Blight

I know I touched on the blight in my last post, but it has really been eating at me.

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This year Jeremy, Mom, and I took on gardening. This is not a new task, but we took on some new ideas and steps. We wanted tomatoes, lots of them! Tomatoes were going to be diced, crushed, made into plain sauce, spaghetti sauce, canned and frozen.

There were romas, heirlooms, cherries, and now, we have none. Just the other day we checking out the plants looking for green fruits. It was so exciting to find them, small ones at first, then big ones, clusters of them, cherries and heirloom uglies, we couldn't wait for them to start turning yellow and red and orange.

Blight hit. It hit hard. It took out ALL of our tomatoes. We had them planted in several different locations, up at the house, down the hill, and by the pond, not even "close" to each other, and yet they were all destroyed.

It was very sad. We had to pull them all. Because blight is a spore, we can't burn them, it will spread the blight to others. We can't just compost/bury them, because that won't necessarily kill off the spores, and it could get reintroduced next summer. We have been working so hard to help lower our dependency on corporate farming, as well as finding ways to help keep things out of the landfill. With no tomatoes to put up, and the only way to get rid of the blight and the plants is to bag them up and take them to the landfill.

Camping & Tomato Blight

Friday after work, Jeremy and I took off for a weekend of camping at Stillwater State Park at Lake Groton. The trip was fantastic! Lots of paddling, fishing, relaxing, good food, and even greater company!
We took Sammy (Dad's dog) for the weekend, as Dad and Deb were going away as well and couldn't bring him with them. Sam had such a good time, he was acting just like a puppy.
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Yesterday I went up to help Mom with the gardens for a bit and we had to finish pulling ALL of the tomato plants. The late blight hit them, and while we were able to salvage some of the green tomatoes for Mom to make green tomato relish. It was incredibly sad. We started the plants from seeds and were really enjoying the process of watching the seeds grow into seedlings, into plants, putting them in the ground, and watching the fruits begin to grow. Probably the hardest thing I have ever had to do gardening.

Finally Friday

Strangely this week has passed at a snails pace, but FINALLY its Friday. The theme is following through quite nicely as it is taking forever for today to pass as well.
Extremely excited about camping this weekend with Jeremy, Mom and Lynda, and Joe and Mel. Gilligan, Sophie, and Sammy will be with us as well. Looking forward to lots of kayaking, fishing, swimming, hiking, and game playing.
Got stuff for s'mores, can't wait to sit around a fire and relax.

Mountain Biking

I have really missed mountain biking! Biking to Bethel on the main road is just not the same. It is a great workout, I enjoy it a lot, but biking in the woods is a blast.
We went up to explore Milstone Hill in Barre. Knowing I am slow and inexperienced with biking in the woods, Jeremy's brother Vince made sure to go up ahead of us and log a good 6-7 miles before we got there. I had to do a fair share of walking, but was able to do some of the hills, up and down, but corners and rocky passes got me. I would say I was able to bike half of it.
Next Monday we are planning to go again!

Enduro!

Lately, Jeremy and I have been finding ways to use the abundance of swiss chard we are getting from the garden. Our favorite way thus far seems to be to wilt it down with a bit of EVOO and fresh garlic and topping a pizza or stuffing a calzone with it. It has such great flavor!

Today was day 2 with Jeremy not smoking. He is on the patch, and going strong.

Tonight was the M&M Enduro at Thunder Road. My favorite race of the year! Can't wait till we have the money and time so I can race it too. Approximately 130 races went 250 laps vying for a $5000 purse! Very exciting. A few flips, a few fires, lots of excitement.

I don't work tomorrow or Tuesday, great for me, sucky for the pocket book. I can't wait to be able to sleep in and have nothing on the schedule for a change.

Advance Directives

Here's the deal. I am not old, not even close. Yet I have a legal document in my possession that many people who are 3 times as old as me do not have.
An Advance Directive is a legal document that lists and a health care agent as well as your wishes should you become unable to do so. I have pretty specific wishes that I really want carried out, and don't want it to be left to chance.
They then get filed with the Vermont Advance Directive Registry so that no matter where I am my wishes can be followed.
I urge you to do the same within your state.

Links for Vermonters
Vermont Advance Directive Registry - http://healthvermont.gov/vadr/
Vermont Ethics Network - http://www.vtethicsnetwork.org/

Camels Hump

Saturday, Mom, Jeremy, and I embarked on an adventure. We took on Camels Hump in all its glory.
With all the rain we have, it has been wetter than ever. The streams had water in them, there was a beautiful little water fall. It made it extremely buggy as well.













This was a little more than a third of the way up the mountain. We were still feeling great at this point. There was another couple who we were going back and forth with in the "lead."




The closer we got to the top, the harder it became. Breathing was harder, muscles were getting tight, we could really feel the burn. It was totally worth it when we rounded the corner and were at the summit.


It as a bit hazy, but the view was magnificent. I have been to the top one other time and was clearer but cold and windy. This day was breezy, very light thought, and warm! We put long sleeves on due to the breeze on our sweaty skin.

We had a great snack, spent some time wandering around looking from each angle, and marveling at the beauty. We had to be careful to stay on the rocks, because the alpine vegetation is very delicate.









The hike down was just as challenging! I managed to somehow tweak my knee just as we started the hike back down, which slowed me down. It hurt, the pain did not make the hike down as much fun as it could have been. We all slowed a lot the farther down the hill we got, all but limping to the car at the end.










The hike was fantastic. Jeremy had been up multiple times, I had been up one other time. Mom had never been up Camels Hump which made it all the better. Can't wait to do it again, only from the other side this time.

Typical Thursday

Yesterday was a wondeful typical Thursday. After work, I changed and hoped on my bike and took off for Bethel. The sky was blue, the sun was warm, a gentle breeze, I made the best time ever! Normally I would say it takes me approximately 55 minutes to ride the 7.5 miles from the hospital to the woodlot. Yesterday I made it in about 40 minutes. I was flying. It was wonderful.
At the woodlot, Jed was mowing and Abby was getting the volleyball from the camper. I was the first one, that never happens! It took a little while for people to show, but when they finally did, we had some great games of volleyball.
I tried to take a picture with my phone, only to realize the card was full! It took me a minute to get in and get some space freed up and by then it was too late to get a good picture, as the sun had just dipped down behind the trees. Next week!

and the Tree falls down...

Yesterday with all the wind and rain, a tree fell down in the back of the house. Not on any cars or buildings, but enough to be heard in the apartment.
The storm didn't start until just before 5pm, of course. I had been looking out the window all day dreaming of a walk or bike ride, some swimming, and while the person I was going to go with had to cancel last minute (which worked out really well considering), it was such a let down!
We did end up going swimming later in the evening, it was still sprinkling, the river hadn't risen a whole lot yet, boy did it feel good. Especially after spending so long in the kitchen with the oven and the stove going. Of course in the heat and humidity we would decide to make pizza for dinner. My pizza was excellent! A smear of red sauce, some ricotta, sauteed zuccini and tomatoes and swiss chard, with mozzerella cheese. YUM YUM YUM

I had leftovers for lunch today! Work is a bit slow, although never boring.

OMG I need PICTURES

Last night Jeremy and I went up to Mom's to visit. There were no less than 5 times I wish I had brought the camera with me. This means that I have no photos to show you the new miniature ponies they got, Miss Dixie Chick and Humperdink. No photos to show you how big Mr Top Hat, the baby chicken, is getting and how big his top hat is getting. No photos to show you all the CHERRIES we picked (more than enough for a pie). No photos of us swimming in the pond, thanks to all the rain, it was full enough and fresh enough. A couple more days and it will be a bit too slimy and stagnant for any swimming. And lastly, no photos to show the onions, garlic, and shallots we harvested from the garden, along with the beats!

Needless to say I was a bit disappointed in myself, but thrilled at the same time for all that we got to do last night.

Pictures will be coming of the new ponies next time I am at Mom's. Miss Dixie Chick also drives, so I cannot wait to spend some time learning to drive.

Dinner and Fishing

I have totally been slacking on my posting! With a goal of once a day, I am barely making once a week!

Last night Jeremy and I got subs from McCulloughs Quick Stop, our favorite place for subs, and went fishing.

Jeremy got his usual turkey bacon, and I decided on a BLT. What really makes their subs so good is the rolls that they use.
Forgot to take pictures of the subs, but man were they good.

We also tried this new juice drink.

Incredibly tasty. Not overly sweet, no carbonation, and very thirst quenching for a juice beverage.

Fishing was great, although neither of us caught anything. I had a couple of bites, and they ate my worms, but no catches. Towards the end of the evening we were watching them jump left and right, but still no catches. Oh well, another day perhaps.

View of were we where fishing. I love my phones panaramic option.

Cape Cod Weekend

The last summer Mammam was with us was the last time I ventured to the Cape in peak season, 3 years ago. I forgot how wonderful and awful Cape Cod is in the summer time. I love the heat, walking out on the flats and swimming in the channel, Sheeps Pond, and the quiet of the early mornings. I forgot how awful the traffic is and how rude some of the vacationers can be, although those are the only downfalls.

My cousin was getting married, and my Mom got all of us kids rooms at The Old Manse Inn. It was a 4 day weekend that was an incredible amount of fun.

Thursday I had to get up and work a 3 hour shift, then Jeremy and I hit the road! He picked me up and we stopped for a visit with Mel before venturing onto the highway. We set cruise control and leisurely made our way to Michelles (until she called and told us to step on it and step on it we did). We stayed perhaps a half an hour too long as we hit traffic going through Boston. It wasn't stop and go, it was all go, but at 5mph.

We "left" Vermont at 10am, and arrived at The Manse at 7pm! Longest trip to the Cape ever I do believe, but lots of fun was had in between.

We arrived at The Old Manse Inn and were greeted by Richard and Karen and made to feel right at home. I have driven by The Manse countless times over the years, and would often give it as a landmark if I was giving someone directions, however I had never been inside the Inn. We were given a quick tour and shown to our room. Our room was BEAUTIFUL! I loved it, especially the toile wallpaper.

Not long before midnight, all of us had arrived. There were 7 couples staying at the Inn for the first few nights (all of us for the wedding) and over the next few nights, there were other random guests and for one last night we had another couple over for the wedding.

It was wonderful to see Uncle Jack and Aunt Abby, Cousin Jane and Chris, Uncle Scott and Mary, Auntie Lynne and Uncle Craig, and of course Mom and Lynda, and Joe and Mel.

Friday was a beach day. We couldn't have picked a better day. The sun was shinning, the tide was out, PERFECTION. We walked the mile or so out to the chanel, stopping to check out the crabs burrying in the sand and a lobster in the bay. Swimming in the chanel was great, the current kept pulling us farther and farther from our starting point, but we were able to get back to the start with no troubles. On the walk back in, we used the tide to float and carry us a fair amount of the way back.

Friday ended with a family dinner back at The Manse. Dana and Gayle made lasagna and man was it GOOD. There was a vegetarian and a meat, and the veggie was the best!

Saturday was a hot muggy day with a walk, cleaning the cottage, and a swim before getting ready for the wedding.

Mel helped me with my hair, and my makeup, no way could I have gotten it up looking that good. Both of us look fabulous, obviously!

The highlight was Melissa driving in on a tractor before walking down the aisle to Jason. The wedding was short and really sweet. The reception was awesome. Raw bar, open bar, lots of dancing, incredible food, and not a single Condit Family Feud!

Launi we missed you!

Sunday was pack up and head out day. I didn't want to leave! We stopped and helped Dana and Gayle pick up the tables before hitting the road back to VT.

Sunshine and Weekends

It was a beautiful weekend, with actual blue sky and sunshine. The weekend started early on Thursday with blue sky and sunshine and a nice breeze. I biked to volleyball, 7 miles with ups, downs, and flats. Volleyball went until 8:30 and I played every game. It was awesome!
Friday afterwork I spent some time with Mom, picking peas, and visiting. Sitting on the porch and relaxing was wonderful.
Saturday, Jeremy and I headed up to Camp Rob Mac for the rest of the weekend. We hiked to the pinnacle and were eaten alive by bugs on Saturday. We made dinner for us and Jeremy's neice Sara and her husband Brent, and Jeremy's parents. Joseph and Mel stopped to visit, as did Dad and Sammy. Sunday, Mom came up with Gilligan and Sophie and we hiked to the pinnacle again, this time remembering the bug spray. We didn't follow the trail home, instead bushwacking through the woods. It was something none of us had done in a while and it was so much fun.
The weekend ended with a fun cookout up at Moms.

Camp Rob Mac here we come!

This weekend Jeremy and I are going up to camp. We hope to go hiking, fishing, relax by a fire, and just enjoy being away!

It is only 20 minutes from home, but without electricity or running water, it is a great getaway.

Hopefully we won't get rained out!

Lethargic and HATING It

With my history of depression, I take a lot of care daily to get what I need to remain healthy.

I make sure to get enough sleep, but not too much. Once in a while getting too little or too much doesn't hurt me, but when it becomes a pattern, I get in trouble. The prime amount seems to be anywhere from 7 hours to 8 hours.

Eating right is another big one for me. While my mood is impacted more by the choices I eat than the amount I eat, both do affect me. The more fruits, vegetables, and meat I eat, the better I feel. The more dairy and grains I ingest, the worse I feel. I am strongly challenged with dairy and grains because I love them so much. Push come to shove, I will select a steak and greens over a bowl of spaghetti, but its a very close margin.

Exercise is another big part of keeping myself healthy. It can be a simple walk around the block, or a full blown workout. Being active is integral to keeping healthy. I am working on getting yoga into my daily routine, and have really enjoyed walking and biking when the weather allows. I'm trying to find a way to add videos to my daily workout, but I just seem to lack the motivation to pop it in and give it it a go.

The other big key factor in keeping myself healthy is getting enough sunshine. With all the rain we have, I am sorely lacking in the vitamin D department. If we could just get a few days each week of sunshine, I would be way happier and healthier. I know there are alternatives such as taning, but if I can at all avoid that, I prefer too.

I am keeping my fingers crossed today that the blue sky stays out and I can bike to volleyball. I am ok with clouds, as long as their is some blue sky and a bit of sun peaking out once in a while. The plan is to head up to Moms after work to pick some veggies and visit for a few minutes, before biking off to Bethel. The route is a bit different biking from Moms as it is from my place, although I feel like it is an equal workout either way.

Yay for Yoga

I spent a wonderful few hours with Cori yesterday afternoon in a mini yoga class. She has been practicing yoga for years and has taught it many times in her past.
Having never really practiced yoga, I only knew the little bits that I have gotten from workshops and books. To be able to work with someone and have them explain how to properly work the body was amazing. My body really felt it, in a good way.
I am working my way to integrating Yoga into my weekly life, then perhaps daily. It feels so great to be barefoot and connecting with the earth. The grounded feeling is very powerful!

Whirwind weekend

This past weekend was a total whirlwind! After work on Friday, Jeremy and I headed down to visit my cousin Michelle in Mass. I did a toy party for 20-25 people, and had a blast! We were all up until about 3am, and slept until an ungodly time of 11:30. Can you believe I now consider that time ungodly!?!? I felt awful, it was not a good way to start the day. We made a killer breakfast and had a very relaxing afternoon waiting for Michelle to get done work.
Jeremy and I took a walk around a neighborhood across the street and found it sweet but very boring! There were a few houses that we really enjoyed, some with great landscaping, but for the most part everything was exactly the same, there was little to no creativity.
We went to bed at a much more humane time Saturday night, and while Michelle and Jared didn't get up the next morning until close to 11 (Michelle works a lot of over nights, so for her, its pretty normal) Jeremy and I got up about 8:30 and enjoyed the sun that was shining. I did a few sun salutations in the grass, Jeremy enjoyed a cigarette (YUCK).
When we got home on Sunday, we ended up going to Thunder Road for the races and fireworks. It was really nice to be able to see the fireworks after we missed them Friday night, and the races are always fun. However, we didn't get home till almost 11 that night. Good thing I didn't have to work until 10am on Monday!

Why I am taking part in Operation Beautiful

I elected to participate in Operation Beautiful because fat talk is a huge problem in our society. It doesn't just affect teens, but little girls and adults. Six and seven year olds shouldn't be walking around shirts designed to show off their navel, while girls of the same age group who are stronger shouldn't feel ashamed to go to run around on the playground.
If you go by the BMI, I am considered obese. I don't act it, I don't let it affect how I choose to live my life. I am currently working to lose weight to become healthier, I don't want to suffer from diabetes or heart problems if i can help it. I have healthy goals and healthy expectations. I don't look in the mirror and say "I look fat today," I look in the mirror and say "I look good today." I want other people to be happy with who they are, and to really take a healthy view to changing things that they are unhappy with.
We are all beautiful and don't need to be a size 2 to realize it, or even a size 12.
Operation Beautiful

Yoga!!!

With all the talk of wanting to be healthier, I am beginning to work yoga into my daily life. My goals are pretty modest, to find the time to fit yoga in 2 to 3 times a week, with an ultimate goal of finding at least 5 minutes every day to spend on myself with yoga.
Cori has lent me a DVD that she absolutely loves, and I am digging out my books on yoga and pilates. It feels so good to even spend 3 minutes on 2-3 different poses. It is all about me time!

Fathers Day

Fathers Day this year was a fun filled and exciting day. I am so sorry that is has taken so darn long to get it posted!

The day started out rather nice, Jeremy and I were able to sleep in, although both of us got up around 8ish. We spent some time cleaning and getting the apartment ready for company later in the day.

For Fathers Day, Peter, Jeremy's Dad, wanted to go fishing. They called us when they got home from church and we all met up to go spend the day at Silver Lake.
We had a great time, I continued my rein as fishing queen catching 4 fish that day!

Jeremy is pushing to become the fishing prince. It will take a while to earn the rank of king. Sadly, Peter didn't catch anything.

Alice and Peter brought steaks to grill for lunch and a salad, and we brought drinks and chips. The food was wonderful! Cooking on the grill in the rain wasn't so hot though. The coal got too cool, then too hot, luckily Alice likes her steaks well done and doesn't mind more than a bit of char.

We did end up having to move from the lake side were we had a sweet spot for fishing and a table to the pavillion to get away from the rain. It rained off and on all day, we got wet, but still had a lot of fun.

When we left Silver Lake we still had about a half an hour before we had to back to the apartment to get things ready for my dad, so we decided to swing into Peavine Park to do a little bit of fishing by the river. Alice and Peter both loved the spot, and Jeremy has already been back twice to fish there.

We were a little bit late getting back to the apartment so I had to jump in the shower while Dad and Deb where there but that was ok. I had already put the meatloaf in the oven. Potatoes were on the stove to boil, and salad was already made, and the asparagus was just waiting to be cooked.

Joseph and Mel were able to come for dinner and with some cards, a little Ice Road Truckers, Dad was smiling from ear to ear all night. He especially liked that the meatloaf had "crunchies" in it and that both of his kids were there to celebrate him. Sadly I didn't think to take the camera out to get any pictures.

The night ended with a Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich and it was time to veg out on the couch and start the new week.

*** Hannah's Meatloaf ***
(This recipe serves 8)

Preheat the oven to 350*

2 lbs ground burger
1 medium onion diced
1 pepper diced (any color)
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 egg
1/4 can of condensed tomato soup
1/4 to 1/4 cup oatmeal (more or less, you want it to stick together but not be too dry)
1 TBS butter
1 TBS olive oil
salt and pepper

Saute the onions, peppers, and garlic until soft. Mix the burger, egg, soup, oatmeal, salt and pepper together, mix in the sauted veggies. Spoon into loaf pan or form into log on cookie sheet.

Bake until internal temperature reaches 140* - 160*