checking things off my list

I'm feeling very accomplished.

We met with the Trapp florists yesterday to go over ideas for the wedding. They're two wonderful, lively and bubbly women, Amy & Pam. I can't wait to work with them. I asked Colin to come along, even though he didn't feel like it. But once we were there he had some good ideas. He's not your typical groom—and I'm glad of that! He's been helping me every step of the way.

It was such a cold and rainy day, so we stopped for some soup in Stowe on the way home.

Later, Colin went and did his own thing with friends. I went over to Emi and Kev's for dinner. Sapphie is getting over an ear infection, but she was in very good spirits. She started pulling herself up (almost), which was very exciting. When Sapphers was asleep, Emi, Kevin and I watched Britcoms and then Sherlock Holmes. Just like the good old times! Perfect Saturday night.

Today, more wedding stuff (it takes up so much time!). We got the invitations back from Mummy. She hand addressed each and every one—and they look fantastic! Colin and I designed guest info cards to go with them and we worked on our website. Again I say, Col's not your typical groom—and I'm glad of that! Colin began the design, I added my two cents and we came up with something we really liked. I love that we work so well together with the creative stuff.

Once the fun stuff was done, we had to do some fall cleaning: put away the hose, the outdoor furniture, put in the storm windows. Vacuum up the house. But now we're officially winterized and it feels good.

Somewhere between all that action, I managed to clean the house, do laundry and bake an apple tart for dessert tonight. Which reminds me: it's time to go to family dinner.

Have a good night!

favorite fall weekend in pictures

Here are some pics from My Favorite Fall Weekend II.

Brunchies at Shelburne farms:

Shelburne Farms:

Apples, apples everywhere:

Blushing apples:

Juicy apples:

Our apple harvest:

Apple betty, mmmm!

A turning tree:

apples, apples everywhere

This weekend was one of those iconic fall weekends: beautiful crisp blue sky, foliage just starting to turn and apples, apples everywhere. Some would say, "Oh, isn't that nice" and "just be careful you don't get run over by them leaf peepers." But as twee as these Vermont country days do get, I never tire of them. A day in the apple orchard on a Sunday afternoon can make the most sinister being a believer in the Glad Game. Don't we all have nostalgia for our childhood—be it one we had or on we wish we had?

Well, Col and I decided to make a tradition of My Favorite Fall Weekend. This is the 2nd year to do it. The weekend falls sometime in October when the leaves are just starting to turn. This year seems a little late for foliage. Or am I dreaming? Anywho, My Favorite Fall Weekend starts with brunch at Shelburne Farms. I get a mimosa & veggies with my eggs Benedict. Col invariably gets the Bloody Mary and extra ham. (This time, he surprised me however, and dunked the two green olives from his garnish into his drink! Col doesn't like olives, you see, and usually lets me eat them.)

After brunch, we strolled the grounds for a bit. Then we sat in the Adirondack chairs and soaked up some sun.

Then we hopped in the car and headed for Shelburne Orchards.

Picking apples is much quicker than picking berries. The bag always fills up way too quickly it seems. We always say next year, we'll make a day of it and bring a picnic. But I prefer the brunch, truly.

We picked half a bushel of empires, macs and mutsu in less than a half hour. Then we went to the orchard store and bought cider, a healthy helping of Apple Betty with vanilla ice cream and a half dozen apple cider donuts. (I happen to believe that Shelburne Orchards makes the best cider donuts around, hands down. Apparently Au Lait thinks so too. She found them sitting out on the counter and nibbled a good chunk, before we could save the rest.)

Family dinner last night was all about the apples: I made a green salad with toasted almonds, chopped apples and a curry vinaigrette. Emi made an amazing mac & cheese with apples and squash mixed in. Hannah made a crumble with fresh apples and rhubarb from the freezer. Holy cow, was that meal amazing!

I've got pics and will post a few when I have more time.

xxx

late, breeze

I knew a boy who once told me that he didn't like to go to bed at all—that time spent sleeping was time spent wasting this precious life. But I always felt insomniacs had their own issues. And I never had trouble falling asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Sleep allows me to think clearly, and to dream. And to focus, Breeze.

But for some reason, as night falls earlier and earlier, I want to stay up later too. I have a new-found nervous energy buzzing around my brain well past eleven o'clock. (See? It's already a quarter to midnight and I'm wide awake.) I'm more productive then, it seems. Or maybe it just takes me that long to decompress after crazy work. Or maybe there's a nagging feeling keeping me up: is there something I should be doing before I go to bed? What am I forgetting?

I'm not complaining; I like having this late-nite energy. It's how I get things done. (Mummy, do I get this from you? Will I too be staying up till the crack of dawn making figgy pudding on Christmas Eve or knitting socks for the little babe?)

But the problem is: late to bed, late to rise. Daybreak surely comes too soon. And then I'm foggy till noon.

This morning, I woke up an hour late, and yet I still lay in bed wasting time, wishing: I wish it were still the weekend and we were back on Cape Cod, back in the old mansion with a dozen rooms and as many loos and a bocce court in the yard. I wish we were still dancing with friends, meeting new ones, celebrating Mark & Kathleen's wedding. Beautiful bride, perfect party, waltzing with my boy, fabulous friends till the end. No worries, but for the rain pitter pattering on the grass. Bay breezes and dancing, dancing, disco dancing. I wish, I wish...

I finally made it to work an hour late. But I stayed even later than that on the other end of the day. And now I'm back in the same boat. Late home, late to dine, late to bed.

What are these nerves? What is this nervous energy? I think I know...

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.

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: