So much going on...

I said I would take a picture of Mighty Maple after it snowed:

Mighty Maple December 3, 2012

 

 

Ummm, yup, that would be two weeks ago today! And, nope, that snow did not last. It did however make for a pretty terrible commute that morning. I rallied along for about 25 of my 35 mile drive at near normal pace of 60-63 miles per hour. No problem, no sliding or skidding, no cars in ditches or near collisions. Until I hit the last 10 miles outside of Burlington, at which point I slowed to a painful 8-10 miles per hour. And, yes, at that rate, it did indeed take me AN HOUR to finish getting to work that morning! It was an hour and 45 minute drive, for what appeared to me to be no more than people on the road who shouldn't have been there. It was crazy. No accidents or anything that I could see, and as I exited the interstate, everything from my exit on seemed to resume normal speed. And, seriously, it wasn't more than 2 inches of snow. Which was gone in about 36 hours. The dogs loved it, and ate as much as possible before it melted. We haven't had much more snow at all until yesterday. There was light snow for most of the day while I worked, and it looked so nice out on Church Street, but by the time I headed home at 6:30, it was already turning to rain. And I had rain for most of my drive in today (with no problems, and in a normal 50 minute time frame.) But there still is a covering of white in most places for now, with forecasts of snow several times in the next week, but no talk of much accumulation. I am hoping the snow is mild on Friday and Saturday when my daughters are driving up from Maryland and Texas. And then again on Christmas Day so my sister and her husband make it in from New Hampshire. But we would still love to have a nice blanket of snow on the ground for the holidays. Hopefully.

 

And before I sign off tonight, here is a beautiful photo of the newest member of our wonderful family:

 

 

Born on December 6th, 2012

 

Isn't she just so precious? I absolutely love this picture of her, and can't wait to see her next month!

 

And here she is with her sisters:



 

Aren't they the cutest little girls?

 





Funny thing-I had dinner last week with a cousin from Minnesota I probably hadn't seen since my grandpa died 38 years ago! I have lots and lots of first cousins on my dad's side, and only have a few distant memories of him. But he was in Vermont for business, and we had dinner in Burlington on Wednesday night, then he came over to the house Thursday night to eat, and we really had an enjoyable time. It was nice to re-connect and hear about that part of the family who we don't keep in touch with very much. Made me think of some special memories and times spent growing up in the mid-west.

 

And now, the count down to Christmas Day. And yes, I am pretty much ready. A few more things to pick up, some cleaning and bed-making to do tomorrow, groceries to buy on Thursday, 3 more days working and then it'll be here. Work has been going great. A week ago Saturday I stopped at the store on my way in and bought lunch meat, cheese, rolls, chips, pickles and pasta and potato salad for a Deli Lunch for us since there would be 3 working that day. The girls were thrilled, we had a good time with the customers, everything went well, and just as I was leaving, one of them looked at me and said, "That was fun today!" This from someone who swore she didn't want to be here for another holiday season because of how insane it got. And this past Saturday the company paid for lunch for us, so we ordered pizza and things went well again. Next week we plan to do a pot-luck with the three of us and hopefully the 4th girl will stop in. It has just been going soooo well. It will be a little sad when its all over, but then it will be nearly time for Santa to arrive! And here's my little grandson all bundled up and ready for his journey north:

I Can't Wait to Hold Him Again!









Happy Thanksgiving!

So, today is Thanksgiving...

Here is a photo of what I had for lunch, and what I'll have again for dinner in a short while:

 

 

 

It may not look like it, but its Meatball Soup. Hey, at least the meatballs are turkey! Let me tell you the story:

 

For the past few years we have been invited over to our neighbors home for Thanksgiving. We have had some great memories of being over there. Lots of people, tons of food, laughing and drinking, and singing and telling stories. We always had a super time being included in such a welcoming way. Two years ago, my sister and her husband were able to come up here from New Hampshire for Thanksgiving, and they too were invited to join the neighbor celebration, and once again we all truly enjoyed ourselves. And they were planning on making the trip to be here again this year, but there was some confusion about what was going on with Thanksgiving dinner at the neighbors. That was cleared up last week, when we learned that they would not be hosting dinner this year. His dad is pretty sick, and probably won't make it too much longer, so she was not cooking dinner at all, they would be making the rounds at other family's homes to be together during this rather difficult time for them. No problem, we can make adjustments. I debated about cooking, but it takes all day to make a good meal, 20 minutes to eat, another hour to clean up, and then its over. And it would just be the 4 of us, and I just wasn't sure that's how I wanted to spend my day off, plus I will be working tomorrow and Saturday, as usual. So we decided to head over to Jay Peak, and partake of what sounded like a marvelous buffet of food. And we extended the invitation to my sister and her husband, and also to another neighbor, who are Canadian, and had their Thanksgiving back in October, and they accepted also. So the six of us were looking forward to a great time feasting and laughing and being together. Fast forward to this past Monday, when my wonderful husband (of 35 years) wakes up with a pretty awful sore throat. No big deal, sore throats don't always mean a cold is on its way. He managed thru that day okay. Now its Tuesday, he has the chills, body aches, exhaustion, stuffy nose and congestion. Whoops, guess its more like the Killer Cold virus hit him. He's downing medicine as fast as he can, drowning himself in liquids, sleeping and resting, but by yesterday morning its obvious, he will not recover in time to enjoy the mighty meal, let alone consume much of anything solid at all.  And we certainly don't want anyone else to get what he has. So we cancel all of our plans; the dinner reservations, the visit from my sister, and the get-together with the neighbor. And while I have been feeling rather sorry for myself for not really having a bit of anything close to a Thanksgiving Day, I am thankful that I am not feeling crappy like my husband has been for 3 days. I did make some pumpkin bread and Christmas cookies this morning, listened to the Macy's Day Parade on TV, took the dogs out for their walks, and chatted on the phone with my daughter and sister, but basically it has just been like a normal day off from work. This will be known as the Thanksgiving that wasn't. And tomorrow I'll head out to work a little bit earlier than normal and see if I can get the store opened abut an hour earlier than normal, and sit back and experience Black Friday on Church Street. I hope it goes well! The weather should be good for being down there. Today was beautifully sunny and in the mid 50's. Crazy! It was so nice out, and tomorrow should be the same. But I see some snowflakes in the forecast for Saturday and a few days next week, so maybe it is good that I got my snow tires put on Monday. I am ready for just a little bit of the white stuff-just not too much yet! It will come eventually, I know it. I hope everyone has made a Thanksgiving memory today. Here is a photo of my little grandson on his very first Thanksgiving today.

 

He is so cute, and getting so big. Maybe one of these years we can be together for Thanksgiving! 



Post Halloween

Yesterday was Halloween, and here are what my grandchildren looked like:

 

 

 

Aren't they just the cutest ever? Last year we were there with them for Halloween, and had fun going Trick-or-treating. This year I had to just enjoy the photos of them. It will have to do. I think back to when my daughters were little and we would take them out on Halloween. I remember making their costumes lots of years. Living on base, often times out of the country, made it difficult to find things for them to be. Sometimes we took them to the base to get their candy if we were living off-base. One year the weather in England was terrible, and we didn't want to drive to the base, so we went into the village, and they each got to fill a bag of candy from a store there. The following two years we all took part in turning a very old priory building on the base into a haunted house, then watching as groups of people came thru it. I think they had a good time doing that. Now, they have the fun task of making holidays special for their children. I know they're doing a great job.

 

Hurricane Sandy came thru the east coast this week. We were spared up here, barely any rain, some wind. But New York City, and the coast of New Jersey and Maryland were destroyed. Plus the western side of the Appalachian mountains were buried under up to 3 feet of snow. It was crazy, billions of dollars in damage, 80 some deaths, and still today, 3 days after the storm, over 4 million people still without power. It will be a long road to recovery. I hope we have a normal winter up here!

The Last Lingering Leaves

On my way to work this morning I snapped what will probably be my last photo of our maple tree:

Mighty Maple October 21, 2012

 

 

As you can see, he is pretty much bare now. Just a few leaves remain on the very bottom branches. They will probably be gone in the next few days, and there will not be any difference in the photos until the first snowfall coats the branches in white. If I remember, I will take a picture that day and post it. It is always a beautiful site when that happens for the first time. It is even pretty when it happens for the fifteenth time, especially if it is a big, wet snow that clings to each and every branch. I cannot believe that next week will see the first days of November creep their way onto the calendar.

 

Before we venture into a new month, I received this wonderful picture of my adorable grandson yesterday:

 



Oh my gosh, he is smiling! Isn't he just the cutest? I miss him, he looks like he is growing up way too fast. Okay, okay, he is just a few days over 6 weeks old, but still... I had such a great time with him and his mommy and daddy for those 10 days. At that point I had been with him for nearly a quarter of his life, and I saw lots of changes in that short time. What fun. It's hard sometimes being so far away, but I know they will do well. I can hardly wait to see him again at Christmas.

It is Nearly Finished

 

I started these postings about our Mighty Maple Tree at the end of August, with the first photo on the 25th. Here it is, nearly 2 months later, and when I drove past the tree this morning there were only leaves on the bottom third of the tree. The top is completely bare. I would have taken a picture, but it was raining, and it just doesn't show well in dreary weather. However, here is what it looked like 2 days ago, on the 17th:

 

Mighty Maple on October 17, 2012

 

It still looked magnificent, and yes, those are the cows enjoying the trees' branches. They often hang out under the tree, but that's also where their water tub is. I know I probably missed peak foliage this year because of my trip to Maryland, but here is what this tree looked like in its prime on October 12 of last year:

What is truly amazing is to compare Mighty Maple this year (see previous blog) to almost the exact same date last year. What a difference! Now the sun and the blue sky really does affect the brilliance of the picture, but still, there is a remarkable variance in the extent of progression. If I can remember to do it, I will be curious to see what this tree looks like in the years to come right around the same time each year. I'll try to capture it within a few days of October 10th, when its nice and sunny.
After I snapped the photo on Wednesday of the maple tree, I stopped and took this one looking towards our neighbor's barn with the trees reflecting in our pond.

 

 

It really was a breathtaking drive to work that day with the blue, blue sky and the sun shining on all the trees along the hills. Soon the trees will be completely bare, and the scenery dull and brown until those white flakes start drifting down to coat the world in its blanket of cold.

The Weeks Go By

I'm late.
I know I'm late posting my Maple Tree photos, so here are some catch-ups:



Mighty Maple October 11, 2012



Mighty Maple October 10, 2012








Mighty Maple October 10, 2012

You probably notice that there is a gap in the dates of the pictures. I started out taking them each Saturday morning on my way to work. It went well. Then the weather changed and I had a cloudy day, when the changing colors of the tree just doesn't seem as vibrant. And then, on September 29th, I flew down to Maryland with my daughter and granddaughters to meet my new grandson. I was gone for 10 days, and for some reason the leaves just kept changing colors and falling from the tree! When I came back, the tree looked like the pictures above. However, this is what it looked like just before I left:







Mighty Maple September 28, 2012





Mighty Maple September 22, 2012

   


Amazing what a week and a half will do at this time of year. There are still many trees that are yellow and orange and beautiful looking. But on my way home tonight I can see that the hills are nearly void of color now, and most look that rusty shade right before the leaves really come down. Soon most of the trees will be completely bare, waiting for that first dusting (or dumping!) of snow. Some areas towards the mountains did have snow flurries last Friday, and there was visible white up on the mountain tops. Even Swanton had snow for about 45 minutes, although I was at work and saw no signs of it in Burlington or when I came home. No worry, the season has not even begun, and I know there will be plenty of opportunity to see the world covered in that pristine blanket.

 

 

Of course I can't end this post without inserting my favorite photos of those wonderful grandchildren of mine. First the girls:

And then the newest little guy:

 

 

It was so much fun having a short visit with the girls up here, then traveling down there to spend the 10 days with my other daughter and her son. I love the special time right after a new little one joins this world. Everything is centered around every possible thing he could need or do, and each day brings another journey. Holding that sleeping boy in my arms for hours at a time is such a warm, wonderful feeling. It was hard to leave. It was hard to say goodbye. It was hard to put all those miles between us, and not feel that tug of guilt at being so far away. But I know they will all be okay. I know those little children are in the very best hands possible. And I know that I will love and miss them each day.

Cooler Days, Chilly Nights

I forgot to take my Mighty Maple photo yesterday. It was drizzly and blah anyway, so it would not have looked as impressive as this one that I took this morning:

Mighty Maple  Sunday 16 September 2012 



Sometimes I think the sky just can't get any bluer. Of course, that rain yesterday was bringing in a cold front. We went from the 80's on Friday, to only the mid 60's for the daytime high on Saturday. This morning it was 43 when we got up, and even with the bright sun, we only got back into the mid 60's again. What a glorious day it has been. I worked all day, and with the door propped open, and the noises from the street filtering in, it made for an early fall feel to the afternoon. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the cooler, brisk feel to the day. And shoppers were out in full force, which made the day go by quickly. I was in alone, which I often enjoy more than working with someone. Don't get me wrong, its not that I don't like the staff, its just that I think we tend to focus more on the customers when the store rests in our solo hands. Or maybe that's just me. But it was a good day, people in good moods, talkative, easy-going. Spent some time chatting with the man, Mr. Bailey, who is running for Justice of the Peace here in Burlington. He was really nice. I only have 2 more days to go of my 6 day stretch, so I am looking forward to my Wednesday off.

It's now Friday, and I realized that I never got back to posting this entry! The week is nearly over, and it will be time tomorrow to snap another photo of Mister Maple. The weather has been everything from cold rain and wind, the coolest clear night of 39, and today was warm and sunny and mid 70's. But we have rain in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow, so the next picture may have to wait. I looked at it this afternoon on the way back from walking the dog to get the mail, and there are so many spots now changing colors. It will still take another couple of weeks before it peaks. I hope we have great colors this year. I better post this now before another week goes by and its still here!

Meet My New Grandson!

Late Thursday night, September 6th, a beautiful baby boy entered this world and brought joy and love to all who were awaiting his arrival! We weren't really waiting a long while, since he wasn't actually due until today, but it was a long wait once we knew his mommy and daddy were on their way to the birthing center. He is just the cutest ever, and I am so very excited to meet him in 3 loooong weeks! I can't believe I have to wait until then, which is when I have those required plane tickets. I feel like I am really needed down there right now to help with cooking and rocking and walking the floor during the night and letting the new mom maybe get more than an hour of sleep at a time. But I know they will somehow make it thru these early weeks. I seem to remember many nights walking the floor of our teeny tiny apartment when my first daughter was born. I think there were many times I was crying about as much as she was, falling asleep out in the chair in the living room, just wishing she would go back to sleep for awhile. Eventually some kind of routine begins to emerge and those early weeks pass into a few months, and things start to seem more normal again. And somehow this wonderful new family emerges and you wonder how you ever lived without this special little person by your side.

This morning we went out to breakfast at our regular My-T-Fine Restaurant, and showed his picture to everyone there, and their first question, seeing it was a boy, was "How did that happen?" Boys aren't a common item in this family! I am from a family of 5 girls, have 3 girls of my own, 2 granddaughters, and a third granddaughter on the way in December. One of my sisters has a son, and he has a daughter. The other sister has 2 girls, and on grandson. So this little guy is something new around here, and it will be so much fun getting to know and spend time with him. I think his first trip up here will be at Christmas, which will be great. But, for now, I can hardly wait to fly down there in 20 days! I hope I'm still needed!

And before I close for today, here are a few Mighty Maple photos:

Mighty Maple on September 8th

 

This one hardly shows any color. It was very overcast yesterday, and you can't really see any leaves changing at all. We ended up with some huge storms in the afternoon, then it cleared up overnight. So I took another picture today:

Mighty Maple on September 9th

 

Still can't see too much. Most of the changes are happening right where that slight split is on the upper left side. But I did get a little close-up of a branch on the far left:

Wait 'till you see how the color spreads! It will be magnificent! Our low tonight is in the mid-40's, our coldest in a long while. The high tomorrow is only in the low 60's, then back to 40 tomorrow night. The colors always seem to change faster when the nights get colder, even if the shorter hours of daylight are what really affects it the most.

 

 

The Day After Labor Day

Mighty Maple on September 1, 2012

 

 

Labor Day weekend has come and gone, which means the non-official end to summer has also passed. We have had glorious weather for the past week, and many visitors to the area commented on that. Beautiful warm, sunny days with cool nights which are great for sleeping. I worked 2 out of the 3 day weekend, but didn't really mind as it was busy and active and most things went well. I was off on Sunday, we ate breakfast at our regular My-T-Fine restaurant, and it was packed. Poor Clair was running her tail off for awhile there. And I was able to take the dogs out for a long, leisurely walk in the late afternoon. It was a nice day.

 

I'm trying to take the picture of the maple tree on Saturday morning as I head out to work. This side faces east, the rising sun, and this is the side that seems to start changing colors first. There are several branches up near the top where it is quite obvious that something is going on. Those aren't leaves on a dead branch. That is the beginning of autumn's color pallet showing her early mark on a season yet to come. Of course, someone also provided that magnificent blue sky as the background! The fencing going along the driveway is for the cows, but they are on the other side now. There are six out there, but Arthur, the bull, is just on loan to see if he does his thing with Beth and Nellie. Guess we'll find out in a few months!

 

Tonight we have a big rain storm going on. No lightening or thunder, just heavy rain, the remnants of Hurricane Issac. Nothing like Irene, which hit here last year at nearly the exact same time. But this year we need the rain. It's hard to say how colorful this fall will be because it has been dry. Last year, with all of the moisture, I didn't think the colors were nearly a vibrant as I have seen them. Hopefully there will be some super pictures to post.



The Early Days of Color

Mighty Maple on August 25, 2012

I hinted to this in my last post, and hope to document this year's transition from summer to autumn in a series of photos, if I can remember to actually take pictures week to week! It is truly amazing how quickly I am seeing some trees begin to change colors. A week ago I spotted several areas of leaves turning yellow or orange, and now that may have spread to whole branches or even half of the tree already. Of course, peak foliage is still 5 weeks away, but by then some of these early turning trees will already be bare. Our mighty maple tree right here in our meadow has just a hint of color high, high up in the topmost branch. It is so huge that it will be a whole series of autumn colors at once because it takes so long for it to all happen. But it is absolutely gorgeous when it is that way.

The days are definitely shorter, and this morning it was only 50 out and we are about 75 right now, but that is still quite warm for this time of year. Two days ago it was nearly 90, and we still have another warm-up coming the end of the week. But the sky today is a radiant blue, the breeze is wonderful, and we shall enjoy these days to the fullest.

Another big change going on-most schools are back in session in the area. It was a crazy past weekend because it also saw the returning students to the 4 college campuses in Burlington. They're Back! The city takes on a completely different feel when it is packed with college students in these early days of the newest year. We see them wandering the streets, anxious and full of energy, and ready to take on the world. In the next few weeks the routines will resume, and it all begins to blend together and not be quite as noticeable. Plus, as the weather turns colder, they won't be a visible outdoors either. I did have a super Monday morning in the store talking to a wonderful woman about her 50th wedding anniversary, her oil lamp they've had for 25 years, and many other things. Turns out, she is Senator Patrick Leahy's wife, and the sweetest lady ever. It was quite enjoyable.

Now, once I get my photos uploaded, I will insert this weeks' photo of our Mighty Maple Tree!

15 States in 14 Days!

We had a wonderful, two week vacation! And, yes, we really did hit 15 states during that time. It started with the journey south to Maryland, and a super baby shower for our daughter who is due in just over 2 weeks now. It was great spending (a much too short amount of) time there seeing both girls and the two granddaughters. Our grandson is due any time now, and then we have another granddaughter due around Christmas. I am so excited to go back down there in 6 weeks to meet the new little guy.

Our next leg of the trip took us through West Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana. Our oldest daughter came along for the drive down to Texas. This summers' severe drought was so evident along the way. Not only did we see extensive fields of corn just withered away, but the hills were filled with trees that looked like it was fall because they were changing colors and loosing their leaves. The next morning we were back on the road thru Missouri, and into Eureka Springs, Arkansas for the night. We ate dinner at my cousin's restaurant, De Vito's. It was great. The final day we met up with old friends from England we hadn't seen in 18 years and had lunch in Little Rock, then pulled into Dallas late in the afternoon as the temperature rallied between 106 and 108 degrees!

We spent the next 5 days being chauffeured around the Dallas and Ft. Worth area by our oldest daughter and her boyfriend, and had the best time. It had been way too long since we had been down there to spend time with her, and we really enjoyed it. They had daily agendas printed up with our activities and meals planned, and we did and saw a lot while there. I think our favorite day was going to Ft. Worth, the planetarium, IMAX movie, dinner and the comedy show. But mostly it was nice just to share some special memories with them.

We headed home on Monday, crossing back thru Arkansas, into Tennessee, and Kentucky for the night. We hit the road early Tuesday to get to Cleveland by late afternoon to see a special Uncle, have dinner and stay with him for the night. We always enjoy our visits with him, he is such a gracious host. And Wednesday sent us across Ohio, a tiny corner of Pennsylvania, New York and finally crossing the lake into Vermont. It felt good to be home, and have the next day off before starting back to work.

And now the last days of August are here. The days are shorter for sure, its hardly light out at 8pm anymore, and I fear I will be soon getting up when its dark. We are still having fantastic weather, sunny and warm, but it cools off quickly now, even if it has been into the 80's during the day. And, believe it or not, the trees are changing colors here, and not because of a drought. Just because its that time of year. Every day on my drive down to Burlington I see more and more branches starting their march into fall with the yellows and oranges appearing all over. It is a great time of the year, and it will take nearly 2 months before all the leaves have fallen. But it always comes so fast...

A Summer's Night

It's a beautiful night. It is just 9 o'clock, and there is still plenty of light to see out in the meadow, but it is fading quickly. The past few days have been fabulous. Lots of sunshine, warm days into the 70's, and cool, cool nights down into the 50's. Tonight the air is filled with the sweet scent of fresh cut hay, and the breeze is already bringing in a chill. It has been the kind of week at the store that we feel like we are bragging about Vermont to all of the out of town visitors from places like Chicago, Dallas, Pennsylvania and even England. Places that, this year, are having horrible heat, or torrential rain. But these people rave about how great the weather has been here, how green it is, and how much they are enjoying the state. It's nice being able to hear it, though, had I worked there last year, I imagine it could have been lots of complaining about how much rain and gloomy weather we were having. This week I have talked with a man who left here 50 years ago, when he was 10, and was back for the first time. And a lady who wrote the book, Oh No, More Snow who was here with her husband. She bought a snowflake Bentley ornament and a dragonfly because her husband is a zoologist and there is a species of dragonflies named after him. It's all fun.

Did I tell you we have cows boarding on our property?

There are 4: Beth, Luke, Cinco, and Patty. They are here grazing on our meadow, but belong to a friend who didn't have enough grass for them to munch on. They pretty much just hang out in the woods, shoo away the flies, and eat all day. They are low lying Angus beef cows, and they're very mellow. We aren't sure how long they'll be here, but at least thru the fall.

Now, it is solid dark out, and pretty quiet too. No owls tonight, no frogs either. Maybe the cool weather has everyone snuggled in for the night. Tomorrow we are going to New Hampshire for the day to visit my sister, brother-in-law, and their daughter and grandson (my niece and great nephew) who are there for the month from Singapore. It should be a nice day.

Aren't they just the cutest?

A Jazzy Day!

I am currently, at this moment of writing, at work on Church Street. I have been here for about 3 hours, but it has been very quiet in the store. Only about 25 customers have walked in, and of them, just 4 have made purchases for a total of about $100. Pitiful! Is it because of the weather? Certainly not-it is beautifully sunny and 77 degrees outside-couldn't be nicer. There are hundreds of people milling about, enjoying------the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival! It has been going on for the past ten days. Now, I'm not one who would have said I enjoy jazz music. I would never listen to it on a regular basis. But I have LOVED this week. It has been wonderful mainly because the very nice restaurant right next door to us has provided live music daily from open to close. The stage is set up outside, right in front of our window, and they have a section of outdoor seating under a tent. It's been great. The performances last about 3 hours each, there's a brief break, then someone new comes on. The entire festival consists of many free performances scattered about the city, and down to the lake, but most of those aren't audible from our location. This has made us feel a true part of it all. Today is the last day of the festival, then life on Church Street will quiet down a bit for the next few weeks, until the town really comes to life with the tourists and state visitors.

So, am I still enjoying my "new job?" You bet I am! It's pretty relaxed and easy going for the most part. I know that will change when we get into the busier season, especially having a true holiday period in December again. The customers have been good, and I can find things to relate with many of them if they are visitors, or grandparents, or regulars. Of course, there are always the ones who want nothing to do with a sales person, and just want to graze their way thru the store, and that's fine, I'm often like that when I shop. Funny-as I'm writing about customers, I just had a woman in who remembered me from the maternity store! We had connected because she and her husband had moved up here recently from Baltimore. She had her new little guy with her. And this morning, before I headed into work, I talked with my granddaughter and daughter while sitting out on the patio. She wants to come up here and pick baby strawberries, and since she can't come, she asked if I would bring some with me when we go down there next month. How cute. So, all is going well, life is good, though I will always miss living close to "the girls and their babies." 

Mother's Day-a few days late!

I had a really nice Mother's Day. Nothing extra-special, no big brunch, towering gifts, or enormous bouquets of flowers. Just a nice day chatting with all three daughters, face-timing with the little granddaughters, an egg sandwich breakfast and our first creemee of the season (mine was german chocolate.) And we were planning on barbecuing steak for dinner, except for the mice who had taken up residence in our grill all winter forced us to reconsider this decision, and we broiled them inside with plans to thoroughly clean the grill before we use it! OK, wait, that sounds like we broiled the mice indoors! No, no, we broiled the steaks inside :-)

But what Mother's Day did make me think about was how hard it can be not being close to the rest of our family on special days. One daughter was pretty much alone all day with her daughters, and it was a little sad thinking that if we did live closer we could have spent some of the day together. She's also just recently told us that she is pregnant again, and due mid-December, so she is still in those early, pretty rotten feeling months. We are super excited about adding TWO grandchildren this year, but we just don't see each other nearly often enough. And it would have been nice to see how the other daughter who is 5 months pregnant is doing also. Funny, when we actually did live down there it always seemed like it was such an effort to be together on holidays because we were trying to coordinate around the other family, and their plans and it would end up being a rushed gathering just to fill the requirement. So, the days are really just whatever we make of them, or what we don't make of them, and in all my history of Mother's Days, there aren't many that stick out in my memory.

There is one other thinking that has come my way recently, and that also involves the lack of time we have to share with our grandchildren. We had our girls early in our lives, and early in our married life. It has always been great for us. In some ways we grew up with them, meaning that we didn't "have it all together" when we started our family, no big paying jobs, no large nest-egg for their expenses or college tuition, but it worked out being young as we attended parents days and games and activities. And we are still young enough to enjoy having grandchildren. But.....we still have years before we can retire, and live that kind of "not planning everything around my days off" schedule, and now, I can see how that could be a big benefit. Imagine sitting at the breakfast table one morning, looking at each other, and saying "hey, we don't have anything much going on this week. Why don't we drive down to Maryland and surprise the kids?" And taking off, just like that? Someday................................

Boy, oh BOY!

I have worked my first week at my new job, and it is going really well. "I think I'm going to like it here!" There are still a few things that I don't feel real confidant about, and I guess I will figure those out tomorrow when I work by myself all day. Things like getting in without setting off the alarm, opening the register-only once, rather than the two times I have become known for, placing the orders for cast and pewter and faxing over the time sheets so everyone gets paid. Little things...But so much less than I know the new manager of the maternity store has to deal with tomorrow. I'm sure I'll manage, and in no time it will feel like I was crazy to ever feel like it was a lot to learn. The little bit longer drive isn't too bad, I just have to plan about an extra 10 minutes, but now that I will be the first one in, I'm not quite as concerned. And I still have things like engraving and orders and all the products to completely grasp, but they'll come. At not point last week did I sit back and question my decision to change jobs, or wish I was back in the mall. Its all good, I know that much. Funny, yesterday I was reading some of the entries I had made in a journal I started nearly 10 years ago (I rarely write in it, only a few times a year) and nearly every one I wrote since March of 2009 commented on how unsure I was with the maternity job, how it was going and the conflicts with the assistant manager at the time, Jess. Most of that ended last year after she left, but I think there was still mention of doubts. So I think this is a much better fit for me. It would be great to keep this job for a very long time so I don't have to go thru all of these changes again, and I can see myself doing that. The only thing that would get me to change again would be for something fantastic right in Swanton or St. Albans again. But, for now, this is perfect.
And one more note, since this blog is supposed to be about being a distant grandparent...We have our first GRANDSON on his way! He should arrive sometime in early September, the due date is the 9th. We are so excited. It is funny to think of a little boy running around here. I'll have to keep a look-out for some trucks and trains to go with the pink balls and dolls we already have. But some things I have kept generic like puzzles and markers and such. It will be wonderful, and we are looking forward to meeting the little guy.

The Winds of Change

April can be a funny month. We can go from very cold, snowy days to sunny, warm spells in a fairly short period of time. We can go from the Easter season right into Mother's Day plans and summer vacation thoughts. We can go from feeling like the year has hardly begun, to realizing the whole first quarter of it is already over. I guess we can do the same thing in March, or May, but April certainly feels like more of a transition month to me, at least here in Vermont. And what else have these "Winds of Change" brought my way? Well, last week at this time I was barely beginning my third year managing my maternity store, struggling with all the changes that February had blown my way. Still loving what I did, my customers, and my interactions with them. Yet, feeling like I was slowly loosing my grip on what was important because of the way the company looked at number standards as the only criteria that meant anything. And where am I now? Into my 2 week's notice with that company and ready to venture into a new position with a new company in a new location. Everyone thinks it is great, and so do I. I will do my best with the time I have left with maternity, but I'm still feeling like I work and work and work and can't get ahead. I guess that's because all I've done for the past 8 weeks is interviewed, hired and trained while trying to run nearly the whole store myself because no one else knows how to do it. I will only feel bad about leaving because the store is in no condition to pass it on to someone else. Most of the staff is new, dreadfully young, not a team yet at all, and they know only the basics. It will be tough, like it was when I went in there, and I think the Plattsburg manager will have to hold it up until it gets running again. But enough of early April. I shall get thru these next 10 days, and then drive my little self a mile and a half further down the road to my new assignment, dig my heels in and enjoy every minute of it. I will be managing a family owned, Vermont pewter store, down on Church street in Burlington where I can look out the windows to the open air and watch as the days go by. I know it will be good, and the winds of change are bringing sunny, warm weather my way.

March Comes to an End

March looks like it will go out like a lamb. I think it came in like a lion for parts of the Northeast, but maybe that was a 3" snowfall for us here in Vermont. Come to think of it, most of the snowfalls this winter have been a mere 3 inches. Sugar season ended two weeks ago. My daughter and her husband came up from Maryland, and my brother-in-law came over from New Hampshire the weekend of St. Patrick's Day. It was warm. It was sunny. It was time to pull the taps from the trees! We couldn't believe the sap had stopped running. We made a meager 47 gallons this year, nothing compared to the over 100 gallons last year. But the warm weather had moths out, peeper frogs peeping, mosquitoes flying, and the buds beginning to appear on the trees. Did I mention warm? How about downright hot, 80 degrees the following week? On Sunday we all gathered for our breakfast at our favorite morning diner-My T Fine, ate, and headed our separate ways:me to work, my daughter and her husband on the road home (and did I mention they are carrying grandchild #3 due in September?) and my brother-in-law back to his house east. The temperatures slowly rose for the next 6 days from the 50's, to the 60's, 70's and into the 80's before cooling down and giving us more normal March weather this week. It was crazy. The snow melted everywhere, the ice vanished on our pond, even the ledge off the highway that normally has a chunk of melting snow/ice is completely clear. The birch trees and the willows are in bud, and ready to burst their leaves open. Spring is on its way!
In case you are wondering, I didn't get a chance to enjoy much of that beautiful weather last week. No sirree, I had the grand task of working every day last week, for a total of 58 and a half hours. I had a new lady all lined up to start working, but she decided it wasn't worth the pay for her drive, and just never came in. So, it was back to the drawing, or hiring, board. So, to add to last week's 7 days in a row, I also have completed another 6 days, with one more to go this week before I finally get Sunday (and Tuesday and Thursday) off. I did hire two new employees, and one started training on Wednesday, but wasn't ready to do it alone yet, and no one else was able to do any of the days or pick up time on Saturday. I will open tomorrow, and hope to head out no later than 3. It was bad around day 10/11, but then I started counting just a few more to go and it hasn't been too awful the last few. Plus I've been training, which makes the days go faster. And its been fairly slow in the store, especially today because President Obama came to Burlington. He is the first sitting president to visit the state in over 10 years, and the road closures and traffic nightmares kept people away from the area around the mall. But I will be soooo glad to be off 3 days next week. Except guess what needs to be done? Yup-grocery shopping, vacuuming, cleaning bathrooms, laundry-all the fun stuff we just love doing on our days off! But I think I'm having lunch with a friend Thursday, so that will be great. Now, we just have to hope we have a nice April, and we don't get dumped on by heavy snowstorms!

My 55th Birthday! February 24

I'm 4 days out from my birthday, so before I forget exactly what made this year's so special, let me reflect just a bit. It really was a wonderful day. I started out with a song from my granddaughter in Maryland singing Happy Birthday on Facetime with our phones. It was so cute. We chatted a bit, then began our days. I love seeing them act and have fun over the phone, even if they do get rather crazy and funny. A short time later I talked to my other daughter from Maryland also, and caught up on her recent jury duty, and what else is going on with her. She and her husband are planning on coming up here the middle of March for sugar season. It is always fun to have visitors during this time. And..............their big news? They are expecting their first baby on September 9th (and our 3rd grandchild!) We are so excited. I can hardly wait to see her. I have sent some clothes down her way already, but we will do some shopping while they are up here since I have direct access to maternity clothes! Shortly after I finished that phone conversation, my sister called me from Arizona. She was on her way to work, so we chatted until she got to her office, maybe about 20 minutes. It was nice to catch up with her.
We were planning on going out to eat for dinner, but ended up going about 2 o'clock for a late lunch instead. They were predicting some heavy snow starting in the late afternoon, and we decided to beat it by eating early. We had a delicious lunch at Chow Bella in St. Albans, soup, sandwich and dessert. I was so full! But that was good, because despite the snow coming down by the time we got home, the temperature was warm, and the sap was running. So we bundled up, and met the neighbor down the road, and 4 of us managed to empty the buckets and get back to the sugar house about 6. We had a glass of wine and they decided to wait to boil it down until Saturday. I had missed a call along the way from my sister in New Hampshire, but caught the call from my daughter down in Dallas shortly after we got back from the sugar house. She and her boyfriend had sent me beautiful flowers, from others I got perfectly needed shoes, a fun yogurt maker, wonderful smelling soap, yummy chocolate, and lots of cards and well-wishes. It really was a great birthday.
The next night we went over to our neighbors' for a get-together dinner to share with one who's mother had just passed away. Its always a special time with all of them, and we had a fantastic meal, and then a tiny little cake in honor of my birthday, plus a Burton knitted purple hat as a gift from one of them. It was cute. I feel very grateful to have all of these people in my life. And another year ahead of me to celebrate. Thank you everyone.

We tapped our maple trees today, and although the sky was just as blue today as it was in this photo from last year, the biggest difference was that there really isn't any snow on the ground! Out in the woods there is some ground cover, but nothing like the thigh-deep stuff we climbed thru in 2011. But the buckets are hanging, and some of the taps were even running as soon as they were pounded in, and we'll probably collect maybe tomorrow and Tuesday because the weather looks warm and sunny. Some of the nearby neighbors gathered yesterday and got thousands of gallons of sap! It should be an interesting season.

This is our old, mighty maple that sits on a hill across from the meadow. The first year we moved in he had 5 buckets hanging on his massive trunk. They didn't tap it at all this year. It is sad not to see it with even one bucket on it, but he needs his rest now, and the sap he produces he should keep to feed his weary branches. He will stand proudly and watch as the trees around him give forth their sap, as the children run and gather nearby, but from here out he will just be supervising all of the younger maples.