giving thanks.

yesterday was a wonderfully peaceful and gratitude-filled thanksgiving day. we started slowly, as i drank my coffee and read in bed under the down comforter. brett did some work on the couch with lu snuggled in. then they headed out for the first ski of the season in the fields, and i headed up to my folks house for some more food prep. our plates were full: delicious local turkey, stuffing that would make grandmommy proud, potatoes, brussels, squash, gravy & cranberry. it was a quiet and wonderful little celebration with just the four of us, followed by a chilly walk. we gathered with friends in the evening to enjoy pie and cheer. for family, for friends, for good food and for health: i am grateful.

gratitude lately.

i've been a little quiet over here, because things have been a little tough lately. the important things-- they are okay. but between some changes at work, a cold that left me hacking, a backache that has me going to the chiropractor, and the passing of my step-grandfather... it's hard not to settle into a routine of self pity. but i can honestly say that there is also a lot to be grateful for as well.

and so, let's appreciate the good.

gratitude for dinner parties with friends. the first time teo smiled at me. a new pair of booties. pork tacos with guacamole. for time with friends- new friends & the oldest of friends. gratitude for the first night with a down comforter while the snow falls outside. for a good book, sleepytime tea and an episode of orange is the new black. for wonderful friends celebrating an engagement, and the anticipation of a baby's arrival. for putting a little extra effort into my outfit on a day that i am dreading. gratitude for my workout group and their motivation. gratitude for learning alongside b and being a team.

della mae.

sometimes  a friend tells me about a band they know i will like, and as soon as i start listening i can't believe that the band wasn't in my life sooner. primary case in point: molly teaching me about the lumineers.

new case: della mae. della mae is an all women bluegrass band based in boston & nashville. miss emma told me about them a few weeks back when i visited her in boston and was confident i would love them. she was, of course, spot on. i've been enjoying them since i checked out their website and promptly discovered they were playing in our area soon.

so tonight, we're headed to plainfield to check them out! i am excited. you can listen to their whole new album on spotify, or on this youtube page.

then & now.

2002.

2013.

some things change, and some things never will. 

sure love these five women and the memories we share.

i'm relieved that we've grown out of the hoodie & carhartt phase and become a little bit more beautiful over the years. it's tremendous to think of the journeys that each of us has been on in the time that passed between these two photos.

cayla, kate & i are all in the exact same spot in both photos!

friendship.

sharing not just a state, but our hometown with one of oldest and dearest friends for the next 7+ months. so grateful for a friend who cherishes adventures in the outdoors, live music, and a good book as much as i do. 

a dinner favorite: teriyaki salmon.

one of my favorite dinners is ridiculously easy.

• preheat oven to 400.
• coat a baking pan with olive oil, place salmon in the center.
• top with teriyaki sauce (soy vay or trader joes).
• bake until done (20-25 min).
• wash asparagus or cauliflower, spread out on baking sheet, top with olive oil, salt & pepper. toss it in the oven with the salmon.
• cook a box of near east couscous (i particularly enjoy the israeli or pearled couscous) on the stovetop.
• serve! delicious. ready in less than 30 minutes.

a long and gracious fall by david budbill

A long and gracious fall this year.

The leaves are down. Gardens: emptied,

manured, tilled, smooth, waiting.

Mower and tiller serviced and put away.

Smoker put away, as is the summer table.

Prayer flags, windsocks , and their poles: down.

Twenty-foot homemade badminton poles,

peace flag at the top of one, store-bought net-

all down and put away for another year. No more

outdoor summer chores.

Fall planting-- peonies and tiger lilies-- done. 

Summer flower stocks removed, beds mulched,

a blanket for the cold. Fall pruning done.

Woodshed roof hammered down and sealed again.

Cellar closed. Drive staked and flagged so the

snowplow knows where to go.

What else is there to do? Finally, for once, we are ready

for the snow. Ready to come inside. Time now for

words and music, poems and shakuhachi. Time now

to light some incense, sit and stare at the candlelight.

i lovermontpelier day.

this saturday is annually one of my most favorite days in montpelier. it's the perfect reminder of one of the main reasons i chose to move back to vermont:
the strong sense of community. 

the coop hosts their annual wellness fair which features many of their vendors. think a farmers market without the pressure of samples. a room full of cheese, apples, cookies, drinks and more to taste, plus all the organic soap, vitamins and more to bring home. amazing. additionally, yoga mountain hosts their annual open house, which involves a full day of free yoga classes and little treats. toss in a dog walk for a little time spent outdoors, and you have one happy camper over here. both the fair and the yoga open house are always full of familiar and content faces.
i literally just walk around feeling 'vermonty' all day.

today i felt an even stronger sense of community because of a downtown cash mob! what's a cash mob? a group of engaged citizens got together to come up with ways to support our local downtown business because many of them have suffered due to construction and other woes this summer and fall. the result: bring back an idea first brought to the area several years ago. gather locals, who each bring $, select several local businesses. appear, with your dollars, and purchase from them. today about 60 folks gathered, diverged on 4 local stores, and then gathered to celebrate at a new local bar. i bought a book from our local used book store, and some treats from a candy shop. how much do i love montpelier? so much. my dad was one of the primary organizers, and i had so much fun joining the crew. he is a role model for local engagement and working to keep montpelier the vibrant community that we love.

let's hope there's another one soon!

harmony by stuart kestenbaum.

You know the Beatles could have

afforded another microphone,

but George would always stand

in the middle and step up to

Paul's when it was time to

join in. Because that's the way

harmony is, you need to share the 

electricity, the voice, the words. 

Just the way we do when we drive

in our cars with the radio on,

the windows rolled down with fall in the

air, dead leaves swirling in the wake,

or the spring, the earth damp and soft,

the air hazy with pollen. We hear

the song that moves us, crank the

radio and sing along, at the top of

our lungs, as if we just joined

the group, In tune out of tune,

country western, rock and roll, we want

to harmonize. A whole country of

would-be stars losing love, finding love

with the radio in different

cars, on different paths, the dark

road rumbling beneath.

on marriage: two months in.

today marks b & my two month anniversary. in some ways, it already feels as though we've been married for ages but at the same time i can't believe it's already been two months since that most memorable and special day!

does it feel different? it feels more permanent. every day we are on the same team, even in the moments when we might be pushing against each other. every day i am excited to get home to be with b & lu.

in that short period of time i feel like we've already faced a number of significant challenges: family sickness, substantial job challenges for each of us, truck problems, family death, injuries, big decisions, changes to our social life, and more. i know the challenges may only get bigger as we get older, and someday we might look back on that list and chuckle at how hard we thought things were back when.

and we've also enjoyed some really wonderful things: a relaxing mini-moon on lake champlain, a coastal tour of portsmouth and maine, bike rides on country roads, a few little dinner parties, some walks in the woods, and laughter. together, we'll push through the tough and enjoy the fun.

anchored.

for when the cold winds blow,

i will close my eyes calmly,

knowing i am anchored to you.

--tyler knott gregson

2013.

2013 has been a big year, for me and for so many others in my life. my people have started new careers, moved across the country (and back, for some), started life-changing relationships, bought first homes, had babies, ended committed relationships, gotten married, and more. yes, these things occur all the time every year, but 2013 has felt big in so many ways. 

perhaps the most unique landmark of 2013 has been my dear friend kate's journey on foot. last winter kate made the big decision to shake things up: leave her job, sublet her apartment, pack everything up for storage, and go hike the appalachian trail. in march she headed to georgia to start hiking the trail, unsure of how far she would make it or how the endeavor would go. last month, kate summited mt. katahdin after walking 2,180 from georgia to maine. 

all summer, three of these landmarks made me tear up with happiness when i paused to think about them: my wedding day, the birth of my very best friend's baby, and kate's daily accomplishments as she trekked north. a little too long reflecting, a particular song on the radio, and you sometimes had me crying with joy for these tremendous accomplishments and moments. within a few weeks, all three actually took place: my early september wedding, teo's birth in late september, and kate summitting in early october. this series of incredibly unique but amazing events reminds me: we're all on our own individual journeys, and we must stop to reflect on the big moments as they pass us by. 

weekend letters.

dear boston, you are just the right sized city for me to visit. thank you for providing some unseasonably warm weather for me to walk your streets and bike your paths. your pride is remarkable, and i really enjoyed accidentally catching a couple of minutes of the red sox parade while on my urban bike adventure. thanks also for some most delicious meals, from homecooked breakfasts to multi-course asian infused dinners and gourmet donuts. dear camp, you have brought such an interesting assortment of people into my life. thank you for creating such a big, open community that spans this big globe.and for friendships that can easily span time and distance, and pick right back up without missing a beat.  thanks also for that boston crew of kids. they are fun ones! dear the head & the heart, you put on a great show. thank you for the gift of music you share with audiences everywhere, for new tunes, and for older songs that pull on my heartstrings in simply the loveliest way. dear emma, vassar college brought us together as hall mates but our shared love for fun music, bold colors, amazing food and home state pride made us great friends. thank you for inviting me into your scene for a weekend and for remaining such a true friend after all these years. dear brett, thanks for holding down the fort this weekend and for letting me drive all over new england this past month to see family and old friends. i promise i'll stick around for a while now. dear friends i didn't get to see, next time. xoxo