Here's The Man

 

Love that smile!

Here's one more

 

Jenn, this one's for you.

My first photo blog

 

It's about time I post a few pix. This is an unedited photo taken by Jenn on Addie's birthday. Jenn used my new Panasonic Lumix.

The Cookie Exchange

Tomorrow night is the big event of the annual cookie exchange and caroling at the home of Mr. and Mrs. G. So today is baking day.

I made Frostheave Fudge (aka “Rocky Road”), Mrs. Pillsbury’s Holiday Sprinkle Sugar Cookies, Dream Bars, and Snowballs. I do think the Snowballs turned out the best. Here’s the secret recipe:

1 cup unsalted butter
½ cup powdered sugar (I used ¼)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used almond)
2 ¼ cups flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup powdered sugar for decoration

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter with sugar and extract. Mix in flour, salt, and nuts. Roll 1 Tablespoon of dough into balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. (Do not let cookies get too brown.) While cookies are still hot, roll in powdered sugar. When cookies are cool, roll them in sugar once again.

Mom used to make similar cookies – everybody’s favorite – and shaped them into crescents. She called them Pecan Dreams.

It will be fun to see and taste all the yummy cookies tomorrow night. May the tradition live on!

Geo’s Birthday

We planned a simple leisurely dinner for two at the Essex Inn. We arrived early, so we relaxed in the beautifully decorated lobby before dinner. The young man at the desk asked us if we’d be interested in tickets for the Vermont symphony – that evening! Evidently they had extras. We said, “Yes!” Our leisurely dinner became entrée only, dessert to go, and we dashed off to a Holiday Pops concert. Tickets were for Row 6. It was a surprise gift to us, and one terrific concert.

Happy Birthday, Geo!

Mt. Philo

Jenn and Sean drove up from MA for the weekend – time to meet with friends on Saturday and to see the Decemberists at the Flynn on Sunday.

After Mass at the CC on Sunday, Sean treated Jenn, Geo, Grandmother and me to a very leisurely lunch outdoors at Halverson’s. It was a relaxing afternoon before Jenn and Sean left for the concert.

It was great fun just getting together again, but for me the high point (figuratively and literally) was our Monday morning trek up Mt. Philo. Jenn and I had this event on our We-Need-To-Do-This list, and there was no time like the present. It turned out to be a spectacular day. Wilderness leader Sean and adventurous Geo decided to come along.

It’s been a long time since I’ve trekked the trails. Now this novice trailperson is ready to invest in new hiking boots.

I’m so impressed with Geo going the distance. At the top we took in the view, snapped a few pix, and feasted on grapes and freshly baked cookies.

Jenn says the big debate about hiking up a mountain is: Why do we do this? Is it the experience of the hike itself? Or is it the accomplishment of reaching the top?

I guess for me it’s the hike. I love the winding footpaths and finding my way in the midst of nature. For Geo, I think, it was reaching the top (and the comfy Adirondack chairs conveniently placed at a look-out point).

Geo promises we will do this again. Camel’s Hump, before long we’ll be on our way.

Remember, “We’ll always have Mt Philo.”

Thank you, Jenn and Sean for a super visit. Come again soon.

The Place(s) To Be

Sunday Geo, Mom and I headed up to Hardwick. We arrived in time for brunch at Claire’s. I had read about Claire’s in Eating Well magazine. Geo read glowing reviews about Claire’s in none other than the NY Times. Claire’s is a destination gourmet eatery that features local products, and it’s amazingly located on Main Street of a small rural Vermont town. Breakfast was superb!

Next we traveled to nearby Wolcott (that’s “Wool-kitt” for all us flatlanders) to High Mowing Seed Company’s late season festival, hosted by owner Tom Stearns and his staff. High Mowing grows about 800 varieties of plants and veggies to package the seeds. Being there for this event felt like a true Vermont experience. The weather was perfect – cloudy, rainy, sunny, typical. There were farm families, growers, neighbors and others who came from near and far. We toured the fields, sampled the veggies, and witnessed a demonstration of a new machine extracting seeds from melons. Sometime during the afternoon students showed up from NECI (New England Culinary Institute) to prepare dinner. They worked outside under tents. What a feast! Three kegs of Magic Hat were tapped, along with apple cider. Two young women with a banjo and a fiddle entertained. Of course, there were not enough chairs to go around, so people sat on row covers to enjoy the picnic. It was so neat to be part of this experience – this flatlander began to feel a bit like a real Vermonter. To top it off, the crew from Emeril Lagasse was on site taping for a future episode. We'll be watching for this to air.

The Rhubarb Patch

I’m a great fan of rhubarb – love the sauce and especially a rhubarb custard pie.

This morning Mr. Boutin from our local Farmer’s Market gave me a rhubarb plant, roots and all. I dug very deep into our clay soil, added a generous amount of fresh compost and topsoil, and planted my future crop. I watered and mulched, and even added dry grass clippings to the mix. I was so eager to get it into the ground that I forgot to use gardening gloves. (So much for the manicure…)

For the first season, the rhubarb needs to grow. For the second season, a few stalks can be harvested. For the third season and forever after, I should have a bountiful crop. I promised Geo and Mr. Boutin rhubarb pies in 3 years.

Anticipation!

Morning Moments on Lake Champlain

Sunlight sparkling on morning dew,
Waves rippling,
Breeze dancing with shoreline reeds,
Ducklings lazing along the water –
My day at Kamp begins.

Government Health Insurance Protests

Some citizens at town hall meetings are really ripped about government expanding its role in health care insurance. They are being vociferously vocal about it, engaging in shouting matches with elected reps. Some say it is an organized effort getting agitators involved to disrupt the meetings so “Obamacare” gets derailed.

Who are these protesters, really? Look at the video. Aren’t these people the aging boomers who were once the hippies and hippie wannabes of the 60s? They were anti-establishment then, and no doubt feel they are in their element NOW still protesting government direction. Why is anyone surprised at the outcry across the country? The boomers know they are a generation who can make a difference. Boomers know how to protest. Boomers know how to make their voices heard, whether in organized marches, silent sit-ins, or in town meetings. It may not be pretty, but it is freedom and it is democracy.

Let freedom ring.

Iranian Revolution

This is a critical time in Iran when people are protesting and risking their lives for their voices to be heard. They are asking to have a legitimate choice in their government and in the way they live.

I came across a blog of an Iranian student who is posting about events as they are happening. His pictures are vivid.

Click on the title to read his blog.

Branford and Justin

Friday nite and Geo and I were at the Flynn listening to The Branford Marsalis Quartet. A rockin' knockout performance was anticipated, but not the virtuoso rhythms of 18 year old Justin Faulkner on drums.

Branford's replacement for Jeff "Tain" Watts graduates from high school on Tuesday. "I'm 49 years old," says Branford, and I never thought I'd be asking my lead drummer, "How's the prom?"

Why Justin? Seeing him at a high school performance, Branford was impressed with that left hand work. And, "he gets the music."

Justin not only held his own with this 10 year veteran group, he brought the house down.

Click on my title to see Justin in 2008.