Are there other creemees I need to know about?
Showing posts with label burlington. Show all posts
Showing posts with label burlington. Show all posts
Thursday, July 28, 2011
in search of the perfect creemee
It's official. I'm pregnant. This week marks the halfway point, and all I have to say is, "holy cow, that went fast!" and "where's my next creemee coming from??" What a lovely summer it's been—hot and sunny. Perfect creemee weather actually. And the little pea and me need all the calcium we can get right now. So hey. I tried the creemee made with fresh strawberries at the Charlotte Berry Farm. That was quite lovely. I tried the creemee that everyone's been talking about from Cookie Love in Ferrisburg. Verrry creeeeammmy. Mmm! I even had a soft serve from McDs when we were on the road. Hey, it did the trick. But the best creemee I've had so far this summer? The mocha creemee from the Bluebird Tavern kiosk on Church Street. A. ma. zing.
Are there other creemees I need to know about?
Are there other creemees I need to know about?
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
spring scenes in the city
I'm a country girl of sorts. But I find beauty in cities. There's something about a metropolitan skyline, juxtaposed with earthly elements, that just heightens your awareness of the natural beauty around us. A pink sunset reflecting off a glass building. An apple blossom canopy over a dingy old fire hydrant. Yes, there is beauty in these things.
Here are some images that I took recently (on my phone no less), one in Burlington, a couple in New York. Perhaps it's the dirty, man-made city stuff framing Mother Nature in such an unexpected way that makes her look even more charming and awe-inspiring.
Here are some images that I took recently (on my phone no less), one in Burlington, a couple in New York. Perhaps it's the dirty, man-made city stuff framing Mother Nature in such an unexpected way that makes her look even more charming and awe-inspiring.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
inspiration: buy local art
It's that time of year again: tax return time. Col and I decided that if we did get any money back this year, no matter what we did with it, we wanted to use at least some of it to buy some art. We've both been pining over a couple of paintings by Greg Mamczak, a Burlington artist who used to share a studio with our friend Isaac. He does these awesomely vivid paintings in his paint-by-number-style that has you looking for hours. So we got in touch and one of the paintings we liked was still available—it's one of his simpler ones from 2006. Greg dropped the painting off yesterday and we were so excited. Not only because we love it and we're adding to the art in our house, but also because we're supporting a local artist. So here is our Untitled 2006. yay!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
this natural shampoo smells like orange creamsicles (and it's made in Vermont!)
Like many people, I try to be eco-conscious when I can. In a place like Burlington, it's pretty easy to eat local, to find "green" cleaning products, to recycle—even compost—almost everything. Some things are still a challenge. Like finding a natural deodorant that actually works (any suggestions?). I mean, even though I want to use natural products, I still want to feel and smell pretty. (That's my vanity showing through right there.)
My latest obsession has been finding the perfect sulfate-free shampoo that doesn't make my hair feel like straw or, worse, look like a grease slick. I've tried a lot of "natural" shampoos, but not with much luck. Recently, however, a Vermont-based body care company Flourish has popped up and their products are becoming more available around town—at Healthy Living, at The Green Life. My sister Hannah gave me a bottle of their honey blossom shampoo and I'm totally obsessed and so is Col. It smells like orange creamsicle!
Tonight, they had a little sample party at the Green Life, another Burlington store obsession of mine filled to the brim with lots of tasteful, design-ey, eco-cool stuff. I went and stocked up on shampoo samples, sugar scrubs and little guest hand soaps. I am a product junky, and I would probably buy it for the nice packaging alone (yes, I know, that's very Consumer of me) but this stuff is really great! I just had to spread the word.
And have you been to the Green Life yet? If not, you should go. If not for all the crazy cute baby clothes and accessories, then for the yummy candles and wool felted Christmas tree ornaments shaped like mushrooms and gnomes.
Photo: flourishbodycare.com
Monday, October 18, 2010
some cheese please! (argentina style)
These days, Mondays have been living up to their sour reputation. I don't know if it is the chaos at work, the shift in weather, the dry air and itchy skin. Or if it's my attitude or other people's attitudes. Or maybe all of the above. Today, on the drive to work, the pledge drive on VPR didn't help. I love VPR; I'm a sustaining member. Heck, I even listen to the pledge drives out of solidarity. But on some days, when I'm already feeling cranky, little quips about artist mugs and "today is the day" really rub me the wrong way.
(At this point, if he were here, Col would be saying, "do you want some cheese with that whine?" and I would say, "yes please!!!")
On days like today, my defense mechanism is to be as mechanical as possible, to try to be professional (even if I don't feel like it), to sit through meetings, get my work done, and leave when I've accomplished what I need to. But that takes a lot of discipline. By 4 pm, I had already hit an emotional brick wall. By 6pm, I was delirious. "Can't wait... for... couch..." The drive home was tolerable though and the 6pm crew was well on their way to making their $10,000 goal by 7. Go public radio!
But I had barely walked in the door and still had my coat on when I got a text from my sister Hannah, "do you want to grab dinner @ duino?"
Omg, are you serious? I wanted to lay on the couch and stay there all night and be anti-social. But I rarely see my sister, and I meet her for dinner even less than that. And I've really been wanting to go back to Duino Duende. Not for the amazing tostones—as amazing as they are—but for Argentina night. Hannah's friend Richard has been doing an Argentinian themed menu on Sunday and Monday nights for the month of October and I have yet to check it out.
After ordering a huge mug of mulled cider for each of us, we started with a grilled provolone cheese that was drizzled with honey and had little slivered apples and a few arugula leaves sprinkled throughout. Maybe some fresh thyme as well if I remember right? There were some pieces of baguette underneath it all. It was very simple; very delicious. It sort of reminded me of my favorite salad that I get at Trattoria Delia sometimes that is grilled mozzarella atop arugula and grilled eggplant and zucchini. Only this was much cheesier. And gooey-er.
Then we ordered and shared two main dishes: one was a handmade squash and sweet potato gnocchi with a roasted green pepper and tomato sauce. It had a light smoky charcoal flavor that was very lovely—not too much, not too little. The gnocchi was very tender, like little pillows of fluff that just melted in your mouth.
The other dish was a flatbread made with lots of yummy caramelized onions and other fall veggies. Lots more gooey cheeeeeese. And each slice was topped with a triangle of traditional flat bread made from chickpea flour. I think it's called fainá. That dish was my favorite. It had a slightly floral herbacious undertone—I think maybe it was fresh oregano? Lovely.
Then dessert was was traditional cake made with cornmeal, then topped with dulce de leche and toasted coconut. It had this crazy anise flavor, too, which, together with the corn cake, was just very new and exciting.
Somewhere in between all this, Hannah and I decided to start a writing club. And she reminded me that I have a humidifier (yay) and I should start using it tonight and it will solve all my problems.
And there. See? I feel so much better now. That was definitely worth scraping up the energy to leave the house instead of indulging my bad 'tude. Good food and good company really does nourish the soul. If you think about it, the Monday night special thing really is genius. It gives us something to look forward to!
So, I think next weekend is the last weekend for the Argentina menu, but maybe Richard will be doing some more special nights featuring another country's cuisine? I'm not sure.
(At this point, if he were here, Col would be saying, "do you want some cheese with that whine?" and I would say, "yes please!!!")
On days like today, my defense mechanism is to be as mechanical as possible, to try to be professional (even if I don't feel like it), to sit through meetings, get my work done, and leave when I've accomplished what I need to. But that takes a lot of discipline. By 4 pm, I had already hit an emotional brick wall. By 6pm, I was delirious. "Can't wait... for... couch..." The drive home was tolerable though and the 6pm crew was well on their way to making their $10,000 goal by 7. Go public radio!
But I had barely walked in the door and still had my coat on when I got a text from my sister Hannah, "do you want to grab dinner @ duino?"
Omg, are you serious? I wanted to lay on the couch and stay there all night and be anti-social. But I rarely see my sister, and I meet her for dinner even less than that. And I've really been wanting to go back to Duino Duende. Not for the amazing tostones—as amazing as they are—but for Argentina night. Hannah's friend Richard has been doing an Argentinian themed menu on Sunday and Monday nights for the month of October and I have yet to check it out.
After ordering a huge mug of mulled cider for each of us, we started with a grilled provolone cheese that was drizzled with honey and had little slivered apples and a few arugula leaves sprinkled throughout. Maybe some fresh thyme as well if I remember right? There were some pieces of baguette underneath it all. It was very simple; very delicious. It sort of reminded me of my favorite salad that I get at Trattoria Delia sometimes that is grilled mozzarella atop arugula and grilled eggplant and zucchini. Only this was much cheesier. And gooey-er.
Then we ordered and shared two main dishes: one was a handmade squash and sweet potato gnocchi with a roasted green pepper and tomato sauce. It had a light smoky charcoal flavor that was very lovely—not too much, not too little. The gnocchi was very tender, like little pillows of fluff that just melted in your mouth.
The other dish was a flatbread made with lots of yummy caramelized onions and other fall veggies. Lots more gooey cheeeeeese. And each slice was topped with a triangle of traditional flat bread made from chickpea flour. I think it's called fainá. That dish was my favorite. It had a slightly floral herbacious undertone—I think maybe it was fresh oregano? Lovely.
Then dessert was was traditional cake made with cornmeal, then topped with dulce de leche and toasted coconut. It had this crazy anise flavor, too, which, together with the corn cake, was just very new and exciting.
Somewhere in between all this, Hannah and I decided to start a writing club. And she reminded me that I have a humidifier (yay) and I should start using it tonight and it will solve all my problems.
And there. See? I feel so much better now. That was definitely worth scraping up the energy to leave the house instead of indulging my bad 'tude. Good food and good company really does nourish the soul. If you think about it, the Monday night special thing really is genius. It gives us something to look forward to!
So, I think next weekend is the last weekend for the Argentina menu, but maybe Richard will be doing some more special nights featuring another country's cuisine? I'm not sure.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
favorite fall weekend, v. 2010
Tonight at dinner, Col said to me, "maybe you should get back into your writing again." It's true, I've been thinking the same thing, but in response I used my normal crutch and said, "I know, but lately it just seems like a chore, when I get home from work and am feeling drained... the last thing I want to do..."
But he bounced right back and said, "maybe you should try thinking of it more as a treat, rather than a chore, as something you can do after dinner when everything else is done."
So I said, "Does that mean you'll wash the dishes from dinner so I can go write?" Ha. Trapped. He's washing the dishes now (which is fair, I mean, I did cook the dinner).
Col's traveling again this week. He was in Puerto Rico last week and in Japan a few weeks before that. Now he's going to the West Coast for work. California then Seattle. It sounds like it's going to be a hellish week. Any-who, we decided to spend an amazing day together before he takes off tomorrow morning.
Shelburne Farms closes this week, and we haven't been all summer, so we went for our annual fall brunch at the Inn. You know, it's on this amazing piece of property by the lake, but we've been having a Nor'Easter for the last couple of days and the Lake was in turmoil, churning and frothing and boiling, Col was so excited, he almost went home and got his surfboard and wet suit to try and ride the breaks. It was that intense.
But we went to breakfast instead. Which was lovely and we got the typical farmhouse breakfast.
Afterwards, we met up with the Kouri fam at the petting farm and saw lots of tame and fluffy animals. Sapphie couldn't get enough of the chickens. My favorite part was the little hut with the mama pig and all of her little piglets.
It then starting pouring on us and we cut our visit short, but not before we visited the cheese-making room, where I reminisced about the summer I worked at Town Farm Dairy in Simsbury, Connecticut. And my main job was cleaning the glass bottles, washing the pails and various parts from milk processing. And stirring the curds. I often forget about that past life...
Anywho, tonight, I cooked a date night dinner for Col and me. I made a Vindaloo Curry with my new spice mix from the Teeny Tiny Spice Co. It was very good! Col said it was like something you get in a restaurant and I couldn't bare to tell him how easy it was. Then I made a yummy Autumn salad and I feel like I should write down the recipe so I don't forget it.
Salad:
Chopped Boston and romaine lettuce
Some chopped spinach leaves
Slivered raddichio
All of these cut into slivers/matchsticks: hearts of palm, a couple of radishes, crispy apple
(I've also added slivered hard-boiled eggs and chopped pistachios to this salad and it's very good)
Dressing:
Garlic clove crushed
Juice of half a lemon
Couple tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon grainy mustard
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2-1 teaspoon honey
Salt & pepper to taste
Couple to a few tablespoons olive oil
At least I think that's everything. I always change up my recipes, but this is what I remember from tonight. Put everything but the olive oil into a lid jar and shake like crazy till honey is dissolved. Then add the oil and shake like crazy again.
Oh and Col's contribution? Some amazing tropical fruity drinks to tame the spice. Yummy, yummy to my tummy!
But he bounced right back and said, "maybe you should try thinking of it more as a treat, rather than a chore, as something you can do after dinner when everything else is done."
So I said, "Does that mean you'll wash the dishes from dinner so I can go write?" Ha. Trapped. He's washing the dishes now (which is fair, I mean, I did cook the dinner).
Col's traveling again this week. He was in Puerto Rico last week and in Japan a few weeks before that. Now he's going to the West Coast for work. California then Seattle. It sounds like it's going to be a hellish week. Any-who, we decided to spend an amazing day together before he takes off tomorrow morning.
Shelburne Farms closes this week, and we haven't been all summer, so we went for our annual fall brunch at the Inn. You know, it's on this amazing piece of property by the lake, but we've been having a Nor'Easter for the last couple of days and the Lake was in turmoil, churning and frothing and boiling, Col was so excited, he almost went home and got his surfboard and wet suit to try and ride the breaks. It was that intense.
But we went to breakfast instead. Which was lovely and we got the typical farmhouse breakfast.
Afterwards, we met up with the Kouri fam at the petting farm and saw lots of tame and fluffy animals. Sapphie couldn't get enough of the chickens. My favorite part was the little hut with the mama pig and all of her little piglets.
It then starting pouring on us and we cut our visit short, but not before we visited the cheese-making room, where I reminisced about the summer I worked at Town Farm Dairy in Simsbury, Connecticut. And my main job was cleaning the glass bottles, washing the pails and various parts from milk processing. And stirring the curds. I often forget about that past life...
Anywho, tonight, I cooked a date night dinner for Col and me. I made a Vindaloo Curry with my new spice mix from the Teeny Tiny Spice Co. It was very good! Col said it was like something you get in a restaurant and I couldn't bare to tell him how easy it was. Then I made a yummy Autumn salad and I feel like I should write down the recipe so I don't forget it.
Salad:
Chopped Boston and romaine lettuce
Some chopped spinach leaves
Slivered raddichio
All of these cut into slivers/matchsticks: hearts of palm, a couple of radishes, crispy apple
(I've also added slivered hard-boiled eggs and chopped pistachios to this salad and it's very good)
Dressing:
Garlic clove crushed
Juice of half a lemon
Couple tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon grainy mustard
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2-1 teaspoon honey
Salt & pepper to taste
Couple to a few tablespoons olive oil
At least I think that's everything. I always change up my recipes, but this is what I remember from tonight. Put everything but the olive oil into a lid jar and shake like crazy till honey is dissolved. Then add the oil and shake like crazy again.
Oh and Col's contribution? Some amazing tropical fruity drinks to tame the spice. Yummy, yummy to my tummy!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
new food discoveries
I've been wanting to write about a couple of new food discoveries I've made in Burlington for days now, and now that I'm sitting down to do it I can only remember what one of them was. Shame on me!
Bluebird Tavern recently opened up a kiosk on Church Street where you can get some basic sandwiches and pastries, but the stuff you really want to try is their coffee. Holy cow. I got a double cappuccino the other day with whole milk and it was seriously out of this world. Neck in neck with Sapa's Vietnamese coffee, which was previously my favorite, but they're totally different animals. You know I try to spread the coffee love, but that I can't stop thinking about the capp I had 6 days ago...
I still can't remember the other food discovery, but in other local restaurant news, I'm so glad to say that our beloved Smokejacks locale has finally re-opened as Church & Main, a new restaurant on the corner of, well, Church & Main Street. We will have to go there soon. Love that Burlington finally has places to eat downtown again.
Bluebird Tavern recently opened up a kiosk on Church Street where you can get some basic sandwiches and pastries, but the stuff you really want to try is their coffee. Holy cow. I got a double cappuccino the other day with whole milk and it was seriously out of this world. Neck in neck with Sapa's Vietnamese coffee, which was previously my favorite, but they're totally different animals. You know I try to spread the coffee love, but that I can't stop thinking about the capp I had 6 days ago...
I still can't remember the other food discovery, but in other local restaurant news, I'm so glad to say that our beloved Smokejacks locale has finally re-opened as Church & Main, a new restaurant on the corner of, well, Church & Main Street. We will have to go there soon. Love that Burlington finally has places to eat downtown again.
Friday, July 23, 2010
back to the berry farm
Bluebug season is in full swing, so we went back to the berry farm bright and early this morning before the clouds burned off to pick a few pounds. We went with Emi, Kevin and Sapphie. Our friend Mindy is staying with them for the weekend and she came too. Then we met up with Michelle and G-boy when when we got there. It was a fun little party!
The blueberries were so prolific that all you had to do was cup your hand under a bunch, jiggle your fingers a bit and catch the harvest that tumbled down. Colin developed his own technique for this and gave me a lesson. We picked 8 pounds in less than an hour.
When the parents were cashing out, I hung out with kiddos by the Imagine boat. Then we all booked it back to Burlington to hit up the Farmer's Market and get to the Plum Lady before she sold out. It was actually the Plum Man this time. And his son whose job it is to cut off bits of plum for people to sample. I always take a bite even though I know I'm going to get some. Some of them are still a little tart, but soo0 good...
The blueberries were so prolific that all you had to do was cup your hand under a bunch, jiggle your fingers a bit and catch the harvest that tumbled down. Colin developed his own technique for this and gave me a lesson. We picked 8 pounds in less than an hour.
When the parents were cashing out, I hung out with kiddos by the Imagine boat. Then we all booked it back to Burlington to hit up the Farmer's Market and get to the Plum Lady before she sold out. It was actually the Plum Man this time. And his son whose job it is to cut off bits of plum for people to sample. I always take a bite even though I know I'm going to get some. Some of them are still a little tart, but soo0 good...
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
a goodbye & a good day
It's not often I make friends. I mean really good friends. I just don't have that outgoing personality. It takes me a long time to build relationships. I've learned that about myself. I guess I just guard my feelings a little too closely. So the friends I have—they mean a lot to me.
It makes it really hard to see them go. But I'm resigned to the fact that Burlington is a transient town. People just don't stay here forever, do they? It's a half-way house or stepping stone on the way to somewhere-town-not-here. Wonder if we'll go away too at some point?
I had to see one of my closest and dearest friends leave yesterday. She moved away for a bigger and better life in Chicago. I didn't actually see her leave. I couldn't even say goodbye (I hate goodbyes!). But we texted for a bit on Sunday and I'm glad we were texting and not talking so she couldn't see or hear that I was sobbing the whole time. I was a wreck. Dripping salty tears into the potato salad I was making for dinner...
My world here is shrinking, but hers is just opening up. So, there she goes. I don't blame her.
That was on Sunday. It was Colin's birthday. He had flown in from the West Coast that morning and was taking a cat nap during the whole episode. I washed my face with a cold washcloth. Then I woke him up and suggested we get out of the house and go do some fun things for his birthday. Like go pick out an old-but-new-to-him bike for his birthday at Old Spokes Home. We found a super cool yellow and black one that I had actually eyed the day before when I was scoping out the options. He loved it and we took it home then and there.
Then we went to the Berry Farm in Charlotte. That place is magical. It was the tail end of strawbug season, but we still managed to pick 7 pounds worth. Somewhere between the 3rd and 4th my mind was finally clear—and I was feeling better. After that we went over to the raspberry bushes and picked 3 pints there. I froze most of the berries at home. Blueberries are already ripe so we'll have to go back again soon, which is fine by me.
All weekend, I'd been planning and cooking for a special family night birthday dinner for Col—with all of his favorite foods. I got some grass-fed steaks from Laplatte Farm and marinated them in his favorite bourbon marinade. I grilled them to perfection if I don't say so myself. I made his favorite aforementioned creamy potato salad and Caesar salad with a homemade dressing. And that wasn't all! I made homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream from scratch. And it was dang good.
So all in all, after the goodbye, it was a good day. One friends goes (yet will stay in my heart!), and one friend returns to stay with me forever.
I'll miss you, my friend!!
It makes it really hard to see them go. But I'm resigned to the fact that Burlington is a transient town. People just don't stay here forever, do they? It's a half-way house or stepping stone on the way to somewhere-town-not-here. Wonder if we'll go away too at some point?
I had to see one of my closest and dearest friends leave yesterday. She moved away for a bigger and better life in Chicago. I didn't actually see her leave. I couldn't even say goodbye (I hate goodbyes!). But we texted for a bit on Sunday and I'm glad we were texting and not talking so she couldn't see or hear that I was sobbing the whole time. I was a wreck. Dripping salty tears into the potato salad I was making for dinner...
My world here is shrinking, but hers is just opening up. So, there she goes. I don't blame her.
That was on Sunday. It was Colin's birthday. He had flown in from the West Coast that morning and was taking a cat nap during the whole episode. I washed my face with a cold washcloth. Then I woke him up and suggested we get out of the house and go do some fun things for his birthday. Like go pick out an old-but-new-to-him bike for his birthday at Old Spokes Home. We found a super cool yellow and black one that I had actually eyed the day before when I was scoping out the options. He loved it and we took it home then and there.
Then we went to the Berry Farm in Charlotte. That place is magical. It was the tail end of strawbug season, but we still managed to pick 7 pounds worth. Somewhere between the 3rd and 4th my mind was finally clear—and I was feeling better. After that we went over to the raspberry bushes and picked 3 pints there. I froze most of the berries at home. Blueberries are already ripe so we'll have to go back again soon, which is fine by me.
All weekend, I'd been planning and cooking for a special family night birthday dinner for Col—with all of his favorite foods. I got some grass-fed steaks from Laplatte Farm and marinated them in his favorite bourbon marinade. I grilled them to perfection if I don't say so myself. I made his favorite aforementioned creamy potato salad and Caesar salad with a homemade dressing. And that wasn't all! I made homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream from scratch. And it was dang good.
So all in all, after the goodbye, it was a good day. One friends goes (yet will stay in my heart!), and one friend returns to stay with me forever.
I'll miss you, my friend!!
Sunday, June 06, 2010
calm before & after
I just realized that I never posted these photos from a thunderstorm we had a couple of weeks ago. It was a lovely evening so Colin and I took a walk down to the waterfront for date night. But as soon as we arrived, we noticed some ominous clouds drifting in rather swiftly. Then thunder, then lightning, then crazy strong winds. We took shelter at the boat house and were literally stuck there till the storm passed. I tried to get pictures during the storm, but it was nearly impossible. The best I could do was the calm before and after...
After which we decided we needed a nice warm supper. So we went to Leunig's late-night.
After which we decided we needed a nice warm supper. So we went to Leunig's late-night.
cultivating spontaenity
That may seem like an oxymoron, for the very word "cultivating" assumes a certain level of premeditation. However, I have always been a planner and that's the way things go with me. Still, I am trying to welcome spontaneity these days, because, as my sister Hannah and I were discussing on Friday: spontaneity is the essence of real living.
And so it went: on Friday evening after work, I was stealing a few quiet moments on the front porch reading my book, having a drink, trying to decompress before the start of the weekend. Colin was somewhere with friends. Hannah and Isaac stopped by on their way to other things. We were chatting and such. When all of a sudden a very shiny Mercedes pulled in rather abruptly into the driveway of the apartment building across the street.
"Ooh," I said, "he's going to scrape bottom." (Every car that pulls into that drive scrapes bottom, as I've discovered sitting on this porch.) And sure enough, his shiny new car scraped bottom quite nicely. "Oh no! We all moaned." Soon after that another very nice shiny car pulled up to the drive, only this one was a mint-condition convertible from the 50s with pristine white-walled tires. He was about to pull in just as abruptly when we moaned, "No! Don't do it!" loud enough for him to hear. He slammed on the breaks and inched his way past the potholes relatively unscathed.
When the two men got out of their cars, they were looking over at us kind of funny. Questioning all the ruckus I suppose. "We just didn't want you to scrape bottom with that nice car," we explained from our perch on the porch. Turns out they were friends and the one in the antique car owns the apartment building there. So they were using the lot as free parking for a night out on the town. The older Mercedes gentleman pulled something from his pocket and started waving it towards us.
"I have two extra tickets to the Arturo Sandoval concert tonight at the Flynn and I'll sell them to you dirt cheap." (It was the opening night of the jazz festival and in my new not-plan-anything mode, we hadn't gotten tickets to any of the sure-to-be-amazing shows in town.) Hannah and I looked at each other, said, "Sorry Isaac," and then, "We'll take them!" to our new best friends across the street.
We quickly made the transaction in the middle of the street. Then ditched Isaac to run inside and freshen up. The show started in less than 30 minutes, but we were ready in 15. Hannah and I walked down to the Flynn giddy at the thought of our good luck. But getting to go to that show, we realized, was more than a spontaneous piece of luck . It was providence.
Even though I didn't know his name or music, I quickly discovered that Arturo Sandoval is a jazz trumpet icon from Cuba; he was a protege of Dizzy Gillespie way back when. This was going to be good!
As I watched and listened with awe to the width and breadth of his talent (he's also a renowned classical pianist) and the talent of his band members, I was thinking to myself, I don't think I've ever been in the presence of such greatness and so much talent and awesome movement. I was moved.
Sitting there in the dim lighting of the concert hall, I had the same sort of surreal feeling you get when you get off the airplane in another country, another language, another timeline. When a few hours before you were at home, drinking coffee, watching T.V. or whatever. It's exhilarating and unbelievably freeing.
An hour before I was on my porch waiting for the possibilities of the night to unfold. And that is how they unfolded: spontaneously and spectacularly.
And so it went: on Friday evening after work, I was stealing a few quiet moments on the front porch reading my book, having a drink, trying to decompress before the start of the weekend. Colin was somewhere with friends. Hannah and Isaac stopped by on their way to other things. We were chatting and such. When all of a sudden a very shiny Mercedes pulled in rather abruptly into the driveway of the apartment building across the street.
"Ooh," I said, "he's going to scrape bottom." (Every car that pulls into that drive scrapes bottom, as I've discovered sitting on this porch.) And sure enough, his shiny new car scraped bottom quite nicely. "Oh no! We all moaned." Soon after that another very nice shiny car pulled up to the drive, only this one was a mint-condition convertible from the 50s with pristine white-walled tires. He was about to pull in just as abruptly when we moaned, "No! Don't do it!" loud enough for him to hear. He slammed on the breaks and inched his way past the potholes relatively unscathed.
When the two men got out of their cars, they were looking over at us kind of funny. Questioning all the ruckus I suppose. "We just didn't want you to scrape bottom with that nice car," we explained from our perch on the porch. Turns out they were friends and the one in the antique car owns the apartment building there. So they were using the lot as free parking for a night out on the town. The older Mercedes gentleman pulled something from his pocket and started waving it towards us.
"I have two extra tickets to the Arturo Sandoval concert tonight at the Flynn and I'll sell them to you dirt cheap." (It was the opening night of the jazz festival and in my new not-plan-anything mode, we hadn't gotten tickets to any of the sure-to-be-amazing shows in town.) Hannah and I looked at each other, said, "Sorry Isaac," and then, "We'll take them!" to our new best friends across the street.
We quickly made the transaction in the middle of the street. Then ditched Isaac to run inside and freshen up. The show started in less than 30 minutes, but we were ready in 15. Hannah and I walked down to the Flynn giddy at the thought of our good luck. But getting to go to that show, we realized, was more than a spontaneous piece of luck . It was providence.
Even though I didn't know his name or music, I quickly discovered that Arturo Sandoval is a jazz trumpet icon from Cuba; he was a protege of Dizzy Gillespie way back when. This was going to be good!
As I watched and listened with awe to the width and breadth of his talent (he's also a renowned classical pianist) and the talent of his band members, I was thinking to myself, I don't think I've ever been in the presence of such greatness and so much talent and awesome movement. I was moved.
Sitting there in the dim lighting of the concert hall, I had the same sort of surreal feeling you get when you get off the airplane in another country, another language, another timeline. When a few hours before you were at home, drinking coffee, watching T.V. or whatever. It's exhilarating and unbelievably freeing.
An hour before I was on my porch waiting for the possibilities of the night to unfold. And that is how they unfolded: spontaneously and spectacularly.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
two new favorite coffee spots
There are quite a few great places to get a good cuppa coffee in Burlington: the good ol stand-bys are Uncommon Grounds, Speeder & Earls, Muddy Waters, Radio Bean, even Lake Champlain Chocolates serves some really good espresso. They're all worth a try and deserving of our patronage. I love coffee so much and I love all of our coffee shops so much, I like to share the wealth and give them all some love every now and then.
If you really want some special coffee, it's worth it to go a little off the beaten path to find it. There is a wonderful little tea and coffee shop on Center Street right around the corner from Church where the army navy stored used to be called Sapa Tea & Coffee. I'm pretty sure is the only place downtown where you can get Vietnamese-style coffee: a strong brew in a demi-tasse traditionally served with sweetened condensed milk (I like it with half & half). The flavor is nutty, chocolately and smooth. They also serve madeleines (French tea cakes) which are pretty good. And the atmosphere is a welcome low-key get-away from the crazy Saturday bustle of Church Street. I went there for Mother's Day last week when my parents surprised us for tea time. I enjoyed the coffee so much, I brought Colin back today after the farmers' market. Here's my picture of the coffee and then Colin's artsy pics below.
Oh, and our second new favorite place to get coffee? Village Wine and Coffee in Shelburne. They have this cup called the Ultimo, which is a strong brew of espresso with half & half and maple syrup. It's pretty much speed in a cup and it's amazing.
If you really want some special coffee, it's worth it to go a little off the beaten path to find it. There is a wonderful little tea and coffee shop on Center Street right around the corner from Church where the army navy stored used to be called Sapa Tea & Coffee. I'm pretty sure is the only place downtown where you can get Vietnamese-style coffee: a strong brew in a demi-tasse traditionally served with sweetened condensed milk (I like it with half & half). The flavor is nutty, chocolately and smooth. They also serve madeleines (French tea cakes) which are pretty good. And the atmosphere is a welcome low-key get-away from the crazy Saturday bustle of Church Street. I went there for Mother's Day last week when my parents surprised us for tea time. I enjoyed the coffee so much, I brought Colin back today after the farmers' market. Here's my picture of the coffee and then Colin's artsy pics below.
Oh, and our second new favorite place to get coffee? Village Wine and Coffee in Shelburne. They have this cup called the Ultimo, which is a strong brew of espresso with half & half and maple syrup. It's pretty much speed in a cup and it's amazing.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
date night tostones
Col and I went out on a limb last night for date night and, forgetting that it was St. Patrick's Day, decided to check out a new restaurant in town, Duino Duende. It's new small restaurant next door to the Radio Bean that serves street food from around the world. We didn't have a reservation, but come on, it was just a Wednesday night. Well, wouldn't you know, the wait for a table was 40 minutes. We decided to wait.
But it didn't feel like a wait at all. We went over to Radio Bean to hear some funky avant garde jazz music and have a drink. We were very relaxed; we chatted about the day. It was lovely.
Finally, we were seated at a window table (so the wait was worth it!) and guess what was on the menu? Tostones! Papa makes these for us—they're plaintains that are sliced into chips, fried, squished and fried again. Well, let me tell you, Papa, yours are great, but the ones at Duino Duende will give you a run for your money. We ordered some for an app and they came with a smoky aioli dipping sauce that was out of this world.
For dinner, Col got the ceviche, which he liked. I got the Korean noodle soup, which was so spicy that my nose started running and I started sweating. But I powered through and finished the whole thing. Dinner for two, plus beer, was just $32. Not bad!
Really, though, I would go back any night of the week just for the tostones.
But it didn't feel like a wait at all. We went over to Radio Bean to hear some funky avant garde jazz music and have a drink. We were very relaxed; we chatted about the day. It was lovely.
Finally, we were seated at a window table (so the wait was worth it!) and guess what was on the menu? Tostones! Papa makes these for us—they're plaintains that are sliced into chips, fried, squished and fried again. Well, let me tell you, Papa, yours are great, but the ones at Duino Duende will give you a run for your money. We ordered some for an app and they came with a smoky aioli dipping sauce that was out of this world.
For dinner, Col got the ceviche, which he liked. I got the Korean noodle soup, which was so spicy that my nose started running and I started sweating. But I powered through and finished the whole thing. Dinner for two, plus beer, was just $32. Not bad!
Really, though, I would go back any night of the week just for the tostones.
Monday, January 04, 2010
snow, finally, snow
Well, it took a little patience, but we finally got our first big snowstorm of the season. Burlington got the most out of anywhere and they reported record snowfall at the airport—30 some odd inches. (I don't know what kind of measuring stick they were using over there; we got just around 2 feet at our house downtown.)
The entire weekend was a-snow. But there was a quiet moment around midday Sunday and I walked into town to run some errands. I couldn't believe all the snow piled high on Church Street! And there was still more to come...
Later last night, before family night dinner, the girls took a dusk snowshoe across the street at the golf course. Sapphire was tucked in snug as a bug. The snow was past our knees, but light as a feather.
It was even higher than the dogs. They got tired pretty quickly and stayed in the path the whole way back.
Yay snow!
The entire weekend was a-snow. But there was a quiet moment around midday Sunday and I walked into town to run some errands. I couldn't believe all the snow piled high on Church Street! And there was still more to come...
Later last night, before family night dinner, the girls took a dusk snowshoe across the street at the golf course. Sapphire was tucked in snug as a bug. The snow was past our knees, but light as a feather.
It was even higher than the dogs. They got tired pretty quickly and stayed in the path the whole way back.
Yay snow!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
charlie's boat house
I think it's fair to say that the longer you live in a place, the more you take it for granted. The less you take advantage of all of the wonderful things that attracted you there in the first place.
So sometimes it's fun to play the tourist and do things that out-of-towners like to do.
Burlington sits on a stunning lake and there is so much to do on the waterfront, but Col and I can count on just one hand the number of times we made it down there this summer. Shame on us!
A couple of Sundays ago, we had one of those brilliant fall afternoons when the sun is still warm, but the air sits a little lighter in the atmosphere. And just about anything seems possible. Miracles can happen on those days. And miracles did happen on this one day in question, because Colin and I decided to drag our bikes out of the basement and go for a bike ride on the waterfront bike path.
I say this is a miracle, because in the 4 years that we've been together, this is the first time we've ever gone on a bike ride together. Double shame on us! (says Col)
Any-who, we set a pretty big goal, which was to ride out to the Causeway in Colchester. The Causeway is an extension of the bike path that used to be a railway track across the bay and is now just a path for bikers and runners. There's water on either side and I've always heard it's stunning, but I have never been there. Never. It's pretty far out for people who never bike. Maybe 8 or 10 miles or so out. Then 8 or 10 back.
But we did it. We rode all the way out. We took some pretty snap shots. We took lots of breaks. And we finally got to see the Causeway. My friends were right: it's absolutely stunning. And we definitely saw it in all its grandeur on that pretty September day.
Unfortunately, the novice bikers did not eat lunch and did not pack a snack and so we had to turn around as soon as we got there.
I'm not sure if we would've made it back in one piece if it weren't for Charlie's boat house that sits about half way between here and there. Charlie's is one of those places that's stuck in time. There's a loud scratchy speaker blasting old war-time melodies. A little old man (must be Charlie) and his wife sell candy bars, ice cream and soda pop out of their campy boat house shed. They ring you up on one of those old fashioned registers that dings when you push the buttons.
It's very charming and quaint. Their ramshackle boat house sits on a very special piece of property, right on the water with a westerly view. The sun was just in the right spot when we got there...
We walked in to the little shop and immediately smelled a waft of American Chop Suey from their home kitchen upstairs. Growling stomachs.
"Suppers on!" Charlie's wife yelled out, to no one in particular.
We had just enough quarters for 2 Snickers, 1 ginger ale and 1 Twizzler. Charlie's wife threw in another Twizzler.
"I don't want you guys to have to fight over it," she explained with a glimmer in her eye.
We thanked her profusely. She obviously sensed our desperation.
We sat down outside at one of the picnic tables by the water and devoured the sweets in no time. It was just enough to sustain us for the rest of the ride home.
Many days later, I'm still a little sore. But I guess what I'm saying is that if I were writing a tourist guide for Burlington, yes I would mention the bike path and the Causeway. But more than that I would mention Charlie's boat house.
But then again, would I? Some treasures are better kept a secret.
Finally made it to the causeway, but not across it. Maybe next time:
The causeway is a dirt path; Colin practiced his skids:
The entrance at Charlie's boat house:
Eating our snacks at the picnic table:
This was on the picnic table:
So sometimes it's fun to play the tourist and do things that out-of-towners like to do.
Burlington sits on a stunning lake and there is so much to do on the waterfront, but Col and I can count on just one hand the number of times we made it down there this summer. Shame on us!
A couple of Sundays ago, we had one of those brilliant fall afternoons when the sun is still warm, but the air sits a little lighter in the atmosphere. And just about anything seems possible. Miracles can happen on those days. And miracles did happen on this one day in question, because Colin and I decided to drag our bikes out of the basement and go for a bike ride on the waterfront bike path.
I say this is a miracle, because in the 4 years that we've been together, this is the first time we've ever gone on a bike ride together. Double shame on us! (says Col)
Any-who, we set a pretty big goal, which was to ride out to the Causeway in Colchester. The Causeway is an extension of the bike path that used to be a railway track across the bay and is now just a path for bikers and runners. There's water on either side and I've always heard it's stunning, but I have never been there. Never. It's pretty far out for people who never bike. Maybe 8 or 10 miles or so out. Then 8 or 10 back.
But we did it. We rode all the way out. We took some pretty snap shots. We took lots of breaks. And we finally got to see the Causeway. My friends were right: it's absolutely stunning. And we definitely saw it in all its grandeur on that pretty September day.
Unfortunately, the novice bikers did not eat lunch and did not pack a snack and so we had to turn around as soon as we got there.
I'm not sure if we would've made it back in one piece if it weren't for Charlie's boat house that sits about half way between here and there. Charlie's is one of those places that's stuck in time. There's a loud scratchy speaker blasting old war-time melodies. A little old man (must be Charlie) and his wife sell candy bars, ice cream and soda pop out of their campy boat house shed. They ring you up on one of those old fashioned registers that dings when you push the buttons.
It's very charming and quaint. Their ramshackle boat house sits on a very special piece of property, right on the water with a westerly view. The sun was just in the right spot when we got there...
We walked in to the little shop and immediately smelled a waft of American Chop Suey from their home kitchen upstairs. Growling stomachs.
"Suppers on!" Charlie's wife yelled out, to no one in particular.
We had just enough quarters for 2 Snickers, 1 ginger ale and 1 Twizzler. Charlie's wife threw in another Twizzler.
"I don't want you guys to have to fight over it," she explained with a glimmer in her eye.
We thanked her profusely. She obviously sensed our desperation.
We sat down outside at one of the picnic tables by the water and devoured the sweets in no time. It was just enough to sustain us for the rest of the ride home.
Many days later, I'm still a little sore. But I guess what I'm saying is that if I were writing a tourist guide for Burlington, yes I would mention the bike path and the Causeway. But more than that I would mention Charlie's boat house.
But then again, would I? Some treasures are better kept a secret.
Taking a brake along the bike path:
Finally made it to the causeway, but not across it. Maybe next time:
The causeway is a dirt path; Colin practiced his skids:
The entrance at Charlie's boat house:
Eating our snacks at the picnic table:
This was on the picnic table:
Sunday, August 23, 2009
fruit finds
I made quite the little food discovery at the farmers' market yesterday. Have you ever heard of a ground cherry? The Arethusa farm stand had a few pints of small cherry tomato-like fruit in papery husks—the kind you would see on a tomatillo. I asked the man there if they were gooseberries and he said no, but some people call them gooseberries. They're actually called ground cherries and they're delightful. He let me try one and they were so delicious and unusual I just had to buy a pint. And then Emi and Kevin tried one and they just had to buy a pint too.
When you unwrap the husk, you find a small orange fruit that looks like a little berry. They are firm and when you bite in, the insides are juicy. The fruit is sweet and the flavor is a cross between a cherry tomato and pineapple. Each one is different, sometimes the berries even have a vanilla undertone. We had some in our salad last night and now I'm thinking they would make a wonderful topping for homemade ice cream. Plum ice cream...
I think I will try making ice cream using these plums that I also got from farmers' market yesterday—from the woman in Charlotte. I love Vermont in August...
Friday, July 31, 2009
circus week
It's been a hot week in Burlington. I've had a circus at my house—extra cats, extra people—and it's been a circus at work too. I'm looking forward to a quiet weekend by myself, let everything settle, take a breather. Then next week we're off to Prince Edward Island to go to a wedding of an old college friend of mine. If you grew up watching Anne of Green Gables like I did, then you know how exciting this is for me. And it's the only real get-away that Col and I are taking before the wedding, so that's special too.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
when it rains, dance
I guess you could say it's been raining a lot here over the past few weeks. I actually love the rain. One of my favorite things is waking up in the morning to the sound of rain falling on the street outside. The best is when a car goes through a puddle splashing the water all around. I love that sound.
Of course, to really enjoy the rain, you must have a stylish umbrella or two. And you must have a good attitude.
Hannah and I went to a parade last weekend in Burlington. It was for the Champlain Quadricentennial celebration. It was a big deal and they had invited a lot of fantastic performers from all over Vermont and Quebec.
It rained on the parade. Lots of performers had to drop out at the last minute, but the ones that did march down the Union Street to Union Station promenade definitely made up for it.
I mean, they were DANCING in the RAIN! They were dancing and singing and banging their drums. It was impossible not to get caught up in the energy. I mean, that's just so fantastic. They were exactly right. Why feel down about something that's totally out of our control? Why not just dance?
Here are some of my favorite pictures from the parade.
Of course, to really enjoy the rain, you must have a stylish umbrella or two. And you must have a good attitude.
Hannah and I went to a parade last weekend in Burlington. It was for the Champlain Quadricentennial celebration. It was a big deal and they had invited a lot of fantastic performers from all over Vermont and Quebec.
It rained on the parade. Lots of performers had to drop out at the last minute, but the ones that did march down the Union Street to Union Station promenade definitely made up for it.
I mean, they were DANCING in the RAIN! They were dancing and singing and banging their drums. It was impossible not to get caught up in the energy. I mean, that's just so fantastic. They were exactly right. Why feel down about something that's totally out of our control? Why not just dance?
Here are some of my favorite pictures from the parade.
Bread & Puppet Billionaire Bail-Out Club:
Hannah learned some African dance moves:
This was one of my favorite performances. The man on stilts looked like an elegant spider wizard dancer.
The Bail-Out Club again:
Crazy bikers from Old Spoke's Home:
My friend Laura and her husband in their vintage Citroën:
Saturday, June 06, 2009
at the drive-in
I don't know how long Sunset Drive-in in Colchester, Vermont has been around, but I'm willing to guess that it looks a lot like it did back when it first opened—the only difference being the movies they play. Everything—from the man at the ticket booth bearing a strong resemblance to Richard Keil to the fake wood-paneling at the concession stand and 70s funk background music during intermission—seems to be stuck in a time warp. And who would want it to be any different? That's just part of the charm.
Colin and I went to the drive-in for our date night on Thursday. The place has four big screens and plays 2 different movies on each screen (for $8 a person, that's a steal!). So we had a lot of options, but in the end opted for Screen 1, which was playing Pixar's Up at dusk, followed by Star Trek late-nite. We got there a little early, so we hung out by the swings till sunset and then hit the concession stand before hopping back in the car and tuning in to 94.1 on the radio.
Up started around 9 p.m. I had no idea what to expect since I hadn't seen any trailers for it. 10 minutes into it, Colin and I were both crying, but then just a few minutes later we were laughing and then crying again. We both loved it. The illustrations were fabulous—the use of colors and scale were so inspiring.
After Up, I was a little nervous that our car battery was going to die, so we turned the car on for a minute to recharge.
All of a sudden a commercial for the concession stand came on. This is where that 70s funk music came from that I mentioned before. They wanted us to go buy hot dogs and popcorn and then in the next instance there were pictures of roses blooming and then candy and then shots of clouds in the sky moving very fast (the 70s funk music was playing the whole time in the background). At that point we both looked at each other and laughed out loud. What the heck? That was so weird.
Well, we did go back to the concession stand, so I guess it worked. And since it was such a nice night out, we decided to get Chesters ice cream cookie sandwiches. Mmmmm!
At this point, it was really late out and we both had to work in the morning, but Colin was determined to stay for Star Trek. I'm so glad we did, even though we didn't get home until 1:30 a.m. We both loved the movie. I forgot that I used to watch the old T.V. episodes on the Sci Fi network. I forgot how much I loved that old Sci Fi stuff. Before seeing the movie, I had this idea in my head that it was going to be some over-produced blockbuster garbage. And while it did border on that genre, there were a lot of nostalgic throw-backs and even some story-lines that made you have to think a little bit. I would highly recommend both of the movies!
And I would highly recommend the Sunset Drive-in. It's funny, that the next day on public radio, there was an opinion piece about drive-ins in Vermont. There used to be more than 20 in the state and now there are only 4. We're so lucky to have one in our backyard. So we have to support it! Bring your friends, bring your kids. Go to the drive-in this summer!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
29
That is my number now. I'm totally cool with it. I like how it feels. Not so hyped up as birthdays past, but real and genuine and reliable. Maybe that's why yesterday was so great. I didn't hype it up, I didn't have unruly expectations. But Colin and I both took the day off work and that in itself was amazing.
We slept in (till 10!)—that never ever happens. We drank coffee in bed. We got up slowly and got ready to go into town. It was sunny and in the 60s—that also never happens on my birthday. My parents had arrived in town and we met for lunch at Magnolia, our new favorite brunch/lunch spot. Kevin and Sapphire joined us too (Emi was working).
My birthday lunch: coconut oatmeal pancakes with maple syrup and homemade strawberry jam and my first iced coffee of the season. Oh boy, it was good! I can't remember what everybody else got but they all enjoyed it. Sapphie was very well behaved and in very good spirits. She let us all hold her and pass her around and just kept giggling and cooing like a good little girl! Mummy and Colin were trying to stick spoons on their noses. Mummy finally got it. Then I said, "Mummy, What would Granny say to this behavior?" And she put her spoon down.
After lunch, we walked around a bit and did some shopping. Then we went home to rest up for dinner at our favorite Trattoria Delia. Mummy and Papa treated us all to a lovely birthday dinner there. I got what I always get: wood-grilled smoked mozzarella on a bed of arugula, grilled tomatoes, eggplant and zucchini. Then for dinner the orecchiette with fried tomato sauce. Nobody got dessert—we were all so full! But we did finish off with some espressos and cappuccinos. Em and Kev gave me a birthday present: an adorable little jersey dress with bell sleeves and a funky peacock print on the front. I think I might wear it tonight! More on that later... Here are some pictures from dinner. You wouldn't know it from the pics, but Colin and Sapphire were there too. Col was behind the camera and Sapphie was sleeping like the little angel she is in her carrier.
Now it's Saturday (love long weekends!) and we're getting ready to go to the farmers' market. Then Col and I are heading out of town for a romantic getaway—first to dinner at the Simon Pearce restaurant in Queechee, then for an overnight stay at the Woodstock Inn. What a lucky girl I am!
We slept in (till 10!)—that never ever happens. We drank coffee in bed. We got up slowly and got ready to go into town. It was sunny and in the 60s—that also never happens on my birthday. My parents had arrived in town and we met for lunch at Magnolia, our new favorite brunch/lunch spot. Kevin and Sapphire joined us too (Emi was working).
My birthday lunch: coconut oatmeal pancakes with maple syrup and homemade strawberry jam and my first iced coffee of the season. Oh boy, it was good! I can't remember what everybody else got but they all enjoyed it. Sapphie was very well behaved and in very good spirits. She let us all hold her and pass her around and just kept giggling and cooing like a good little girl! Mummy and Colin were trying to stick spoons on their noses. Mummy finally got it. Then I said, "Mummy, What would Granny say to this behavior?" And she put her spoon down.
After lunch, we walked around a bit and did some shopping. Then we went home to rest up for dinner at our favorite Trattoria Delia. Mummy and Papa treated us all to a lovely birthday dinner there. I got what I always get: wood-grilled smoked mozzarella on a bed of arugula, grilled tomatoes, eggplant and zucchini. Then for dinner the orecchiette with fried tomato sauce. Nobody got dessert—we were all so full! But we did finish off with some espressos and cappuccinos. Em and Kev gave me a birthday present: an adorable little jersey dress with bell sleeves and a funky peacock print on the front. I think I might wear it tonight! More on that later... Here are some pictures from dinner. You wouldn't know it from the pics, but Colin and Sapphire were there too. Col was behind the camera and Sapphie was sleeping like the little angel she is in her carrier.
Now it's Saturday (love long weekends!) and we're getting ready to go to the farmers' market. Then Col and I are heading out of town for a romantic getaway—first to dinner at the Simon Pearce restaurant in Queechee, then for an overnight stay at the Woodstock Inn. What a lucky girl I am!
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