"in the time of daffodils (who know

the goal of living is to grow)

forgetting why, remembering how..."

--e.e.cummings

sunday funday.

today: coffee, a walk down town with brett, breakfast at kismet (huevos rancheros. yum.), a core-focused yoga class, a stroll back up the hill while talking to miss cayla, some apartment-hunting calls, cleaning & laundry, a walk with jen & the season finale of gossip girl. all with a sprinkle of sunshine. yes please.

"look under your feet. 

the great opportunity is where you are.

 every place is under the stars. 

every place is the center of the universe...."

-john burroughs

weekend again.

i'm not quite sure where this week went, but it flew right by and there was no posting to be seen! luckily as soon as friday rolls around, the pace slows right down. last night i got home early & walked downtown to meet brett at three penny for a beer. it was lovely outside, and the taproom was full of familiar faces. a crew of b's new coworkers were there & it was fun to actually know people! we left there to try and check out a potential apartment, and then picked up pizza & a movie and walked back home. we enjoyed delicious pizza, raspberry-topped salad and watched the fighter, all joined by jen.

today's been mellow with glimpses of sunshine. slept in late, enjoyed coffee, and then headed down for a workout. i even hopped on the erg for some short spring pieces, and was shocked by how great it felt. came home for a shower & grabbed brett to go to the farmer's market before it closed. we stocked up on amazing locally made cheese & bread, and i had a tasty tamale, and then we did a few errands and headed back home. we enjoyed a bit of sunshine on the deck and now that it's raining we're going out for a little shopping before we head to a fun show around the corner tonight!

the weekend went all together too quickly, but was filled with glimpses of a delightful future.

a few highlights....

• a visit from colby, a long friendship that's spanned from vermont to colorado and back.
• walking down the hill for thai dinner on the porch of the restaurant, followed by a continued warm evening & rounding it out with ice cream.
• randomly running into jen & al first thing on saturday morning, rounding it out with all 4 of us (yes! the boy lives here now!) stopping in for coffee and then a tour of the farmers market.
• a rainy afternoon of tv and lounging.
• going out for a late dinner with two other couples. visions of a social existence!
• balancing exercise, jenna time, and the boyfriend. 

i miss this girl!

easter.

i've fallen behind! pardon me for taking a whole week off posting. all sorts of things to post about-- but to start i'm going to go back a few weeks to easter weekend. mom & i headed down to the cape for my first holiday with that side of the family in over five years. we had a nice visit with everyone. mom & gran & i had a great morning on saturday doing errands around town, walking on the beach, and going out for a tasty sandwich. in the evening, the entire clan went to an art opening, had a big dinner out, and then feasted on sunday. mom & i also snuck to the beach for a quick warm & sunny walk. although easter has never been a major holiday for our family, there ended up being 18 of us there on sunday, so i really got caught up quickly on family affairs. my grandmother & fred are simply amazing and the day was lovely. it was one of the moments when i was reminded exactly why i chose to move across the country.

saturday.

what does a perfect friday night look like in my eyes?

a date with miss jen-- a walk down the hill, a fabulous cheesy movie that left me grinning, and a cozy burger & beer dinner full of, as always, good talk. a walk back up the hill, a bit of reading, and still early to bed!

and today:

heading down for a workout, and then the first outdoor farmers market (!!), and a bit of erranding. perhaps some new polish on my toes and an episode of gossip girl. i love days with few plans. 

have i mentioned that the sun has reappeared after several months of rain? i couldn't be happier to see shadows and light. 

enjoy this video (click here, it's lovely, i promise!)

may musings

moments to appreciate this week:

• a meeting with a group that has received several grants from gmcr. in a greenhouse. with a plate of local bread, farm-made cheese & brownies. learning about the incredible local foods projects in vermont.
• a rotation of mumford & sons and adele as my soundtrack. 
• an absolutely incredible and delicious meal at hen of the wood as part of vermont restaurant week
• a very interesting conference. it took place in fairlee, where my camp of 12 summers resides. it has been several years now since i last set foot in fairlee, and the word i mouthed as i rounded the familiar curves in the road, catching sight of the white main house, the bare tent platforms, the high water, and the empty building was simply "home." i've spent enough time in the area during the offseason that i stopped feeling strange about seeing aloha when it wasn't alive with laughter and song a long time ago. i didn't stop for long on this trip, just long enough to snap a photo, but other times i've sat in peace next to the water and felt gratitude for the many people the camp has brought into my life, and the impact both my time at camp and those relationships has had. 
• a quick trip to farmway. a frequent time-off destination when i was a counselor, i took a little journey up to the bargain balcony and found a 50% gem.
• sharing a yoga class with my mom!
• a flash of a friend.
• another delightfully fun zumba class with my kidney girls. 
• few plans for a lovely, lowkey weekend.
• a boy arriving on the horizon!

celebration of love.

this weekend was one of those ones that leaves you both smiling & exhausted. it was a whirlwind-- pulling me in on friday, spinning me around and around, and then spitting me back out on monday morning leaving me saying "but wait! where was my down time?"

but all for good reason. one of my girlfriends from middle and high school got married! the setting was gorgeous, the weather somehow was perfect, the details of the wedding were lovely, erin was a graceful & sweet bride. many of my oldest friends gathered to celebrate her marriage to a wonderful man, and we all had so much fun. i danced the night away with all of the girls-- but jenna and i really outdanced the rest. lex, cayla & i stayed up too late chatting about grown up things and snuggling in the most ridiculous room in the entire inn. enjoy a few snapshots that won't do justice to the setting or the pretty ladies. 

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!