walk & click lunch break

On not becoming a hermit...

My normal lunch break - a salad or sandwich in my office while

sorting through photos, catching up on blogging, reading a book...

Sometimes I think it's a good thing that I don't have the option of just being a hermit.

Soooo - yesterday I realized that if I wanted to participate in Walk & Click,

I needed to - well -

get out and do a little walking (and clicking)

Trusty rebel around my neck - I headed out for a walking lunch break.

Boston has a great mix of both old and new.

How about that flag-as-curtain on the third floor?

One of the nice things about taking a walk for lunch

(other than seeing this cool architecture)

are the many places to pick up something more interesting than the sandwich I had brought.

Peanut butter sandwiches will keep...

When I started working here several years ago, I thought I'd be out walking everyday.

But, I guess acting like a hermit in my office is easier.

Did you know that the first YMCA in the U.S. was founded in Boston? (1851)

This more permanent site was built in 1921 - and dedicated by President Taft.

(Little historical tidbits like that kind of fascinate me)

I like this fence - it runs right down the center of Huntington Ave - separating the surface road

from the underpass.

I would like to thank Walk and Click Wednesday for getting me away from my desk.

barn charm

So the storm this past weekend was a bit of a dud
- no complaints here.
I'm continuing with my great big organize-clean-toss project at home,
and since this will be going on for weeks - I think I'll probably stop talking about it.

Anyway - I'm digging into my archives for this one.
It was the little dugout under this barn that caught my eye.

I'm not really sure I'd want to go under there.

At least, I think this is a barn.
What else might it be?

tag - i'm "it"

I've been tagged by Nancy @ The Gift of a Moment

Normally, I'm the first person to break a chain,
but this seemed like fun - so I'm game.
Here goes -

1.  Where where you born? 

Des Moines, Iowa. The heart of a Midwesterner beats in this transplant to New England.

2.  Were you  named after someone? 

Yes. My middle name, Louise, is after my mom's sister, Betty Louise - and she was named after her mom's sister, Edna Louise

3.  If you have children, how many?

We have two grown daughters - extremely lovely, sweet and caring individuals (if I do say so myself).

They're both early childhood teachers, which I'm very proud of, although I don't know where they get the patience.

4.  How many pets do I have? 

I wish! - sigh.

We had a sweet black lab while the girls were growing up. Right now, Greg and I both have horrendous work schedules which wouldn't be fair to a dog.
someday...

5.  What was my worst injury? 

Wow, I really don't want to jinx myself, here. The only injury I can think of is a sprained ankle I got a few years back while playing soccer. Klutzy old ladies probably shouldn't be playing soccer...

6.  Do I have any special talents?

Nope, and I'm not being modest. I'm pretty good at a few things - but that comes from practice, not talent. I do have a talent for appreciating talent in others (does that count?)

7.  What is your favorite thing to bake? 

Bake? And I always thought cupcakes came from the cupcake truck.

8.  What is your favorite fast food?

Ick

Well okay, I sometimes have a quarter pounder with cheese, fries and a chocolate shake.

9.  Would I bungee jump? 

Not a chance. I have issues with heights - and falling from heights.

10.  What is the first thing you notice about people? 

Their smile and eyes. I totally judge people by their smile.

11.  When was the last time I cried?

Every time I think about Victoria Soto, the teacher in Newtown who hid her students in the closet - okay, right now. The world is a better place because she walked it for a short time.

12.  Any current worries? 

I'm not much of a worrier - sometimes that worries me.

13.  Name three drinks you drink regularly

Coffee, water, herbal tea

14.  What is your favorite book?  

I love to read, and enjoy most of them but would probably give about 90% of books 3 stars.

 5 star books? - Kite Runner, Gone with the Wind, A Tree grows in Brooklyn - but that's just my opinion.

15.  Would you like to be a pirate?

Nope - that sounds dangerous - and mean. Stealing is mean.

16.  What are your favorite smells?

Lilly of the valley - favorite by far.

17.  Why do I blog?

I ask myself this question - often. 

As I approach my one-year bloggiversary, I realize my reasons have morphed. I think the short answer is that I love following your blogs. I enjoy seeing and hearing about the things that are going on in your world, and I've learned so much along the way -

 thanks!

18. What song do you want played at your funeral? 

 Oh boy, I haven't given this one any thought. Are funerals mandatory?

19.  What is your least favorite thing about yourself?
I'm an introvert who values "me" time - which I'm okay with. But I'm also pretty busy and don't keep in touch with people as well as I would like.

20.  What is your favorite hobby?

Right now - probably photography and crochet. Ask me tomorrow, and my answer might be different.

Crazy about grannies

21.  What do you look for in a friend?

I think the traits that my friends tend to have in common are that they're all genuine, unpretentious, and caring. A good sense of humor doesn't hurt, either.

22.  Name Something you have done that you never thought you would do.

I rode my bicycle over the George Washington Bridge - not nearly as scary as I thought it would be.

23.  What are your favorite things to do?

Spending time with my family and friends. We're busy people scattered across the country, so it doesn't happen nearly enough - but those are the times I look forward to and the times I also remember.

24. Any Pet Peeves?

Too many to list - but they mostly center around a lack of consideration for others.

25.  What is the last thing that made you laugh?

This questionnaire. I laugh pretty easily.

Lacey at 14 - C'mon guys, I'm waiting...

So now I am supposed to tag others.
Please keep in mind that I will not be hurt or offended in any way if you don't want to play along.
It's just for fun, but if this isn't your thing, believe me, I get it.

Tag -

Beth @ ..."E." Lizardbreath Speaks
Davis @ Leave it to Davis
Debbie @ It's all about Purple

neither snow, nor rain...

The fence in the quad outside my office -

It always amazes me that no matter the weather,

there are always bikes locked to the fence outside my office.

Dedicated students?

And speaking of weather - apparently we are bracing for another storm this weekend.

This time - I guess I have to go to the grocery store.

Remember how I cleaned my kitchen on Monday?

- and tossed (and tossed and tossed)?

Ooops - I'd better go join my fellow New Englanders in the mad rush for milk and bread.

Have a great weekend!

Fridays Fences, Weekly Top Shot, Sundays in my City

little rural schoolhouses

Last week while trying to find the oldest building in Jamaica

we did something we rarely do

- took a leisurely stroll through town.
My plan was to give you a little mini-tour of Main Street
but - well - my photos -
HUGE disappointment.
Does that ever happen to you?

Anyway -

while researching this rural village, I became interested in the old village schoolhouses.
In the 1800s, there were 14 one-room schoolhouses scattered throughout the town of Jamaica.

Town Library

Now the public library, this building was once the Village School.
(but I'm not certain if this was one of the original schoolhouses)

The "new" Village school is just a short walk down the street.

And then
 several miles down the road in the little town of Bondville
Barb @ Live and Learn commented that she frequented this town library while living in Vermont
-once a one-room schoolhouse

I took these photos back in early January. This one is a real cutie.

I love the way these little rural towns have kept their historic schoolhouses in use..

So far, I've located two of the original one-room schoolhouses (possibly three).
And I have a feeling that Greg is just going to love my new project ;-)

Rurality Blog Hop, Walk and Click Wednesday

barn charm - green barn in the green mountains

Our vacation has ended

sigh...

and for this President's Day holiday,

I am at home cleaning

double sigh...

I am pretty excited about last weeks find, though.

A green barn - yahoo!!

I love this splash of green in the snowy landscape,
and the split-rail fence.

And how about this weather vane?

Okay, that's all the fun I have time for today.
On to Project Kitchen
I'm feeling a need to simplify.

 So, back to my tossing and cleaning and organizing...

and more tossing (and tossing and tossing)
Did I mention tossing?

I hope you all have a wonderful President's Day (Yeah America)!

my town shoot out - jamaica community church

I mentioned on Friday scouting out historic sites.

I was on a quest to find the oldest building in Jamaica, Vermont.

I asked around and did a little reading,

Then headed to where the earliest settlers built their cabins and a log schoolhouse.

What I didn't know was that these buildings are no longer standing.

Sigh

Apparently, Jamaica has had a bit of trouble with flooding over the years.

Soooooo

Back to the village.

This was the oldest building I could find.

This church was built in 1808 as a Congregational Church
Now called the Jamaica Community Church, I am not certain what denomination it is.

While doing a little research for this challenge, I discovered that this little Vermont town has an interesting past that I plan to explore a little deeper.
I think I am going to need some help from the historical society, though
and they are only open in the summer.

I am joining My Town Shoot Out, and Weekly Top Shot

Thanks for dropping in!

fridays fences

After finally digging out from the storm and Greg making it home,

we managed to get away for our week of planned vacation.

We only lost a couple days to the storm - oh well, such is life.

Anyway - I thought I had set up all my posts for the week

(no internet at Away)

but, well, I was wrong. 

So, this morning after a couple days of skiing and some snowshoe adventures,

these tired legs are taking a break at our favorite coffee shop

(yeah - coffee, conversation, and wifi!!)

This fence is somewhere near Landgrove, Vermont - last November.

It's a pretty typical post and rail in a very pretty park.

And then - because you know how I love to play -

I can't remember if I used sketch or colored pencil - but I kind of like it.

Today we're off to explore some (hopefully) historic sites of Vermont -

and a smoked meats shop that we pass every week but have never stopped in.

Curiosity has finally gotten the better of us.

Linking with Jan and Jer for Fridays Fences

Thanks for dropping in!

grow your blog - valentine's day

A very happy Valentines Day -

and many thanks to Nancy and Lisa for hosting this party!

If you don't know me already -

Hi, I'm Karen.

I'm a 50ish empty-nester

(I stopped counting a few years back and have no plans to start again anytime soon)
wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, aunt

I live with my husband, Greg, in the suburbs of Boston, work in the city, and spend most weekends in the green mountains of Vermont where we have a little getaway that we simply call

"Away"

Here our sign hangs as a gentle reminder to check your stress at the door.
(You can have it back when you leave - if you really want it.)

I enjoy far to many things to list - reading, cycling, most anything outdoors -
and toting my trusty Rebel (without a cause) to capture it all.

So - what do I blog about?
I'm pretty sure I had a purpose - at one time -
Yeah, that wasn't a lot of fun.

I guess I think of my blog as a photo journal.

I post mostly about our downtime at Away.
This is where I do the things I enjoy the most, and have the time to do them.
(And believe me, my weekday life - not so interesting)
Life moves just a bit slower here.

I also truly enjoy seeing what's going on in your corner of the world.
The connections I've made through blogging mean a lot to me.

So here's a little sample of what I post about:

There is a whole lot of quaint

A little bit of quinessential

I'm always on the lookout for quirky

The photogenic barns of Vermont are one of my favorite subjects.

Occasionally I'll share one of my crafty projects

It's all about kicking back

And then, sometimes I throw in just a dash of daily life

(it's what I do)

So - that's me in a nutshell.

I'd love to have you along for the ride - I usually follow back

Because - as I mentioned, the connections mean a lot to me.

Thanks for dropping in!

country roads

This one makes me want to sing a little John Denver.

Country roads, take me home...

This is from last November - it's covered with snow now.
But I'm thinking I'll be riding my bike here in the Spring.

I'm joining Rurality blog hop at The View from Right Here

Thanks for dropping in!

oh the weather outside...

Are you all tired of hearing about Nemo, already?

I've been fortunate, so far, in my little corner of suburbia.

No digging into the protein bars quite yet.

I'm taking advantage of this rare time at home to sort through photos,
do some much needed cleaning,
and watching chick-flicks with nearby-apartment-daughter.
Greg is still stuck in Europe
 - so here's hoping he can make it home tomorrow.

I hope everyone is staying safe and warm - I hear there are many without power.
Take care!

Thanks for dropping in!

calm before the storm

As New England braces for the storm,

I'm thankful to have a snow day today.

Because, take my word for it,

trying to get out of the city in bad weather - not so fun.

So this morning as everyone was running to the grocery store,

I ran out to Michaels for more yarn.

Besides, I never got that bread, milk, egg thing...

What - as the snow falls and the wind howls and power goes out,

all New England plans to eat uncooked french toast?

Not me - I'll be eating protein bars and crocheting by candlelight.

Anyway- 

I've been watching Friday's Fences for weeks, now, and would like to jump in.

As fences go, this one isn't much,

but I do really like the barnyard.

Have a great weekend!

Thanks for dropping in!

bartonsville bridge - rebuilt!!

I cannot tell you how excited I am!

A couple summers ago, Greg and I went out for a bike ride in picturesque Southern Vermont.

One of our favorite photo stops was the Bartonsville Covered Bridge.

Later that summer, when floods from Hurricane Irene devastated much of Vermont,

this beautiful bridge was swept right into the river.

Its demise was caught on a 20 second video that went viral on YouTube

You can watch it here

I remember when this happened, I felt the sadness you can hear in the woman's voice.

So, imagine my excitement when I heard the bridge had been rebuilt.
Last weekend, I had to go see for myself.

Not too shabby!

The view from inside - looking out at the river that swept it away.

It will be many years before the wood takes on the aged patina of the original bridge.

But, while much of Vermont still shows scars from Hurricane Irene,

the Bartonsville Bridge has been rebuilt!!

And while I'm on the topic of excited - I'm pretty excited about Madge's new blog hop:

And - normally I'd be pretty excited about the blizzard that's headed our way except Greg's in Europe on business, and I'm afraid he might get stuck there. And - I don't know how to start the snow blower. (yeah, that's one of the reasons Greg wants to move to a condo...) We can only hope for the best here Have a great weekend! Thanks for dropping in!

quiet weekend

It was a quiet weekend at Away -

Greg's shoulder is still recuperating from his last skiing mishap,

so it seemed like a good time to take our skis in for a good tuning.

Anyway - it's Monday - again

Another Superbowl has come and gone,

and although I lost interest during the power outage -

I know I have some family members (traitors that they are) who are feeling very happy today.

Sooooo - I'm wishing them a fond congratulations!

But I digress,

Monday is time for Barn Charm.

My find for this week is actually pretty large by Vermont standards.

It even has silos.

another handsome model.

Hey there, cutie!
I'm wishing you all a great week!

Thanks for dropping in!