Encouragement I'm doing good things

(image re-blogged from kwamser )

I always told my mom that I wanted to see the world. I wanted to live in the mountains and on a tropical island. I wanted to live in another country. I told her I wanted to live in tiny tiny towns, and one day maybe even live in a big city. Well here is my chance!

Exploring Rangeley Maine

The evidence of summer is disappearing and the chill of Fall is taking over. As the skies turn grey, the trees morph into something beautiful to keep people from turning inward with the notion of winter on their minds.

This past week we celebrated the atumnal equinox, which typically occurs September 22-23 marking the arrival of Fall. For those non-science people, this is when the sun is basically level with the equator making the length of nights and days equal.

This weekend Tylan and I joined our friends Erin and Conor to celebrate their wedding in Rangeley, Maine. The drive was spectacular with the brilliant falls colors coming into full bloom. It seemed like we couldn’t keep commenting on the vivid oranges, yellows and reds that painted the mountainsides.

Even though I grew up on the beach and will forever consider myself a beach girl, I do love the mountains when the seasons start to change. Living in the flat lands (a Maine term I learned), you miss the transformation of green leaves into these brilliant dazzling colors of fall. The beauty of it can never quite be captured though a camera lenses, though we never stop trying.

Our weekend was full of crochet, bike riding, boat riding, swimming, photographing, dancing (lots of dancing), corn hole and good company.

A very nice couple, Nate and Rose, joined our journey from Portland to the wedding and back. Never once did they complain about being stuffed in the jump seats of Tylan’s Toyota pickup.

Thanks for being troopers, especially Nate.

The first day we got there we headed straight to the boat dock to do a little booze cruising before the evening BBQ. At one point, one of our friends Dave, was relieving himself over the back of the boat. Tylan thought it would be funny to knock him off with some unexpected boat maneuvering. Well, Dave stayed still, Nate on the other hand had a little difficulty. Nate and Rose were standing on the front of this pontoon boat and just happen to take be the innocent bystanders who took the blunt of this joke. I watched as Nate slowly lost and regained but eventually lost all balance falling backwards over the front of the boat. Those of us watching all gasped causing Tylan to swerve just in time to miss running directly over Nate. Close call, though I give Nate even more credit for falling in and still attempting to save his PBR!


The rest of the weekend was full of more fantastic stories like the above, some to be retold and others just to be left as memories. One of my favorite moments of the wedding was watching Erin walk up to the ceremony.

Saturday turned out to be the perfect weather for a Fall wedding. The morning rain cleared to a crisp blue sky with a gently fall breeze.

Everyone was looking around wondering if she was going to pop out of the trees, be delivered by a car or ride up on chair lift. No one knew. Suddenly you hear, “There she is!”

This beautiful woman dressed in all white walks out of the Saddle Back Lodge followed by her sister, sister-in-law, mother, and canine companion Olive. It was a magical scene watching these five meander up the hillside in the LL Bean boots and elegant dresses. They looked perfectly happy.

You could see the excitement and smiles on their faces from even far away. Erin looked at ease. Not worried at all, no anxiety about getting married, but content to be surrounded by family and friends.

As she walked down the aisle her eyes were locked with Conor's. No hesitation, but pure joy and excitement showed on her face. This was the moment where Erin was to officially joining her life with the one she loved the most in the world. It made me jealous. Though it gave me hope, that one day that I could have those same emotions rush through my mind and soul about loving someone that much.

Best of luck Conor and Erin!

I love when the leaves change.

Fall is coming.

Life is wonderful. I smile and enjoy the moments of seasons changing.

I enjoy moments when I can drink my hot apple cider (definitely the seasonal beverage of fall), sitting on my porch with a light blanket daydreaming about what winter will bring. (Hopefully lots of snow for skiing and snowboarding!)

Dog Chases

Have you ever found a dog running up and down the streets aimless lost? What would you do: continue on your way ignoring it, yell out HEY who's dog is this, or look to see if they have a collar and help the poor fellow find his home?

Today a yellow lab roamed the neighborhood lost and confused. I was shocked by some people’s reactions and comforted by the maturity of others.

I witnessed a few skateboarding kids stop a cop and mention it to the officer. This seemed pretty normal and very mature of these middle school aged boy. 

That all seemed pretty normal, what happened a few hours later took me by surprise.

HONK! HONK! HONK! HONK!

All our attention was drawn to the window where someone on a motorcycle honked his horn in a very obnoxious manner. I thought at first it had to be some childish prank. Nope. This continued for about a minute before we became annoyed.

I went to the window yelling something to the intent, "Is that really necessary?" Tylan, a little more confrontational, went straight to the front door to yell at this hooligan. The motorcyclist informs Tylan that he was honking to get someone's attention because a dog was running up and down the street that looked lost. Seriously dude?

Honestly, you think the best option to help this dog is to create obnoxious noise till someone else comes out do deal with the situation. Why don't you pop that kickstand of yours and grab the dog yourself?

Is this the way city people think, or did I happen to run into just one crazy person? Any other place I've lived you'd take the dog in, especially if it had tags.

This I know the dog possessed, because later that evening I was running an errand and almost hit the poor pup. It was darting across the busy street with its tail between his legs. Poor pup. I walked the neighborhood trying to find the fellow with no luck.

I hope the yellow lab ran into some nice people who helped him home, or he found his way himself. I love dogs and hate to see them lost (especially scared and lost).

The things we think of.

The idea of writing a blog came to me while having a conversation with my best friend, Catie, on the train ride home. Even though she lives across the country from me in Seattle, Washington we make quite the effort to stay in touch. It was actually her brilliant idea for me to start writing. By the time I got off the train my decision was made... I was to start my first blog.

Of course the first thing I do is mention it to my boyfriend. As any good boyfriend does, he encourages me to push forward and create this blog. Next, he pulls a curve ball, by telling me I have "homework" to do. Soon, I find out that this "homework" is watching an episode of House, my favorite shows, about a blogger who gets sick. This avid blogger writes everything about her life including information about her thoughts of the doctors online. The female blogger is addicted to her online life and online friends. She won't even make a health decision, like what type of heart valve to pick, with out getting input from her fellow readers. You should watch the whole episode even if you've never seen one before because it has one of those great House twists.  Private Lives Season 6 Episode 14

I was confused at the end of this all if that was a warning, or what? His responded that when I mentioned blogging, two things came to mind: his sister's blog and this episode from House. Well, I guess that works! Well I hope Tylan wasn't sending me a hidden message saying "DON'T DO IT." Because here I go... blogging away.

Here I come big city!

Will I love it? Will I hate it? Who knows... all I know is no matter what my feelings about living in the city will be different today then at the end of this.

I grew up on the Outer Banks of North Carolina in a small town called Duck. My experience with big cities has been small, and normally overwhelming but exciting. For the summer I have been living in a small town... (Now when I say small I really mean it with only around 100 year round residents)  called Caratunk located in north eastern Maine. So why am I all the sudden in Boston.... well for a boy of course!

So for my first story. Well Tylan, my boyfriend, wanted to welcome me to the city by taking me out for drinks and a lovely seafood dinner (always a favorite). Well this is where LESSON ONE of living in a big city comes into play:

If you plan a route and know it.... stick to it, don't listen to someones short cuts, or you may find yourself late, LOST, and overwhelmed. If all else fails, when you freeze up... have a smart phone guide your way!

I had all intentions of walking from North Station to the bar Drinks. (A wonderful bar where they make the BEST dark and stormy. They brew their own ginger beer and tonic water! A must try.) Well my boyfriend thought he might help me out and send me via the subway to south station where I would only have to walk about a block and half to the bar. Well, I got off the subway around 5:15 ish and thought I was close to the aquarium, so started to follow my pre-planned route to the bar which mostly included following the Bay Harbor Trail. (This is a great trail to go on a lovely walk with someone you love... that could be a dog or boyfriend!) Well I quickly realized I was suck on this trail and was probably walking either the wrong direction or way out of my way.  Eventually I passed the Gillett Shaving headquarters and started weaving through the streets of South Boston. 

At this time, I hear my phone vibrate with a concerned message from Tylan because what should've taken me 5 minutes was now taking me a good twenty plus and I was still no where to be seen. This is where I needed a good reboot. After a few minutes messing with my Google Map application on my Blackberry, I find a path to Congress Street.  After a 45 minute detour I finally meet my poor worried date at the bar. He just looks at me and grins... "Welcome to Boston."

So I got lost my first official night in Boston, but I learned the importance of following my route, or at least having a smart phone so it can locate you and send you in the right direction! They are a nifty device, one that never tells on you or makes fun of your silly round round about routes.