Grown-up Christmas List

Well, it's that time of year again. Neil Kramer at Citizen of the Month is hosting his Third Annual Blogger Christmahanukwanzaakah Online Holiday Concert.

My friend Vinny participated the first year (a stunning rendition of O Holy Night), then last year I composed a new song entitled Vermont Snow for the occasion. This year, I wanted to sing a song that spoke to my hopes for the many people in my life, and around the world. I recorded Grown-up Christmas List, with some help from GarageBand, and MrMaple's audio gear and kind guidance.

Here is just the audio file, if you prefer it to the above video, and the lyrics are below.

Grown-Up Christmas List

Music by David Foster
Lyrics by Linda Thompson

Do you remember me
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you with childhood fantasies

Well, I'm all grown up now
Can you still help somehow
I'm not a child but my heart still can dream

So here's my lifelong wish
My grown-up Christmas list
Not for myself, but for a world in need

No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
Every man would have a friend
That right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown-up Christmas list

What is this illusion called
The innocence of youth
Maybe only in their blind belief
Can we ever find the truth

No more lives torn apart
And wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
Every man would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown-up Christmas list

This is my only lifelong wish
This is my grown-up Christmas list

Sorry for the unforgiving midi accompaniment (I practiced the accompaniment on the piano, but those key changes did me in!), but hopefully the wonderful images, used through Creative Commons licensure, will make up for it. Image attributions as follows:

margotta
Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton
Personal photo: Me with Santa (really my Dad), 1971
Personal photo: My son with Santa, 2005
bass_nroll
NuageDeNuit
mdumlao98
carf
I'mBatman
gocyclones
Cayusa
Nite_Owl
hdptcar
Tim Green aka atoach
daveblume
mdumlao98
Personal photo: Husband and I practicing our wedding dance, 2002
Studio 60 and the Sunset Strip: The Christmas Show. Not used with permission.
Personal Photo: Our son marveling at his reflection, 2006
Personal Photo: Our son's 1st Christmas, 2005
TIO... is taking a holiday break...
jeff.snodgrass
danny.hammontree
Celestial Photography
Clonny
vonbergen.net
Jayel Aheram
Sir Mervs
®oberto's
Capt. Tim
Personal photo: Our son and I the day after his birth, 2005
Rubink1
carf
Personal photo: Wreath at the entrance to our driveway 2006
cenz

Thank you, Neil, for organizing this online event yet again. Happy Hanukkah to you!

Happy Holidays one and all, and may peace be yours this New Year.

PS - Here's my back-up song, In the Bleak Mid Winter.

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Highlights of Hinesburg, Vermont;s July 4th Parade. Best wishes everyone for a wonderful holiday weekend!

Happy New Year!

May 2008 bring you and yours peace,
health and happiness.
Best wishes from the "Maples" for
a wonderful new year!

A big thanks, and cc2.0a-nc-sa attributions, to the following image contributors
to my mosaic: Leo Reynold, raybob, El Ramon, marie-ll, Claudecf, mag3737 , and cenz.

Holiday Music

Just a heads up that iTunes is offering 2 FABULOUS free holiday tunes this week:

Ding Dong Merrily on High
sung by Chanticleer from their album "Let it Snow"

and

The Hallelujah chorus
from Handel's "Messiah"
performed by the London Symphony Orchestra
--Sir Colin Davis conductor--with the Tenebrae Choir

As an added bonus, the Messiah recording is from an iTunes plus album. This song features higher-quality, 256-Kbps AAC encoding — twice the standard bit rate — and no DRM (digital rights management) so you can make as many copies as you like.

iTunes does offer free downloads every Tuesday: so for those of you on Windows and Mac who get your music (or TV episodes, audiobooks, etc.) elsewhere, it still can be a viable option to download some new music for free. Do be aware, however, that iTunes registration will likely require you to include payment information, even if you never use it.

Lastly - my holiday song, Vermont Snow, is still available for download and viewing, and do check out Digital Father's new original work, Please Wait Up. And of course, don't forget to stop by the Christmahanukwanzaakah concert, which will be rebroadcast (with new additions) on 12/25.

Happy Holidays everyone!

cc2.0 image credit: Johann C Rochall

2007 Blogger Christmahanukwanzaakah Online Holiday Concert

Hook your laptop up to your best speakers,
put another log on the fire,
grab a mug of hot chocolate,
and settle in for some wonderful music from the...

2007 Blogger Christmahanukwanzaakah
Online Holiday Concert!

Despite having my annual "Christmas Crud" and the questionable events that transpired after last year's event, I decided to get my act together and submit a song to the 2nd annual Concert. I missed the deadline last year, (although Digital Father submitted a moving rendition of O Holy Night) but with much inspirational, technical and motivational support from MrMaple, I not only recorded a song, but composed a new work for the occasion: Vermont Snow.

You can listen to the audio here (mp3)

The text was inspired by the frosty view, out our front window, during the height of the snow storm last Monday morning.

Weary pine branches
laden with clouds of
fresh fallen silence.
Snow on the ground...

twirls in wind's whispering
breath, frosty sweet.
Tracks show the path
of a young deer's retreat.

Air thick with firelight's
woodsy perfume, and
nights linger long for
sun's warmth to resume...

its low golden arc
o'er green mountains, now white.
Hope dawns from eastern
skies at first light.

Traveling on snowflakes,
unique, as they fall
weaving white blankets
of Peace for us all.

In the spirit of the concert, I am performing all parts--voice(s), piano, and the midi flute--even if it is through the keyboard. Although the raspiness and large, frequent breaths are due to the crud, imagine my smoky voice comes from that "firelight's woodsy perfume."


I've additionally created the below music video for your viewing pleasure:



The photos were all taken on our six acres in Vermont early last week, with the exception of the following 5 images, from flickr, used through cc2.0 with attribution. I would like to thank these talented photographers for capturing some inspiring images.

Jan Tik | VTDarkStar | paulmoody (2) | jurek d.

Lastly, I need to send an
enormous shout-out to Neil Kramer
for his organization of this annual concert.
As bloggers, we share our words and thoughts on a daily basis,
but through this outpouring of talent and spirit, we are truly sharing ourselves.
Thank you, neilochka.

PS - Concert Participant button courtesy of Vanessa Lee Hamlen at The Butterfly Blog.

Sign of the Times

Depending on the route I take to work, I can pass by this farm.
When passing by yesterday, I realized it was eerily quiet.

We're all "saps" this time of year!

During late March and early April, you can't drive down a Vermont back road without the sweet and steamy aroma of boiling maple sap wafting in from a nearby sugarhouse. So I thought it timely to share some links to Maple recipes.

• Vermont Maple Sugar Makers' Association
• Vermont Public Radio (scroll down a bit)
• Vermonter.com
• RuralVermont's recipes from southern VT Inns
• Carman Brook Maple and Dairy Farm
• Pieces of Vermont Grade B recipes

And thanks to a soon-to-be-gone jar of fresh Maple Cream from our friends at Howling Hound Homemade, miniMaple's recommended recipe is a thin layer of maple cream spread on a blueberry Eggo waffle. A two year old, with sweet maple cream, on a waffle... a WHOLE new meaning to "Le'go my Eggo!"

1st image: "Sugaring" Oil Painting by Michael McGovern, courtesy of woodstockvt.com

2nd image: GRUPPE, Emile; American (1896-1978); "Maple Sugaring, Vermont"; Oil on Canvas, 1952; courtesy of clarkegalleries.com

Keep Your Distance

We awoke this morning to a gentle dusting of beautiful snow.By the time I had showered and dressed, 45 minutes later, the visibility was almost zero and we had over 2 inches on the ground.

I turned off my overdrive, and started the slow descent down the hill where we live, and was stopped by traffic half way down. There was a 4-car pile up at the intersection at the bottom of the hill. After waiting 15 minutes, I proceeded to the intersection and turned right to drive past the high school. There, I saw 3 cars off the road, where students had obviously tried to stop, but had to swerve into the ditch. When I went to turn onto the state road, traffic was backed up for over a mile through our little village.

So, I braced myself for a long commute to work. My commute is usually 35-40 minutes in good weather and close to 1.5 hours in bad snow. But 5 miles down the road, as I crossed the town line, the snow vanished, the sun came out and there was barely a dusting on the trees. It was like I had traveled through some sort of weather warp.

The rest of my drive was a breeze, but it got me thinking about students and winter driving. How telling that the accidents I passed were all around the high school where there is a large population of inexperienced drivers. So here are my personal tips for winter driving…

• Keep your distance. Even if you are an experienced driver and can stop on a dime, that doesn’t mean the drivers around you are as confident. For newbies and pros alike, the best thing you can do, is give yourself plenty of room.
• Take your time. Leave early, and don’t rush on the roads.
• Consider a lower gear. Even if you drive an automatic like me, you can downshift or switch off overdrive to give you more control.
• Remember - bridges and overpasses freeze first.
• Know your vehicle. Do you have on summer or winter tires? Do you have ABS brakes? Do you have traction control or other assistive tools? Do you have rear wheel drive? All of these things greatly impact your car’s ability to maintain its course and stop when warranted.
• “Four-wheel drive does not mean four-wheel stop.” Don’t get too cocky just because you have all- or 4-wheel drive. It is not going to help you if you’re tailgating someone who loses control or if you hit a patch of black ice. Safe winter driving practices apply to you, too. (Quote is courtesy of The Contessa.)
• Keep your car’s maintenance up to date. See Car Talk’s official winter checklist.
  
• Washer fluid. Sounds like a crazy one – but you go through a ton of it keeping the slush and dirt (kicked up by the inevitable truck in front of you) off your windshield. And then there’s the times your washer jets are completely frozen – you can at least splash the fluid on your windshield occasionally.
• Pack a winter kit. In case you go off the road or are stranded for a while, consider a small shovel, snow brush, jumper cables, a little road salt or sand (or kitty litter!), hat/gloves/boots, reflective flag or tape (to tie to your antenna – so your car can be visible if covered in snow), a blanket, and a charged cell phone – to name a few.

Here’s a great Canadian list of winter driving recommendations – and they should know, eh?

By the way – with the 15 minute delay at home, I still made it to work in under an hour. As they say in Vermont, "If you don’t like the weather, just wait 5 minutes."

Photo courtesy of Irdim.

Happy New Year 2007!

As my family slept peacefully, I watched Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve for the first time in several years. MrMaple and I generally perform in local First Night celebrations, but found ourselves having a quiet family night a home this year.

I apparently fell off the planet 2 years ago, because I somehow missed the news that Dick Clark had suffered a stroke. I must applaud his courage and professionalism for returning to the Rockin' Eve. It was great to see him in his element, and realize he still is "America's Oldest Teenager."

But as I lay on the sofa, watching the festivities in Times Square, and admiring our enormous Christmas Tree, I started thinking about resolutions. So here goes, in no particular order...

1. Continue Weight Loss. If the scale at home is right, I've lost another 2 lbs. over the holidays, bringing my total to 17 pounds.
   
2. Continue to strive for Family/Work Balance. This includes finding separate couple, parent and family times. I know this will be an everlasting goal - but worth mentioning here!
3. Get on a Sleep Schedule. I sleep erratically and struggle often with insomnia. I've been known to fall asleep sitting upright at my desk at work while sitting in front of my computer.
   
4. Find Time for Music. I would like to start doing something musically again - even if it is simply taking 10 minutes at work to play piano in one of the practice rooms next to my office.
5. Organize more time with Friends. This is two part - since we also need to find some local babysitters to make this successful.
6. Be a Better Blogger. I need to revisit my goal of a post every 3 days. And work on more thoughtful content. And read and comment on a more diverse group of blogs.
   

That's all I can think of at this late hour, so I guess I should really start working on these by addressing #3 above and hitting the hay.

I hope you had a lovely New Year's celebration and I wish you health, peace and happiness in 2007.

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams

Merry Christmahanukwanzaakah!

If you haven't done so already, be sure to check out The 2006 Blogger Christmahanukwanzaakah Online Holiday Concert, on Citizen of the Month's website. It is a collection of holiday carols and photos submitted by bloggers like you. A wonderful event I hope to get my act together for next year.

Digital Father did a stunning rendition of "O Holy Night" that you shouldn't miss. He also took the time to record his daughter's favorite bedtime stories, and send them to MiniMaple as a Christmas present. How sweet is that?! Bernie - I am so blessed and proud to call you a friend. Best wishes on the 20 or so Christmas masses you're singing in this week!

Let's check in on my other blogging friends...

The Contessa took the time to do some quality reflecting, something all of us should do this time of year. Also, make sure you read her post about singing in the Andy Williams Christmas Show. I'm so very proud of you, and so miss the days you were my roomie!

My cousin Eamon and family have all been battling illnesses this holiday season. Cous - I hope you, Rachel and Caley feel better soon! And here's to having the holiday off from work!

Sierra, you know I loev you, even if your THREE jobs keeps you from posting very often! I look forward to our traditional January Christmas!

For a "different world" experience, read about my former student - turned Peace Corps volunteer - Nora's holiday experiences in Kazakhstan. Nora - you still amaze me from a world away. Hristos Razdajetsja or Rozdjestvom Hristovim, whichever the case may be!

Minor Revisions has added a holiday "Blitzen" accompaniment to her "plan". Katie - I'll sign on to eating those cookies in moderation with you! Have a lovely holiday!

Kris might be Writing in the Mountains, but even at her altitude, she is hoping just as much as I am for a white Christmas. Here's hoping you, The Girl, and all of us Vermonters get a little of the white stuff.

The letter "H" is brought to you by Repressed Librarian this season - and I'm adding number 10 to her list...Happy Holidays!

We Maples will be celebrating 6 Christmases this season - one with my grandparents, 1 with my Mom, 1 with my Dad & Stepmom, 1 with MrMaples' family, 1 with Sierra in January, and we hope to squeeze one in around our own 10' tree, too.

But before all of that craziness begins, I wanted to take a moment to express how much I have appreciated the opportunity to reconnect with dear family and friends, plus make some wonderful new acquaintances through blogging.

Peace to you and yours this holiday season.

Touch the Winter Sky

"O lift your little pinkie,
and touch the winter sky.
Love's all over the mountains
where the beautiful go to die."

The quoted text above is the chorus from Benjamin Britten's A Shepherd's Carol, text by W. H. Auden. I was introduced to this carol by Robert DeCormier over 12 years ago, and it remains one of my favorite seasonal verses. Britten's a cappella arrangement is quite haunting and lovely, and you can listen to a sample of The Sixteen perform this stunning chorus on iTunes.

The pictures are from various locations on our property after the snowfall we had on Thursday 12/7. All of this completely melted away in the balmy temps that followed. I know it sounds corny, but I am dreaming of a white Christmas...

No Two Snowflakes are alike

The adjacent snowflakes were created by yours truly on this website, emailed to me by an old college friend. The more snowflakes created, the more money they will donate to the Salvation Army. It is fun and quite addictive - so try creating some yourself!

I took some lovely photos from our snowfall last week, which I had hoped to post this week, but they will need to wait until I find my USB/SD Card reader. So until then, let me direct you to a website regarding Vermont's famous Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley.

Snowflake Bentley (1865-1931) of Jericho, Vermont, pioneered the area of photomicrography, most notably his extensive work with snow crystals (a.k.a. snowflakes). By adapting a microscope to a bellows camera, he became the first person to photograph a single snow crystal in 1885. He would go on to capture more than 5000 snowflakes (samples here) during his lifetime, not finding any two alike.

There are some great resources for teaching children about Bentley and snowflakes through Jacqueline Briggs Martin's book, Snowflake Bentley (illustrated by Vermont's own Mary Azarian) and the Maine Association of School Libraries website.

"Under the microscope, I found that snowflakes were miracles of beauty; and it seemed a shame that this beauty should not be seen and appreciated by others. Every crystal was a masterpiece of design and no one design was ever repeated., When a snowflake melted, that design was forever lost. Just that much beauty was gone, without leaving any record behind."

- Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley, 1925

Please note: Images are public domain, but courtesy of http://www.snowflakebentley.com/ for non-commercial purposes.

Update: You can even make some ice cream-inspired paper snowflakes, thanks to Ben & Jerry's.

Studio 60 and the Christmas Crud

Just when I thought we Maples were getting over the Christmas Crud, MiniMaple hasn't been able to keep anything down for 2 days. As much as I hate seeing Mini so ill, there has been something peaceful about the family laying around in front of the wood fire; getting up only to change linens, and our only concern being each other.

Begin home has also given us a chance to catch up on our ever-accumulating Tivo playlist. I particularly enjoyed the Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip 12/04/06 episode #111: "The Christmas Show". I completely share Bernie and everyone else's raves for this program. It soothes my West Wing withdrawal, I love the cast, and something has to be said for a show that makes me truly think, wholeheartedly laugh, and inevitably cry - all in the span of 60 minutes.

"The Christmas Show" featured a subplot about network musicians calling in sick and arranging subs that were displaced New Orleans musicians needing a little money and the chance to get a union card. The brass arrangement, by W.G. "Snuffy" Walden, of O Holy Night played on the show - aside from choking me up - was absolutely stunning, and luckily for all of us is available for download at NBC and purportedly at iTunes, soon. You can read more about the young trumpeter Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews (he is a multi-instrumentalist) and other members of the band here.

It was more than just a storyline, however, as the ensemble were true New Orleans musicians, organized by Tipitina's Foundation. According to their website: "The Tipitina's Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has worked diligently to uplift the music community of New Orleans. After Hurricane Katrina devastated the city, the Foundation responded by rebuilding New Orleans' music culture. Initially, the Foundation addressed the immediate needs of our exiled musicians and allowed them to carry on with their lives. Now the foundation is using the legendary music club, Tipitina's Uptown, as the center of its relief efforts by hosting a newly-opened Music Co-op Office that allows musicians to conduct their business activities during the daytime, free legal and accounting seminars, free music lessons for music students, regular Master Seminars, and help with housing information. An important aspect of the rebuilding process has involved finding replacement instruments for both professionals and music students alike. So far the foundation has given away over $500,000 of new instruments. Through these efforts, the Tipitina's Foundation is saving the musical traditions of New Orleans."

If you missed "The Christmas Show", don't worry. NBC is airing an "encore presentation" (when did we stop calling a rerun a rerun?) on 12/18, and you can always view the entire episode online. Thank you to Thomas Schlamme, Aaron Sorkin, Snuffy Walden, the Studio 60 cast, Tipitina's Foundation, and most especially, the musicians (listed below) for adding a little extra magic to our holiday season. Bravo!

Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, Trumpet
Kirk Joseph, Sousaphone
Roderick Paulin, Saxophone
Frederick Shepherd, Saxophone
Stephen Walker, Trombone
Mervin "Kid Merv" Campbell, Trumpet
Bob French, Drums

DO have a cow!

It is that time of year again. That time of year when I pull my hair out searching for the PERFECT gift for family and friends.

Upon having my son, however, I had a new outlook on the holidays, and really wanted to give items that would somehow make a difference in our world.

So last year - we gave all of our family members and my co-workers each a share in a pair of sheep for Heifer International and a handmade VT sheep ornament to celebrate their renewable gift each holiday. They were very well received, and I hope to find a similar gift this year.

Dan Zanes has created a YouTube video for Heifer Int'l. about holiday giving - plus you can buy the song, "Holiday Time In Brooklyn" on iTunes - and all the profits go to Heifer.

I also found some lovely presents at GreaterGood.com which I highly recommend. So here's to giving gifts that keep on giving!

Giving Thanks

This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for so very much...

• My loving husband and beautiful son
• Our warm and cozy home
• My mother, for her love and generosity
• My grandparents, for their relative health , and traveling all the way to our new home
• My uncle, for being the calming presence in our family
• MrMaple's Mom, for braving my family and spending the holiday with us
• My first turkey and all the fixings (which I believe was a COMPLETE success!)
• The BOUNTY of food (despite my implicit instructions otherwise!)
  
• My will to eat yesterday in moderation (I've lost 11 lbs. this month)
• An interesting job in arts and education
  
• The beauty and wonder of Vermont
• The new democratic majority
• Sunshine and bright blue skies
• Living in a free society

And lastly, thank you my friends and readers, for sharing this journey with me, and I hope you each had a lovely Thanksgiving.

Butterball Hotline

One of my favorite West Wing moments was when President Bartlett called the Butterball Hotline (1-800-Butterball) to ask a question about stuffing in the turkey. (Episode: Indians in the Lobby)

Well, as I prepare to make my first major, family Thanks- giving dinner, I might just have to give them a call myself. Don't fear, however, Butterball also has a whole Holiday Cooking Guide online and even a Turkey Podcast!

I will be posting my whole holiday menu on my other blog if you want to cook along. The first recipe, Spicy Cranberry Chutney, is already up there. It's a great treat, especially as a spread on those leftover-turkey sandwiches.

Guests will include Mr. & MiniMaple, of course, my Mom, uncle and grandparents, Mr.Maple's Mom, plus possibly Sierra. If only I could make a wish on the drumstick BEFORE cooking the bird!

Photo by tallmariah

Election Day 2006

I am ready for this election to be over. I'm tired of the ads on TV and radio, the unsolicited mailings and PHONE calls , and most of all the lawn signs.

I don't know if these signs are strictly a Northeastern thing, but they are everywhere! I took some pics of a lawn full of them recently. (If you can't read it - the large sign says, "WANTED George W. Bush, international terrorist, for crimes against humanity.)


Anyhow - I'd like to see a change in Washington, but I'm not going to preach about who you should vote for. There are so many people around the globe who are dying each day for the basic right to a voice in their government. We can show them that the process DOES work and is worth the fight. Just get out there and VOTE!

And lastly - a shout out to Vermont's current legislators for work well done!
.

Snow and Job Security

OK - it would appear that snow and job security don't really go together - but just follow me.

It's snowing again. Don't get me wrong, I love a good snowfall (and this is merely a passing flurry) but I'm not quite ready for winter yet. It was just 60 degrees 4 days ago on Halloween, and there's all the mittens, and boots, and snow tires to start worrying about. Ugh.

I don't remember there being daytime snow in the forecast. Of course, when did you last hear an absolutely correct weather forecast? I know the weather is an ever-evolving entity, and that the science of weather cannot predict all changes, but come on. Meteorologists can be wrong on a DAILY basis and still keep their jobs! Don't get me wrong - I love all things weather and briefly considered a career in meteorology, but it still amazes me with all the tools and technology at their disposal we can't get better than "Highs in the 50s-60s, lows in the 30s-40s, chance of showers, and some sun." Unbelievable.

And speaking of job security, I don't know how Sir Topham Hatt keeps his job. If you are familiar with "Thomas the Tank Engine" you know what I'm talking about. These engines cause more accidents than any form of transportation in recent history. Derailments, "confusion and delay" seem to be the NORM on the Sodor rails, and I simply don't understand how the safety of the engineers and passengers has not been put into serious question.

Well, I'm off to find some mittens, and boots and...


Notes: I'm relisting this post - as for some reason - blogger decided to delete it from existence! Although it is now made even better - just for you - with pictures.

First Snow...

It has been a VERY rainy, cold, windy, miserable day here in Vermont...and I have to work late at a concert tonight.

*sigh*

Well, MrMaple just called me from home. It is snowing there! There is literally a blanket of white on the ground and the trees are bowing from the weight of the snow on the leaf-laden branches.

October 20th...who would have guessed!

Autumn in Vermont

This is the time of year I am most proud to call myself a Vermonter. Aside from the stunning, colorful foliage that makes even the most mundane trip to the dump a spectacular happening, there are the fall events: harvest festivals, farmers' markets, apple fests, chicken pie suppers, etc. There is something so incredibly comforting in the smell of hot apple cider and wood smoke, the crunch of freshly fallen leaves underfoot, the itch of warm woolen sweaters...MrMaple summed it up recently...in a word, it is wholesome.


Now I am by no means a laced-up New Englander, dressed head to toe in L.L. Bean, who seeks to do things as they have always been done. I'm a liberal democrat, and enjoy exploring new art and culture...but I am SO very drawn to these basic Vermont traditions. Is it the comfort they provide? Is it the sense of community? Perhaps the preparation for hibernation?


I wish I could explain how absolutely instinctual it is this time of year of seek out all things plum, Burgundy and brown in my closet, and search for a new recipe for Pumpkin Gingerbread. Sometimes I think I should revolt against these urges...throw on a bright lavender shirt and make strawberry daiquiris on the deck even if it is 30 degrees out. But I simply can't. And now - with a child in tow - I feel even more obliged to seek out these traditions and share them with him.



So please excuse my indulgence in all things Vermontesque and enjoy these photos from some recent fall events!

Photos taken at: Hinesburg's 1st Annual Fall Festival, Shelburne Farms Harvest Festival, the Charlotte annual Tractor Parade, and back in Hinesburg.

Update: missing links and recipe addition!