More Friends with Benefits...

Sarah was invited by one of her school friends to come and ride her pony at the Stables near our house. This is the second time a friend has invited her to do this (another friend shared their horse with us back in October), and I am getting used to having friends with fun things for us to horn in on ;).

Brushing Precious to get her ready for the saddle.

The three girls ready to ride.

Sarah on her first ride of the day.

She actually got to trot... a little scary for a first time rider, but I think she likes it.

She even got to help lead the pony back to the gate after her ride.

Thanks Friends!!!!

You Can't Trust Anyone Anymore...

... especially the weatherman! So, all week, including early this morning, the weatherman was predicting rain, rain and more rain for today, so we started to make plans to spend the day indoors and hoped to be able to find something fun to do. Well, at around 10:00 am, when the rain still had not started, we decided to head to one of our local state parks to fly a kite before the storm arrived.

The breeze was just perfect for kite flying, and I decided to take advantage of the opportunity and went for a little run around the park... here are just a few of the views I encountered on my run.

It was so great to be running outside again. I have spent the last six months or so running only on a treadmill, under doctor's orders, to try and help my knee heal from IT Band Syndrome. My knee may make me regret my outdoor run tomorrow, but right now there is not a regret in sight.

We all had a marvelous time out in the lovely park and it is almost 6:00 pm and the rain has yet to start.

In other news, Sarah and I enjoyed a fun trip to Boston on Wednesday with some friends and had a great time! Below: the kids striking a pose in the museum.

And, last week I participated in my first concert with the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Chorus and Orchestra. It was so fun and we had the best seats in the house right behind the Orchestra. If you are interested, you can read the newspaper review about the concert here.

Easter Eggs, Slumber Parties, and Roller Skates...

So, we have had some fun this week, starting with an evening of coloring Easter Eggs...

(some of us got fancy)

... followed by a living room slumber party (Sarah had been begging to do this for weeks) ...

... we got cozy in front of the fire...

On Easter, we stayed in our p.j.'s all day and enjoyed a delicious Easter 'dinner' in between listening to General Conference. Oh, yeah... and the Easter Bunny hid eggs and candy all over the house.

On Tuesday, we had a delicious taste of Summer with temperatures in the low 80's, so I purchased Sarah her very first pair of roller skates, and we spent the afternoon working on her 'skating legs'...

We hope you all had a wonderful Easter and wish you all a delicious Spring!!

You Learn Something New Everyday...

This photo has nothing to do with the rest of this post, but I had to throw it in anyway. Tim and Sarah during our impromptu hike along the 'Pine Swamp Corridor'.

So, on Monday, as the rain was coming down in buckets, Sarah said to me, "Mommy, you should check and see if my school is cancelled." My response was, "They don't cancel school because of rain, only for snow." Well, you learn something new everyday... school was not cancelled that day, but it was cancelled the next day when the rain hadn't stopped, and many of the local roads were underwater. Some of the school districts still have the schools closed today as people are recovering from what some are saying is the worst flooding this area has ever seen (including the floods resulting from the hurricane of '38). Thankfully, we escaped any flooding in our house (our woods were pretty soggy, though), but some of our friends were not so lucky.

One of my favorite little areas, Old Mystic, was one of the most hard hit. This is about ten minutes from our house, and I drive through it almost daily on my way to the gym. You can see some more stories and photos at www.theday.com.

The rain has finally stopped, and the sun is out, so we will look forward to better things for everyone. Hope you all have a wonderful Easter.

Cucumber Sandwiches, and other Delights...

"It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that a group of women in possession of a great novel, must be in want of some cucumber sandwiches."

- paraphrased from Jane Austen

So, this week, in honor of Valentine's Day, I played hostess for our Book Club reviewing the beloved classic Pride and Prejudice. Of course, no discussion of Jane Austen would be complete without also enjoying a spot of Afternoon Tea. So I started my research and began testing my recipes. One dilemma I had was how to serve tea to a whole group of women when I did not own any tea cups, or a tea pot. As I was searching for some kind of disposable tea cups, it suddenly hit me...I had a box of china dishes, inherited from my grandmother upon my marriage more than ten years ago, that had never been opened (I obviously don't entertain much). 'I bet there are some tea cups in that box,' I thought to myself. And so, I dug the box out of the hutch in the dining room, cut the tape open and gently, yet eagerly, opened the flaps to reveal...ten teacups and saucers as well as a myriad of beautiful serving dishes. Perfect! I was on my way, and so my next step was to head out to my favorite store for inexpensive yet fancy dishes (TJMaxx) and look for a tea pot. I found the perfect one right off the bat...Hooray!

Next, came the testing of the recipes. Could I really make a batch of chocolate chip scones that would be fluffy and delicious? Yes, I could. And, it was surprisingly easy. Too easy, really, to be good for my waistline. Could I successfully make shortbread? Yes, I could. The shortbread was less of a success than the scones, but still yummy enough to ruin any diet I may have fancied myself on. Fresh fruit? Check. Egg Salad and Cucumber Sandwiches cut into cute little heart shapes? Check. Some yummy Orange Spice herbal tea? Check. My spread was now complete...

Of course, Sarah and I had to test the teacups and teapot as well as the sandwiches and scones to make sure everything would work out.

We have also had several tea party lunches after the big night (I have to justify the somewhat frivolous purchase of a fancy teapot), and I am sure there will be more tea parties in the future.

On to other culinary thoughts... The following photo is of the Udon Noodle soup I made for dinner the other night. This is the result of a simple "I can't think of anything else to cook" meal that Tim brought to our marriage from his dad...a meal called 'Chinese Noodles': Cooked Spaghetti, Chopped Ham, Chicken Broth, Hard Boiled Eggs, and Soy Sauce. Over the past year or so, we have been trying to 'improve' the meal, to make it more authentic - adding some green onion here, a little shaved carrot there, etc. This was the best result yet, though it is no longer the last minute meal that it once was: Homemade noodles, sauteed veggies (carrots, celery, green onions, red peppers, edamame), sauteed chicken breast, chicken broth, soy sauce, and a dash of Rooster Sauce (a recent and delicious discovery in the Asian food aisle) .

Perfect for a cold winter day...

Yesterday, Tim indulged me (a Valentine's gift, he said) and took me to the Boston Museum of Science to see the Harry Potter Exhibit (costumes and props from the movies - only there through the end of February). We bought a membership to the museum and enjoyed the various exhibits. Photography was not allowed in the Harry Potter exhibit, but it was really fun to see the details of the clothing and the intricate details of the individual wands. Things you can easily miss during the action of the movie. I think my favorite things were the huge chess pieces from 'Wizard's Chess' and the full sized 'Hungarian Horntail' head that you could look right in the eye.

Sarah had fun in the lights and mirrors room. This mirror apparently reveals the actual size of your brain ... see how smart our little girl is ;).

Here Sarah has channeled her inner diva and strikes a pose worthy of any fashion magazine...

This chess piece from the "Chamber of Secrets" movie was on display in the main foyer of the museum, and was therefore legal to photograph.

We had a wonderful visit overall, and it was tainted only by the fender bender we experienced on the drive home. We had taken a detour to avoid a big accident on I-95. We had slowed down for a red light only to be slammed into from behind - BUMMER! So far, the damage to our car seems to be minimal...just some scuffs and cracks on the bumper...

... I can't say as much for the other guy's car...

When the Boy is Away...

...the Girls will PLAY!

Tonight, Tim is on an overnight camp out with the Boy Scouts, so Sarah and I decided to have a fun girls night (Sarah was giddy with excitement)!

... we painted our nails ...

... played with playdough ...

... and had a wonderful time!

A Wonderful Opportunity...

Yesterday, I was privileged to join with one of my good friends, many other singers from the area, as well as the Hartford Symphony Orchestra to perform a benefit concert to raise money for Haiti relief. We sang Gabriel Faure's Requiem and it was so beautiful! It took some creative planning to get to all the rehearsals (we found out about the concert on Wednesday and had rehearsals on Thursday, Friday and Saturday). I am so glad I made the effort.

 

The concert raised more than $22,000 all donated to the Red Cross for Haiti Relief.

Here is the news story that ran prior to the concert... 

 Hartford Symphony Orchestra and Area Musicians To Offer Benefit Concert for Haiti on Sunday, January 24 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2010 – On Sunday, January 24, 2010, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and choral groups from Hartford and beyond will perform Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem to raise money to help earthquake victims in Haiti. All of the proceeds from the concert will be donated to the American Red Cross, which is at the heart of relief efforts in the devastated country. The concert will be held at Immanuel Congregational Church, 10 Woodland Street, Hartford, CT on Sunday, January 24, 2010 at 3:00 p.m. Attendees will be asked to make a free-will donation to support the American Red Cross. “The need for relief in Haiti is immediate, and local musicians wanted to act quickly to help meet that need,” says Tom Cooke, Executive Director of Voce, the Hartford-based professional choral group spearheading the fundraising effort. “There are literally hundreds of people donating their time to produce this concert – people who believe that music can change lives.” In addition to Hartford Symphony musicians represented by American Federation of Musicians Local #400 and supported by Local 84 stage hands, the concert will feature singers from Voce, the Hartford Chorale’s Chamber Singers, the Vernon Chorale and local church choirs including Immanuel Congregational Church, Asylum Hill Congregational Church, and many others. “We even have singers from the New London Chorale coming up to join us – the groups are too numerous to name.” According to Hartford Symphony Orchestra Executive Director Kristen M. Phillips, “everybody in our organization – musicians, board members, staff and supporters – was looking for an opportunity to do something to help. A community-based performance of Fauré’s beautiful Requiem is exactly the right thing to do, and our musicians were eager to take part in it, donating their time and talent to participate.” The American Red Cross has over 400 volunteers on the ground in Haiti, where the scale of the disaster is overwhelming. With a reported 200,000 casualties, over 1.5 million people displaced, and entire towns decimated, Haiti is in desperate need of help, according to a Red Cross spokesperson.

Last weekend...

This past weekend we enjoyed a wonderful visit from our very special friend, Katie, and her mom, Lorna. They were only here for one full day, but we made the most of it starting with a delicious feast at 'Somewhere in Time', a local breakfast place, followed by a visit to the Nautilus Submarine Museum. Then we came back to our house for some playtime and lunch. We spent the afternoon at the Mystic Aquarium and then, finished the evening with dinner at our favorite restaurant, "Rice, Spice, Noodles".

We all had such a wonderful time! Thanks for a great visit!