Love recognizes no barriers.

It jumps hurdles, leaps fences,

penetrates walls to arrive

at its destination full of hope.

-Maya Angelou

this is where we went...

...to the department of motor vehicles.

now we have green plates.

:-)

rainy afternoon ramblings

lilac ready to bloom,

low slung rain clouds.

• drinking a pot of this tea. truly one of my all time faves.
• reading this lovely story
• poring over a favorite blogger's new book. even though i said "no more cookbooks". i think it may be dog eared by the end of the summer.
• signing up for this fun swap. (there's still time!)
• anticipating vermont open studio weekend.
• still mulling over this story, about The Third Plate.
• writing up a post card storm, having just reactivated my Postcrossing account.

how about you? any fun things to share this afternoon?

day after day

• despite the great culling of the past few years, there is still much stuff to sort through as we combine our two households. i am looking at the process as an opportunity to curate our small living space here. gretta gave me this sweet birchy pot for my birthday last month and this fern works just right.
• blossoms on one of the pear trees.
• our favorite flag, waving out by the shed. 
• the beds...filled this weekend with rich soil from vermont compost, paths mulched with wood chips. chard, kale, beet, carrot and greens seeds planted. 

When I go to the mailbox, I find a few pieces of forwarded mail. There is no longer a garage door opener on the visor of my car. The 180,000 mile service on my CRV here in VT was $100 less expensive than the quote was for the same work in CT. I have not been cut off, tailgated or honked at in days. 

Day after day, this new reality sinks in a bit more.

Wait til Friday. Batman and I are going somewhere we have dreamed of for years and years. You'll never guess...

settling in

re-mem-ber

We are remembering Erin. She would have been 23 today.

And we're amazed by the impact her short life continues to have.

Read about what my dear friend Mary, Erin's mom, has been up to lately on her new blog. And check out Scatter Kindness.

Never ever doubt that there is still bright, shining hope and love in this world.

And remember that "e"very day is a blessing. Do not take life for granted, OK? Get out there and shine, love and scatter kindness!

xo

spring green

I am going to try to pay attention to the spring. 

I am going to look around at all the flowers, 

and look up at the hectic trees. 

I am going to close my eyes and listen.

Anne Lamott

6th annual tree planting weekend

This is our 6th annual tree planting weekend. Many thanks to Lindsey and her beau, Scott, for helping with this year's 100 balsam seedlings. (We mated the hoses from our CT house with those we have up here, and now watering has become so much easier! We used to haul gallons and gallons of water but the bucket full.)

To see other tree planting weekends, look here... 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012.

tough days

it became so warm i put some screens in the windows 

and put together a jar of bengal spice sun tea.

100 balsam seedlings just arrived on the front porch.

guess what we're doing this weekend!

chives and garlic are up.

everything else is waiting.

tet a tet.

 fiddleheads.

Ten days ago, while "burning the candle at both ends", I fell on our deck in CT and had four stitches taken in my forehead. I also banged up one of my bionic knees quite badly. It was exactly the wrong time to have such an accident. *sigh* On Saturday, I had the stitches removed here in VT and got the name of a local orthopedist. This morning I had a follow up appointment and have been prescribed an anti inflammatory to reduce the swelling. I hate taking medicine. But this is pretty important. I have spent many hours lately with my knee iced and elevated, not exactly conducive to happy unpacking here in Vermont.

Because I am paying special attention to integrity, I recently resigned from some volunteer work that I really value. I did not want to risk even the slightest appearance of a conflict of interest. I know it was the right call, but I am saddened by letting it go. 

We got some sad news from a person we love, of a diagnosis that really, really stinks. Privacy demands that I say nothing else, I hope you will understand.

Due to our mismatched schedules, I have not seen Batman since a week ago Tuesday. Oh, how I have missed him! We have not been together here in Vermont yet to truly celebrate our dream-to-reality accomplishment. He arrives tonight, so there is champagne on ice. 

I do not share these things with you, dear readers, for sympathy. It just seems right to be authentic, to let you know that with all the blessings I enjoy and the charmed picture I share here, sometimes life wearies me. (Not to mention the problems in the wider world that rage on around us.)

This slump will not last long. The days are growing longer, the earth is awakening here in Vermont and there is much to be done. A balance between purpose, mindfulness and quiet reflection seems to keep me on course. Thanks for letting me ramble today. It seems only fair that I invite you to lay down a burden or two here as well or send me an e-mail. I am here for you. xo 

big plans

some of the CT house things have been moved into our VT house...

This little house that sits on our gorgeous property has sheltered us well these past seven years. We have "made do" with everything as is and have grown to love its shortcomings and quirks. Friends have forgone privacy as they slid their sleeping bags onto empty floorspace like sardines in a tin. Our single bathroom might be a real challenge if it weren't for the extra toilet, tucked behind a curtain in the utility room in the basement. The modest kitchen has produced bounteous and celebratory meals thanks to inspired teamwork in there. The total lack of cell phone service has been a blessing to nearly everyone who has yearned for a retreat from technology.

Part of me has grown to adore this rustic little place in ways I never dreamed of when we first saw it.

But Batman and I have plans for this place. 

Oh yes we do.

We are dreaming of a few private bedrooms tucked under some new eaves. We are dreaming of a hard working kitchen that will process the bounty of our gardens and have room for raucous kitchen dance parties. We are dreaming of a tiny library, snug and cozy on winter days. A screened porch would be nice and Batman covets a wee tower for his telescope. We need a steeper pitch on the roof to shed snow and a standing seam roof would be ever so nice.

Rehab will not start for a year or so. But in the meantime, we will take field trips to the salvage place in White River Junction. We will find local stone for countertops. We are thinking...simplest of trim, energy efficient everything, intentional choices through and through. We will be drawing, making lists, talking, planning and changing our minds over and over agin. 

And amidst all these changes, we want to keep the rustic and humble feel of the place intact.

We are thinking of starting a blog together. It would be a place to document the process. To get input from readers. To dream big and then get real.

What do you think, dear readers? Might you follow along?

today is the day

i was but a wee toddler when i fell in love with vermont.

1957.

my mumsie, dad and i at my

great aunt margretta and great uncle harry's

farm near white river junction.

a lifetime later

batman and i have finally 

made it happen.

this is home now.

home sweet home.

dreams + hard work + love = bliss

xo