Ice Fishing

"People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy." -Anton Chekhov



When people hear the stories from our ice fishing escapades there are one of two reactions, "I wanna go!" or "you guys are crazy", and often the same person can be heard saying both. I remember the first time I experienced ice fishing, my cousin Maria and I were getting ready for her mother's surprise 60th birthday party and a couple of my Uncles, along with their wives, were up for the party and decided to throw some lines in the water. I took the snowmobile over and sat in my jeans (highly inappropriate ice fishing attire) and jigged for a bit, thinking that this would be the extent of my ice fishing experience. Little did I know that this was a totally false assumption. The following year my dad and brother decided to give it a go and came up for a long weekend, and thus begun our now annual tradition which is referred to as "dorf weekend" by the natives. We haven't caught a fish we could keep since the first year, but we sure have a great time. It's a weekend full of good food, good laughs and always something totally ridiculous. There was Uncle Mike falling in the lake, the "sandgin" which is one of the greatest things to ever come up on a fishing line, and the evolution of ice golf. This year it got really fancy with a fairway, green, and flag in the hole. We have also found a special drink for the weekend, apple pie moonshine, or as it is called on the ice, a little slice of heaven. The biggest deal for me is my personal evolution as a fisherwoman. Year 1, I paid for fishing license, put one trap in the last day and Aunt Natalie had to bait it for me. Year 2, I had multiple traps and set them myself, but still had to have them baited by someone else. So when I caught a fish (not a keeper) I had an asterisk next to my name because I didn't bait my own trap. So this year was the year, I was determined to do it all myself. Problem 1, staying up drinking until all hours of arrival night did not give me nerves of steal on the first day, so when the fish squirmed out of my hand I quickly handed the reins over to my brother. I did manage to take the live (did I mention that) bait off the line, but it seemed insufficient. So on Sunday I was determined, it was weird and I almost didn't make it, but in the end I put that hook right through that fish and was ready to go. I did not catch a fish, but no one did so I don't feel that bad, and it saved me from having to de-hook the big fish. The final frontier, maybe next year is the year that I do the whole shabang. There are no guarantees in fishing but I can tell you definitively that if this group takes the ice there will be no regrets, fish or not, because we always have a great time.

Snowshoeing...

A couple weeks ago something happened that is a rare occurrence, the weather forecasters pretty much hit the nail on the head. In the days leading up to the weekend, there was much talk of a big snow storm, but even then it was with vague terms and an unwillingness to commit to predicting a huge storm. In the end, they were dead on, and Nemo rolled through on a Friday night into Saturday and left two feet of snow in his wake. I have now been through two hurricane situations since moving to New England, and neither one matched the anticipation of this nor'easter. I attempted to head to work on Friday morning, only to turn around and not just due to the dusting that had started, but because the gas stations were out of gas and I didn't have enough to make it there. So I turned around and stopped in at the store to grab a couple things (mostly wine!)and found that the milk shelves were completely empty, with the exception of organic milk, so I grabbed some of that (a must for white russians!) and headed home. It was actually a really fun weekend, I got to do some serious snuggling with baby George and spent some good quality time with Maria and Charlie. With our schedules and lives these days those times are not as common as they used to be. We didn't lose power, or our cable and internet which would have been much more devastating, and it was absolutely beautiful. We even managed to step out mid-blizzard for an on the spot weather report (if I had the technology there would be a link to that video here). On Sunday the sun came out and it warmed up enough for us to take a family trip out snow shoeing. Now, I have to admit, this event is the first time I know for a fact that I would not have gone on this outing without this list guilting me into it. To make up for missed work on Friday, I went in for a few hours Sunday and that combined with relative inactivity all weekend had me feeling lazier then usual. So when Maria asked me to join them for a little family afternoon walk, my instant reaction was to say no, but in the next 5 seconds my brain did a quick internal rundown of the pros and cons that went something like this. Cons: tired, cold, exercise (blah)...pros: List, list, list, possible final opportunity and do you really want to have this not checked off, because lets face it you can't be sure that it will even snow before Jan 1 again, or can I? Just get your shit together and go for a walk!! Sooooo maybe more like 10 seconds. So I strapped on my snowshoes for the first time since maybe age 5, and hiked out into the woods, bringing up the rear of our little gang. Charlie with snowshoes on his feet and George on his chest, and Maria on cross country skis we were ready to go. Now, I may never have known what I was missing out on if I had just stayed home. However, since I did go, knowing that I wouldn't have without the pressure of checking this off the list, it hit me even harder how awesome the experience was. All these small moments, like when we were crunching through the trees, the only real noise as everything else was silenced by a blanket of snow, sitting by the frozen over lake, taking in the sun with George smiling at me, Sammi running like God invented snow specifically to make her happy. It was a fantastic afternoon, and I would be lying if it didn't make me more determined then ever to really jump feet first into the year, and this list. I am excited to see what other things I may have missed out on without a little push.

Print Pictures

"What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that's gone forever, impossible to reproduce." -Karl Lagerfeld

I have always loved pictures. I love when you catch a moment, the kind of moment that when you see it again it instantly brings back the music, the joke, the atmosphere. I am not one to forgo a real live event to take a picture, so there are plenty of memories that will live only in my mind, but sometimes the camera comes out, and sometimes it snaps at just the right second. These are the pictures I love. However, in this age of technology, most pictures stay digital, which can have a lot of benefits. It's easy to show the world a favorite picture, or to find one when you need one without searching endless shoe boxes, but I sometimes feel as though the ease of the modern world takes some of the warmth and joy out of displaying them in your home or room. When they are on the computer, someone can type a comment to you, or share a smiley face, or even just let you know how much they "like" it. What I like better then that is when a guest in my home looks at my pictures, and asks a question, it can start a conversation about things you wouldn't normally think to talk about. Or even better, when someone who was part of the event, can look at it and you share a laugh over the events during, or surrounding that picture. It's a way to engage with the people in your life, and to me that's the most important thing there is.

So I recently made a point to pick some of my favorite pictures from the last couple years and have them printed off. They make it very easy for you these days, another benefit to the digital age. I sent my pictures, via email, to Walgreen's and an hour later they were ready. The whole process cost under $10, and now I have some fun memories displayed in my house.

Visit a vineyard/winery

“Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized.” ― Andre Simon

Part of the fun in undertaking an adventure such as this idea of being bold in 2013 is other people getting excited about it and, ultimately, joining in the fun. Recently, while enjoying a casual Saturday morning breakfast with a couple cousins and their spouses, we started discussing "the list". Everyone had their items that they were ready to join in on, things they thought should be added in, and more rarely, the items they chose to pre-emptively call in sick for. As we talked, and got more excited, the spirit really grabbed us and my cousin, Maria, said "well, let's cross something off." Which is how we found our group of five adults, a baby and a dog strolling the snow covered grounds of Flag Hill Winery in Lee, NH. Not exactly the prime time, as the vines are all in a state of hibernation and the winery tour was not running. Despite all this, we had a lovely afternoon, first enjoying some fresh air while Sammi ran through the snow, chasing whatever we threw. After we were good and chilled, we headed up to the the winery itself, which was warm and welcoming, after our tromp. The women working behing the bar were friendly and accomodating, ready with samples of anything we wanted to try. So we sampled wines, both red and white, liquors and liqueors. Some were tasty (red wine, port), others not so much (apple brandy). In the end we all walked out with a paper bag containing our favorite items to enjoy later. I personally took home a bottle of the first gin ever distilled in New Hampshire, and a bottle of the red wine. As our afternoon came to an end we all went off to our seperate evening plans, however, the danger of day drinking is that your evening activities can be heavily effected. I believe that every member of our little adventure party was either asleep or had taken a nap by 8pm that night. The beauty of being an older adult is that this doesn't bother us in the slightest :) I hesitated to post about this visit, as it was short and we intend to go again when we can do the full tour, but in the end the point is that we took the initiative and went. We had a great time, and their is definitely a little buzz that goes along with every checkmark on this list, and it definitely makes me feel like we are accomplishing something, which is the point of it all.

The sleeping vines

Our crew: Janelle, Charlie, George, Maria and Derik!

Buy a plant and have it survive a year...

"To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow." -Audrey Hepburn

I can't tell you what's behind my desire to have a plant survive, or not just survive, but thrive. I know I killed more african violets as a child then any one person should have a right to. I know I love a garden, both for its beauty and the tranquility that often comes with it. I have never had the land, or the patience, to care for a garden the way it's supposed to be taken care of. So, for the first time, I am making myself 100% responsible for a living thing. I can't tell you for sure what I will get out of it, but I plan to take this responsibility seriously. Since the goal was to keep it alive for the year I thought the sooner I got started, the better. So without further ado, please meet Gus Gus and Jacques, joined in this picture by Rosalie the orchid.

My friend Janelle, who is also on this goal achieving adventure of 2013, and I went out about a week ago in search of our plants. Let me tell you, you can learn something about people based on the plants they choose to maintain. For instance, as we strolled the aisles looking at all the various choices, we had wildly different attack plans. I had the simple limitation of no light, my apartment has no direct sunlight, and very little natural light on a day to day basis. That aside, the plants I was drawn to said things like, "tolerates neglect" and "easy care", that boiled down to "hard to kill". I was on board, because while I plan to achieve this goal, I also plan to make it as easy as possible on myself, which is kind of how I roll. I am not downing myself, I just tend to prioritize where I put effort in, which sometimes leads me to underachieve in a certain areas of my life, but it also simplifies it and so far it works for me. So, in the end I got my boys, Gus Gus, the Sansevieria, and Jacques, the lucky bamboo. Survivors (I hope), who are sturdy, strong and resourceful, much like their namesakes. Janelle, on the other hand, is a consumate overachiever. She saw the beautiful orchid, read the instructions to ensure she had a suitable environment and went for it. Of course, she found out later the life expectancy of an orchid averages out at about 3 months, making the goal of one year's survival unlikely and will probably require much more effort on her part. But, that's typical Janelle, she jumps in feet first, knowing she probably shouldn't and that her chances of success aren't great, and almost always finds away to pull it out. That being said, for my money, I bet Ms. Rosalie is still alive and kicking a year from now. I will now share the few things I have learned in one week of plant ownership... 1. It's a club, similar to kids or pets, people want to offer you advice and help you out because you have joined in the brotherhood, mostly unsolicited but for a novice like me, almost always helpful 2. Apparently I talk to living things, even if they can't hear me or respond 3. I love these guys, like feel deep attachment to plants I have owned for ONE week 4. I need help

Wow!

I was going to let it go, I really was. I mean, two years is a really long time to ignore something completely. However, in a new effort to get back to things I love, and find new things to add to that list, I am giving it one more shot. It's a couple weeks into 2013, the holidays are over and most resolutions made in a celebratory mood as the year came to a close, with champagne in hand, have been broken. It's that time of year where the majority of a cold, dark winter stretches out before you without much to break it up. This year, for the first time in recent history, I made no list of resolutions. What I did instead, is make a singular resolution to be "someone I would be interested in knowing". So with the help of my good friend Janelle, we made a list of things we intend to do this year, equaling out to approximately one thing a week from the list. They aren't all new things, they aren't all exciting, some cost money and others are free. Essentially it's all the things we talk about and never do. The hope is, with a list of items to cross off, we are more motivated then usual to get them done. One of these items is to keep a journal, which is why I will attempt to use this forum as my record of this attempt at being interesting. So here it is, in no particular order...
Listen to live music
Take a salsa class
Go Latin dancing
White water rafting
Skiing/snowboarding
Snowshoeing
Cooking class
Try a new workout (spinning, class, etc.)
Road trip to acadia national park
Go to Canada
Camping
Learn how to change a tire
Build something from scratch or refurbish a piece of furniture
Do a Murder mystery
Go to a baseball game
Play a round of golf
Visit Salem, MA
Go to Boston Art Museum
Walk the Freedom Trail
Go sailing
Make Jam(and other canning adventures)
Buy a new plant and have it survive
Have a SPA day
Go to a farmers market
Spend a day at the beach
Go paddle boarding
Go ice fishing
Keep a journal
Go hiking
Run a 5k
Do some charity work
Meditate
Go to a vineyard
Do something scary (not horror scary, nerve wracking scary)
Watch classic movies
Read a classic book
Read a non fiction book
Vacation to tropical place
Do an ART project
Spend a day thrift store shopping
Go ice skating
Learn to shoot a gun
Go horseback riding
Attempt couponing
Print pictures
Have a “cupboard potluck” dinner
Do a walking tour of my birth town
Make a living will
Learn to play a song on the guitar
Spend night out in Boston
Go to NYC
Sleep on the beach
Make homemade soap and candles
Visit some of New Hampshire's natural wonders
Seems overwhelming when all written out, but I have faith that it can get done...wish me luck!

A long winter...

As the first day of spring came and went yesterday, and as the falling snow (which has been present and plentiful for months now) keeps me indoors today, I am looking back over the winter. This winter marked my first anniversary living in New Hampshire and my second year away from Cincinnati. I am still learning my way around my new adopted hometown, and I find something new I love about it almost every day. I have also had plenty of times where I realized I still have much to learn. I am also figuring out, more and more, how to spend my time split between family and friends on visits home. Learning I can't fit it all in, and to make sure to see those I did not see the visit before and not to spread myself too thin. That being said, this winter also showed me to never take time for granted when shortly after my visit home at the holidays my grandfather's health took a swift downhill turn and he passed away on Jan. 22. I didn't see him when I went home and I have regrets about that, but the last time I did see him, he remembered enough about me to ask relevant questions about my life. For an Alzheimer's patient this is a big deal, so I try to hold on to that. I like to think that if I had one more chance I would have found the words to express what he meant to me. I don't know if that is true, but the best I can do now is put down here what I would like to have said.

Dear Gramp,
I love and miss you everyday, even as I know you are in a better place. I know the last few years were a struggle for you, so even as my heart hurts at never seeing your smile or hearing your chuckle on this earth again, I know you are in a place where they are never at a loss for how to draw that laugh out. I will probably never hear a bagpipe, taste a glass of scotch, or see any man with the quiet dignity you possessed and not think of you. But I will remember more the moments that, for me, define out relationship. Your patience with a six-year old girl as we went walking through the woods looking for horses and wildflowers, or when you took me, and just me which was a crazy treat for a girl with two younger siblings, to get ice cream as a reward for cleaning all day. To this day that memory makes me feel warm and smiley. I am glad for each of our lunches out, where mostly Gram and I chit-chatted, but you could always be counted on to ask the right question or make the right statement to put into perspective something I was struggling with or to encourage some endeavor I was on, without any extra pressure. You rarely said something just to talk, which made each word uttered was that much more meaningful, funny or important. Hearing "I am proud of you," in your quiet way, with no embellishment or need for more explanation was almost life-altering. You also had a great sense of humor, and I will never forget the sheer hilarity I felt when I figured out that you weren’t nearly as oblivious as you, sometimes, pretended to be. I have to say, though, that for all the fantastic memories I have of you, the most important thing you ever gave me was my dad. I know he isn’t of your blood, but that doesn’t make you any less of an important person in his life. The man who gave him life could have been the only male figure he ever knew, then who knows what happens to him and what form of my family would even exist. Instead you made the decision to take on Gram and her boys. Regardless of how amazing any one or all of them were, that choice is never easy, and I’m sure that they didn’t make it all rainbows and sunshine. In the end, though, he walked out of your house a strong man, one who is deeply caring and who always puts his family before himself. Regardless of how the equation worked itself out, you were a main factor in that, and like I said, that is the biggest gift you ever gave me. I will cherish every moment we spent and all that you taught me, through your own actions and words, and those you passed on through your children.
I love you,
Katie

Time flys...

I have been meaning to revive this blog for awhile, I even find myself thinking in terms of blog posts, but obviously I never quite make it. It's been almost a year and what a year it's been. In some ways it's been the best year of my life, so far :) By springtime I was well on my way to being settled, quite contently, into my cozy apartment in southern New Hampshire. Having my own place, but with family one flight of stairs away is ideal and the best of both worlds for me. A spot to be me, but good people to enjoy a meal or a glass of wine at the end of the day with. And while Maria, my cousin, and I grew up together, getting to know one another as adults, and finding that we really like each other outside of the family connection, is really one of the greatest gifts I've had. So as spring rolled easily into summer, one of the reasons I got so far behind is because last summer has to have been one of the best, weather wise, ever! We took advantage of that, spending almost every weekend at the lake. It's a 2 1/2 hr ride on a good day, yet it never seemed too long and I never hesitated to make the drive to spend a couple days boating, boozing and hanging out with the fam. The fourth of July had amazing weather, and a large number of family members. We had our first theme 4th, where everyone whore outrageous sunglasses, there were hours of water volleyball and a well done rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner", on electric guitar. The more time I spend at the lake I find that, while I cannot put into words my love for the big family events, there is a lot to be said for the quieter times as well. Laying in the sun, reading a book, coffee and breakfast with my dad (and mom when she's there) with a fire in the woodstove and the water lapping at the rocks outside, an afternoon cocktail with my grandparents, kayak rides on a still morning, spending time in my Aunt Linda's kitchen, a boat cruise under the stars with Karen and Beno. All things I cherish a little more each time. We had a couple really fun events with who I refer to as the "regulars", a macaroni and cheese bake-off, where I didn't actually win, but since I got to try 8 different kinds of mac and cheese, I'm going to call it a win. And, as summer turned swiftly to fall, our first ever progressive dinner. Appetizer's at the Elmendorf camp, soup and salad at the Renaud camp, lasagna at the McNeely/Lamontagne/Rosi camp and finishing it off with dessert at the Perro camp. Such a fabulous, relaxing, and enjoyable night of family and fun.

Beach day

Growing up in the midwest, beach vacations were a special treat. Especially in our family because most of our vacations were spent at Maidstone,
we didn't go to the beach all that often. Now anyone who knows me at all knows that I'm a happy, happy girl whenever water is near. Lakes, beaches, whatever. So the best moment of any beach vacation was the first moment I stepped onto the beach, feet sinking into the sand and the salty, ocean breeze blowing in your face...seriously, this is bliss!! This was always closely followed by the first time you stood in the sand and let a wave roll up the beach and over your feet, then as the wave rolls back out taking the sand with it and sinking your feet into the wet sand. These moments never get old, but what I never considered until today is the FIRST time you have these particular moments. The sights, smells and sounds must be a little overwhelming. So, I took the nugget down to the beach today, and while I'm sure he has been on a beach before, he just started walking during the winter, so he has never walked himself onto a beach. The whole experience was comical, first he wiggled his little feet a little in the dry sand on the top part of the beach, then as we walked closer to the water we hit the wet sand and it started all over again. He felt the sensations, considered the positive and negative, and decided this was awesome and then we moved on. Then I totally blew his mind by pulling the shovels out of the bucket and starting to play in the wet sand. He was tentative at first, then as you can tell by the picture, he totally committed to play time on the beach. I will have to say though, that the best part was when we actually walked to water's edge to clean up a little before heading home. It took a little convincing to get him close enough to let the water touch his feet, but once we did and the first wave rolled up on his feet it, literally, took him out at the ankles. It was like he was so shocked by the sensation he didn't know what to do, so he just fell backwards with the natural flow of the water looking completely awed by what was happening. It took a couple waves, but once he got the hang of it, the nugget officially fell in love with the water. I anticipate a fun summer with much beach time, but am slightly concerned his love might cause me some stress as he heads for the water like a bull to the cape time after time. But really, who could blame him?

Breakfast Hike

Last weekend we had an almost idyllic weekend, weather wise. The winter was a cold and dreary winter which led into a couple pretty severe rainstorms, there was flooding everywhere, including my apartment. This, of course, had people all over New England ready to enjoy the sun and warmth. After spending at least an hour, both Thursday and Friday, out walking along New Hampshire's seacoast with the peanut, my motivation was in good shape Saturday morning when I asked my cousin, Maria, if she wanted to go for a walk. I was thinking we would walk down the street to the lake, but Charlie had other ideas. He suggested we go on a breakfast hike by Stonehouse Pond. So we packed up some coffee in a thermos, stopped at the bakery to pick up some bagels and headed to the pond. The path was somewhat undefined, shall we say, and we had trouble keeping to it so we did a lot of bushwacking. We took turns playing Sacagewea, Lewis and Clark, which seemed to fit our group pretty well. About halfway around the lake there is a sudden and steep uphill climb. We climbed to the top of the rock, took five minutes to catch our breath, and then relaxed and enjoyed the view. It was perfectly warm, but not too hot. The sky was blue, the sun was out and the coffee was still hot. It was perfection, one of those moments that makes you appreciate the small things in life. We spent about an hour soaking in the sun and enjoying the view before continuing down the other side of the rock and the rest of the way around the pond. I don't think we actually ever found the path on the other side, so we spent a lot of time pushing branches out of the way and hopping rocks across small brooks, until we reached the road to the car. There really is no more fantastic way to go "out" to breakfast.

Basketball

I am a pretty random person, I enjoy being thrown into unknown situations. After all, they often lead to the most fun. So when my cousin, Brian, asked me if I wanted to go to a Celtics game with a bunch of people I either barely knew or didn't know at all, after the original person had to back out, I said absoloutely. We headed out from Maine semi-early with some coffee and anticipation. We picked up the next two in our group in southern New Hampshire and then headed into Boston to meet up with the rest. Once we dropped our stuff off at our new friends' place and immediately headed out in search of food. We found ourself smashed into a corner booth of a pizza joint called Regina's. There is no better icebreaker then eating really good pizza while sitting, almost, on top of each other. The group went from cautious strangers to a bunch of goofy, laughing friends within an hour. We shared funny stories, made business plans and so on and so on. We spent the rest of the pleasent afternoon over some cocktails at their very cute apartment in Boston's north side before heading to the game. Unfortunately, the Celtics got their asses handed to them by the San Antonio spurs. However it was still a fun event. Cincinnati never had professional basketball, so I don't know much about it and don't follow it at all. I found, though, that my love for virtually all things sports definitely extends to basketball. I could probably even get into being a Celtics fan, it was that fun. Overall the trip was well worth four hours in the car, and the two hours of sleep I got before heading to work the next morning. Anything in the name of a new adventure, haha...

Goodbye Winter....Hello Spring:)

For most of February I prayed against the abnormal weather that was melting what little snow we had and causing rain storms instead of snow storms. Mostly because our Mother/Daughter crew had decided to do our cross country skiing in New England instead of West Virginia to ensure snow, hahahaha. So of course the snow in New England was barely there while West Virginia, like much of the middle east coast, was racking up record breaking snow fall most of the winter. When the crew flew in Thursday not only was it not snowing, but rain was falling steadily. Discouraged we decided to spend Friday shopping and sightseeing. We headed north to Mt. Washington, which is where I worked in the summer of 2003, the hotel is stunning and a solid piece of the area's history. That far north we were excited to see snow on the ground as well as coming from the sky. The next day we woke to snow cover in Jackson, but even so decided to head north again to Sunday River, Maine to make sure we had good skiing. There was tons of fresh snow, and we had a great day skiing up and all around the mountain. We had enough ridiculous falls and hilarity coming down ungroomed trails that other skiiers coming up the mountain stopped to ask what was going on. After such a great day on the trails we headed to Nestlenook Farm where my cousin Tasha and her boyfriend Isaac took us on a sleigh ride, we started the ride huddled under furry blankets and drinking champagne, stopped to feed the european deer, and took in the stunning scenery. The farm is lit up with over a million lights and is looks like it's straight out of a story book. Honestly it was amazing, much thanks to Tasha and Isaac. After one last day on the trails in Jackson, we headed back south to my place, and shortly after the girls headed out of town. Me, moms and sister on the Veranda at Mt. Washington Hotel
Linds, Megan and I on the trails
Waiting for our sleigh ride

You would think we were little girls while we were feeding these deer, it was so exciting

That Monday my prayers for snow came to an abrupt halt, and by that weekend we had that first hint of spring that is always so magnificent. When the temperature hits 50 degrees and the sun was shining, and we stayed outside all day doing everything we have been deprived of since that first snowfall in October. It happens every year, even though we shiver a little, we ignore it because even though the weather is starting to turn, everyone knows its a tease and we will be forced indoors again before we can really start to enjoy spring. I'm not worried though, it's coming :)

Olympic Memories

With the closing ceremonies in Vancouver last night another Winter Olympics came to a close. As usual there were moments that surprised, saddened, stunned and impressed. All the things I look forward to. Stars were made and broken, often all in one event. And as usual, the team representing the home country stepped up and created history, as well as some of my favorite moments. Here is a list of my top 5 Olympic moments from Vancouver.
5. USA vs. Canada for the Gold medal in hockey. Hockey is one of the few sports I don't follow really at all, but I truly enjoy watching the fast paced game. The final game was thrilling with the US coming back from 2-0 to tie up the game with seconds left. Canada ended up winning the Gold medal in overtime, and while I am an avid fan of the US olympic team, this was okay with me. For the Canadians to win at the sport they most identify with, on home ice, on the last day of the Olympics is a moment that will go down in history for them. I'm just glad the US put up one hell of a fight :)
4. Bode Miller shows up to the Olympics. Miller has spent a lot of his career not quite meeting his potential. He has an outrageous amount of talent, but never had the work ethic necessary to really push himself to his best (according to all the experts). Many trashed the young man for not taking it all seriously enough, and even as a fan I was disappointed in his inability to buckle down and pull it together for the biggest winter sports stage. So I was ecstatic to see Bode show up for the Vancouver games with a different attitude. Even, by his own words, not in the best shape due to late decision to try for the Olympic games, Miller showed some of his best stuff and walked away with a medal of each color. Which, of course, makes me wonder what he could have done at his best physical fitness with this new attitude...3. Chinese gold in pairs figure skating. This story has all the good makings for a movie. Two people working together, platonically, for years. A devastating injury puts all they have worked for at risk, but more importantly brings them together in a new, romantic way. United in every way now, they decide to come back and try for Olympic gold at the advanced ages of 31 and 36. The performance they put out in the short program literally left me a little breathless, giving a new definition to the words, "in unison". Aside from the stunning physical show they put on was the couple themselves. You could see they joy they got just from being around each other and I think it translated itself onto the ice which contributed to the eventual gold medal win. They were happy just to be skating together, and their vow to have "no regrets" if they walked away with less then gold, made them an easy couple to root for.

2. Canada's first gold on home ground. Alexandre Bilodeau competed in the men's moguls final, putting up one of his best runs ever left him in first place, unfortunately the favorite to win was still to come and a good performance would put Bilodeau in second place. The scores came down and this young man and the Canadian crowd there supporting him were up and roaring as Canada finally had a gold medal on Canadian soil. There would be many to follow, but this first one stuck with me. The excitement of the whole event gave me goosebumps everytime it was recapped or replayed.

1. Joannie Rochette's short program performance. I don't know how to describe how I felt about this performance. Watching someone go through the most terrible time in their life on a world wide stage should make you feel bad for them. Joannie Rochette didn't even give me the chance for that. Two days after her mother's death, she stepped onto the ice and delivered a brave and emotional performance. It was a tribute and stunner all at the same time. I watched with tears the entire, near perfect, performance and felt some of her pain when her face crumpled up as the music ended. The performance earned her a bronze medal and hopefully the beginning of some healing.

Aaaaannnd they're over

Today I turned 30. I'm sure there is an exact time or something, but we'll just go with the day in total. I have found the most commonly asked question when you turn, or are turning, 30 is some variation of "are you going to lose your mind because you aren't a 20-something anymore." I have been getting this question for approximately two months, and here is my answer, I feel that I got everything I needed and everything that was available from my twenties, and am as ready as ever to rock my thirties. This is not to say that I didn't miss opportunities and that my way of living is the recommended way, but it worked for me and I wouldn't change it. Here is some of what I learned,
In the year 2000, at the age of 20, I was a two time college drop out and certain that I didn't know how to be independent because I couldn't cut it away at college. So, I decided to spend a summer at Maidstone Lake. I spent the summer working at a country club with a bunch of kids my age just trying to make life happen. That summer gave me a lot, probably more then words can express. The fact that I not only never felt the need to go running home, but made friends and thoroughly enjoyed a new experience which helped me to regain a lot of self respect and confidence and probably was the event that set the tone for how I chose to live my 20s. I made mistakes and I definitely didn't follow any laid out paths, but damnit I had fun. I made more friends then I lost, including reconnecting with old friends. Following a pretty intense quarter-life crisis, I went back (at age 25) and finished that college education, for better or worse. I celebrated my friends marriages and the births of their children, knowing full well I wasn't yet ready for either. I did my best to be the best friend I could be, not always getting it right, but hopefully not repeating the same mistake twice. I found that I was lucky enough to be related to my best friends, and that my parents did a really good job. What I thought I knew at 20, I will probably never really know, and it's probably more fun that way. I partied too hard, but came out the other end with no permenant damage and some fantastic memories. I still don't want to know what I want to be when I grow up, or if I even want to grow up. What will I take to my 30s...all of it and then some, can't wait :)

The peanut and the nugget...

My day to day life has changed so drastically in such a short period of time that sometimes I find myself trying to catch up. My work days alone are such an extreme opposite of what they were two months ago that I almost don't believe it. Where my work day used to include angry teenagers and taking verbal shots while trying to maintain patience and model appropriate behavior. These days I spend my days with happy (99% of the time) babies. I split my week between two families, one includes the nugget, a 1 year old boy with a sensitive and snuggly spirit who can turn around a bulldoze through anything in his way, he loves to be up and doing and makes me laugh all day long as he figures out the world a little at a time. His older sister spends her days at school, but gets to come home and play with us late in the afternoon and on school vacation days, she is an absolute sweetheart who wants to be, and strongly believes she can be, fully independent and at the same time loves, loves, loves, to take care of her little brother. The other days I hang with the peanut, he'll be five months old next week and he is quite literally the happiest baby I have ever seen. He wakes up smiling, laughs in his sleep and thinks the best part of his day is when you put him on a changing table. To give you an example of my job requirements, this week I have been a princess first escaping, then booby trapping the bad guys, played "not hockey", turned a 1 yr old into a superhero, I have made and painstakingly decorated sugar cookies with an easy bake oven, played 10 variations of catch me if you can, hide and seek and peek-a-boo, had a dance party, all while getting hugged, snuggled and kissy-kissed. And they PAY me to do this and listen to kids laugh 40+ hours a week. Granted I have always loved being a nanny, but after a year of being unhappy in my work to compare it to, the love is amplified by an unquantifiable amount. Here's the peanut hanging in his crib...

What I've been up to...

I have found that if I get a little behind on this blog its hard to know where to pick it back up. Do I start with the move to New Hampshire or possibly my nine day trip to Cinci, but that includes pieces of the Bengal run to the play offs, or I could start in the new year where my life has been busy with family, new friends and lots of big plans for the future (including a trip to Jamaica). Do you understand why I have had trouble starting again after a long hiatus? So in the spirit of my new motto on life, and my sister and my's New Years resolution, I'm not going to waste a moment of 2010 and I'm going to start with right now. So right now I this is what is going on in my life. I am glad to say that life is good, really good. I am as happy as I can remember being in recent history, satisfied in work, life and my pursuit of a dream that is undefined and everchanging, which makes the pursuit that much more fun. Very recently I spent the weekend up at Maidstone lake to help celebrate my cousin Karen's 60th birthday. I was like a kid at christmas while getting ready for the weekend, for two reasons, 1) I love a good surprise party, and I was on the inside track of this one, helping Maria to plan and prepare for what turned out to be a fantastic night. 2) I hadn't been up to the lake in the winter time since I was maybe 4 years old. I had a great time, getting the opportunity to cross two things of my list of things to do in life. Billy let me take his snowmobile across the lake and even with a helmet flying across the middle of a wide open space was cold, yet exhilerating. Let's just be glad I can't actually afford to own one or I would probably end up getting a little bit addicted to that particular activity. I also got the opportunity to go ice fishing, or I guess more accurately I got to watch some ice fishing. A goal of mine since watching Grumpy Old Men at a young age. Let's just say I was inappropriately dressed in jeans while everyone else was in snowpants, so it's probably a good thing that I had to cut my time outdoors short to get food together for the party. I do intend, however, to do it again with a fishing license so I can participate and get the full experience, because being outside in the fresh, crisp air and hanging out with family was a lot of fun.
Camp in winter, our little setup

Uncle Kev drilling one of 17 holes for traps

Aunt Natalie and I, super warm and cozy out in the middle of the lake

Happy Birthday Karen!!

soooo lame

I am currently the lamest blogger on the block. Before the holidays I moved from Vermont to New Hampshire, then quickly left to spend 9 days in Cincinnati for the holidays, then spent my first week back settling in and getting my apartment ready for a party this past weekend...and yes I am using all of these as excuses for why I have been remiss on my blogging. Aaaaannndd since my immune system is losing a war being fought on all fronts (sick kids at both houses, plus sick relatives visiting mine) I am going to keep this short, but promise to spend a lot of time catching up on my recent activities very soon. :) P.S. today is my blog's 1st birthday!

Silent Fury

I took a short break from the craziness that my life has become in the past couple weeks (packing, cleaning, etc.) to go see my cousin Alex's band Silent Fury. Their three man band has been traveling around and touring quite a bit, but I had never managed to see them. So I was super excited, but unsure of what to expect. I was VERY pleasently surprised to find out that they are a really good band that plays music I really enjoy. They moved from original songs to covers and back again seamlessly. I found myself rocking just as much to the original songs I had never heard before as I did to the covers, which happened to be some of my favorite songs. They were also quite the show men and the people there loved them, filling the dance floor. Let me tell you, there is nothing quite like seeing your young cousin autographing his CD for a fan, but I was super proud of him and really can't wait to see them again. I didn't get any great pictures but I included a couple of them just to give you an idea.

Holiday Spirit (or lack of)

I adore the holidays, I love the decorations, the family time, the weather (I really do), giving the perfect gift, really just about every part of it. After my first Thanksgiving away from home went so well, I was ready to march right into the Christmas holiday. Unfortunately some things were working against me. Accepting a new job, while exciting, also means that I am not adding lights, a tree, and garlands with bows to create a beautiful and merry feeling. I am, instead, emptying my place a little at a time making it less and less of a home. It also means that I have not been roaming around to various family members as much due to the amount of work I have to do here, so I can't even partake in their brand of holiday joy. On top of all that scrooge-like activity we either set the record or came close for the latest snow fall ever in Vermont. Instead of a winter landscape of snow, and the crisp and clear air of winter, we had rain and muck. In the past week I have had a significant shift though, for two reasons. 1) My advent calender and 2) snow. Most years growing up we had an advent calender and as adults we have not let go of the tradition. When I was home in November I was thrilled when my dad presented each of us kids with an advent calender that he had gotten us. So every morning I get up and find the appropriate date and uncover a new picture, building the excitement for impending holiday one cartoon picture at a time. Then, just as I was already starting to get excited, our first big snowfall. We got about 6-8 inches over the day wednesday creating a beautiful winter landscape, finally! So even though my home is less home like, and I continue to postpone christmas shopping, I am in the holiday spirit and enjoying every moment as it comes. The view from the bend in my road after the snowfall on Wednesday

My advent calender, yay!

News

While I will always be thankful for the experience and the fact that it got me where I am now I must admit, I am not a huge fan of my job. I have, in fact, spent the last several months looking seriously into other options with little to no luck. So I am quite happy to report that I have accepted a new job. I am going back to my roots and working with the children. I am going to be working as a nanny again. I hooked up with a girl who is running an agency where I will be working full time, but splitting it for a couple different families on a regular basis and will have the ability to add extra time in helping other families in the area from time to time. I am very excited about it, and after spending a day working with one of the families that will be my regulars I feel that I have made the very best decision for myself. Oh and one other thing, it means I am moving again. This time I am moving even closer to the coast, and will actually be working right on the coast. My living arrangements are still up in the air, but let's face it, I spend half my life up in the air. It's a little scary but like I said, I am just really excited and happy to be going back to something I know I love to do. Anyway just wanted to let you all know what's going on with me.