in the middle

Lately, in the last few days, I've been sitting here—in my big chair by the window—wondering what I should do next. I get home from work and it's still light out. I sit down and grab my lap-top with ambition, only to realize that there's nothing that I must do right now. What a strange feeling. I don't have my check-list I've gotten so used to over the last year. It's too early to go out in the garden (isn't it?). Too late to go running before dinner (isn't it?). And then it occurred to me: maybe I should get in the habit of writing again. I used to do it every day! Can you believe it?

Now that I think of it, there are other things I'd like to do (is it weird I always get that nesting feeling in the spring rather than the fall?): I'd like to paint some more rooms. Start some tomato plants. Make a photo book from the wedding and honeymoon. Start drawing again. We'll see how long these goals last...

In any case, see? I just wrote 2, now 3, paragraphs about nothing.

At least I wrote. There's 4.

fresh Vermont maple syrup, mmm, that's pure livin'

Can't believe it's March and the chimney stacks at the sugar house are chug-chugging to high heaven. That's a sure sign that the sap is flowing and the first fresh batches of maple syrup are on their way.

Lots of Kev's farmers boil sap, so when he does his rounds this time of year, instead of stopping by the farm, he stops by the sugar house. Today, at one of those sugar house stops, one of the guys collected a water bottle full of maple syrup from the vat and gave it to Kev as a gift to bring home. Kev was so kind enough to share his treasure with us tonight after a yummy dinner of lamb stew and crusty bread.

"First maple syrup of 2010," Kev said as he brought it out to the table for dessert. "This stuff is so fresh; it never even went to the barrel."

If you're lucky enough to get your hands on syrup so fresh (which is easy enough, by the way, if you stop by a sugar house when there's smoke coming out of the chimney), the only thing to do—the proper thing to do—is to drink it straight up. So you can enjoy it's every complexity and sweet, caramel nuances.

So Kev poured us each a shot. We clanked our glasses together and toasted to maple syrup, the sugar season and to the farmers too. Chin chin. Mmm that stuff is good.

little black book

I'm staring at a small black notebook—a journal filled 30 or so pages deep with my own handwritten scrawl. I bought the notebook at a bookstore in Kauai so that I had something to write on, besides a hotel notepad, without having to open a laptop on our honeymoon. I wanted to write it all down. Write down every feeling, every emotion and sensory moment of the wedding weekend prior, before the moments were left to the fate of my own fickle memory.

And then, of course, I planned to bring the book back and post all of my musings for the world to see. But I didn't.

For all the stuff I've posted out there in the ether, and for such a public event as a wedding is, why am I now feeling that I want to keep this moment private? I want to move on and start writing about other things. I want to keep the book to myself and Colin, my husband.

Is that okay?

For the record though, I will post a small summary and one of my favorite photos from the weekend by our friend Isaac. He took a bunch of pics that weekend and you can see them here. (Note to self: for all private feelings, emotions, sensory moments, please see Little Black Book)


Colin and I were married on January 23, 2010 at Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont. A beautiful chill and sunny day—the sky blue like a swimming pool, mountains cloaked in icy white hoar frost. A rare kind of day, not often seen in Vermont winters. As dusk approached, guests gathered in the candlelit Mozart Room of the lodge.

Both sets of parents were present, as well as siblings and their spouses, a few aunts and uncles and close friends from near and far. My bridesmaids were my two sisters and my 2 best friends from college, Bibba & Brooksie. Colin's groomsmen were his brother, brother-in-law, and 2 best friends. My father officiated. My mother and sisters sang a song that they had written together. Auntie Lucy read a poem: Colors Passing Through Us by Marge Piercy. Colin's sister Kristen read a poem: A Birthday by Christina Rossetti. There were tears. We exchanged vows in front of a fireplace. We exchanged rings. Kissed. My mother played Edelweiss on the classical guitar during the recessional. Then we celebrated. We ate amazing food. We cut the cake. We danced and danced and danced all night long.

Lots of people told me before this day to expect my wedding to be a blur and that I might not remember many of the details. I was determined not to let this happen and in the end the entire day played out like a movie—like a long, romantic, perfect movie. And everything still remains as clear in my mind as the crisp blue sky that day. It was magic.

And now we're married. And I say to my new husband, Grow old with me, the best is yet to be.

our wedding soundtrack

We got the idea from our friends Brett & Elisa to make a mix for our out-of-town wedding guests to listen to at the hotel and on their trips back home. Every song or band we picked to go on the mix means something special to us. We had a lot going on the wedding weekend and forgot to include play lists in the welcome bag. Well here it is. Best soundtrack ever. :-)

L'autre Valse d'Amélie – Amélie
Lisztomania – Phoenix
New Theory – Washed Out
With You – Stars of Track and Field
This Charming Man – Stars
The Dress – Blonde Redhead
Night Time – XX
Inní mér syngur vitleysingur – Sigur Rós
The Funeral – Band Of Horses
Heartbeats – José González
Anything You Synthesize – The American Dollar
Love's Lost Guarantee – Rogue Wave
Strange things will happen – The Radio Dept.
Yours to Keep – Teddybears Stockholm
Pretty In Pink – The Psychedelic Furs
Hey You – Pony Pony Run Run
Vanished – Crystal Castles
Don't Ya Know? – Moonbabies
Help Help – Mates Of State*
Green Grass of Tunnel – Múm
Till There Was You – The Beatles

*going to see them on Wednesday at Higher Ground! So excited.

and we're back

Post-wedding. Post-honeymoon. So much to tell... but how to do it in just a few words? The whole thing was magic. I want to write more and post more. But later.

For now, Isaac took some really nice pictures and put them on his site. Here they are. Thanks dude.

Tata for now,
Love, Mrs. Alger