The Game Never Dies....or.....The Boys Are Back In Town!

Every Fall there are a few givens: the geese will fly South for the winter, the leaves will transform into a canopy of golden yellows and vibrant reds, the chill and crisp of the air will settle into the evening and early morning.....and.....St. Michael's College will once again host their annual alumni/student baseball game on Doc Jacobs Field!
Each year Ed will dust off his cleats and search for that purple and gold ball cap that he wore for four years as a pitcher on the St. Mike's baseball team. All for the opportunity to return to that diamond and represent the team that he cares for so deeply. It doesn't matter that the baseball pants are a "little" tight, or that he has to swallow three Advil prior to arriving at the start of the game or that he will pay dearly in the week ahead with extreme muscle and ligament pain - it's ALL for the intense love of the game and for a more intense love of Saint Michael's College. The Purple Knights, past and present, live on!!




Pitching Stats = 1 inning pitched, 1 hit, 1 unearned run, 1 strikeout



Batting Stats = 1 at bat, 1 strikeout (HOWEVER...he went down swinging!!) :-)


Bryan and I were there to cheer him on! Go St. Mike's!!!


Home to the Purple Knights......

Cheers to Jules!

Last week, my dear friend Julie celebrated a birthday. And like all birthdays, the four of us - Deb, Helen and Julie and I celebrated together. On this birthday dinner, we chose the Blue Paddle Bistro in South Hero, VT. What a lovely spot!!! Ed and I have passed this restaurant countless times on our way through the Islands, and have read and heard many wonderful reviews, however, it has always been overlooked given the vast number of excellent restaurants in our area. Never again. This place is a gem....! We enjoyed our dinners and even managed a bit of shopping in the small little gift area of the restaurant! Leave it to the four of us to find something that we needed to come home with....! We all thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Happy birthday Julie - Cheers to many, many more.


Julie's birthday meal! Delicious........

A Fall Picnic

This past week Ed and I took a jaunt to Mt. Philo in Charlotte Vermont. We decided to enjoy a bit of the Vermont scenery, all while enjoying lunch and taking photos. We reached the summit and were greeted by the most breathtaking views of the Lake Champlain Valley and the Adirondack Mountain range of New York. Considering the day was just starting to clear from stormy weather, the photos are amazing. The elevation of Mt. Philo is just around 1000 feet and the temperature at the summit was about 55 degrees! A tad chilly, however, I had on three layers and arrived fully prepared.




Ed enjoying the vista.....what a view.


So peaceful, so beautiful, so serene. Vermont at its finest.

Jessa and Ryan - Welcome to Vermont!

This past week, our lovely niece and god-daughter Jessa, arrived in VT with her husband Ryan from Cary, North Carolina. This was Ryan's very first trip to Vermont and Jessa wanted to show him EVERYTHING! Even though she left the Burlington area with her family when she was seven, she has remembered a lot of what makes Vermont such a beautiful and truly special place. Over the years she has returned many times to visit family and to recall many very special moments of her earlier childhood. A few of their stops this trip included visiting with family in Hinesburg, Shelburne and Colchester, Ben and Jerry's, The Cider Mill, Stowe, Church St. in Burlington, and Camel's Hump. We were so happy to be able to share in their trip North. We had a lovely visit catching up with their very busy and fulfilling lives in North Carolina. We hope they return very soon...!


Bryan with Jessa and Ryan at Sweetwater's in Burlington.



Jessa and Ryan at their wedding in Chapel Hill, NC nearly one year ago!

Another "Girls' Night Out" to Plattsburgh......

Sad, but true, our last boating hurrah occurred last week. It's so sad when the days grow shorter, and cooler - it clearly means that our summer boating excursions to Plattsburg are coming to an end. We do make the trip in the winter by Ferry via Grand Isle, however, it's just not quite the same. On this particular evening, Julie, Helen, Deb and I enjoyed a lovely dinner at our favorite spot: Iris' Cafe and Wine Bar in Plattsburgh where the food is absolutely scrumptious and the martini list is a mile long! ;-) It was a very fun evening....we stayed a bit longer than usual though, and on our way home via Lake Champlain it was getting quite dark. We managed to navigate our way back to the Marina with a spotlight and Helen's excellent navigational skills!


Our waitress pouring our martinis tableside.....ice cold!


Iris' famous crabcakes! They were absolutely scrumptious....the presentation was heavenly as well. NECI trained chefs make all the difference....


Instead of a martini, Helen ordered a trio of wine....the sampling was excellent.


Helen and Deb readying the boat - Leaving Plattsburgh for the marina at Malletts Bay.


Deb always enjoying the boat!


What a summer on the Lake!! Looking forward to the summer of 2011 and more trips across Lake Champlain to our favorite spot in Plattsburgh.

Summer Wine......

The Burlington Wine Shop is a wonderful place. The store is filled with very knowledgeable people who know their wine....and they share that knowledge with the Burlington community, willingly and in the most fun ways! For example, in order to acquaint their clientele with fabulous wines from Northern Italy, they hosted a lovely wine tasting one evening in August. They showcased 25 (!!!!) wines from Italy....a lovely variety of reds and a few whites. They served lovely appetizers, provided knowledge about the region and the wine, and were great hosts to a very fun evening. We happened to share this evening with our dear friends, Deb/Don Urban and Paula/Bill Gile. Deb and Don, in particular, were very curious about the evening's unveiling - they leave for Italy in about two weeks, hopefully now armed with a bit more knowledge about Italian Reds!? We clearly sampled the best of what Northern Italy has to offer...


One of our very knowledgeable Sommeliers of the evening.....and his pour tended to be very generous throughout the event! ;-)


This is just one region of Reds that were showcased that evening....three regions total to sample! So much wine, so little time.......


Deb and Don enjoying the Reds! And so looking forward to their upcoming trip to ITALY!



Cheers to Italy...


Toasting to the Reds of Northern Italy. Very rarely do I enjoy red wine, however, on this particular evening, I really, really, REALLY, discovered and enjoyed all of the Reds!

Keith Urban Comes to Vermont!

In September of 2009 the Board of Directors at the Champlain Valley Fair announced that Keith Urban would return to the Fair in September of 2010!! Having enjoyed Keith's concerts in the past and knowing my "passion" for Keith's music :-), Ed knew that I just had to have tickets to this concert.....not just ordinary seats, but GREAT seats! So....Ed being Ed....trudged out to ticketmaster on a rainy November morning, to secure four tickets to the concert!! Do I have a great husband, or what???!! I do have to say that while Ed was standing outside on that rainy, drizzly, cold, November morning, I was very warm, at home, at my computer, trying to get tickets as well. It just so happened that he was successful first at getting the second row grandstand seats.....did I mention what a great husband I have? ;-)

So, on a cool, overcast, evening on September 4, 2010, I was in that second row with Ed, Bryan and Negin, watching and listening to Keith Urban. I was in my glory....under the stars and the moon- the perfect end to a summer of fabulous concerts....

Everyone is getting ready!



Center stage, up close and personal!!!


Our seats are not bad.....nice job Ed!!


Enjoying the evening.......



Passing the time until HE takes the stage.

Apple Picking

Even though we haven't fully said goodbye to summer, we do feel compelled to engage in Fall-ish activities once September rolls around and the air becomes cool and crisp. For a couple of weeks we have been anticipating one of our most favorite activities....apple picking at Hackett's Apple Orchard in South Hero. We have many family memories of this Orchard - memories involving a younger Bryan, dressed in a hooded sweatshirt, jeans and mud boots - trudging through the orchard for that perfect apple!

This morning was cool, crisp, sunny, and filled with the sounds of honking geese heading to their winter haven in the South. A perfect day to jump in the car and head North to the Islands. Upon arriving at Hackett's, the tractor and wagon were waiting to bring us further into the orchard where the crispy Macs and Cortland apples were just ripe for the picking! We found a perfect row, complete with a portable ladder, and chose the largest, most vibrant red apples that we could find! And we picked a bag - full. Of course we had to sample a few as well! There is nothing like a fresh, crisp apple right off the tree....something everyone should experience. After all of that "exercise", who could resist the smell of freshly baked cider donuts and apple crisp in the Hackett's family store? We split a lovely donut, purchased some freshly pressed cider, and we were on our way....! Now on to bake an apple pie....or two, or three, or four......


Instructions upon entering Hackett's Orchards....essentially, choose your bag, hop on the tractor, choose your row!


Ed, high into an apple tree, just searching for that perfect red Mac!


You just cannot pick without sampling!!! Yummmmmmmmmm.........


Just look at those beauties!


The apples, at the tippy top, were calling Ed's name!