Foodie PenPals - September

A little over a month ago, I signed up for something Foodie PenPals. Lindsay over at The Lean Green Bean and Allie over at Healthy Balance, Healthy Life came up with the idea for people who blog and people who read blogs to be part of a penpal style exchange of foodie items! It has introduced me to many new blogs that I love.
The deal is this:
- Sign up by a certain date. (October 4th if you want in on the next round! Email Lindsay your name, email, blog, and twitter.)
- Get your penpal on the first of the month (October 5th this month)
- Email your penpal to swap info
- Send a package of foodie items by the 15th of the month to your penpal. There is a $15 limit, and it must include something written.
- Post a blog of what you got the last day of the month.
I sent a package over to Sarah at On Tap for Today!
Check out my goodies!

Maple Granola, Pomegranite Hard Candies, Ginger Sesame Seasoning, Three Samples of Peanut Butter, Three Larabars, a moleskin notebook, Burts Bees Chapstick, a postcard of Boston, and my favorite, a Buddha Card saying YES on the inside. I cant wait to dig in.

Free Pumpkin Cookbook!

Does it get much better? A free pumpkin cookbook? I don't think so!!!

source - amazon.com
Gooseberry Patch - Pumpkin Cookbook - Kindle

I was a winner!

*** Edited 9/23 *** I have tried out the nail polish and it is one of the best I have ever used! It goes on smoothly, dries fast, and looks fantastic!

Back in August, Lindsay over at Cook Vegan Lover had a giveaway of nail polish. I am not an overly girly girl, I am not big into makeup (I tend to only wear it for special occasions), but I do love nail polish. I love to deck out my fingers and toes! The nail polish she was giving away? Beauty without Cruelty. I was psyched to enter the giveaway as I am always looking for new nail polish, and this seemed to be a great way to start getting away from companies that might or might not use animal products in their polish, as well as to get away from companies that test their products on animals.
As you all know, I am a meat eater, I always will be. I am ok with using products that have animal biproducts in them, but I like to know that animals have been treated humanly. Animals that have been tested on are not being treated humanly.
My nail polish arrived this weekend, and I cannot wait to try it out soon! The color is mermaid and I am in love.

Fabric Scrap Bowl

This is on my list of things to try to make!


The directions are over at PrudentBaby.com and are incredibly easy to follow. Once I have made it, I will post my finished bowl! I hope to get working on that book to house multimedia accessories as well.

Bikram Yoga, it's HOT HOT HOT

*** Check out my guest post over at Allie's blog, Healthy Balance - Healthy Life, about all sorts of great things to do this fall, along with where you can find them in Vermont!***

September is yoga month and a yoga studio near my office is offering a special of $20 for 20 days. It is a fantastic deal, and it is for Bikram Yoga, which is a style of yoga I have never tried. Bikram Yoga Upper Valley is a studio that I have looked at several times online, then passed on because it feels so expensive for something I might not like. I knew that it was hot yoga, and that it followed a special flow that is followed every practice.
Tuesday was my first class, the room felt hot and it was packed. There was enough room for a few more people, but not very many. I was blown away by the shapes and sizes, the ages, and the male/female ratio. It was awesome. The instructor didn't do the class, he stood at the front telling us what to do. At first this seemed very strange to me, since I had no idea what I was doing, but I soon realized he was able to keep us going, and that I could look at any number of different people around me for the moves and direction.
We weren't more than 2 poses in before my body was glistening in sweat. It was only another 2 poses and I went from glistening to dripping. I stayed that way for the remainder of practice. There were some poses I was surprised I could do so well, there were others I was surprised that I struggled with. I felt completely alive and depleted at the end. It was a strange contradiction.
Thursday, last night, was my second class. Yes, I went back for more! I want to get in as many as my schedule allows in my 20 days. There were moves that were easier, moves that weren't a struggle last time that were today. The instructor was different, I liked her flow better. I was just as wet, just as alive and depleted.
All in all, I think I will stick with Bikram as an occasional practice, it is just too expensive right now. I also don't know as I will be able to stay focused with all the same poses over and over. Something to think about for sure. I am so glad I went, and will continue to go for the next 20 days and see where it takes me.

That B*TCH Irene!

Its hard to believe the beautiful weather we had on Saturday, August 27, would lead us into the rain and flooding that was August 28th. We all knew Irene was coming, we all knew there would be rain and wind. What we didn't know was the sheer devestation she would leave in her wake.
It was a matter of hours, for some minutes, to watch their homes, their businesses, their life, wash away. There wasn't anyone in my life who wasn't affected. My brother and his new wife of one day were unable to get home for several days. Half of my family on my dads side were isolated in Pittsfield. Coworkers either couldn't get home or couldn't leave their home. Friends lost the majority of their business. Jeremy lost his job. There were lots of tears, some laughter, and an indomidable spirit that just cannot be contained. Vermonters are the strongest, hardiest, most incredible people out there.
These are a select few photos.

River Street in Bethel midflood

Post Flood



Midflood view from the Bridge by my apartment



Bridge in Bethel on Route 12 headed towards Randolph



Woodfield - midflood

Timmy helping an elderly gentleman to safety. This is the road above the woodfield.

Woodfield - postflood



Woodfield - postflood



Before and after of Route 4 - Quite the perspective

 

Before and after of Simon Pearce - Jeremy worked here till Irene struck



Suicide Prevention - PaddlePower 2011

Bright and early on August 20, I was up and out the door for PaddlePower, a two day kayak adventure down the Connecticut River to raise money and awareness for Suicide Prevention and West Central Behavioral Health's emergency services. 

There was hustle and bustle as everyone got registered and psyched up for going down the river.

Registration

 There were over 140 paddlers, with approximately 125 boats going down the river. It was a site to be seen!

Paddling Down The River

It was a long day on the river, but a great day on the river.  Everyone arrived at the landing safely, and the shuffling of cars began. Dinner was delicious, the music was fantastic. It was a great night filled with laughing, conversations. The connections that happen at dinner is part of what makes PaddlePower so wonderful.

The next morning started early, and before we knew it we were back on the water heading to the closing ceremony.

James playing the bagpipes

When the bagpipes play at the closing ceremony, I always cry. It moves me to tears. It is a great remembrance for all who have been lost and all who have been saved.

"PADDLEPOWER is a river adventure. Paddlers in canoes and kayaks journey along 25 miles of the beautiful Connecticut River. We supply plenty of rest stops, meals, drinking water, snacks and much fun. You supply your boat, paddles, personal floatation device, tent if you camp, and dedication to this important cause. Our safety staff and volunteers are ready to assist anyone who needs a hand; if you get fatigued, if you develop aches and pains or blisters, if you need water or a snack, we’re ready to help at a moment's notice. See the registration tab for more details.


Though not often discussed, suicide consistently ranks as 8th among the top ten leading causes of death in our country. For young people below age 35, it is the third leading cause of death. In the US, one person dies by suicide every 16 minutes; about 32,000 people die this way each year. According to national statistics, 1500 people attempt suicide every day, including one out of every 13 high school students.

Suicide is the 9th leading cause of death in New Hampshire and Vermont. In the two states, over 200 people die by suicide each year (about 80% of these are men) and 1000 people will attempt suicide in a year."
http://www.paddlepower.org/