Fall

This weekend has been one of the quietest we've had in at least 6 months.  Lots of cooking, resting and cribbage-playing.  I am on a several game winning streak against Michael at this point.  This morning, mid-way through my streak, Michael and I got up to fold some laundry and Ayla ate our Queen of Spades.  This caused us to have to search for another deck of cards, which we found in the top desk drawer in the office.  The cards had never been used, probably because they are in French.  Neither Michael nor myself speak French, despite the fact that we live in a city two hours south of Quebec, that is also home to a sizable portion of French-speaking Congolese refugees.  (Needless to say, it might behoove me to crack open a French dictionary once in a while.)  Anyway, what is particularly funny about these cards is that in lieu of aces, there are 1s; Jacks are "V", Queens are "D" and Kings are "R".  We ended up adapting quite well.

In addition to schooling Michael at cribbage, I have also been making a lot of soup lately.  It all started a few weeks ago with a batch of Kale, Kielbasa & Kidney Bean Soup.  Last week, I had a bunch of leeks and red bliss potatoes in my CSA and turned them into Potato Leek Soup.  Last night, per Michael's request, I made Butternut Squash Soup and then threw in a sweet potato for good measure!  It was delicious, (and a very beautiful color, I must say!)  The New York Times has a great recipe that is very similar to the one I made last night: Recipes for Health - Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Soup.  I still need to come up with something to do with my kohlrabi and celeriac.  That's the one problem I have with the farm share: trying to use up all the yummy veggies before they start to wilt!

On Tuesday I begin transitioning into my new position at work.  I had been holding out for new clothes for about six months, reasoning that I didn't really need them working in the shelter, promising myself that I would buy new clothes when I found a new job.  I have been incredibly lucky to be able to move departments within the same organization, the downside being that I can't cash out any unused vacation time for a new wardrobe.  This weekend, I decided that it was high time to treat myself to at least one new outfit, as well as a pair of clogs!  Ever since I was a waitress, I have been wanting to buy another pair of Danskos.  Last year, I bought a similar, and less expensive, pair of stapled clogs from LL Bean, but they did not hold up the way that I had hoped.  Two pairs of LL Bean clogs later (thank goodness for their return policy!) I found myself back in the market for shoes.  Yesterday, after two trips to the Danforth store on Shelburne Road, I ended up with a pair of Sanita "professional clogs" in cordovan.  They are beautiful.

[Photo Love]

Banksy & His Buddies

Prior to settling in Vermont, I had a number of adventures in a variety of Latin American countries in which I mixed cement on top of a roof in a mountainside village, snorkeled with penguins and discovered a deep appreciation for the agave plant.

In addition to these things, I also developed a curiosity for political graffiti and other forms of street art.  Every once in a while I see a piece of street art in Burlington that makes me giggle.

This particular depiction of Obama was on the back of the YMCA facing the City Market parking lot last year.  I took the picture with my cell phone after walking by it several times, and I'm glad that I did, because soon after, Obama's face was gone and all that was left was a splash of light yellow paint.

There is Street Exhibit happening in Burlington this month that features the photography of Ned Castle in which two photographs are displayed side by side depicting the high point and low point in an at-risk-youth's life.  I stopped today to take a photo of the two that were showing on my way out of the parking garage.

Next to the photographs is a poster with a 1-800 number that you can call for a narrative to go along with the photos.

[Street art project combines large-scale photographs 

and narrative on city walls :: Burlington Free Press]

In July, my 1.4 square mile city featured a "Pop-Up Gallery" in the empty store fronts that have been vacant since our "downtown revitalization" about 6 years ago.  It was pretty sweet and featured some great local art!  One of the galleries was selling greeting cards, which was perfect because I was looking for some good Vermont art to send to my cousin Katie who had recently relocated to England.

[This photo is not my own!]

I found a greeting card with the above scene depicted on the front.  How cool!  I paid for my card and left the gallery.  Walking back to my house, I turned the card over to see where the photograph had come from: LONDON!  I had just bought "local" art that actually depicted London Street Art, to send to my cousin who lives only 2 hours south of the city.

This ended up being a pretty great find because not more than a few weeks later, I received a postcard from Katie with the following image on the front:

[Banksy Is Awesome]

Apparently both of these images were made by a mysterious England-based graffiti artist named Banksy.  It got me to Googling him and finding many more interesting (and many politically charged) images that he has tagged in public places.  Apparently he has even made a documentary called "Exit through the Gift Shop" that I am now planning to watch!

I'm not much of an artist myself, but I think that street art is such a neat way to express a point, whether it is social, political or just for laughs.  The last time I used spray paint, it was for a disastrous DIY project that stained my porch and left Michael and I black-listed from Big Lots.  This seems like a much better use of paint...

I especially loved all of the graffiti that I found in Ecuador.  One afternoon, we went to this little neighborhood called Guapulo.  It was affectionately named by my guidebook, "The Bohemian Enclave that Progress Forgot".  In addition to being a windy road with cute little houses and shops, there was also a ton of political graffiti and street art.

My Spanish is rusty, but roughly translated I think this says, "truth hurts that much."  "Mande?" in Ecuadorian slang asks you to repeat yourself.

This is Bill and Alex making friends with some lady-graffiti.

So what about you?  Is there any fun street art where you are?  What do you think of it?  Is Banksy someone whose work should be cherished or whitewashed?  

Thanks for sharing in my little corner of the world tonight. :)

Grattitude

[Buy This Beautiful Print Here!]

I am currently sitting on my couch, waiting for my beautiful boyfriend to come home so that we can go out to dinner to celebrate a friend's birthday.  While waiting, I am able to talk to BOTH of my favorite [blood] girl cousins who are on opposite ends of the United Kingdom.  Sometimes I'm not sure if my life could go on without the power of the Internet.

I'm also listening to a cover of "Can't Help Falling In Love" by Ingrid Michaelson which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy and want to plan weddings.  My dog is snoozing and my dishes are all done.  I spent too much money between Starbucks, Barnes and Nobel and the post office today.  All totally worth it, because what could be better than a good book and keeping in touch with people you love all while fully caffeinated?  (Not much!)

Yesterday, despite having almost no voice, I talked to my favorite pirate-hunting cousins for the first time since his wedding.  He is safely back from oversees and living closer than ever!  This year has been filled with an unusual sense of loss for me and I'm pretty tired of having to say goodbye to people I love.  Talking to Tom reminded me that thankfully none of the goodbyes this year have been permanent.  Whether the people I love are in Scotland, England, Iraq or Idaho, there will be a time where I will see them again and I am so lucky to have all of these people in my life, whether they are in close proximity or a phone call / Skype date away.

The day that Sabrina and Tim left Vermont happened to coincide with our First Annual Saint Mike's Camping Reunion, which lessened the blow for sure.  Mike and I spent the weekend with ten of our closest college friends, sharing home brew, lounging by the lake and catching up.  Many, although not all of these friends were local and it was a great reminder that even though my family was spreading out, we are still surrounded by so much love and companionship here in Vermont.

So anyway, I have some mixed feelings about change at the moment but can't help but feel so lucky for all of the wonderful people (and canines!) in my life.  I'm also pretty sure that I am going to save the US Postal Service by spending all of my money on international postage.  Silver linings all around! :)

Love, peace & postage stamps,

Nicole

Back in [Lights, Camera] Action!

Hello friends,

Long time no blog!  I decided yesterday that my true calling in life is to be a photo blogger.  The only thing that stands in my way is about $800 for a DSLR camera.  My sassy cousin Sabrina has one of these and then last week my staff went on a canoe trip and I got to be in charge of the canoe company's camera!  Well, that might be an exaggeration, I was in charge of it before we got into the water.  (Apparently Eric heard about that time I was a Girl Scout and intentionally flipped my canoe.)

Anyway, it was not just the cameras that convinced me that the life of a photoblogger would be awesome and glamorous, but also this blog that I stumbled upon yesterday: Simply Stardust: The Photomnibus Blog.  If you poke around, you will see that she has cuddly kittens, awesome red hair and is working on a project that involves cooking, taking pictures of food and being paid for it!  Yes, I think this might be my calling.

In addition to procuring a very nice and expensive camera, I might also need to start blogging some more, which brings me here, to you, my internet people!  And if I'm really honest with myself, I know that there are about two cousins and maybe a friend out there reading this in the interspace right now, but that's three people more than if I wasn't blogging at all!

Cheers!

Nicole

The One in Which I Sit on the Couch

Michael is traveling this week.  It's funny because when he goes away like this I sort of like that I get to miss him.  I hate to say that on today of all days because it also happens to be the same day that my cousin Kirby was deployed to go to Iraq.  This is definitely a case of apples and oranges because 5 days on business in Cambridge is certainly worlds away from 6 months in the Middle East.

With that said, after living with someone for two (really three) years it is easy to settle into a routine and not do much outside of your house, especially when you also happen to live with the best dog ever!  Yesterday was a good example of doing things I never get to do: martinis on a Sunday & adventures with redheaded friends.  Today I went to a meeting after work and then came home, snuggled the dog, talked to Michael on gchat, ate some leftovers and made more dishes than I washed.  I also started a terrible movie that I couldn't bring myself to finish because the old man character was pretty unlikable.  Then I sat on my couch and thought about how I had really intended to do so much more than I actually did.  I later surfed the web and red blogs and the online version of the Cape Cod Times.  What I really should have done was painted my Cow Parade Cow from Christmas or learned how to quilt.  We got these really nice quilt donations in at work today and it made me want to be a quilter.  Funny story is that there is a Quilters Convention over at Saint Mike's this week, which is only .5 miles away.  Those quilters can be vicious though!  (I almost just wrote "viscous" there.)

Nowww I am blogging about it!  I think I am going to go and re-read my copy of Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird and look for some inspiration!  Blog readers get signed first editions of my eventual best seller. <3

[adorable]

Blessed is this life...

Friends!

I bet you are wondering how our trip was.  It was excellent, thank you very much.  We made it from Burlington to Virginia with hardly any traffic at all.  We visited with good friends in DC.  We picked up twin-cousins from the airport.  We took a car-tour of the National Mall.  We filled the Hilton full of crazy relatives.  We attended a beautiful river-side wedding.  We drank lots of wine.  We danced to "Jump On It".  We made friends with a delightful waiter.  We drove to New York City.  We saw the best 80s glam-rock revival around.  We drove back to Vermont and picked-up our beautiful dog.  We slept and slept and slept.  Then, we went back to work, not quite rested but renewed and refreshed.

It's pretty hard to get our family all in one spot, so we have to take it where we can get it, even if it means driving 2200 miles round-trip for a weekend together.

Anticipation

When I was little, I mean really little, like four or five with wild bangs from the early 1990s and my parents marriage was still intact, my cousins Sabrina & Sam would come to my house on Cape Cod to visit from Vermont.  I remember that they would always arrive very late at night and my mom would tell me to go to bed quickly so that when I would wake up, my cousins would be at our house.

Of course, telling a child to go to bed when they are anticipating the MOST FUN EVER is futile and I would literally bounce up and down on my bed until it was way past my bedtime and my cousins would arrive.

This is how I feel this week.

I think sometimes anticipation can be even better than the actual event and so I am trying to harness my inner-child and relish in it all.  In exactly three days we will be en route to Tom's wedding, which will be the first time that the four CORE COUSINS have been together without some sort of ominous event necessitating it. :-)

And so, I will continue to enjoy this week, anticipating the AWESOMENESS that is to come, 10 hour road trip and all!

Travel Travel Travel!

Friends, loved ones, Romans, countrymen,

I am counting down the days (7!) until Mike and I depart for Tom and Sarah's wedding.  Next Thursday, we will have to drop off our beautiful, child-like mutt, Ayla with her Uncle Paul and Aunt Lena so that we can prepare to leave at the crack of dawn on Friday morning for Virgina.

I rather love road trips for two.  Last year, Sabrina and I had a Thelma and Louise style trek all the way to southern Georgia.  Unfortunately for us, it was for a funeral.  By virtue of that alone, I'm pretty sure that this time is going to be far more rockin' even if our spectacular cousin duo is taking separate cars.  Therefore, Mike and I are going to rock out for 1200 miles in the Camry.  I'm not sure yet whether he is Thelma or Louise.  Time will tell, for sure.  I can bet though that he probably will not want to wear matching pashminas, but I will pack mine anyway.

Road trip playlists suggestions are welcomed!

As some of you may know, I have not been a stranger to the mini-road trip lately.  This weekend will be my THIRD weekend in a row doing a Vermont -> Massachusetts tour.  This time I'm not making it quite to the Cape, but rather to our friend Chris's graduation party in Cambridge.  I'm pretty sure my credit card is melting from all of it's swipes at the gas pump, but what can I say?  We're popular party people!

I plan to take pictures and regale you all with stories over these next several weeks.  I promise to start being a better blogger so that once my spectacular blogging cousin moves overseas, she can catch up with all the haps here at home!

Fundraising

Guys!  I've got the fundraising bug!  Me, Nicole Marshall, who spent thirteen years dragging around a wagon full of Girl Scout Cookies and whining about it is now totally pumped about online giving!  My boss is already envious of my sweet friends and relatives who have given to my 2011 COTS Walk page.  The fundraising stakes were raised even higher today when I found out that the staff who raises the most money will win a SIGNED PHOTO OF JAMES TAYLOR!  You might say, "Ha! James Taylor! That is so 1975 and you weren't even a thought back then!"  But I will say, "Friend, puh-leeze, James Taylor defined my childhood!"  (Thank you, Mom!)

If you are reading this blog, chances are you have already given, but if not, here is the link:

Nicole's 2011 COTS Walk Fundraising Page

Help me beat homelessness and earn an autographed photo of James Taylor!

In other news, my life feels pretty great right now.  It started with a [more] laid back day at work with some mood lighting, (so over those fluorescents!)  Next, I found out that my cousin Tom, (you know, the pirate hunter,) is being stationed in CONNECTICUT meaning that he will be less than five hours away from me AND will be my geographically closest cousin come fall AND I hope he and his bride-to-be, Sarah have lots of BABIES for me to visit!  Now, I am just imagining all of the soon-to-be beautiful times in store: Kirby, (blonde haired boy cousin, often attacked by eagles, mumbler,) and his wife Abby will be coming to visit in FOUR SHORT DAYS annnnd I have lined up a cousin date for next week in which I am taking the day off from work and do not have to go to CPR class!  (Don't worry, I'll be at CPR class on Thursday in case you are in need of my medical assistance after that.)

I should also let you know that I have a phobia of blood and veins and thus first aid / CPR and so consider this my most altruistic act ever that I am willing to become certified, (it might also be required in my job description...)  Hopefully I do not faint!

Later, gators!

Smelly Dogs & Beautiful Afternoons

Dear Friends,

FANTASTIC day at Red Rocks with Mike, Sabrina and Tim.  It was also preceded by my first carbohydrate in seven days: a "Vermonter" on a multigrain & honey bagel from Bagel Market, (so good!!!)  Not cheating, just a small indulgence.

It's hard to believe that I've lived in Vermont for six years and haven't been to so many of these great places that Sabrina always seems to find first!  Included in the list are The Village Cup in Jericho, downtown Richmond for an Irish New Year and Camel's Hump, (ok, maybe that was not our favorite, but we have a GREAT view of it from our backyard now!)

The walk was great.  I love seeing the lake in its half-frozen form.  Ayla was almost great off her leash, but did get distracted by a dog or two.  Sabrina and I took a new cousin picture for my Facebook profile as she detested the one I had used from Thanksgiving.  (Funny how one can think pictures are really cute and then the other person in the photo can think that it's horrid!)  One good picture of me & Mike too.

The not so great part of the trip happened when I got Ayla's tale caught in the hatchback of our Matrix and she decided to let her canine smell go everywhere!  I swear it was not the actual tail, but rather her fur, since nothing appears bruised or broken at this point, but nevertheless she made a mess and temporarily put an end to our fun with her smell.

Luckily, we all made it out alive and I am hopeful that Tim will continue to want to be my cousin-in-law, even after creating such a stink! :)  Check out some of our photos below:

Here's to an equally sunny week, I hope!

Family, friends, fellow bloggers,

Quiet day at work today.  Sometimes the quiet is maddening, but can be better than the alternative which is when things jump from 0 to 60 in the matter of minutes.  I'm staying tuned for that portion of my day.

I was inspired to post today after reading Sabrina's blog post about her chihuahua, Petrie.  It was mostly adorable pictures and who doesn't love an adorable picture of a chihuahua?  It's enough to inspire most people, really.

I have embarked on a low-carb journey to battle all of the vacation weight that I have accumulated in the last year.  Apparently trips to Georgia, Texas, Maryland, New Mexico as well as your average holidays are not good for your waistline!  I am taking a cheese stick break right now.  The good news is that I could probably eat cheese sticks forever.  The idea of this all is to look especially fabulous for our cousin Tom's wedding in May!

Tom, pirate hunter, James-Bond-incarnate and cosmic twin to Sabrina, is tying the knot over Memorial Day weekend.  I am looking very much forward to a happy occasion with this side of the family!  I anticipate it not being low-carb at all... ;-)  Road trips of this kind are also especially appealing to me.  I had hoped it would be a COUSIN ROADTRIP but much to my chagrin (and Michael and Tim's delight) we will be taking separate cars down to the festivities.  Michael is actually a great travel companion, especially because he has the stamina to drive for twelve straight hours while I sing along to every song on our iPod.

So anyways, I am off to highlight things, (literally, with the markers.)  I will keep brainstorming some interesting tidbits for the Internet!

Sam Diegos by the Sea

I'm pretty sure that the best and only way to send off my favorite member of the Marshall family is with Mexican food and fried ice cream.  My cousin Katie, who shares my blonde hair, bushy eyebrows and slight forehead wrinkle, has decided to start her life anew in England with her short-statured and hilarious British life-partner, Oscar.  It is a move that I have regarded as being inevitable for some time now and I can’t think of a better person to be a born-again-Brit than my own cousin Katie and so I wish her well, despite being disappointed that my Toyota Matrix will no longer be a viable form of transportation to her house now that there will be an entire ocean between us.