see you in september

Oh wait - it is September
- my favorite month - and yet - where the heck did summer go?
Mine was a bit like a roller coaster ride - lots of ups and downs
- and I've been feeling a little bit dazed and a lot speechless.

One of the "ups" happened on a rainy day in July when Maggie and her friend, Greg,
 completed their hike of the Appalachian Trail.

Jubilation!

The clouds cleared just long enough for us to get a glimpse of Mt. Katahdin
and wonder where our hikers were...

We are so happy to have her home again!

And - she made it home in time for another summer highlight -

Laura and Jeff's engagement celebration.

the happy couple

This was one of many family celebrations in July which also included my mom's 80th birthday
 and my niece's (2nd from left) bridal shower.

Cousins

On another note - bird watching at Away is on hold until December.
As it turns out, this furry creature (caught more than once on our critter-cam) made his(her?)
way onto our deck.

Badbear

- and completely annihilated our bird feeders.

(Bad Bear!)

Okay -  we were warned - but seriously -

I never imagined he'd climb up to our second story deck!

Yeah - anyway - as much as I wish I had actually seen this happen

(how awesome would that have been?)

I probably shouldn't be inviting bears to picnics on our deck - 

so... we'll buy some new feeders after this stinker goes into hibernation - Bad Bear!

While I enjoy sharing our summer "ups", our "downs" aren't mine to share
 - but I surely would appreciate any kind thoughts, prayers, or well wishes you can send
for one of my family members.

Knowing that life isn't fair, sure doesn't make it hurt any less.

Thanks, so much.

And this has been my summer. 

I hope you've had a wonderful summer - I'd love to hear about your favorite summer memories

fences and ramblings

So - I think I have a case of blogger's block -

which started when work got crazy, and all I did in the evening was veg 

- and pin...

Yeah, pinning is kind of mindless

- like - Ooooo, pretty picture (pin)

Well - except for having to choose a board to pin it on

Oh yeah, hard work, that...

Anyway, work is back to normal :-)
and I'm still pinning lots and lots of pretty pictures -

and I have blogger's block

So - I did manage to break away from Pinterest long enough for a bike ride with Greg

rolling through the Vermont countryside

hills, barns, fences, marble...

did I mention hills? - Yeah, lots of hills...

And - what is up with Feedly?
I logged in one day and my app didn't work.
- Nothing -
And then, since I'm so very patient with all things technical,
I deleted it and said -
well, it doesn't matter what I said -
So anyway, now I'm trying to get my feed set up on Bloglovin'
and I'm so very sorry if I haven't visited you in a while.
I should probably find a chapter of Pinner's Anonymous,
and free up some time to figure out this bloggy stuff.

Whew - and that's all my rambling for today.

I am joining Theresa for Good Fences
Have a great afternoon!

serenity now!

Serenity now - remember that Seinfeld episode?

A couple of weeks ago, Greg and I visited Gale Meadows Pond

A deep breath and... 

 serenity

No need to shout it, here.

With any luck, we'll get our kayaks out this weekend.

It's a crazy time of year at work

-and I've been trying to get a jump on things so that I'll be able to take a few days off when 

the trail brings Maggie through Vermont sometime next month.

Appalachian Trail - Pennsylvania

I am sooooo looking forward to seeing her in person!

And - more exciting news in our family - our younger daughter in now engaged to her boyfriend of 6 years!

We're so happy for them and now look forward to wedding preparations - eeeek!

So - that's it for me - I suspect I'll continue to be a very sporadic blogger for the next few weeks

but hope to continue to visit you from time to time.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

Please join me at The Run*A*Round Ranch Report for more Good Fences

smiling about...

Do you ever get that feeling that you're always running behind?

I have a backlog of posts -

but work has been crazy - mostly in a good way -

and when I get home at night, the introvert in me just wants to sit and read a book

- and maybe play a little candy crush...

Anyway - I'd like to share a few random things that made me smile this week

My niece, Molly, receiving her college diploma from her dad - my brother-in-law, Jim

Way to go, Molly!
(I stole borrowed this photo from my sister-in-law's facebook - Thanks, Deb - please don't sue me)

We had beautiful weather this week, and I traded the cacophony of treadmills

for a serenade of bird chirps - and gobble-gobble-gobble

The latest pic from Maggie - back in the North!

Yeah - she's pretty excited about the availability of

Dunkies iced coffee

wcvb

I sound like a broken record when I mention how much I despise my daily commute -

but, thank you to the Mass DOT for putting a smile on my face yesterday morning.

And - yes, I always use my blinkah - but only at the last possible second, because -

every Bostonian knows, that a blinker is really a signal to the drivers in the other lane to quickly fill in the gaps to prevent your lane change...

Tulips!! :-)

So - today is Mommy-daughter day with my youngest, and tomorrow I look forward to an afternoon with my Mom and sister and the MFA in Boston.

And - that's my week in a nutshell.

What has you smiling this week?

I'd like to wish a very happy Mother's day to all

mothers, aunts, and caregivers!!

random five - those blogging moments

As bloggers, we recognize that there are probably as many reasons to blog as there are bloggers.

Some blog about a topic they're passionate about, some are building their blog to become a source of income, and some have no real clue why the heck they're blogging.

I bet you can guess which category I fit into...

and when life gets hectic - as it often does - I think to myself

"time to throw in the towel"

but then - I remember those blogging moments.

We all have them - the things that keep us going.

Here are a few of mine

That moment when I got my first comment that wasn't from a family member.

Remember that rush?

That moment when someone I didn't know was following me, mentioned 

something in conversation that they only would have known from reading my blog.

- And that shy smile that follows with the comment "I love your blog, I check my feed every day"

That moment when it dawned on me that a blogger I had been following is following me back.

That moment that I realized that within the huge world of blogs,

there are friendly little neighborhoods of bloggers.

That moment when I found myself thinking about other bloggers as friends.

I hope she had nice weather for her son's wedding...

I wonder if her daughter had her baby...

I hope he has fun on his camping trip this weekend...

I hope his move goes well...

I wonder why she hasn't posted in a while - I hope she's well...

So - those are five of the aha moments that keep me from giving it up.

How about you? I'd love to hear your memorable aha blogging moments!

(Oh yeah, the photos have absolutely nothing to do with anything - they are from last month

 - Grafton, Vermont - a truly quaint little village!)

random favs

I'm running a little late this week...

which get's me thinking - I'm just not very good at keeping schedules -

well, other than my regular alarm-gym-shower-work-home-dinner-sleep schedule

you know, the one that rules most of my life...

-and this probably explains my aversion to them.

Anyway ,

on a more positive note - how about a few random favorites?

 - old train depots

I found this one in Chester, Vermont.

When I see an old train depot, my mind fills with images of excited greetings, teary farewells, waiting, 

 the promise of adventure...

Lazy Saturday mornings - a warm cup of coffee, watching the birds outside my window, 

catching up on my blog reading and pinterest boards.

Warm summer evenings - a glass of wine, an Adirondack chair, dinner on the grill

Farmer's markets - can't wait!

Outdoor adventure - snowshoeing in the peaceful forest, kayaking, cycling, hiking...

Snowy winter days - curled up with a book near a roaring fire

How about you - I'd love to hear what some of your favorite things are!

random 5 - going mobile

I'm always saying or thinking "I should try this" or "I should learn that"... So this week I'm tackling "I should learn how to mobile blog." All words, photos and editing done on my iPhone.

And - It's Friday - so time for a little randomness with Nancy

1) wow- my iPhone has a camera! - not that I ever use it - it mostly leaves me thinking that I need stronger glasses. But we had a good time clowning around - and the Waterlogue app is fun!

2) Last week I ran across an old quote from Steve Jobs  - 

"for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?' and whenever the answer has been 'no' for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something..."

Hmmmm

3) the blogging world never stops surprising me. Two weeks ago when I posted about Maggie's adventure on the AT, one of my blog friends (thank you Dorothy) contacted one of her blog friends who also has a daughter on the trail. Imagine my surprise when I was texted a photo of the two of them together!

4) we've adopted Maggie's cat, Johnny Bananas, for the next few months. The little pest prefers to drink straight from the faucet. - and then there's his need for adoration at 4am...

5) for family and friends following Maggie's adventures - she sent me this photo earlier this week from somewhere in North Carolina. Can't argue with that scenery!

That's it for me this week - and I won't even preview this post on the computer (the control freak in me is cringing!) let's hope it's not a garbled mess!

How about you - do you use a smartphone for photos, blogging - everything / nothing?

As always, I wish you a wonderful weekend!

Update - partial fail on the mobile blogging - my links didn't take. Should be all set now.

random five from a random week

Happy Friday - and you know what that means

- time for some randomness at A Rural Journal

:-)

1) Fortunately for Appalachian Trail thru-hikers, this spot at the top of Bromley mountain will be much prettier (and warmer) when they start hiking through in July and August.

2) I made it through week #1 of this whole Appalachian Trail shin-dig.

Whew - this worrying thing is pretty darned tiring!

Maggie's latest text from somewhere in Georgia - "I'm having an amazing time"

That's good - right?

3) Completely random -

Everything is better with peanut butter...

Just putting it out there

4) Right now, I'm reading Wally Lamb's latest - We Are Water

I'm enjoying it so far - and am always looking for suggestions.

Have you read anything awesome lately?

5) So... Yeah... Candy Crush...

As if I needed one more thing to completely suck up my time.

Anyone else addicted to this incredibly obnoxious game?

I'm going on a Candy Crush detox...

I wish you all a wonderful weekend!

random 5 friday - random vacation thoughts

Happy Friday -

and a very happy birthday to my sister!

 it's time to join Nancy over at A Rural Journal for a little randomness

1) We were fortunate to begin our winter vacation with our daughters, Maggie and Laura.

Hiking the Overlook Trail  in a couple feet of snow was probably not one of my brighter ideas,

but we were pretty happy to have made it to the top.

2) Warming up between runs with a cup of hot chocolate,

Greg and I noticed a group of snowboarders taking photos of this snowboard hanging in the tavern at Bromley Mountain. Apparently an underdog - Alex, who grew up in Vermont, won Bronze in Sochi.

3) Turns out there were 16 Vermonters participating in the Sochi Olympics. 

This little state sure is proud of all their olympians!

4) Normally at this time I'd be feeling a little bummed out that vacation is coming to an end.

But not so fast - we are so lucky to have one of our very favorite couples joining us for the weekend!

:-)

5) Earlier this week, we got a call from our oldest daughter, Maggie -

letting us know she is headed to Georgia (today) a week earlier than planned to begin a through hike

of the Appalachian Trail.

This worried mom surely would appreciate all your prayers and well-wishes for her safety and well-being as she spends the next few months in the woods (eeek!!)

That's it for me - I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

random 5 friday - buried

buried...

in snow...

Yep - it's February in Vermont -

Which is okay with me.

Because - you know, it's kind of hard to ski and snowshoe without the snow.

The other night after a stressful and s-l-o-w drive home from work, I walked in the door asking-

"So, did you buy the winning lottery ticket today?"

Greg: "No, but I ordered a winning dinner."

Me: shrug  "Yeah, okay, that's almost as good."

-because - having a husband who understands when that whole cooking dinner thing is just not happening,

is kind of like winning the lottery.

This week I've been drinking Jillian Michael's detox water.

I'm really  not sure what it's for - 

or why I'm drinking it - I saw it on Pinterest and thought-

Yeah, okay, why not?

I'll let you know next week when I'm feeling fabulous

Although - that's likely to have nothing to do with the water -

next week I will be on vacation :-)

and not a moment to soon -

All week I've had this song playing through my mind

"We've got to get out of this place" the Animals

Yep, it's an oldie, but I can't get it out of my head

Have a wonderful week!

a snowy village of good random fun

good - random - fun

Well you all know the saying -

when life gives you snow...

make snowmen!

(or is that lemons?)
My random sighting for the week - this gathering of snow people.

Is there a party going on, here?

And since we had lots of snow last week - (and I mean lots)
we decided to head out to the forest for a little snowshoeing fun.

Greg and Maggie (formerly Chicago-daughter) are blazing a trail for me
while I lag behind shooting photos.
This turned out to be an unexpectedly good work out!

So that's my week in a nutshell.
I am joining Tamar at Random-osity for some good, random fun.

random five and my little chickadees

It all started when I began to wonder what kind of birds

I heard singing in the forest.

- and then, these little chickadees stole my heart -

Now, I think I'm feeding every bird on our side of the mountain -

So - it's Friday, and you know what that means -
Time to join Nancy at A Rural Journal for Random 5 Friday

1) I enjoy talking to my chickadees as I fill their feeders. My kids are worried that I'm turning into
 a nutty bird-lady -
but I'm okay with that.

2) We had an unexpected snow day this week - and I got so much accomplished around the house.
I kind of wish I could have one every week - snow and all...

3) Since learning about the closing of my favorite coffee shop, I am having dreams of chucking my city life and running a small village coffee shop.
Yep - crazy, crazy dreams.

4) I found my old point-and-shoot in a cabinet while cleaning, and thought,
"gee, you're so cute and small. I really need to start taking you everywhere I go - like I used to"

5) Yeah - sometimes I talk to inanimate objects.
Maybe my kids should stop worrying about me becoming a nutty bird-lady -
and just plain worry
:-)

Have a wonderful weekend!

hello again!

Hello, again!

I never really intended for my break to last this long

- which got me thinking about the "break" I took from Facebook more than a year ago...

- and returning to my blog was beginning to feel like Now or Never

Well then, Now it is (for blogging, anyway - Facebook, yeah, probably not)

All is well.

I wish I could say that I accomplished something fantastic or amazing during my time away,

but - well - I can't

(and I didn't)

So - to get back into the swing of things, I am joining Nancy at A Rural Journal for a little random fun.

1) First off - thanks so much to those of you who sent me messages during my break! I can't begin to tell you how much it means to me. You're the reason that "never" won't work for me!

I missed you!

2) Chicago-daughter moved back to Boston over the holidays.

Definitely not hating that!

:-)

3) My switch to public transportation did not go well.

- abhor, detest, despise, lothe...

- all accurate words to describe the way I felt about my daily

hurry-up-and-wait, freezing-suffocating, squashed, noisy, motion-sickness experience that took me to and from work each day. Time to rejoin the crowded highway.

4) I love winter

- but I'm glad it's not any longer than it is -

5) The other day I was on Pinterest and actually thought "ho hum..."

What?!?!?!?!

That's it for me this week - have a wonderful weekend!

random five - one of those days...

Happy Friday!

So - I stayed up too late last night reading Help for the Haunted.

You know how it is when you get to a point in a book where you know there's too much left to finish at a reasonable time, but you can't put it down?

Yeah - I knew I was setting myself up for one of those bleary-eyed days...

Anyway - rushing out my door at the last possible moment and feeling dazed,

as I'm walking to my bus, I'm pondering whether I have anything on my Kindle to read on the subway.

Probably, I'm thinking, as I realize I'm not wearing my glasses.

Yep, it's going to be one of those days...

Still rushing to make my bus, I look down at my black pants, black shoes, black sweater and -

wait, am I wearing navy socks? Bleary-eyed and all, yep, they're navy.

Ugh - it's going to be one of those days...

Soooo, sitting on the subway - feeling bored - and contemplating my navy socks, as well as the footwear of everyone else on the subway - I'm thinking that I'm kind of glad that winter is coming. I am tired of looking at flip flops.

(I know, I really should have something to read while I'm on the subway...)

Bored with the whole footwear thing - I jumped off the subway a couple of stops early, picked up an iced coffee and enjoyed walking the rest of the way to work through the park.

I've decided it's going to be one of those days.

:-)

For more random fun, hop on over to A Rural Journal for 

Random 5 Friday

Have a great weekend!

complete randomness

Happy Friday!

It's time to join Nancy for a little randomness.

1) I was going to post this photo for 52 photos project "light and dark" 

but then, like usual, I was running late -

 and when I saw all the awesome photos of full moons, city lights, shadows and sun...

 - well, there's a teensy possibility that not everyone appreciates my sense of humor.

But hey, light and dark cows - what's not to love - right?

2) I've come to realize that I'm pretty terrible with most social medias -

yeah, whatever...

3) I think I'm going to try to make soap. Since I'm a bit of a skin care fanatic - it amazes me that I haven't thought of this before.

4) I finally got some business cards printed - it only took me about 5 months.

Yeah - I tend to over-think things...

5) I'm listening to an audio book by an author that Chicago-daughter describes as a "guilty pleasure" 

- she was an English lit major, so you can translate that to mean "major fluff"

Yep, it's pretty terrible - and yet - I can't wait to listen for what happens next...

So that's all for me - have a wonderful weekend!

random five - why 50 is nifty

My birthday is Monday, and I'm going to be 50 - again.

I know, most people would probably stay 49, but I'm good with 50.

I kind of wear it like a badge of honor. 

But that's it - I'm staying 50 for the indefinite future.

Besides - staying 50 means not having to do that math in the head thing whenever I try to remember my age.

Anyway -

for this week's random 5, I'm sharing 5 reasons why 50 is nifty.

1) The 20s were all about starting out - finding our way in the world, the 30s were all about the kids,

 the 40s were all about the teens (ugh) - 

so now the 50s get to be about me. 

I've reached a point in my life where I'm pretty comfortable just being me.

2) I've never had much style - and now I really don't care. 

When I'm not looking my best, a baseball cap and sunglasses do the trick.

3) I no longer ask myself what I want to be when I grow up.

Yep - I finally figured it out - retired!

4) I'm still young enough to think of myself as still being young enough -

right?

5) I now understand that there are a whole lot of things that I can't control and 

I've gained the serenity to accept that - well, mostly

(okay, yeah, maybe the rest comes at 60)

That's it for me this week. We're headed to the Weston Playhouse to 

see (a small stage production of) 42nd Street!

Have a wonderful weekend!

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

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!