Warm Weather Thoughts

I dream of spring & summer.

Dreams of Sweet Apple Blossoms 

 I want to put my hands in warm dirt, fresh compost, and plant seeds. I want to dust off my bike and go on the numerous rail trails in the area. I want to be cooled down by a double dipped ice cream cone made locally. I want to smell my herbs in my herb garden. I want to walk downtown along the waterfront and feel the hot sun on my back. I want to wear shorts and Tshirts. I want to put away all my wool, fleece, winter gear. 

Oh, I wish and I wish and then I put on my boots, hat, scarf, coat and gloves and go out side and watch my breathe with each step. It is still the cold season in New England. The air is brisk but clean. I take a deep breathe and start my walk. Ah, New England. Gotta love it.

Dreams of Newburyport Bike Rail Trail 

The reality of the weather @Plum Island National Refuge near Parking Lot 2 where plowing ends.

A few calm, non snow storms days with subzero winds and Arctic chills.

 Yesterday, we celebrated the grand weather with a trip to the Portsmouth Brewery. Portsmouth is a working town with a great harbor, fine restaurants and good bars. In the summer, it is a wonderful place to walk around and see old buildings, and apre-civil war buildings. The gardens are fabulous and their is even a chestnut tree that one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence planted when he came home from Philadelphia. It is a grand old, huge and ancient tree.

We headed for the Portsmouth Brewery for lunch and some fine brew.  I opted for the Double Oaked Royal Imperial Stout. This is the stout that put this brewery on the beer maps. It was formally called Kate the Great Imperial Stout. The lines would form the day before the cask opening, and the madness would go on until the cask was empty. The brew master left with rights to the name, so this fabulous beer is now sold as Double Oaked Royal Imperial Stout. We never had the patience to wait in line, so, yesterday I was able to taste this brew and let me tell you, I was in Stout Heaven, it was so good.

Stout Heaven is a grand place to be on a quiet Monday afternoon.  

We New Englanders laugh at 110 plus inches of snow this month....

New Englanders are a hardy bunch of people. I know, I am a New Englander. So after a month of snow storms topping out at over 110 inches, my dear husband put down his shovel and toasted everyone to a great winter. I did not dress him. This is his official Summer outfit.

Four Season of New England

Photography by  Barbara H. MilhenderQuote by Henry David Thoreau

“Live each season as it passes;

                breathe in the air,

                drink the drink,

                 taste the fruit,

            and resign yourself to the influences of each.”

           

                                          -Henry David Thoreau    

 

Edward and Evelyn Milhender

I think a lot of my mother and father. Both died in May of different years. He lived to 92 and she lived to 96. They had a wonderful loving & long relationship.  When they were in their late 60s,, they drive up  to my home in Newbury, MA and from there would do driving trips around  New England. One year was Bar Harbor, then came Burlington, Vt, Portsmouth, NH, Williamsburg, MA, Bennington, Vt.

I found three old pictures of two  of these trips.

Dad at the Shelburne Museum.

Portsmouth, NH before a boat ride to Appledore Island.

Farmer Ed with Dairy Driver Ev working at the Dairy Shelburne Museum.

My parents were world travelers. My husband would always stay home and just us 3 would venture out together. Our last trip was Williamsburg, VA when they were in their mid  70s. I flew down to DC to join them. Fun, oh yes, traveling with them was fun. Dad was less adventurous than Mom.  He hated picnics, or new restaurants. In Bar Harbor, he did not want to picnic by Sommes Sound.  I brought chairs, picnic baskets filled with fruit, smoked salmon, cheese and yummy breads.  They both always had big appetites. He complained that picnic were no fun. After the food was gone, both of my parents took a long and luscious nap along this beautiful Sound. Both had their mouths open and it was hard to tell who was the loudest snorer.  They both awake after about and hour and Dad said "well that was very refreshing and enjoyable." 

Henry and Ralph Quotes

My two favorite writers, mugs and quotes. Just add tea.

Between January & February, we now have had over 100 inches of snow.We have broke all the recorded snow records since the settlers started to keep track of New England winters.

This much snow means staying inside for long period of time. Finding chores that never were chores before.

So far this day, I have cleaned up the drawers in my desk,separated the pencils from the pens, backed up my computers, loaded pictures from my wonderful Cannon Elf, charged the Elf and oh yes, made breakfast. Breakfast was hot 10 grain cereal with golden flax, and muesli.  We had left over maple syrup & rum from the pancakes earlier this week. So, we added this sweetness of New England and the Caribbean to today's breakfast. 

So, what is up for the rest of the day? Videos of IN TREATMENT - The complete first season. Reading books, and playing music.

Next,  I plan to meditate & levitate myself out of New England and fly my mind down to the warm Caribbean waters of Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands. I will walk on the warm, white sandy beaches and then go snorkeling in my mind. 

Finally, I will think and act like a cat today. Chill out. Relax, rest and enjoy being inside on such a cold and windy day.

Miss Becky has a good attitude during the snow storms.

I took a walk with my snow shoes around the neighborhood. Today, Friday the 13th, is a lucky day for us. It is sunny with no snow.  It is however, wicked cold, and wicked windy.  Tomorrow starts our next blizzard with the promise of 2 more feet of snow. Oh joy! Snow bound again for days.
I am a true New Englander. I was born in Massachusetts, still live in Massachusetts. I briefly lived in Northern California. I left when all my married lady friends had more dates than I did. But that is a another story for sometime later.
We New Englanders are tough, hardy and ever so good looking.  But, even tough people have their limits. Enough is enough I say, but, no one is listening to me. So bring on the snow again.

View from my car (warm and safe) with the mountain of snow along our driveway.

Our mail box is close to disappearing under the white snow.

Two weeks of record snowfalls and I have cabin fever. We have not taken our cars out in over a week, since they are covered by snow.
So, I created Cabin Fever Banana Bread.

Cabin Fever Banana Bread Simplified by Aunti B

I have modified this simple recipe for a moist, delicious, and easy banana bread

First, if I have bananas that have gone black, I simply put the entire banana in the freezer.  They are great for smoothies, and baking. For baking, I defrosted the bananas before adding to the other ingredients. For smoothies, I cut off the peel, and cut the frozen banana into small pieces before adding my other ingredients.

This is so easy to make, no need for a mixer. Clean up is easy, use only one bowl.

Prep time: 10 minutes   Cook time: approximately one hour. Yield: one loaf

Ingredients2-3 ripe bananas

1/3 cup melted butter

½ cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1-teaspoon vanilla extract

1-teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

View out from my dinning room to our deck.

Back yard view of deck.

less than ½ cup of chopped pecans (or walnuts)

less than ½ cup of Trader Joe’s Dried Pitted, Tart Montmorency Cherries

Method to the madness:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and butter a bread loaf pan.

In mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until smooth. Stir in the cooled melted butter.

Mix in the baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract. Mix in the flour.

Pour the batter into you prepared loaf pan.  Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour ten minutes (check at 50 minutes) or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool completely on a rack. Remove banana break from the pan.  Slice and serve. (A break knife helps to make slices that aren’t crumbly.)  After eating some banana bread, put on your warmest clothes and go outside and create a snow angel. Enjoy.

Snow, fried brussell sptouts, and keg of beer

Destination Portland, Maine

A one night get away to the city with great food and craft beers.

The winter of 2015 has already broken the record on our total snow.  So far we figure we have received over 50 plus inches and this next week more is coming. This is a serious winter. Newburyport is about to run out of places to pile up the snow. The old and narrow one way street are restricted to parking on only one side of the street during the day. Large trucks are having problems navigating through the tunnels of snow. 

Finding parking places are nearly impossible. Is this any way to live?

We decided to head north and relax. At our hotel, we meet a couple who were native Floridians. They try to get to Maine each winter to enjoy the white season. They raved about Clam Chowder and fish dinners. But, we had another agenda.

We bundled up and started a 15 minute walk to our favorite home bar in the universe.

Novare Res  was our destination. Down a lonely alley  which was lined with about 4 feet of snow. We were close. Finally, our destination was ahead. 

Novare Res  Front Door

Inside Novare Res

A mystery keg from Germany was opened and our sample was  amazing.

I was more than happy with my Old Rasputin Stout

I just can not say enough about this wonderful Beer Bar. In summer their outdoor Beer Garden opens up...life is good.  
Our walk to the Bodo took us another 15 minutes. This part of Portland is a wee bit rough at the edges. Lots of homeless people and sneezy bars. We pasted the majestic State Theatre.  An old art deco decorated theatre from head to toe. It looks like some parts of this area is having a yuppy revival. But, this area has a character and lots of characters.
Boda is an small comfortable Thai restaurant. The downstair has a very comfy bar and open kitchen. Up a few stairs is the small dinning room. The food is very fresh, innovative, done to a turn.  I started out with a Cinnamon infused Bourbon which I have had before and it is luscious. We started with a plate of fried Brussels sprouts to die for.
My main course was their duck specialty with a vinegar sweet and spicy sauce. Desert was Chocolate & Coconut Moose. 
We had the hotel free shuttle pick us up and had a short and warm trip back to our cozy hotel room.  My husband smiles twice during the trip. Once for the great keg beer and second for his fabulous roasted pork dinner. Those smiles we worth a million dollar to me and I vote yes to another visit to Portland to cure Winter Cabin Fever. Oh, did I tell you that we are home now and expecting 15 -22 more inches of snow? Life is good.

Fried Brussel Sprouts- delish

My duck dinner...the best

Walk up the small stairs to the dinning room

These are some of my favorite things

I love art in nature & art in museums.

I love architecture.

I love flowers.

World Class Beer.

 

I love birds.