2014 in photos.

Ski Days, Jan-April.

Gran turns 95, February.

Skiing with the boys, February.

Valentine's Day Snowstorm, February.

Farewell to Gran, March.

Honeymoon in Mexico, April.

Brandon & Lindsay's Wedding, July.

Reunited with my boys, July.

  

Cape Cod, August.

Three Generations on the Cape, August.

My two biggest fans, August.

Cape biking, August.

Summer in Vermont, August.

Old Crow Medicine Show at Shelburne Museum, August.

Summer Evenings, May-September.

First Anniversary, September.

 

Fall in Vermont, October.

Christmas Tree Hunt, December.

Christmas 2014.

It was a good one! Traditional Christmas eve church service and gathering at the Kidney's. Brunch and presents at our house with my parents, then an afternoon at my parents' house. Cheese Fondue. And this year, dinner and games with dear friends. Gratitude for good friends, sweet family, and some lovely items from Santa! :)

The Great Christmas Tree Hunt.

Here are some belated photos of our Christmas tree hunt. This was our fourth annual hunt with the Bravakis/Leeper clan. In our four years, we've dropped two names (Kidney, Dodd) and gained one kiddo. Here's to starting traditions young so we may enjoy them for decades to come, and to measuring life from one year to the next. xoxo

See also: 2011, 2012, 2013

Leisure by William Henry Davies

What is this life, full of care
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows. 

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass. 

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance. 

No time to wait til her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

Local Beauty.

We've had some serious weather this week- frigid temps, dumping snow, sleet, rain, and more. Among the weather adventures, we had some stunning moments. One morning Lu and I took a chilly walk around town as the sun was rising. With the moon still up, it was quite the scene. Because I'm out of town all day all week, it feels like such a treat to walk around town and see it waking up. 

Midweek during the storm, we had the biggest snowflakes I've ever seen. They were literally the size of a ping pong ball, and incredibly wet and heavy. They were quite the sight!

a long and gracious fall by david budbill

i shared this poem last fall as well, but came across it today and it just felt so perfect i thought i'd share it again:

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.

Recipes.

I thought I'd share a few tasty recipes we've made lately.

Last weekend we had friends over for dinner-- a fabulous opportunity to play in the kitchen, enjoy some of our wedding-gifted kitchen & dining items, and feel like grown ups. I love a good dinner party.

I kept the meal simple and made dishes that could be done in advance. What's better than having everything staying warm in the oven when your guests arrive, instead of scrambling to finish cooking?

We had butternut squash roll-ups, salad & garlic bread. As one must do with all weight-watchers recipes, I basically doubled the cheese and added sausage :).

For dessert, vanilla ice cream and soft monster cookies. Baked with toffee bits, m&ms, and chocolate chips. So easy, and so good.

We're well into soup season in Vermont. Yesterday I tried out this crock pot minestrone soup. B says he had never had minestrone (how is that possible?), and he loved every bite. It was super easy and made plenty for leftovers, too.

What have you been enjoying lately?

The New Basement Tapes

the basement tapes, which are unreleased songs by bob dylan & the band,  have been ever present the last few weeks. dad & i caught a fun show in burlington that was the basement tapes project by howard fishman. it happened to be the same week that the basement tapes were re-released.



this week i discovered the new basement tapes- an allstar group of artists covering the songs (and making a showtime show or something like that). so far this is my favorite track, though i haven't listened to them all yet.

sweet, sweet summer.

i love each season for a dozen unique reasons, but summer consistently trumps the others. this little video highlights what a delightful and special summer we had this year. fresh veggies, bike rides, cape trips, weddings, amazing concerts, and fun with friends. yes, yes, and yes. 

lately.

life lately? making new friends, cherishing time with the oldest of friends, snuggling in for winter, cooking squashes galore, hunting for houses, enjoying a musical date night with dad, loving my little town, watching downton abbey with mom, and appreciating the little things. 

blue, blue everywhere.

baby steps.

kings of the hill.

fancy new chair, i'm in love.

mamas working it.

sunday morning brunch date.

birthday girl.

for thirty plus year of friendship, laughter, growing and loving. and for all of the decades to come. happy birthday, pea. xoxo

these two.

after 12 days away, these two are finally coming home tonight. cannot wait to have them back!

lately.

hey there, remember me?

summer flew by, filled with bbq'd meals, bike rides, and garden feasts. and now we find ourselves in the chill of fall. the indian summer fled to the hills and we're settling into dark mornings and chilly evenings. here are a few recent highlights. 

when the sky is blue, the foliage is stunning, the weekend forecast is dreadful, and dad says he wants to get out for a hike, you absolutely say yes. 

being best friends with a one year old is the best ever. i feel like the luckiest auntie ever to enjoy frequent play sessions, squawk-offs, and giggle endlessly with this kiddo. couldn't be more grateful to watch his parents grow with him each week, or for the joy he brings to me constantly.

we celebrated mom's bday with a late summer feast. lu's got her eye on the lobster!

scenes that make my heart sing.

sunday funday bike rides.

the only thing better than one leeper boy is two. i got to spend a lot of time with both of these guys during my first couple months dating brett, so this having brad stay with us for a week was a fond little reunion.

happy hour, vermont style.

One Year.

In honor of our first anniversary, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite pictures from our wedding day. This year has passed so quickly, but our hearts are still full with memories of bunting, spirit sprinkles, flash mobs, friends & family. It was absolutely the best day ever.