Magically Delicious!

Recipe found here.

Ingredients:

• 4 quarts popped popcorn
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 8 -10 drops green food coloring

Directions:

Prep Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 15 mins

1. Place popcorn in a large roasting pan; keep warm in a 250 degree oven.
2. Meanwhile, in a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugars, water, corn syrup, vinegar and salt.
3. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil.
4. Cook, stirring occasionally, until a candy thermometer reads 250 degrees (hard ball stage).
5. Remove from the heat; stir in butter until melted. Stir in food coloring. Drizzle over warm popcorn and toss to coat. Cool.
6. Break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.
   

Project 52

Have you heard about this? It's neat because you feature a picture each week under a different theme, and maybe learn a thing or two about photography!

I found out about it through a blog that I follow, and after getting a little more settled (and bored, and lonely) into our new home, I thought it would be a great way to toss myself out into our community and see what I can learn about Small Town, it's surrounding towns, and myself.

Both of these places have different themes for each week, and I chose to work with the theme from the blog that I follow, but hopefully I have not been too influenced by her yet!

So, I will start from the beginning, post the first 11 weeks by the end of the weekend (let's hope) and then start following the weeks after that!

Confused? Hope not! I am ready to get started, and now I just need to get out there (on clear roads) and become a creative photographer!

Cary and my aunt Amy will be joining me as well (when they can), so I might have to add their photos on here as well!

Here is the list of themes I will be doing:

Week 1 - Black & White
Week 2 - Food
Week 3 - Self Portrait
Week 4 - Reflection
Week 5 - Ennui
Week 6 - Red
Week 7 - Time
Week 8 - Pink
Week 9 - Patterns
Week 10 - Morning
Week 11 - Round
Week 12 - Hands
Week 13 - Shine
Week 14 - Envy
Week 15 - Soft
Week 16 - Perspective
Week 17 - Love
Week 18 - Start
Week 19 - Free
Week 20 - Texture
Week 21 - Toys
Week 22 - Downtown
Week 23 - Summer
Week 24 - Heat
Week 25 - Fantasy
Week 26 - Water
Week 27 - Shadows
Week 28 - Light
Week 29 - Night
Week 30 - Macro
Week 31 - Nature
Week 32 - Clothes
Week 33 - Green
Week 34 - Map
Week 35 - Laughter
Week 36 - Child(ren)
Week 37 - Yellow
Week 38 - Candy
Week 39 - Pets
Week 40 - Never Ending
Week 41 - Sports
Week 42 - Books
Week 43 - Blue
Week 44 - Letter of the Alphabet
Week 45 - Innocence
Week 46 - Most Important Thing in Life
Week 47 - Heaps
Week 48 - Family
Week 49 - Favorite Spot
Week 50 - Metal
Week 51 - Three
Week 52 - Fun

Help! It's Snowing...

Really Big Snowflakes!!!

For lack of better things to call it, these are huge! I know that they are really big clumps of snowflakes, but aww-inspiring nonetheless.

But despite the fun of playing in what has accumulated on the patio (Brylee has taken to trying to eat the snow, so this might be 'cleaner' than what is on the street below), I am ready for more color, which was peeking out just yesterday.

I guess I bring with me the Texas quote: "If you don't like the weather here, just wait 15 minutes."

Yesterday this patio had no sign of snow on it:


And as of 3:00 p.m. this afternoon, this is how much it has snowed:


Second attempt at Brylee making a snow angel. I'll call it, "The Headless Snow Angel".


Ahhh, cinnamon hot cocoa, how you bring me such joy!

3 Weeks Now...

It's been an interesting ride so far. In reality, I can't tell if this feels like a long vacation, or if I'm already 'adjusted'.

Chester met with the vet here in ST, and to try to decrease the frequency of seizures he has, we increased his Potassium Bromide, which is also affecting his little back legs, and much to my dismay, the frequency of his urge to urinate. Yesterday he was bugging me every 30 minutes to go outside and pee, and I would try to stretch it out to 3 hours, but was successful with only 1 1/2-2 hours. Until his dad got home, and then he was content with a much longer amount of time. Figures.


Brylee is doing really well here, playing out in the snow, loving Your Baby Can Read, and reading books. I kid you not--this girl reads more during the day with me than playing with toys. She gets so excited to see a 'new' book and brings it to me, shrieking 'boooook!' And loves to sit in our laps as we read the book together.

She also says 'moo', 'baa', and 'neigh', thanks to Moo, Baa, La La La (thank you Guess family!!!).

Her T-Ma and Poppy took her to Build A Bear during the week they kept her and made an "Adventure Bear" that has a little noise button which is T-Ma and Poppy's voices. She loves that bear, and though she can't push the button in the hand yet, she loves to hug him!


The snow is melting very quickly here in Small Town, leaving our patio completely snow free and the only hint of winter is when the water still on it is frozen in the mornings. But Chester still loves to go out and walk all over it, drinking the melted stuff.

And because the snow has melted quickly, yesterday morning we looked out the window to see 2 squirrels and at least 1 chipmunk foraging for food. It was so cute to watch them skitter around, and watch Chester go crazy...and Brylee and I loved every moment! Can't wait to see the fox, moose, deer, and other animals that our neighbors say have been around!


Brylee and I have visited the Mother Goose story times at the library for the last 2 Fridays now, and she really seems to enjoy it. It is structured differently than the Story times in Lewisville, with no parachute, and more singing and story telling...and a craft each time! The first week was Dr. Seuss themed, and the story teller dressed in a Cat In The Hat costume! The second week was music themed, and Brylee enjoyed every bit of it, except for the slide whistle at the beginning of the story time. But she got into the instrument playing at the end of the time!



I haven't really gotten out again to see the town more, except for with Cary and his parents, but I am trying to space out how much and often I go into the little stores, because it will be only a short time before I run out of shops here and have to go out further!

Last weekend Cary and I drove to another town to eat dinner, and grab a cache (yay for melting snow!). We spotted a souvenier shop on the way out, and stopped to grab...what else?...fudge!!! It was a neat store, and just might have to take my parents when they come visit. I forgot my camera, which has become a bad habit lately, and had to rely on Cary's phone to catch a gorgeous picture of the sun peeking through clouds in the mountains...


Cary and Brenda are working really hard trying to get to know their jobs, right in the middle of tax season. The lady they are working with is very nice and helpful, as well as patient! Cary has been getting home after 6 every evening, and is at work by 7 a.m., so I know he is ready for the big season to be over so he can relax just a little more!

ST had a vote the first of March on whether or not to ban larger restaurants and large corporations from coming here. Turns out that the vote was against the ban, so we now have a McDonald's coming here. I get why they are trying to ban the large corporations (so we can support the family owned places around here), but it will be interesting to see the further growth in this town. It already grows from 4,000 in the off-season to 35,000 during the summer time!

Skype rocks, and I get to watch T-Ma and Poppy read a book to Brylee each time we talk. What a great way to wind down the day. Except that Brylee has been a very sleepy thing the last couple of times we have talked online. But I can't wait to do it again and let Brylee get excited to see her grandparents!

I am very ready for the spring here, to be able to see more than just white and get to know the area better, including the parks and lakes!

Back For Round 2

We're starting this little one on Prevacid again. Her appetite has slightly decreased, and had a few days of bringing up food again. Ugh. I'll be so glad once we have her eating situation under control and she gains weight well!

(But for now I'll be thankful that she is healthy in all other ways!)

Maine Angels

Brylee, Chester, and I took advantage of the swirling snow this morning and went outside.

Brylee looked adorable in her snow pants and shoes that her cousin Kim sent her...another big "Thank you!" to her for thinking about us!!


I felt like I was in a snowglobe as I watched Chester chase his ball on the slippery patio and Brylee bend over to grab the snow...only to proceed to eat it.


And she made her first snow angel, only to have Chester stomp all over it a few minutes later chasing his prized ball. Good thing I got some pictures! (good luck deciphering it though!)

Oh Internet, How I've Missed You!!!

It's amazing what you have to subject yourself to when you have no cable or internet. Like read a book. Or drive around a brand new town. Gives me chills just thinking about it. ;o)

So much has happened since arriving in Maine. You saw the last post that my parents brought Brylee and spent the weekend with us. Retrieving them at the airport in itself was a big adventure, as an ice storm came in that morning, so we experienced rain, ice, and snow all the way through to Boston and back...and the 2 1/2 hour trip back home took 4 hours, ending in the dark and none of us could really enjoy the view. And Cary later reported that the car had no traction from all of the ice on the road.

Saturday was Cary's birthday. This was definitely the most low-key birthday Cary has had, at least since I have been around. But with the chaos of everything, I hope he still enjoyed it. I was able to make a chocolate cake at the last minute, and while it wasn't his dad's homemade cake with candy icing, it was tasty. We'll just have to make the real deal soon!

We had lunch at the Black Horse Tavern, which serves a mean boursin cheese burger...tasty! Afterwards, Cary was nice enough to drive my parents and us to North Conway, a town in New Hampshire that is known for some good stores, including L.L. Bean and the Christmas Loft. My family really seemed to enjoy the latter, and didn't have time to go to the former.

Cary's presents for this year were a Wii and a grill. My parents got us a Wii fit console for a housewarming gift, perfect to help pass away time while we have no cable, internet, and it is icy outside!

I have gotten to explore the Main Street in town on an afternoon off, thanks to the greatness that is my father-in-law. I went into a party supply store and a craft store that takes up residence in an old church. I shopped, bought, and felt just a little guilty afterwards....just a little! I also took the opportunity to visit the town's vet and meet some of the nicest people ever.

Since getting here, it has snowed, melted the snow on the patio, and then refroze...only to snow again. Oh the joys of something other than heat!!!!

Brylee has been an absolute character as I am trying to get back into the swing of things as a stay-at-home mom with no partner-in-crime to help out. While staying with my parents, she learned how to 'bacha', which is a short way of saying that she sounds like a chicken doing the "Charge" song you hear at a sports event. If she starts getting fussy, all I have to say is 'bacha', and she instantly starts right up. And she loves to do it whenever she talks to her t-ma and poppy.



She and I also visited the library last Friday for their story time, which was Dr. Seuss featured for the week. We sang songs (her favorite for now is itsy-bitsy spider), listened to stories, and did a little craft (colored a paper Dr. Seuss hat). This Friday the subject is music, so I'm looking forward to seeing what they have!

T-ma created some picture books before Brylee came up here, full of pictures of some of her favorite people, so she can see them whenever she wants. I have the same idea, but I'm going to frame a lot of pictures of her with her friends and family so she can see them there as well. I have yet to get the frames, but it will happen eventually...or at least the intentions are good!


T-Ma sent us a surprise bouquet of flowers and a balloon last week, just telling us that they are thinking of us. It was wonderful, and Brylee loves her balloon, and I love my flowers. Sometimes I still get teary-eyed looking at them, just for missing my parents and the distance. But they are coming again for Easter, and we are planning on going there in May!

We finally purchased Cary's new grill last weekend, after a delay from a trip to the store due to weather, and since then, we have grilled hot dogs (surprise surprise) twice. And he is a master grill chef! I just need to find him an apron that says so! I can't wait for the nicer weather to come up so we can grill out more often, and hopefully get patio furniture and company to go with it!

Brylee and I went and met our connected neighbors (a.k.a. #4) last week, taking over some cookies. I wanted to meet them and let them know that Brylee is going through a screaming stage (thanks T-ma ;o) ) and let them know that we are working on it. It is a very nice family, and they told us about a birthday party they were having on Sunday for their niece. On Sunday evening, we received a knock on our door, only to see the nice man holding a plate with a large piece of spice cake on it...oh how much I love that cake!

An extra note is that neighbors known as #2 have put a bad taste in my mouth right away. Brenda and Gary were wonderful and came over for the movers to bring in our furniture as we were doing our road trip, only to be approached by the Mrs. of #2, whom in calm words proceeded to tell Brenda that she was parked in their personal space and needed to move the car. And while that was sufficient enough for Brenda to try to move her car, the Mrs. continued with the same complaint...for several moments. I told my family that I would send them cookies, too, by tossing them over the snow hill that bordered us...just so I wouldn't have to endure the same annoyance for trespassing...

What a fun adventure it has been so far, with good times, and sad times. But so far, no bad times. Just things to look forward to!

I would like to say a big Thank You to the following:


(and Bill and Ivan for the awesome gift!!!!)






And especially to you, GG, for helping me have my moments outside of toddler-hood!

New Month, New Life

Happy March everyone!!!

This last weekend was wonderful, sad, scary, and cold…all at the same time!

My parents flew in on Friday with our little one, and I was so happy to see them. Their flight was delayed 1 1/2 hours due to the airplane not being at the gate, then mechanical issues, and then making sure that the weight of the plane and its contents were accurate…

And then on top of that, what usually is a 2 1/2 hour drive from from Boston became 4 hours because our roads were icy and no plows had gone through yet. Poor Cary (the driver) was tired and nervous at the same time!

The rest of the weekend went well, unpacking boxes, celebrating Cary’s birthday, and getting to see the town for the first time. We even managed to go to another town and visit a Christmas store…the best one yet!

And of course, there was time to hunt for a few geocaches as well. Chestmutt and Pootwaddle can now add Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine to their states of collected caches!

Sunday was a very sad day, as not only did I have to say goodbye to my parents AGAIN, but they also had to say goodbye to Brylee. That was extremely difficult on me to see, but I also had a killer headache…possibly from all of the emotions I had been experiencing.

More pictures from the weekend:

Today is the strangest day of them all. Cary started work today, leaving me with the little one and the hairy one all day…a first since October. I miss him. I miss my parents. But at least I have some gorgeous scenery to check out…and maybe perhaps we will get out and explore Small Town a little today.

And now for a tour of the house. Please excuse the mess…I wasn’t expecting company.

Guest bedroom:

Brylee’s Room:

Master bedroom:

Hallway with the rooms and stairs

Upstairs area. The living room and kitchen are one big room.

View this morning from the kitchen. I should set up a daily picture from this same spot so we can see the changes throughout the year.

Just a section of our patio. It wraps around, and is HUGE!!!!

View from our living room/Brylee’s play area

Yeah. Cary found this for us. He did good!