Summer

Summer of 2016 is going well.

There have been a lot of meals outside. There was Lobster Fest 2016 in Maine with the family. We've been enjoying campfires and just hanging out. I joined a new gym and I've been really soaking up the pool, new yoga classes, barre classes, and Zumba.

Summer really used to be my least favorite season. Then in 2002 we got Central Air. :) Since then I don't hate summer but rather I embrace it.

I don't hike as much but there have been some memorable trips to the woods. This coming weekend we'll be in Maine and I hope to hike each morning. We're taking Friday off so that should be nice and relaxing. I'm looking forward to peace and quiet for a few days. Tyler's Birthday is Friday and on Thursday night we're doing dinner with friends (gotta love a BYOB restaurant).

What are your plans for the rest of the summer? Now I know that Halloween candy is out in stores but it's just too far off to think about. Corn just came into season in MA and we went blueberry picking earlier this month (6 pounds of berries!!).

Did you used to dislike summer too or were you always a summer person?

Long but not forgotten!

Wow, it's been a long time since I updated this space. As it turns out I'm heading back to Asheville, NC this weekend for a girl's weekend with a friend. :)

I made it back to Kripalu in February (also with a friend) and that was amazing as usual. I now try to go there once per year. It has become such a part of me, my yoga practice, and my winter.

Our winter here in New England was mild so I only skied two weekends (in NH and also my B'day weekend in Dixmont, ME). I did not ice skate at all and hardly snowshoed. I snowmobiled one weekend only.

This May we made it down to Orlando FL to see a Space X launch! We went to Universal Studios (Harry Potter wooo!!) and EPCOT (drink around the World, yo). We spent several days in Cocoa Beach and also visited a friend in Vero Beach that drove up to meet us. That was heaven...the beach was amazing and we rented an umbrella and two comfortable chairs right from our hotel in Cocoa Beach. I would totally do that again. There was a path to the beach right from our hotel.

We've been still going to Maine every other weekend and we're now co-residents with Maine and MA. Work travel has been minimal this year which is fine (I hope to do more next year). We're planning on going to Banff Canada in 2017 (September).

We are still renting out our lake house in Maine (if you are ever interested drop me a line!). We'll be there with the family in July 4.

I'm still LOVING Stitch Fix. :) Getting a ton of compliments on my SF clothes and shoes. It's so easy and I really love my stylist so much.

Off to see Dolly Parton with a friend tomorrow! Whoo hoo!

Trip Planning: Spring Travel & Fall Travel

This spring I'm going on a trip with friends to North Carolina. It will be my 3rd time there (beyond the airport). I've spent a lot of time in Lexington NC and also Chapel Hill for work. I no longer travel really all that much for work so it's a treat to plan trips for fun.

I scored tickets on JetBlue for only $11 (used some JetBlue points!). I only keep frequent flyer points on Virgin America and JetBlue as it's hard for me to fly any other airline in the US. Outside of the US I'm pretty unbiased. I love non-USA airlines. I also got a free ticket to use for the fall trip--road trip for 10 days with my hubby in CO and UT. That will be my 3rd trip to CO and my first to UT (beyond the airport of course).

So it's fun at this point to dream about hiking in a tee shirt. It's fun to think about hiking in boots that are not snow boots. There's still several feet of snow at our home in Maine and the ice is still 18-24" thick in town at our friend's lakes. There was an ice fishing derby this past weekend.

I'm curious what trips you folks are planning for 2015? Are you like me and not really doing much work travel? I used to do work travel 3 months in the spring and 3 months in the fall so it was a lot. I was a bit of a road warrior and I do MISS it with all my heart and soul. I'm a bit of a nomad at heart. A nomad with roots. A nomad divided between MA and Maine (happily).

Here's what I'm thinking about today (below photo). Asheville, North Carolina. The mountains. Fresh air that is not recycled through a tired HVAC system. Cool breezes. Wearing my cowboy boots for a night out on the town. And maybe some magic on the trails. Spotting animal tracks or sharing a lovely lunch packed for a hike with friends.

1994

1994

Last night as I was falling asleep I could not help but think about the year 1994. That's the year I started off with a really hard winter. I also started a new job that spring at Stop & Shop in Northampton, MA (shout out to my former co-workers). I was a bagger and worked my way up to cashier. I was a High School junior without a driver's license and 1/2 hour from "town" but I was determined to work. 

That's just me. I always found a way and I shared rides with friends to get to my job. I figured I'd save up for car insurance and my very first car. My very first car was purchased in 1995 and it was a Subaru GL hatchback. THE BEAST. The Beast got me through the rest of high school and all of college.

Back to 1994. In 1994 I met some pretty great friends and said goodbye to others who went off to college, joined the Air Force (you know, usual kid-to-adult transition stuff). In Spring of 1994 something magical happened. I made friends that I still have to this very day: March 12, 2015. The winter of 2015 was also unusually hard. 2" more and we'll break the all-time record for snow in Boston. This is the time of year I begin to HOPE for that 2". Come on--break that darn record!

In Fall of 1994 (after a whole summer of being friends) I began to date my now husband. 6 years later on the very same date but different year we got married on October 14, 2000. The other night I watched a friend's band in Western MA and it occurred to me how important that number is to my life every single solitary day. Nineteen Hundred and Ninety Four.

I'd love to hear from you if you also have a killer year that basically made you exactly who you are and who you want to be. And to all the friends I re-connected with FROM 1994 after not talking for more than 2 decades: Thank you. Thank you Internet. I always needed you in my life and now we've come full circle. It just took more than twenty years.

Snow, Travel, and Yoga Retreat Soon!

You all know how I love snow! I really do. We watch the Olympics each day. We snowshoe, ski, and snowmobile. Sadly, our trip to Maine is getting put off (due to another storm hitting today with another 10"). I'm hoping Tyler gets to go when I'm at my yoga retreat (woo!) or while I'm in CA for work.

It's great snowmobile weather, but getting there can be an issue (no where to park the Jeep, we have to get someone to plow us a hole to park in). We've been going up to Dixmont, ME since 2001 (built our camp in 2003) so we are used to it. But the key is parking, and if there's no where to park that can be an issue. Also, when Tyler was up in January the water pipe froze (for the water drain, not the well).

We are tough and hearty and we're used to skiing in that last mile. We're used to packing 3 days worth of clothes and food. But, with 10" on the way today highway travel would really really suck. Last March we went on rte 3 and 295 on a Monday evening and it was not plowed. We have tire chains but they are not street legal.

I was accepted to the PhD program at Union Institute & University! I will start in January 2015. I already got my Student ID and e-mail so it's official. I just need to send along a small deposit to reserve my fee to be on campus for a few days in January at the start to the program. So that's me: 6 years starting next year. I'm really excited! The dean for my program is based in Seattle. He went to school in the Boston area, so we had a lot in common. He's working on changing the program to make it "more relevant to those that want to work in the corporate world or NOT teach or to those that want to be entrepreneurial." He's already succeeded in making changes. He also teaches in the PhD and EdD departments so a dean that teaches is a new concept to me!

One of the professors has been amazing so far. She teaches a few courses that I'll be taking (4 classes per year) and she's based in CA. The students are from all over the world and I'll be placed in a cohort for the duration and that group is 16-20 students. They are all "later in life" students with established careers. "Mid-Career" is the term they use. 99% of the students work full time and do volunteer work as well. That's why it was a good fit. I get to keep my career and my volunteer work on track and USE that work in my program work. That's what they expect. I'll be taking a range of classes on topics from sustainability to entrepreneurship to Gender Studies. My concentration is Ethical Leadership.

Now that my colleagues fully understand the program they are like "it's made for you" and "I could never picture you quitting work for 10 years and attending a school in Boston for 68 expensive credits." After year 1 I will be able to apply for scholarships (with faculty recommendations, so that's my goal). They want to make sure you are serious and dedicated before covering costs.

Lots of good vibes this week during travel. I was stuck in NY for 3 long lonely days due to snow. The Internet was down so I could not work. I watched movies, dug out my car (rental car), scrounged food from the hotel, took very snowy walks without sidewalks and eagerly waited for dinner each night (when a few restaurants would open mid-storm). It snowed from 2/12 at night to 2/14 at 6am. It was so bad that Enterprise had to come get my car and my conference was cancelled twice (and moved to April). At least I had hot cocoa and oatmeal I smuggled to my room from breakfast--comfort food is important and you can make quite a bit with the in-room coffee maker.

Hope all is well for each of you. How are you spending this February? Are you taking time for yourself to read, do yoga, run to train for a marathon (over snow banks--nothing like it--hardcore), or just sledding with your kids. Are you hiding out somewhere warm and sitting under a palm tree making plans for your life? I'll report back about the yoga retreat. It's my first bucket list item to cross off, so I'm really needing it about now after so much stress and pressure I put on myself Dec 2013-January 2014. :)

Next steps

Wow, I've made it to the Interview part of the PhD application process? This means next week hopefully I will have an interview. I'm waiting for confirmation. I need to (mentally) prepare on what I'm going to say in terms of what sort of research I have planned.

I've got it all in my head, and in my Statement of Purpose but I really need to think about how the ideas I have actually have "value" to his particular institute of learning. I also really need to think about timing. Logistically the fall is busy with travel (and our Germany trip) and the summer is busy at the office.

Am I ready to commit to extra expenses? Vacation days used for school travel. Time. 5.5 years of time. I am...I thought I was done with learning back in 2009 when I finished my master's degree. I realized through my volunteer work at Babson's Center for Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership that I am indeed a "lifelong learner." I have to nurture that side. I have to FEED that side. I can just continue to go through my days reading topics that interest me: preserving the environment, science, food, food culture, homesteading, entrepreneurship, gender studies, technology start-ups...or I can actually tie all of that together. It's my choice.

Why would someone with a master's degree decide "I'm going to be the 1 out of 10 that actually finishes a PhD?" Why bother? Why get into more debt? Well, the easy answer is: because I can. I'm at a point in my life where I'm at a job that allows me freedom. Freedom to get out of work every day at 4:30pm and have time for volunteer work and more education. I'm at a job that allows me to travel and continue to see the world and learn. Why would I leave that job, that world that I've worked so hard for the past nearly 4 years? My plan is to not leave. My plan is to keep going.

Sometimes the best laid plans can be a disaster. Sometimes it's kind of neat to plan your future. To want to strive to be a better writer and a better researcher. Someone that continues to make a difference. After all, at most we get 100 years. Most never get to 100. So why the heck not give it a try. Even if it is 1 year from now. Why not give it a good effort and enjoy the process?

So here's to that interview, right?

And since this week was the anniversary of the Challenger disaster (and since her mom still lives in my town and is on the committee to build a new library) I leave you with this quote: "Reach for it. Push yourself as far as you can." -Christa McAuliffe

When I'm 60, maybe, I'll look at my pile of papers and wonder, What really happened that year?
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/c/christa_mcauliffe.html#w6qJhwfSoFc30f5h.99

When I'm 60, maybe, I'll look at my pile of papers and wonder, What really happened that year?
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/c/christa_mcauliffe.html#w6qJhwfSoFc30f5h.99

When I'm 60, maybe, I'll look at my pile of papers and wonder, What really happened that year?
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/c/christa_mcauliffe.html#w6qJhwfSoFc30f5h.99

Dreaming of other places...

It happens every January. I look at my calendar on my office wall with all of my work trips and I daydream. I daydream about relaxing in a wine bar or walking on the beach. I think about how nice it is to work with my students in person (and how much easier). I think about discovering new yoga studios and I think (and stress) about conferences.

I always tack on some extra time and this time, I'm tacking on some time staying on the beach here. February is going to be better than January (although my Birthday weekend always rocks). January has been "clogged" with being sick, applying for a PhD program (whatttt?) and just drama.

It has not been filled with yoga although I did get to ski and snowshoe (a blast!). I did get to hike when the snow melted.

I just want to wake up tomorrow and feel well. I want to schedule a bunch of yoga classes, my cooking class (gift card from Mom & Dad for Sur La Table's cooking classes). I just want to put on my "soft pants" (as we call them in my house) and show up at my February yoga retreat (scheduled) and yell (softly) "I'm here, I'm finally here." I want to get off that plane in California and say, "I'm back, I've missed you, I'm back."

I want to sit on my yoga mat and just cry because I've missed the studio this past week. I've missed the quiet. I've missed the sweating, the good workout and I've missed...all of it. I've missed cardio time with a good podcast playing. I've missed waking up in the morning feeling refreshed.

I'm ready to have a great B'day weekend, feel better but most of all I'm looking forward to February. I want to get off that plane in CA and at that yoga retreat and have someone say: "Welcome, we've been waiting for you."

Seeing Through the Darkness

When you are recovering from an illness it's hard to see the other side. Shout out to my husband who has a nasty cold and fever today. :(

I was thinking this the other day when I was skiing by a neighbor's house (before the plow came) and he was out there doing his normal snow removal tasks. He had broken his leg really badly this past fall (surgery, hospital stay) and there he is out in the snow with his snow goggles on!

For me personally I'm still not up for Zumba but I've been able to x-country ski, snowshoe, and do yoga. I've done some cardio too and I know I can run 3 miles on the elliptical. It's just frustrating to get home at 5pm and be too exhausted to hit the gym. That's not "normal" for me. Normally I get home at 5pm, hit the gym at 6:30 and get home at 7:45 and eat dinner at 8:30. That's no longer my life or at least it's not right now. I'm trying hard to stick to my doctor's advice of getting up a 1/2 hour earlier to ease into the day (and going to bed 1/2 hour earlier). It worked for about 2 weeks.

The human body is a funny thing. You just take for granted the routine for years and years and years. I recently watched a documentary that discussed alternatives for cancer care (that actually work). It was pretty neat. The sad thing was it showed doctor's that stood behind these treatments were fired and had their lives destroyed. When I'm feeling sick I load up on raw honey, ginger, garlic, and green tea. When I got out of the hospital and 10 days on antibiotics wrecked my immune system I loaded up on probiotic foods and fermented foods. Even now, I can't get enough raw ginger fermented carrots, kraut, and kimchi.

I've also lost all patience for family members, friends, and colleagues that just seem to forget that it was not that long ago where I was out of work for 2 weeks. Out sick. Fighting a nasty infection. I mean, I got cards and letters and notes and an edible arrangement and flowers. Right before Christmas I had to deal with work drama, and it continues (in a more mild format). Just yesterday I felt like family members 100% forgot. I don't want to have to jump up and down and say "look at me, I'm trying so hard, I'm back to work, I'm back to yoga, I'm back to eating healthy and sleeping well."

Days like yesterday I wanted to bonk a few people over the head and say, "well, it's clear you forgot that I just went through a REALLY rough time." Humans quickly forget. Humans are cruel to each other. I've learned a lot through my yoga practice and lately I'm trying to incorporate more of that into my life. I need to distance myself from people that are cruel, shallow, and frankly not worth any of my time. I never forget when a friend has surgery, breaks a leg, misses work for a time. I don't hop all over them a few months later and act like an idiot.

I've learned a lot about humankind these past few months. Time to live and recover fully and strive to do better in 2014.

On the last day of 2013...

I'm sharing a list from Mind Body Green. There's bits and pieces that make sense. I commented on list items that spoke to me (or yelled at me). :)

Here are 20 things to let go of in order to reach unlimited happiness.

1. Let go of all thoughts that don't make you feel empowered and strong.
I need to work on this one. There's been a TON of negativity at work in recent weeks. There have been people I care about getting in trouble left and right and I've done nothing but get angry about it. 
 
2. Let go of feeling guilty for doing what you truly want to do.
Well this one is easy. I'm ready to apply to a PhD program and see where that takes me.
 
3. Let go of the fear of the unknown; take one small step and watch the path reveal itself.
see above
 
4. Let go of regrets; at one point in your life, that “whatever” was exactly what you wanted.
The funny thing is I've never had trouble with this one. :)
 
5. Let go of worrying; worrying is like praying for what you don’t want.
This one pretty much has ruled my life the past two months. :(
 
6. Let go of blaming anyone for anything; be accountable for your own life. If you don’t like something, you have two choices, accept it or change it.
Well I changed my issues with work--I spoke up for myself and took action with authority figures. I just get too wrapped up and worried about others that are treated horribly. 

7. Let go of thinking you are damaged; you matter, and the world needs you just as you are.
um, never thought this ever
 
8. Let go of thinking your dreams are not important; always follow your heart.
I always do this.
 
9. Let go of being the “go-to person” for everyone, all the time; stop blowing yourself off and take care of yourself first … because you matter.
I need to remember this one if I do start a PhD program in 2014
 
10. Let go of thinking everyone else is happier, more successful or better off than you. You are right where you need to be. Your journey is unfolding perfectly for you.
Yeah, this one is not me either. I'm very content with my life and all I've worked hard for.
 
11. Let go of thinking there's a right and wrong way to do things or to see the world. Enjoy the contrast and celebrate the diversity and richness of life.
This one I need to remind myself of. It's not "my way or the highway"
 
12. Let go of cheating on your future with your past. It’s time to move on and tell a new story.
Agreed.
 
13. Let go of thinking you are not where you should be. You are right where you need to be to get to where you want to go, so start asking yourself where you want to go.
Oh, I now know where I want to go. PhD, work, volunteer work all in one happy bubble. Can it work? I don't know but I'm going to try.
 
14. Let go of anger toward ex lovers and family. We all deserve happiness and love; just because it is over doesn’t mean the love was wrong.
Saw some former friends at a party this past weekend. That hurt as bad as a nail in the eye, I was polite and they ignored the hell outta me. It hurt but it should not.
 
15. Let go of the need to do more and be more; for today, you've done the best you can, and that's enough.
I'm always saying that life is too short so I think I've got this one. :)
 
16. Let go of thinking you have to know how to make it happen; we learn the way on the way.
Well in my case I have to know how to make the PhD work with the day job and with the volunteer work.

17. Let go of your money woes — make a plan to pay off debt and focus on your abundance.
Working on it but doing a kitchen and an addition to the rental in ONE year has created more debt. Ah well, at least the primary house will be paid off in our late 40s.
 
18. Let go of trying to save or change people. Everyone has her own path, and the best thing you can do is work on yourself and stop focusing on others.
Need to leave the people alone that are hateful and mean at work. 
 
19. Let go of trying to fit in and be accepted by everyone. Your uniqueness is what makes you outstanding.
As an adult I don't have this issue. As a teen, yes you bet I did. :)
 
20. Let go of self-hate. You are not the shape of your body or the number on the scale. Who you are matters, and the world needs you as you are. Celebrate you!
Oh I like how I look (I work hard at the gym and at yoga) but I often hate on myself when things go wrong at work and I need to stop that. 

 

Reverb13: Joy

What gave you joy during 2013?

• My family
• My husband
• My cat who is turning 14 in 2104, Maximus
• My dear friends: we hiked together, we read together, we laughed together, we watched movies together, we cooked together, we loved and we laughed together.
• Snow. Wow, we got a lot during the winter of 2013 (and we end the year with some too). Snow brings me joy. It brings my husband joy. We get out into the woods and we have fun
• Good health. Something I will never take for granted
• the strong pull of standing back and watching Karma do what Karma does. Amazing. 
• Being strong, getting a good review at work
• My students at my day job, at my volunteer mentor job, and the children as always enjoying the farm I volunteer at
• Music. 
• A new kitchen made on our own. Hard work but much joy has resulted. Wok on, my love, wok on!
• weddings: one on the beach in CA and one at a winery and distillery in NH. So happy to be part of both!

Reverb13: Plans

What are your plans for 2014? Do you have any goals you set for yourself? Who are you going to work with to achieve your goals?

I'm going to be applying for a 0 residency requirement (never on campus) PhD program in Innovation and Leadership (or the one that involves policy if I decide to go that route instead). This will tie in with my volunteer work at Drumlin Farm (Mass Audubon) that I've been doing for nearly 14 years. This will also meld well with my mentor work at Babson College (#1 Entrepreneurship program in the USA--hollah!).

Career wise this program requires you to have a full time job. So, I let my boss and others know that I have NO intentions of leaving my job that I love. My goal is to get my transcripts from graduate school and undergrad, get letters of recommendation from my volunteer jobs listed above. I keep my insurance licenses for life as long as I stay up on the CE and I'll always be doing that no matter what.

But what if 20 years from now I want to work at Babson (even part time?) that would mean I'd need a PhD. What if I wanted to work at Mass Audubon in a greater capacity (doing a huge research project now, so who knows). I'm ready to learn more. I'm ready to keep my career strong. I'm ready to "chip away" at a PhD over the next 10 years. I'll finish at age 47 if all goes well. (47!!) and the primary mortgage will be paid off too (as my Grandmother would say "God willing" (she's so sweet).

I just met a really important person in my work kitchen who travels the country speaking. (he's a dentist in NC so he's on our board and is a wonderful man). So much inspiration this week.

I did my master's degree while working full time and it took me 4 years. What the heck is another 10 in the grand scheme of things?

Here's to a fantastic 2014! and wish me luck with my application....I guess I'll submit it sometime this winter. Best to ask for references during winter break. :) I start work travel again in February...can't wait!

Help Planning Germany Trip?

So here's what I have so far:

1. Sept 13 fly to Frankfurt via KEF, Iceland. Breakfast in Iceland (win!) and lunch in Germany (woo!)
2. Sept 14 is when we land in Frankfurt.
1. I need a suggestion of a hotel in Frankfurt
2. I need to know how to get to the train to Dusseldorf that will take us to Berlin
3. We plan on renting a car in Berlin and heading south.
4. We already have a hotel booked (and paid for) in Munich for Oktoberfest. So that's 3 days, two nights of 'fest (and you can walk to a castle from our hotel and it has free parking and free SKY TV so...that's cool (TV in English without subtitles).
5. I'd really like some suggestions on hiking, breweries to see on the way south to Munich.

Flying out of Frankfurt on the 24th of September, it leaves in the afternoon and gets in to Boston for 6:30pm the same day.

Thanks for any help you can provide! For those of you that have been...I'd love to hear from you!

We've rented cars in Europe 4 times before so it's not a big deal to us (only in Scotland where it was a standard and you had to shift with your left hand--yikes).
(photo source, Lonely Planet, click for page)

Reverb13: Day 3, Revising that Bucket List

Well, it's official. I get to cross something of my bucket list!

Post here

That would be item #2. Go on a yoga retreat. Heading to one with a friend and fellow blogger (blog-ess?) and I'm really looking forward to it. That will be in February and we booked it already.

So.

#1 still stands. #3 still stands.

Travel wish list will include crossing off Germany in September (since we are in the process of booking a trip there--the hotel in Munich is already booked during Oktoberfest!!)

So now I need something new.

I'm going to go with #2, read the entire Dark Tower series by Stephen King.

:)

Here's to the ebb and flow of a Bucket List. Here's to taking time to take care of yourself and book that retreat and just BE.

Reverb13: Day 2: Routine

Last night in yoga we talked about learning to JUST BE. If something is uncomfortable or you have trouble getting through it can you control your reaction to the situation? If you are in a yoga pose that's really tough--can you just be? I had another instructor (who happens to be a brain surgeon in her day job) that always reminded us "This is only temporary" (translation: push through that pain, this is good for your body).

Day 2: Routine.

What is your routine? Why is routine important?

My routine is to eat breakfast and lunch at work. It's important to my morning routine to have lunch packed (or planned) and have breakfast stored in my office (oatmeal or muesli--something I can make at work with milk, water or the microwave).

My after work routine is to get dinner started (or to have a plan, or to run errands) and workout for an hour at some point. If it is yoga, zumba (which I hope to get back to soon...health-wise it has not been possible since October), or even some cardio. It helps me "forget" the 8:30-4:30 I spent sitting at a desk. Typing. Answering phones. Crunched up in a ball. It also helps me make better food choices and maintain my weight (challenge for me).

My routine for weekends is to get some volunteer work AND some yoga in if we're in MA. If we're in Maine I try to get in a walk or a hike each day we're there (a MUST, no matter the weather). I ease into my Maine days (2 weekends/month). I kinda rush into my Massachusetts days...it's a Boston thing I think. :)

Routine keeps me grounded. I just wrote "routine" and thought of poutine. hahaha.

Here's a photo of poutine. Mmmmm.

(photo credit: The Canada Cheese Man)

Reverb13: It's that time of year again!

So just as I did last year I'm going to Reverb at random. Not every day. Just when the mood strikes. But through the end of the year just like the last few years.

Today's word: Health

It's easy to take our health for granted. As many of you know I spent a week in the hospital (plus 2 days outpatient) for an infection. I was on the wrong antibiotic for 5 days and it was pretty horrible. So here I am.

A new month. A fresh start. FINALLY feeling like myself. Had a bad cold for a week recently too, so now I'm BACK to yoga. I'm back to enjoying life. I'm back to cooking and baking and doing laundry and "keeping house." Much to the relief of my husband, I'm sure (he was my nursemaid and helping hand--love you honey!). Sickness and in health.

Being out of the hospital and well enough to be in a dear friend's wedding meant so much to me. (shout out to the newlyweds Grey and Bri for such an amazing wedding that was creative and fun--it for me was the first time I'd felt normal in so long after being so ill and it was just a great weekend  in NH that I so needed).

Don't take health for granted. You can have the fancy cars, the multiple homes, the good friendships, and wonderful relationships, and the GREAT job. It all goes to shit if you don't have your health. I know this now. Yoga retreat scheduled for February. I started (and kept going with) writing every day while in the hospital--and I'm sticking to it--writing every single day (not in this blog, but still stretching that writing muscle).

Cheers! To good health and a fun and exciting 2014! 2013 was exhausting (just ask anyone that lives in the Boston area--ending on a good note, a happy note. I need 2014 to have more fun (go Red Sox) and less worry and bad things (terrorist attack on Boston). There's going to be daffodils blooming the entire marathon route (that runs through my town). I can't wait for 2014 to begin!

My First Time Cooking with Farro

Farro!

I bought a small bag of Trader Joe's Farro a while ago. It sounded interesting and there was a recipe on the bag to cook it up with sausage and apple. I finally decided to give it a try last night since I had extra chicken broth to use.

I filled a pan with chicken broth, dumped the whole bag in once it was boiling (there's directions on the bag on how to cook it in broth). I cooked some asparagus on the stove top (what is with Whole Foods selling GIANT asparagus right now--where is the tender wee asparagus?). Once the farro was done cooking I drained off the extra broth and added in the asparagus and a can of kidney beans (drained) along with some sea salt.

At that point Tyler and I decided it tasted good but needed to be treated like fried rice. The farro cooked up light and fluffy and did not look at all what I expected it to look like. I cracked two eggs into the mixture, stirred around until those were cooked and added the whole thing to a large fry pan with some olive oil. This gave Tyler a chance to show off his flipping skills and admire the new gas flame (we recently converted to gas during the kitchen renovation).

The purpose of this very strange combination was to have a "first course" before going to our local brewery (Jack's Abby). We had one goal in mind: eat something quick and head out and taste the newest local brew. It turned out to be tasty so we got a growler and also sampled a summer beer (had citrus and spices). Once home we each had our individual leftovers from earlier in the week. I ran out to the gym to torture myself on the arc trainer for 1/2 hour before watching The Office finale.

That's just a typical night in our house. Also, Tyler was able to finish up the tile work on the wall (I'll post some more photos this weekend for those of you that follow me on Google+.

Chicken with Cabbage and Tomatoes

Yesterday I went grocery shopping during lunch. I forgot my entire bag of groceries in my office.

So I had to improvise. Instead of an Asian chicken soup with cabbage (left over from St. Patty's) I decided to do a Scandinavian dish. Here's what I made up and it came out great!

1. Cut up 3 boneless chicken breasts
2. Put 1/4 cup of flour in a ziplock bag with a 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning salt and 1/2 t of celery seed). cut chicken into small chunks (like the size of a boneless chicken leg). Coat with flour mixture.
3. Put a little canola oil in the bottom of a cast iron skillet.
4. Brown the chicken on both sides, set aside
5. Pre-heat oven to 350F. Chop green cabbage (I filled a cereal bowl with chopped cabbage to measure).
6. Saute cabbage in olive oil, season with salt & pepper
7. Add a can of chopped tomatoes (we do the organic ones sold in bulk at BJs so it's a 17.5 oz can I think). These are regular chopped tomatoes with no added flavoring.
8. Add chicken chunks back to pan. Stir and top with Trader Joe's shredded cheese (I do the one that is the mozzarella/cheddar/jack cheese combo).
9. Bake for 45 minutes. Covered with foil.
10. Remove foil for last 5 minutes and add a little more of the cheese.
11. Serve!

You can also add caraway seeds to the flour mixture. :)

Enjoy!

Hope Springs Eternal

Transitions

This has been a transition week for me thus far. We decided to spend a 3 day weekend in Maine after our last trip was postponed due to weather. We were determined to get one last snowmobile weekend in. We were like those Rabid Fans that they used to talk about at MathWorks user conferences. :)

We made it up the 1 mile to the house (I snowshoed, Tyler walked on top of the snow). We packed for a 3 day weekend in 2 small coolers and 2 small backpacks. Try this yourself if you ever want to feel like some sort of Packing Goddess. We were able to snowmobile for a good 3 hour run. Tyler makes fun of me because I really love using hand signals. When you pass other riders you signal how many riders behind you. When I got to lead it was: 1. When Tyler led my hand signal was closed fist to indicate 0 behind me. Everyone waved and everyone was so kind.

Yesterday evening I made a tough choice regarding a friend of mine. I decided to take a bit of a "break." Hanging out with this friend was stressing me out. We seemed constantly out of synch. It got to the point where I stopped spending time with this friend (or making time to hang with them). It got to the point where we would argue about the most simple of topics. For the life of me, I could not figure out this relationship.

So I asked them to take a break and maybe sit down for tea or something in April once we've had a few weeks apart. This was not an easy request. In recent weeks I'd been asking myself: "What is it about this friendship that bothers me?" or "Why do none of my other friends seem so determined to push back and disagree with me?"

Have any of you ever had this type of thing happen to you? I'm 36 years old and at my age if I tend to make a new friend I keep them around for...life. Is there anyone in your life that you just had to say "you're driving me bonkers."

If only life were as simple as an old postcard:

What to Pack?

It's heading into my busy time of year again for work travel. With us also going to Maine every other weekend year round I've turned into quite the packing expert.

Here's my Maine list (based on winter):

-Check snow levels (right now, great with 4-8" on the way)
-Fill large plastic bag with snowpants, gloves, ear band (warm), gators, wool socks
-Grab snow boots and pack them in the back seat
-Extra shovel (gotta dig out a parking space)

In a cooler (because once up in Maine it's hard to hit the grocery store):

-Enough food for two dinners (Trader Joe's makes this easy)
-(that would be two meat items that can be grilled or cooked stove top (we don't have a traditional oven in Dixmont).
-Veggies
-Bread for sandwiches or wraps
-English muffins
-6 eggs
-creamer
-beer (a must)
-wine to share with neighbors (we love our neighbors)
-Cheese for sandwiches, lunch meat if we're doing deli sandwiches
-fruits that pack well like apples
-Chips & salsa
-Crackers and some sort of smoked fish (cocktail hour is important in Maine)

In all weather:
Hiking pants, sweater, fleece, sunscreen, extra socks

Here's my work trip list:

-tablecloth and bin for raffles (the two things I don't ship)
-Clothes for yoga and gym sneakers (pick out yoga classes near hotel and put in phone)
-Print out of all reservations (I've  had hotels say "I can't find you..." upon arrival)
-Address in phone for hotels, meetings, etc.
-GPS for rental car
-Two dressy outfits. Typically two dresses and one suit jacket and one cardigan
-heels or boots
-jeans (trade show booth is messy)
-tote bag (great to carry clothes to change into, packs flat)
-Phone charger, I don't tend to fly with my laptop any longer
-Nook and charger that plugs in (I use my phone for alarm clock)
-PJ pants, and slippers if room
-I always check my suitcase because I cannot handle small planes with 0 room and last minute checking of bags--I've seen to many bags go missing this way as they are not tracked
-Regular book (always reading regular book for book club and Nook at same time)
-A couple of snacks
-$20-40. I don't travel with a lot of cash on me
-Yelp bookmark stuff near my hotel

And that's it!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome to my wild world of always having a half unpacked bag sitting on the floor in my TV room!

I'm in love with my Jeep(r) suitcase. I can't believe it took me so long to get a good suitcase:

My advice on how to get through a busy week!

This week is a busy week for work. There's high expectations and a lot of public-facing events. There's a ton of dressing up and being on your feet all day (trade show).

My way of making it through weeks like this is to do something totally not related in my down time. Vacation plan!

This coming July we're heading to California. It'll be our 3rd time there together as a couple and my....I have no idea...I've been there a lot! However, I've never explored the Central Coast. I'm already admitting there's going to be at least 18 bottles of wine in the belly of that plane coming home. :)

Below is the schedule: I'll post links later so you can see some of the great deals I got. Two nights we're staying in a state park that has 126 acres and Ranger led tours (and a breakfast buffet). $300 for two nights (a steal).

July 13: Fly to SF
July 14: Hike Muir Woods. Check out breweries in Berkeley. Stay in Berkeley at this lovely resort.
July 15-16 (stay in Pacific Grove in that state park).
July 17: Cambria to visit Hearst Castle for the first time.
July 18-19: Santa Barbara. Staying around 10 minutes from the wedding and the room comes with a basket of goodies (including homemade banana bread), beach chairs, umbrella, and bikes (for free). 1 block from beach. My family freaked out that the room does not have AC. I've never stayed in a hotel on the CA coast with AC so....I'm okay. Plus, if it's hot I'll just drink something out of a coconut or something and nap in the shade.
July 20: fly out of LAX with boxes of wine bottles. 

Staying 2 nights in this state park: