been so enjoying the writing and advice. i came across this poster full of many of her greatest quotes.

sunshine.

the weekend.

friday: class all day, an icy & fast ski at morse, the arrival of my ring (!!!), thai takeout, a bonfire with friends, boys building snow domes.

saturday: a short night's sleep, a snoozing dog, a visit to my parents house, a walk with jen & the pups, a sweaty workout, a full grocery cart, clean laundry, new josh ritter album, leftover blueberry pamela's pancake lunch, and an afternoon matinee. here's to productivity & relaxation.

routine.