Live Free or Die

Posted on November 18, 2010 by Lani

We ran into Mary the Midwife at the most random times. This picture was taken at a local farmstand.

While our farmstay marked the end of our time in New Hampshire, there are a few odds and ends I’d like to share and a few more people I’d like to thank.

Being in New England for the birth of our first child was fabulous. We met some amazing people, had a special birth experience with a truly wonderful midwife, and have pictures, stories, and memories to last a lifetime. I look forward to sharing these stories and pictures with Emerson and returning to the area in the future to show her all of the sights and hopefully reconnect with our new friends.

We were really overwhelmed with the generosity and kindness of the people we met.  I feel like I’ve gone on and on about this but it’s just so nice to know that the world is still full of love and kindness.  It’s easy to forget about this when you watch or read the news. So, I just have a few more lovey-dovey, happy stories and then I shall return to my old sarcastic, fear everything, mind my own business ways. Maybe. Or, perhaps I’ll just become that person that stands in a crowded public place with a sign offering free hugs.  Because, really, what the world needs now is love, sweet love.

The very lovely Emerson modeling her "Airstream Baby" onesie. Based on that adorable smile, I think she likes it!

You may recall my story of Frank, the man (and fellow Airstream owner) we met on our very first day in Keene.  We kept in touch with Frank via e-mail and he was kind enough to stop by our campground early in the summer to chat for awhile. During our last week in New Hampshire while we were staying at the farm, I was driving down one of the main roads trying desperately to get Emerson to take a nap.  I pulled over at a gas station to take a phone call when a van pulled up alongside of me. At first I just noticed the van and not the person and having watched too many episodes of “Criminal Minds”, I must confess that I panicked for a brief second.  But, then, I looked over to the driver window and there sitting next to me was Frank.  Waving.

We chatted briefly and he invited us to his cottage on the lake later that week.  So, it was very appropriate that on our last night in New Hampshire, we met up with Frank, our first New Hampshire friend, at his place.  We shared stories, got a tour of his Scotty trailer (awesome!), and enjoyed the views of Spofford Lake. It was a lovely evening. A big thanks to Frank for sharing our first and last days of our time in New Hampshire! We look forward to seeing you again.

Check out that grass! Tomorrow I shall start making my plans to open up my own cake company. Can I use box mixes? (Thank you, Chelsea!!!)

We received another nice surprise upon our final return to New Hampshire. Having traveled for several weeks meant we returned to a P.O. Box overloaded with mail, including a few gifts for Emerson. One gift in particular was from someone I’ve never met in person but we’ve exchanged emails, commented on each other’s blog, and developed an online friendship. Lotus made two onesies for Emerson – one that says “Airstream Baby” and the other says “Aluminum Bliss.” Chris and I were touched by her thoughtfulness.  Through her blog and emails, she has provided to me a lot of encouragement and positive thoughts during my pregnancy and first months as a new mom. So, to Lotus, thank you! We love the onesies!

Our blissful family. So long New Hampshire! Thanks for everything!

Lastly, while I’ve already told you about our farmstay, I neglected to share the lesson that I received while staying there.  Chelsea (the daughter) is a super-talented pastry chef. She makes incredible cakes. She was kind enough to make a cake for us to share with our birth class at our reunion.  She was also gracious enough to teach me how to work with fondant.  We wanted the cake to represent us and our lifestyle so obviously an Airstream cake was in order. It was amazing and delicious! The Airstream cake included four little babies to represent each of the babies in our class.  Chelsea, you rock! My only contribution to the cake was the grass.  But, it’s awesome grass, right? Look out Ace of Cakes…

So, there you have it. Our final odds and ends from our summer.  So long, Vermont! Goodbye New Hampshire! See ya later, Maine! Our last stop is Boston before making our way south. It’s September and while the leaves are pretty and all and I know that we haven’t reached the peak colors yet and New England is THE place to be at this time, blah, blah, blah… it’s getting way too chilly for me. It’s time for these snowbirds to go south!

Categories: Airstream Living, The Random and Unexpected, Wonderful People Hall of Fame | Tags: | 4 Comments

Farm Livin’ Is The Life For Me

Posted on November 17, 2010 by Lani

Emerson had a lot of fun meeting the other babies at our birth class reunion. :-)

It’s difficult to write about things that happened so many  months ago. Remember when we were in Maine? Yeah, a lot has happened since then. Currently, we reside in Florida where the sun is shining brightly, the temperatures are in the high 70s/low 80s and I’m still enjoying wearing flip flops all day, every day.  Life is good. It would probably make sense for me to just live in the now and write about what we are doing currently but I’d be leaving out a lot of great stories and travel experiences. And, since this is my travel journal, I’m going to live in the past for a little while longer.  So, back to New England we go!

After Maine, we returned to New Hampshire for our birth class reunion and Emerson’s 2 month check-up with the devoid-of-all-bedside-manners-and-made-me-feel-like-a-bad-mother pediatrician. We also returned for a very unusual task. One that Chris had been looking forward to for several weeks.  But, I need to back up even more to set up the story.

Who doesn't love a tractor ride?

I think I’ve mentioned our CSA farm that we joined when we got up to New Hampshire, right? If not, here’s a recap:  We joined a CSA Farm when we got up to New Hampshire.

The farm is the 1780 Farm and its owners are pretty awesome people.  We knew from the moment we stepped foot on the farm that we liked this place. It felt like coming home every time we went there. Richard, Jeanny, and Chelsea quickly became like family to us.  Here are some highlights of our CSA experience and their generosity throughout the summer:

  • Their CSA baskets are filled to the max with amazing veggies, delicious recipes, fresh cut flowers, tasty herbs, and even bread. Yes, bread.
  • The day I went into labor I was actually hanging out at the farm while Chris “helped” pick blueberries. (He did more talking than picking). The following day, Emerson was born and Jeanny was kind enough to prepare us two meals so we wouldn’t have to cook during our first week home as frazzled and exhausted new parents.  Awesome? I think so.

  • The Barn

    They let us bring family to the farm to show our nieces and nephews the chickens, ducks, pig, and cows. Richard gave the kids (and grownup kids) a tractor ride. Jeanny surprised us with a roasted chicken, fresh vegetables, and homemade ranch dressing.  You know, just a little something she threw together at the last minute. Oh, and have you ever tasted sweet corn fresh off the stalk?  I mean, literally, pulled off the stalk and eaten raw? It’s amazing. Sweet and juicy amazing.  Without the 1780 Farm, I never would have known about that and my life would be totally incomplete.

So, those are some highlights of our time at the Farm this summer. We said our goodbyes to our new friends as we left for Maine. We knew we’d be back one more time but at that point I did not realize that we would be returningfor this unusual yet educational farm task. (Vegetarians may want to stop reading now.)

Our View

We returned so that Chris could kill a chicken. Nine chickens, actually.  Since we eat so much chicken in our home and since we’d like to live on a farm someday, Chris had expressed an interested in assisting the farm with the processing of their chickens.  His reasoning was that a) he needs to know how to do this if we plan to live on a farm, b) he feels that all people who eat meat should know how that meat is processed and take part in the actually processing and, c) this would help him determine if he should become a vegetarian.

So, yes, we returned to the farm so Chris could process a chicken.  I didn’t think he’d actually do it, but Richard and Jeanny were great teachers and he learned the entire process and did quite an impressive job, I must say.  I was offered the same opportunity but I, uh, well, I chickened out.

Our 1780 Farm Family

Once that task was complete, Chris and I prepared to move on over to our campground in Brattleboro where we would settle for our last few weeks in the area.  Richard and Jeanny, however,  invited us to live in their driveway.  So we did. Not for one night.  Not even for one week.  But, for two whole weeks. They let us use their shower.  They let us hook into their electricity. They let us do our laundry. They cooked us some amazing meals. They taught me how to work with fondant.  And, they invited us into their family and made us feel at home.  It was great fun living on the farm for two weeks. We woke up to the ducks, Click and Clack, quacking outside our window.  We fed our food scraps to the friendly pig.  We were treated to beautiful sunsets every night. It was a wonderful time and made our New Hampshire experience even more memorable (you know, in addition to that whole “giving birth to our first child” event).  So, to Richard, Jeanny, Chelsea, and Betsy, we say a great BIG thank you for your hospitality, generosity, and friendship!

Categories: Airstream Living, Wonderful People Hall of Fame | 6 Comments

Things I Wish I Could Do…

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Lani

I’ve been staring at a blank screen on my WordPress blog page for weeks now. I have so many topics I want to write about but the words are just not coming to me.  Perhaps it’s exhaustion or perhaps it’s the subject matter. I could probably write pages and pages on the joys and challenges of being a new mom but that’s not what this blog is about.  Sure, we’ve done some traveling that I need to write about but I’m struggling and no amount of decaf coffee seems to be helping me.  Maybe I need to go back to Maine?

Thankfully, our friend Everett of Living a Simple Life has encouraged me to write a particular post about things I wish I could do…or at least do better.  He’s not talking about flying, predicting the future, reading people’s minds…although those might be great fun.  No, he’s talking about more practical things.  Go on over and read his post…it’s a good one.  And, if you are curious, here are some things I wish I could do or at least do better.

Writing. I love to write (although you’d never know that given my absence from my own blog.) And, like I’ve said before, I would love to write a book. Even if no one read my book, I would love to see my writing in book form sitting on a shelf collecting dust.  So, I wish I could write better and more creatively and someday call it a book. I also wish I had the motivation to keep a daily journal, especially now since I have a child.

Cooking. My mom is an excellent cook and you’d think after living at home for 22 years that I would have learned some things.  Not so.  When Chris and I were dating I bought cabbage instead of lettuce. And, it wasn’t an accident. I’m that clueless. He had a lovely cabbage salad for dinner that night…a mistake he still laughs at often.  Yes, I was a disaster in the kitchen. But, thanks to Chris, my mom, and the Food Network, I can do a decent job in the kitchen now. But, I long to do more, especially using fresh ingredients.  I’d love to make things from scratch – no box mixes, canned veggies. Nope.  All fresh ingredients.  Just today I watched Giada whip up a basil smoothie and a delicious tomato/bread crumb/gorgonzola cheese concoction.  She made it look so easy and her kitchen was spotless. I wish I could do that. (And, yes, I had to look up “gorgonzola” to make sure I spelled it right.)

Gardening. Chris and I had a garden once when we lived in Alexandria, Virginia.  It was nothing fancy — just a small garden with zucchini, tomatoes, carrots, and some other basic garden items. It was fabulous. I had an abundance of zucchini and learned every zucchini recipe known to man (or, at least to Epicurious).  I made fresh salsa and tomato sauces.  It was great fun. Someday I would love to try having a garden again. We learned a lot from just that simple garden in our backyard.  But, I still have so much to learn.

Get Involved/Join a Club. It sounds so silly doesn’t it? Why can’t I get involved in my community or join a club? I would meet people and make new friends. But, I’m really, really shy.  In fact, I’m finding that as I get older, I’ve become even more introverted. Meeting new people is not my strength. I’m great at meeting people online. (That’s how Chris and I met.) But, put me in a room full of people and I go into panic mode.  You can usually find me quietly hiding in a corner or hanging out by the food table because we all know how much I love eating food. So, I wish I could be more extroverted and social. Thankfully, I have Chris who is extremely extroverted. If you ever see us in a campground, chances are you will notice Chris chatting with all the neighbors. Me? I’m too busy crouching in corner of our Airstream.  Or, nervously chopping up cabbage for our salad.

Knitting/Sewing. I got kicked out of my 7th grade Home Economics class for breaking too many  needles on the sewing machine. I partially blame the teacher – she should have been more patient.  Because of her, I fear any sewing projects. I got up the nerve a few years ago to sew a coat for my dog. I did it while Chris was out of town so he wouldn’t see the final product. But, when he returned I showed it to him, because in all honesty, I was proud of myself.  He immediately sat down and sewed a much better coat for the dog. Show off.  I’d love to be able to sew clothes for my child but I doubt that will ever happen. I’ll leave it for Chris to do.  I do, however, think I could learn to knit. So, someday when Emerson is a bit older and I have a little more spare time, I may try to learn knitting.  It looks so relaxing.

There are so many things I’d love to learn to do.  I could go on and on about how I’m a terrible dancer. Or, I started as an art major in college but haven’t picked up any drawing pencils in ages. We bought a ukulele but I haven’t learned to play it.  So, my list is long. But, the above are those that I consider at the top of my list and I do hope I accomplish them in my lifetime.

So, that’s my list. Now, tag.  You’re it.  What’s your list? Post it in a comment or share it on your blog. What are those things that you wish you could do? By just writing out my list, I’ve given myself a little more motivation and encouragement to accomplish these things.

And, thanks Everett for the inspiration!

Happy Friday everyone! Have a wonderful weekend!

Categories: The Random and Unexpected | 10 Comments

Lobstah. Lots of Lobstah.

Posted on October 1, 2010 by Lani

Bangor's Paul Bunyan statue, said to be the largest statue of Paul Bunyan in the world.

Uh…yeah…I’m still here.  This whole “being a mother” thing has me a little preoccupied. Emerson is almost 3 months old and still refuses to nap unless it involves my arms, her stroller, her car seat or her Baby Bjorn. And, there must be movement. Lots of movement. I’m working on this by reading every book imaginable about babies and sleep. So, yeah, the blog has been pushed aside, but for very good reasons. I want to make sure my child is getting the rest she needs (and that I get the rest that I need).   I’m absolutely amazed at those mothers who can update a blog daily.  I consider it accomplishment when I can brush my teeth and cook dinner.

But, enough about my new mom experiences.  Let’s talk about our travels since that’s why you are visiting my blog, right?  I never finished sharing about our time in Maine.  Ah, Maine. Beautiful, beautiful Maine.  While our weeks were spent in Camden, our weekend explorations took us to Rockland, Freeport and Bangor.

We checked out Rockland only briefly but it’s a bustling town full of great shopping and a beautiful harbor.  Chris and I, however, felt a calling to go a little further south to Freeport, specifically to the L.L. Bean Outlet, the North Face Outlet, the and Patagonia Outlet. It’s the outdoor store mecca!

Rockland Harbor

On our way to Freeport, we drove through Wiscasset, a town we knew nothing about and had little expectation of. We only expected to drive right through it. And, we did, the first time.  But as we drove through, we saw a very long line of people standing next to a food stand called Red’s Eats. I Googled it, of course, and learned that this place is famous for its lobster rolls. So famous, in fact, that people have been known to stand in line for over an hour for these rolls.  We all know how much I love to eat so any time I learn of a local eating establishment with a great reputation, I’m always intrigued.  And, hungry.  We stopped at Red’s Eats on our way home. The line was much shorter then.  Since we were quickly approaching Emerson’s fussy hours, I stayed in the car with her and Chris went and picked up two lobster rolls to go.

Since I had never had a lobster roll before, I can honestly say it was the best lobster roll I’ve ever had!  It was chocked full of lobster meat and comes with a side of melted butter.  Seriously, how could it not taste good?  And, you know what I learned?  Lobster rolls are really messy.  I don’t recommend eating them in a car.  Be sure to have lots of dish towels and napkins handy otherwise you may have butter-stained clothing. I speak from experience.

Red's Eats - home to the best lobster rolls I've ever had! (And, the only lobster roll I've ever had.)

Our Freeport shopping trip didn’t result in too many purchases. (Chris is very thankful of this.)  I tried on lots of great clothing but then was quickly reminded that one should not try on clothing 8 weeks after giving birth.  It’s not fun and those fitting room mirrors are not kind.  So, I bought some fabulous flip flops.  Those don’t make me look fat.

We also went up to Bangor that weekend and had a lovely lobster boil lunch with friends. This was my first lobster boil gathering. (First boil! First roll! So many firsts!)

Chris and I first had lobster on a date nine years ago.  We ordered one to share since we weren’t sure if we’d like it. The waiter brought the lobster to our table and we just stared at it.  ”Um, how do we eat this?” we asked.  The waiter, rolling his eyes, gave us a quick tutorial and walked away.  We cracked open the lobster and saw the green stuff and then looked at one another in disgust.  We called the waiter back over.  ”Um, what is this?”  He explained and we removed said green stuff from the lobster.  For the next 30 minutes, we proceeded to attempt to eat the lobster. We were a mess and clueless.  But, it was still tasty.

Wow! There's even a book about Red's Eats.

While we’ve had additional practice since that date, we still didn’t know the proper way of eating lobster.  We’d struggle getting the meat out but isn’t that what makes eating lobster fun? I think so. Thankfully, however, our friends gave us an excellent demonstration.  I’d like to now state that I consider myself quite proficient at eating lobster.  No, seriously, I’m pretty good at it! (I even ate the lobster while wearing Emerson and managed to not spray her with lobster juice or drip butter on her head.) Folks, that’s talent, right there.

It was a beautiful day for a lobster boil,  sitting out on our friend’s patio, watching the hummingbirds and having wonderful conversations. (With our friends, not the hummingbirds).  Thanks, John and Sydney!

We departed Maine on the Friday that Hurricane Earl was posing threats to the coast.  We got out of town just as the clouds rolled in…perfect timing! We headed back to New Hampshire as we had some farm duties to tend to.  More on that on the next blog entry…next month. Just kidding.  Maybe.

Categories: Airstream Living | Tags: , , , , , | 8 Comments

Dreams DO Come True

Posted on September 12, 2010 by Lani

Camden Harbor

Since high school, (a long long time ago) I’ve had a dream of living in Maine.  I used to study my parents’ AAA tour guide book on Maine. (And, why yes, I did have a big “L” on my forehead, why do you ask?) I was fascinated with the quintessential small coastal New England towns and was sure I was supposed to living there rather than the Chicago suburb in which I resided.  My dream consisted of this: I’m a writer working on a fabulous mystery novel.  I work out of my lovely coastal home with incredible ocean views.  Life is perfect. Does this sound familiar? Apparently, lots of people have a similar Maine dream.

Well, at the age of 33, I am pleased to announce that this dream came true.  Sort of. We spent the last two weeks in Maine.  My lovely coastal home with stunning ocean views was actually my Airstream parked at Camden Hills State Park.  Across the street was a trail that went down to the rugged shore and if I stood in my neighbor’s campsite, I could catch a glimpse of the water.  And, the fabulous mystery novel was actually my blog.  So, it’s a bit of a stretch, right? Well, I say it counts.

View of Camden from atop Mt. Battie

We had a lovely two weeks.  Emerson and I spent several days roaming the cute downtown streets of Camden and Belfast.  We walked the shoreline trail at Camden Hills State Park.  We did laundry.  Lots of laundry.  And, during Emerson’s naps, I worked on my blog, sipped my decaf coffee, and thought, “Wow! I’m in Maine.”

Camden is a huge tourist destination in Maine and the streets were often crowded with cars and pedestrians.  The shops are quaint and filled with lobster t-shirts, lobster books, lobster stuffed animals, and fudge–not lobster flavored although it wouldn’t surprise me.  Many of the restaurants have patios overlooking the scenic harbor where many large ships offer sailing trips around the harbor and to nearby islands.

A trail to the shoreline at Camden Hills State Park

The state park is about a mile north of town, just past the beautiful historic homes and B & Bs.  The campground has water and electric hookups, awesome free Wi-Fi, and clean restrooms. While a bit pricier than any other state park we have stayed at ($37/night), you couldn’t beat the location and views.  We were fortunate enough to snag an non-reservable site so we were able to stay for up to fourteen days without a reservation. It was fabulous!

I read that the park is referred to as the little Acadia National Park for its numerous miles of trails and spectacular views from atop Mt. Battie, where you get a great look at Camden Harbor and the surrounding islands.  The peak is accessible by both car and foot and definitely should not be missed.  The trail down to the shoreline is an easy hike and one that I made often with Emerson in her baby carrier.  We walked along the trail, listening to the waves crash onto the shore, and every now and then sat on a bench watching the ships sail into the harbor. It was a peaceful and beautiful sight.

Chris' office view in Camden.

After Emerson and I completed our tour of Camden, we drove north to Belfast.  While Belfast is also a popular tourist destination, there is less hustle and bustle compared to Camden. It has some great shops and galleries and a wonderful Co-op.  I actually enjoyed downtown Belfast more than Camden although this may attributed to my delicious gelato from Scoops that I had in Belfast. (Did you think I would pass up gelato?) In any case, neither town should be missed!

We had a wonderful two weeks and I still have more to share but I’ll save it for the next entry.  Hmmm…in the meantime, now that my Maine dream is complete, I’ll need to focus my attention on my next dream: Olympic figure skating gold medalist.  This might be tricky given my age and inability to ice skate but those are minor details, people.  Minor details!

Categories: Airstream Living, Campgrounds | Tags: , , , | 9 Comments