Annual Christmas Tree

Each year our family heads to one of the local tree farms to pick out our Christmas Tree.  Every other year this ritual is done in the dark, and to be quite honest takes a lot less time.  I have found our family can be quite picky when choosing the right Christmas Tree. 

 

So off we go, sled and saw in hand to find the perfect tree. 

 As always, a perfect winter wonderland awaits. 

 After shaking the snow off several trees, Little Man finally locates the perfect one.

Holiday Running Streak

Several of my running friends participate in a holiday running streak ritual from Thanksgiving Day to New Years Day.  The idea; run at least a mile every day from Thanksgiving to New Years.  Last year I did it, and it provided a pretty good spring board into winter running. 

 

So here goes, my ice bug webs strapped on.

 My foam roller ready to go.

 My back up plan on days when I can not motivate myself out into the cold.

November Cairn Box

Happiness is a box of goodies in the mail every month.  OK, so there may be other things that make me happy, but I love my Cairn Boxes. 

This months box included Injinji Toe Socks, a Vapur Anti-Bottle Wine carrier, Ranchline Natural Lamb Jerky and Laughing Giraffe Snackaroons.  The last two were my lunch the day after I received the box.  While not the most nutritious of lunches, it was pretty good.  I have yet to use the wine carrier because it is not picnic in the park season.

 

I still love my box.  

Task 22: Year 4

Long ago I had this dream of scrapbooking my life.  This past year I realized I was about 7 years behind.  In response to that I decided to go back print up the pictures from previous years and just make sure they made it into photo albums.  Since I have been scrapbooking from our anniversary (of maybe only the first four years) I decided to start from there.  As of last night I actually have year four labeled and in a photo album. 

 

The year started off with an awesome 182 mile bike ride on the C&O canal and just took off from there since right around that time I got pregnant with Little Man (now you know why I have not scrap booked in several years). 

 

We spent a big chunk of that summer at a near by community garden that I could bike to as long as I was not carrying back too many vegetables.  The master gardener who was on site a few times a week was great and we learned a lot about organic gardening that year.  We also had a ton of vegetables to show for it.  Everything except for the spinach did well (I still can not grow spinich).

We also volunteered helping a family through Vermont Refugee Resettlement.  Technically I volunteered, but Andy was along for the ride as well.  We spent the year helping them adjust to life in The Unitied States and also Winter.  We also made some wonderful friends along the way.

Sadly this was also the year my grandfather passed away and I spent much of the fall taking pictures of the farm to savor every memory made there. 

 Then along came Little Man, who completely changed everything. 

 Although going back and looking at the pictures he spent most of his time sleeping.  I think 75-80% of the pictures of him were of him sleeping.  I miss those days. 

 We also had many opportunites to take in the great landscape of Vermont.

 From the top of Camel's Hump

Task 21: Educational Stuff

I am getting down to some of the more tedious, it was going to take more then a day to complete tasks.  Basically, the things that went on my list because they were things I was avoiding doing.

 

As I have watched older teachers retire; I have noticed that all of them unload bins of old educational materials on the newer teachers.  Stuff from when they first began and probably have not used in over twenty years.  In addition to this, I was able to recognize the two bins of educational material in the crawl space that was collecting dust.  I decided it was time to clean and organize. 

 

As I went through everything, I cleaned out materials from my undergrad studies that I saved just in case I would ever happen to need them, descriptions of tests and behavioral modifications I could do in my sleep, and notes that I am never really going to go back and look at.  As a result, two bins turned into 5 binders of stuff that is organized in a way that they might actually get used for instructional purposes.  Now, if I can just remember to do this again in another 15 years I will hopefully not unload on some poor, unsuspecting new teacher.

 



Darth Vader Black Scarf

Little Man wanted a Darth Vader black scarf last year after stealing my scarf all winter long.  I did in fact manage to finish it in time for winter.  Now maybe I will be able to keep warm this winter. 

Cairn Adventure Box

"There's no such thing as the Great Indoors." -inside cover of my Cairn Box

 

My amazing husband ordered me a 6-month subscription of Cairn Adventure boxes and the first one arrived today.  Part of his amazingness was as a result of me being bummed I was not getting a Birch Box like some of my running friends.  To be clear, I don't wear make-up so a Birch Box would be insane, but still it was the concept of getting a fun box of stuff in the mail every month that I wanted.  Then along came Cairn, and I had to have one.  I actually think my husband is secretly plotting to make off with some of the items in my box (he already used my headlamp to go out to the duck coop tonight). 

 

You might ask, just what is a Cairn box?  It's every outdoorsey persons dream.  A box with the latest gadgets and fuel.  My box this month included a headlamp, which both boys in the house are trying to steal already.  Two packets of nut butters that I am taking with me to a cross-country race this weekend.  A Trail Runner magazine, which I will be reading on the bus ride to the race. An Osmo Nutrition Active Hydration packet that I am going to try out on my long run next week.  Everything I am going to use, and it will be fun to try out new products. 

 

Once I have tried out the new products, I can even earn points towards a free box by giving my opinion on the items in the box.  This of course just encourages me to try out my new gadgets.  I love it!

Hen Of the Wood: Task 20

There is this amazing restaurant in Waterbury, Vermont called the Hen of The Wood that I have heard about several times since moving to Vermont.  The two things that have kept us away, are 1. we don't go out enough (our last date was a year ago) and 2. you have to make reservations a month in advance to get a table at this place.  I put it on my to-do list for the year, so we would finally visit this fine dining establishment.  It was amazing!

 

The Hen of the Wood is in the basement of an old grist mill with open beams and candle light.  The ambiance is amazing.  There is even a beautiful waterfall the flows by the mill.  We already decided that we need to come back in the summer when we can sit on the deck by the waterfall. 

 

  Then there is the food. The menu changes with the season and is sourced locally.  Andy wanted to order fries for our appetizer, but I convinced him to try the beets and riccota.  It was amazing.  There were pine nuts and basil in the riccota and it was wonderful.   I had lamb for my main dish and it was fall off the bone amazing.  Andy actually forgot what he ordered, so we are not 100% sure what he was actually eating, but it was good.  Then of course there was dessert.  It was devine, and to be honest we struggled with not ordering the whole dessert menu. 

 

Overall it was an incredible meal, and we decided that we need to go out more often. 

 

Conflicted

A week ago, I ran a beautiful half marathon in New Hampshire.  It was a beautiful course, and the weather was perfect.  At the finish line they handed out these really cool finisher metals. 

One of the woman(a Vermonter) whom I ran with, flipped over the metal and saw this.......

 

 

In any other state I would have been thrilled that the metal was made in Vermont (the state I currently live in).  I take an immense amount of pride in my current state and the things that are made there.  However, I was born and raised in New Hampshire, and I was a little annoyed that the metals were not made in New Hampshire.  Come on New Hampshire get it together and take some pride in your beautiful state. 

 

OK I am done now.