February 27, 2013

All Is Quiet

I know everyone is posting pretty spring pictures on their blogs in anticipation of warmer weather and sunny skies, but I've learned (I'm actually still learning) not to rush time. It is still very much winter around here and like all of the seasons, I'm sorry when it leaves. For me, winter is a time to focus inward and enjoy being together indoors or out. Every Sunday, we play a few rounds of dominoes while sitting in front of the fire. We host movie nights when the sun goes down so we can still read in bed before going to sleep. We snuggle up on the sofa or park ourselves in various chairs under mountains of blankets. And, of course, we take our doggies for a walk in the woods. Although last weekend it was a hike with our neighbors across a frozen Nubanusit Lake that took us away from the woods and onto the ice with the fisherman. I wish I had pictures and video of the 3 dogs running back and forth and playing with each other. (I would also like to have a video of the domino game we played a week ago Sunday. We laughed so much it hurt.) Winter is a quiet time, but when we're sometimes stuck indoors it isn't very quiet at all. This is when the silliness really starts.

My daughters are on school break this week, so my husband and I have been taking abbreviated days to spend some time with them. They skied on Monday while I took photos, checked email, and made telephone calls from the lodge. We saw a movie late yesterday afternoon and still managed to enjoy dinner out afterward. (We were the loud, laughing people in the booth on the end if you were there.) The snow is falling as I type this, so today will be spent staying warm and cozy indoors until it's time to get a jump on the clean-up later this afternoon. The weathermen are not exactly sure when it will all stop, so we're going to guess and get an early start.

The only sounds I can hear right now are the scrape of the plow-bucket that just passed, the clink of a plate and mug, the hiss of the tea kettle. The girls have slept in for the first time this week and they're enjoying a leisurely morning.

February 20, 2013

Get Well Soon

My poor daughter is sick yet again with the stomach flu. Between schoolwork, college applications, and work, it's no wonder she was ripe for the picking once more. She caught it the first time during her internship at a daycare over Christmas break. Her entire school, and I'm hearing all over the country, people are suffering from all kinds of flu. And it's not letting up.

So I'm nursing her the best I can since it started as a regular cold and has now seized her stomach. When my youngest daughter, my husband, or I get sick, we'll do, drink, or eat just about anything to make it go away. My oldest daughter... not so much. But I'm trying. I prefer natural remedies over cold and flu medications which always seem (in my opinion) to make things worse and can sometimes have the adverse effect on each of us.

So, it's lots of tea (chamomile or mint to soothe the tummy, with honey to soothe the throat), lots of water (gulps of gallons of it with a cold, sips of as much as you can tolerate with a stomach ache), small meals, lots of rest, and a nice cool cloth for your head. Not only will it help bring down a fever, but it can also settle the stomach.

If you're suffering from a cold, try my not-so-tasty cold remedy:

Combine 1 tablespoon of raw honey, a 1/4 teaspoon of Cayenne pepper (or grated ginger) and a good squeeze of fresh lemon in a cup of hot water. It will help open up nasal passages and sweat the cold out. (And don't foget to use a Neti pot. It's a great way to relieve congestion and wash away germs!)

Here are some other remedies I've found for the stomach flu:
Image via http://www.eventlucky.com/?p=6562

February 12, 2013

Snow Days

Finally, a real snow storm. We haven't seen a storm like this in a couple of years. School was cancelled on Friday, as most were around the region, but the snow, although it fell from Friday morning until late Saturday afternoon, didn't really come down until the sun did Friday night. We watched the headlines across the TV news stations and guffawed once again. It wouldn't be the first time the weathermen were wrong. But... they got it right this time (sort of). 30" (My neighbor measured 32") of snow is a lot of snow to move around, so that's what we did most of the weekend. We started to dig out around 9:00 Saturday morning knowing full well it would take us hours just to make things passable. This was my attempt to at least get out of the house and let the dogs play.

Once we were out, we visited our neighbors to lend a hand. Okay, I came along for the ride while my dear husband did most of the work. (Have I mentioned how much I love my neighbors?) Although we did have blizzard-force winds at times, we didn't lose our power like our families did down in Massachusetts. Luckily, there was no property damage and the power was back on for most late Sunday night. 

We  have very long driveways here in the woods, so it takes quite a while to actually make it to the road. This is pass #2 up our neighbors drive.


This guy must have thought it was Christmas all over again. The snow was so light and fluffy that he disappeared after jumping out onto the porch. We couldn't keep him inside. He made so many tracks around the yard, it now looks like a racetrack. Cooper did his business after I cleared him a path and then it was back in the house for him, but Dante was born for this kind of weather. 

We did have a bit more clean-up to do on Sunday, but then my baby hit the slopes. The ride over to Crotched was beautiful and the slopes were packed. They do a wonderful job with snow-making, but nothing beats real powder. 

The only thing that would have made her smile even bigger was news that school had been cancelled again and the weekend was extended until Tuesday. But alas, New Hampshire knows how to move this stuff, and the people who live here know how to get around it, so it was back to school and work once Monday morning rolled around.

February 8, 2013

A Few Good Reads

 
Yesterday, my youngest daughter and I visited our local bookstore, The Toadstool, to check out what's new and simply enjoy being surrounded by thousands of books. We took notes, thumbed through pages, and added titles to our wish lists while we were there. 

We're quite lucky that we still have a local store whose crackerjack staff can answer your questions about any book or author even before you've finished asking. In addition to their stacks and stacks of new books, they have a used book section that my parents fell in love with when they were up for a visit this past summer. (Dad actually reads more than I do so he goes through books rather quickly. I think I counted 20-odd books at the register when we were checking out.) 

If that weren't enough, you can go sit down and have a cup of coffee, breakfast, or lunch at Aesop's Tables which is not so secretly tucked away in the corner of the store. (My students are quite familiar with this place.) During this trip, however, I picked up a copy of The American Heiress (it seems I'm headed back into my historical fiction phase once again), and when I was ready to leave, I noticed a table filled with books with a Downton Abbey theme. Oh boy. I came home and immediately looked up more and found a decent selection of books about the show, about Highclere Castle itself, and related books on the upstairs-downstairs way of life. 

I think I may have to go back in today for one last look around before getting snowed in.

February 7, 2013

Coffeehouse Treats

 
I was at my favorite coffeehouse not too long ago sipping my decaf cappuccino and admiring the view inside and out. There's just something about crowding into a toasty warm place brimming with conversation and the delicious aroma of brewed coffee that makes me oh so happy. Here are a few coffeehouse treats that you're sure to enjoy as the snow continues to fall here in New England over the weekend.

My oldest daughter and I share a love for eclairs, a favorite of mine since childhood. Sooo good with coffee. Enjoy!