burton party pictures

Sun setting into what will be a great evening.

Laser light show on Colin's face.

Paglia getting some air on Jake's mini halfpipe.

L-train and Colin

Isaac being his usual creepy self

Shiny Toy Guns rocked in Jake's garage

They had smoke machines and lights, OMG.

I saw friends

Morning dew (just like I told you!)

Stopped off at Cold Hollow on the way home for hot cider and donuts.
And, yup, they were there again.

suki sun

fresh views and party time

I've been feeling lately that P.Post needs a redesign. I think P.Post needs a refocus. Isn't it time? In the same way that I freshen up my closet and awaken my life each season. I think my writing needs a face lift. So I'm gonna do it. Just not sure when. Or what. Or how.

Tomorrow night, we're going to Burton's annual fall bash at Jake's house in Stowe. I'm actually quite excited about it. Last year, we had a blast. There was a skateboard ramp all lit up, live music, lots of people and good food. A group of kids was walking around all night trying to draw moustaches on peoples face with permanent marker. Nobody would let them do it, so I did--just to make them happy.


Jake's house is super cool. There's an underground passageway that leads from one end of the house to a barn on the other side. They have skateboards so you can skate from one end to the other. Or you can just walk, but you gotta watch out you don't get run over. That's where you find an underground soccer court and ping pong tables. There are lots of kids at this party.

That night we camped out in my car in a field. The next morning, we woke up to a misty landscape of rolling hills and lots of green. (It's so pretty out there, near the Trapp Family Lodge. You start thinking about the Sound of Music and get all nostalgic.) Hannah and Brian were camping in a car nearby. We knocked on their window and waved goodbye.

On the way home, we stopped at the Cold Hollow Cider mill in Waterbury for hot cider and donuts. This is the best time of year for cider and donuts. And it was the perfect morning. And we weren't the only ones who thought so. As we pulled in, we saw about 5 tourists buses sitting in the parking lot. We went into the shop and it was filled with touristy old people all buying Vermont crafty knick knacks and maple candy. I still had my marker moustache on and some of the ladies looked at me funny. It was only like 8 in the morning. What were they doing there at that hour?!

So, I'm excited to see what this year will bring. We're going to do the camp-out thing again in my car. More to come, I'm sure...

apple manchego salad

What to do with all those apples you just picked? Here's a recipe I adapted from EatingWell's Crunchy Pear Salad with my favorite cheese and fruit combo: apples and Manchego cheese (an aged nutty sheep's cheese from Spain). I like how the Manchego holds its shape and texture with the vinegar dressing. Or you can make it a Vermont apple salad and use white Cheddar instead. Leave the apple skins on for a splash of color.

Ingredients
2 stalks celery, cut into small 1/4 inch pieces
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large apples, such as McIntosh or Cortland, diced
1 cup finely diced Manchego cheese
3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

To make
Soak celery in a bowl of ice water for 15 minutes and then drain. Whisk vinegar and honey in a large bowl until the honey is dissolved completely. Whisk in the olive oil. Add apples and gently coat. In a large serving bowl or salad bowl, combine the apples, celery, cheese, and pecans. Season with pepper and salt. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

more picking

It's becoming cliché for us, the picking of fruit on weekends (this time it was apples). But no matter how much I anticipate or think about it—the real magic occurs with that first juicy bite of autumn fruit. With glimpses of foliage in the distant fields. Candy apples. Cider donuts. Honey bees. Hay bales and tree houses. It's magic. Year after year, it's still magic. If that's cliché, then I'm a total victim. This weekend—apple crumble!