Moose Watch

I've been somewhat obsessed with seeing a moose since I've moved to Vermont. There are signs along the "highway" reminding us to "Look out for Moose." There's even one sign that says, "Moose next 40 miles." Until I see a moose, I think these signs are simple propaganda to sway visitors and new Vermonter's into thinking you may have a magical encounter with these majestic creatures. In a few weeks, Corey and I will be camping in Acadia National Park in Maine. Maybe I'll be able to check, "See a Moose" off my bucket list? Until then, here are some fun videos of moose!

In a Split Second

It takes a split second for a audience of concert goers to go from patient enthusiasm to a roaring crowd. That split second change happens the moment the musicians take the stage. There's nothing better than seeing live music that gets you up off your feet and dancin! Denise and I love a good "hoe down". We had been waiting to see The Avett Brothers since we moved north and she'd bought me tickets for my birthday. The time had come. They were playing in Albany, NY, two hours south of Willsboro, NY where Denise lives. The show was this past sunday night. We were going to do it up old school style, drive down and back in the same day. We left around noon to leave enough time to explore Albany. We got there around 3:30 and was in search of the closest sports bar. It was game six of the Cap's playoff series against the Boston Bruins. If we won we'd advance to the next series. A loss would mean a stressful game seven. We finally found a bar called The Barrel. It looked like it was the place to be as there were cars lined up out front. Our natural conclusion was that it was hockey playoffs and people in New England LOVE hockey (especially the Bruins). We opened the door and the place was packed with people in turquoise. There was barely standing room. Right in the entrance was a woman collecting money and handing out tickets. She greeted us and we asked about the event. She responded, "It's a fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer. There's a suggested 20$ donation." Our faces must have totally expressed what were thinking because the woman reacted, "Oh are you just here to drink?" We responded, "Yes and to watch hockey." There was an awkward silence. We politely wished her luck with the fundraiser and went out in search of another bar. On the way out, Denise and I both noted the large 8x10 photograph on the ticket table of a woman I can only imagine died form Ovarian Cancer. AWKWARD!! It was a situation that only George Castansa would find himself in. Well, we found a quaint Irish pup down the road and settled in to watch the second period.

Our bartender's name was Sarah. She was going to the show as well and informed us of a free show down the road starring Eastbound Jesus. After the second period, we decided to go and check the band out. They were what Denise would call, "A Hoot". She immediately went out on the dance floor and I cozied up to watch the game that ended in a disappointing loss in overtime. The free show ended just as the doors opened for the Avett Brothers. We rain out in the rain, and over to The Palace to found our seats. They opened with Laundry Room. Denise and I left our seats and ran to the isle to dance. We've seen The Avett Brothers five times and this was as show we'd NEVER forget.

The show ended and the audience was let out into a steady rain storm. Denise and I got on the road. Since Denise drove down, I drove back. I hate driving in rain, especially at night, in an unfamiliar place. We must have been on the road for maybe 30 minutes. I had been really short with Denise as she was looking up stuff on my phone. I wasn't present, something was distracting me. I had a uneasy feeling. Something was making feel like we should turn around. I sat with the feeling and tried figure it out. What ever it was it was dark and frightened me. I continued to drive ten miles under the speed limit. My body was tight. I must have been clenching every muscle. I prayed we'd make it home safe and sound. As we continued to get closer to the high peeks the dark feeling was still with me. Was something going to happen to us? Were we going to die? What was it? I had an image of a car going across us. Then the feeling disappeared. As we climbed in altitude, the weather got worse. In a matter of seconds we were in freezing rain, sleet, and snow. The road had patches of snow and trees were sparkling with ice. I now was driving with my flashers on and doing 35 mph. Luckily, Denise didn't take her snow tires off yet and her car was handling the conditions well. We reached the top of a peek and I slowed down as a car going faster past.

It only takes a split second for your life to completely change. The car to my left lost control, swerved right, then swerved in front of us to the right, hitting a ditch and flipping multiple times, landing upside down. I don't remember pulling over. The ground was slippery, I fell on the snow down the ditch and tried running over to the car. Two of the three passengers had gotten out. The third was still trapped inside the car upside down. The girl, who had been driving, was in shock. I couldn't understand her. Flashes of my CPR class came to me. She wanted me to get her friend out of the car, but it wasn't safe. I held my phone trying to dial as my hands shook and snow fell. Out in the peeks, there's no service. Denise got both the girl and the her friend into our car. She had blood from a small cut on her head. Multiple cars went by but no one stopped. I finally stood out on the median and held the light of my phone out and waved. Finally, a SUV stopped. All we needed was for them to call 911 and somehow they got through. Three cars, on the side of the road, all going different places but coming from the same, The Avett Brother's show.

As we calmed the two people down, their friend stumbled out of the car and made it up the ditch to our car.  Despite the severity of the accident, the only casualties were a black eye and a cut forehead. We waited for the paramedics to arrive for thirty minutes. In the north country, the emergency service aren't around the corner. With the unpredicted weather, there was no telling how long it was going to take. We all felt it was too dangerous to sit on the side of the road in the storm as tractor trailers sped by. Denise and I offered to give the three a lift back home to Plattsburgh, 30 minutes north of where we needed to be. Denise and I got back to Willsboro a little after 3am. I was up and on the ferry back to Burlington by 7:30am and in my classroom by 9:30am.

I sat at the snack table the next day feeling like I had been in a Twilight zone. Only a few short hours ago I had witnessed an accident that shouldn't have had any survivors. Now, I was asking a four year old if she wanted milk in her cereal. We had come from an emotional high from the concert to the complete opposite in only seconds.

Denise asked if the accident tainted the concert experience. I wanted to say no, but I will always remember that concert as the night of the accident. We are both blessed to have not been hit and only been witnesses. I reflected on the dark feeling that I felt prior to the accident. Call it a message from God or a bout of clairvoyance. Whatever you call it, I'm thankful for listening to it and taking my time on the road.

The Avett Brothers are playing on the waterfront this summer in Burlington. I look forward to walking home.

Mid Year Evaluation

It's been close to seven months that I've had the privilege to live in the beautiful Green Mountain State. I've loved exploring the trails, the city, and the small town general stores Corey makes me go in every time we travel. Vermont has so many wonderful things tooffer. My commute has completely changed from the beltway blues to a pituresque view of the sun rising over Mt. Mansfield and Camels Hump and setting over the Adirondack's and Lake Champlain. As the weather warms up, I look forward to riding my bike or walking into work. This winter, despite it's epic lack of snow, still managed to be adventurous. With spikes on our feet, Corey, Denise, and I all hiked Camels Hump. I've never hiked so much in the snow as I did this year. For those of you who haven't, you should! It's so quiet and peaceful. A completely different experience than hiking in the warmer months. Getting to the top of the mountain was like walking into a post card. Heavy snow fell on the pines and you could see animal tracks all over the place. The weather was cold. Maybe 20 degrees? But we were layered well and as long as we kept moving we were warm. As we made the ascent, the wind picked up at got fierce. Corey's beard was frozen and we certainly were moving slower. Once we reached the top, we could only stay a few moments. The wind was so strong, you had to lean into it our you would certainly loose your balance. It was this hike that made me realize how much I love it here! 

Despite all the fun outdoor exploration, I've certainly had challenges adjusting to this new chapter. Starting a new job is always challenging and takes time getting to know your co-workers and the ins-and-outs of the job. I've had some of the most challenging students in my teaching carear and often go home emotional exhausted. Grad school continues to weigh on my mind and I want so badly to find a program that interests me. Outside of the professional life, making new friends is challenging. I've had the same group of friends since I was in elementary school so this is new territory. There are certainly days that feel a little lonely but I'm learning to expand outside my comfort zone and be a little more outgoing. I remind myself it's a new opportunity to grow. 

Corey and I recently retired the Ole' cable box and I must say I've only missed it once in the past month. I feel like my mind is more relaxed and my bodies slowed down to enjoy things like reading, listening to music, and just being together with Corey. We no longer put off cooking dinner but look forward to finding new recipe's (most likely off Pinterest) to cook together. I'm also hoping to get into a beginner sewing class and start using my grandmother's old sewing machine. 

We've had one week of 80 degree weather and it's back into the 30's. It was just enough to rejuvenate us until spring officially arrives. Until then, it's mittens and winter jacket. 

With all the challenges and obstacles that I'm hurdling over, I find myself enjoying my new chapter. I hope that this post find you enjoying your chapters as well. 

Christmas Lottery Ticket Makes Big Winner

The Friday afternoon before Christmas, Corey, Denise and I packed up our car with handmade Christmas presents, dirty laundry, and of course a zen garden (You read it correctly, a zen garden) and headed to Southbury, Connecticut. It was a beautiful scenic ride south through Vermont as the snow was softly falling. As usual, the Berman house was filled with laughs. If you've met Corey, you're well aware of his sense of humor. Multiply that by about ten and that's what you get when EVERYONE is together. Other than laughs, we did the traditional Christmas activities. We ate delicious sweets, enjoyed the worlds largest lasagna, went to the Christmas Eve candle light service, bought our annual lottery ticket, and opened presents while sipping on hot morning coffee spiked with Baileys. There was even a visit from Santa. 

               

Christmas morning came and we took turns opening packages Corey even dressed up in his Santa suit and gave his 92 year old Mamaw some extra gift for being a "good girl" this year. 

             

For those of you cleaning your glasses, STOP. Mamaw is in fact holding a a giant BOOB. If you ever visit the Berman's, let me give you a piece of advice. Always check under your pillow before you go to bed and search your purse before going out. This BOOB is likely to show up at the most inconvenient and embarrassing moments. I wouldn't be surprised if it made it into our wedding ceremony if and when we ever get that planned. 

Back to the gift giving. As a way to prevent everyone from going into debt, we opted to pull names from a hat. I had Corey's father, Rich. Since he had lost his, Life Is Good shirt that he ALWAYS wears, I thought it would be necessary to replace. Denise, having recently joined/created a crocheting group called Stitch and Bitch, made winter items such as hats and ear warmers. Corey had my mother. We had purchased a beautiful wind chime from a gift shop on a road trip up to the North East Kindom. The wind chime had a humming bird hanging on it. Knowing my mother and her  interest in birds, we knew she would love it! Mom got her gift and began opening it. Attached to the ribbon, Corey had placed a scratch off ticket to the package. As all of us were consumed with our own gift opening, my Mom shouted out loud, "Who gave me this?" Everyone stopped. "Who gave me this? I won! I won!" Having experience with scratch of tickets I always read the small print because it never falls, I always misread the directions and lose. This was not that situation. She had completed the directions as stated. "I won ten thousand dollars! I won ten thousand dollars!" Now, I've always 

wanted to know what I would do if I or someone I knew won the lottery. Eyes started to fill with tears. Tina ran out to tell Jarrett, Corey's brother. My mother was ecstatic thinking about how she would use the money to pay off bills and student loans. It WAS a Christmas miracle! In the midst of all the excitement, Rich, Corey's Dad had secretly exited out of the room. There's a saying many teachers use when understanding students and parents. It goes like this, THE APPLE NEVER FALL FAR FROM THE TREE. You see, Corey is a product of his father which means among all the ruckus, Rich knew what was about to unfold in the next two minutes. Corey asked my mother, "Where are you suppose to take the ticket to be redeemed?" My mother frantically searched for the instructions on the back and read aloud, "If a winner please take to your ticket to the closest LOTTERY FAIRY to collect your winnings." The room went silent. It was a FAKE!  A GAG! You could here the crickets chirping. That is, until my father let out one of the loudest laughs I've ever heard. My mother gave Corey a sarcastically playful glare and announced, "You are going to pay!" It was by far one of the greatest pranks I've ever witnessed. We all laughed, and Rich eventually found the courage to make it back into the room, shaking his head in shame. Corey spent of the rest of the day  feeling a little bit guilty. My mother, while I'm sure would have loved winning ten thousand dollars, enjoyed the joke and DIDN'T kill Corey in his sleep. The rest of the weekend was spent learning how to crochet, playing with the pups, and simply enjoying the company of good friends and family. It was a Christmas to remember. 

         

  

Hope you all had a holiday season was filled with many laughs and may your New Year's be filled with ACTUAL prosperity!  Love & Peace! 

P.S. My sister hand carved the zen garden out of a fallen tree log and filled with with sand. 

  

WHAT'S COOKIN?

This weeks blog post is dedicated to the kitchen. As the rains continues to fall and Autumn temperatures begin the plummet, Corey and I were in the mood for something to warm our inside. We experimented with a new recipe from The New Moosewood Cookbook, by Mollie Katzen. It's a vegetarian cookbook with creative and flavorful recipes. The recipe we're sharing today is called Gypsy Soup. It's full of flavor, veggies, and a little spicy kick.

GYPSY SOUP
Yield: if freezing I recommend making double the recipe. It typically makes 4-5 servings.
2 medium-sized tomatoes
2 TBLS olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
3 medium cloves of garlic(crushed)
1 stalk celery, minced
2 cups peeled diced sweet potatoes
1 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp basil
1 dash of cinnamon
1 dash of cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
3 cups of water
1 medium bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cup cooked chick peas
Heat a medium sized saucepan full of water to a boil. Core the tomatoes, like you would an apple. Plunge them into he boiling water for a slow count of ten seconds. Remove he tomatoes, and peel them over a sink. Cut them open; squeeze out and discard he seeds. They should come out easily. Chop the remaining pulp and set aside.
2). Heat he olive oil in a kettle or Dutch oven. Add onion, garlic, celery, and sweet potato, and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add salt and sauté 5 minutes more. Add seasonings and water, cover, and simmer about 15 minutes.
3). Add tomato pulp, bell pepper, and chick peas. Cover and simmer for about 10 more minutes or until all he vegetables are as tender as you like them. Taste to adjust seasonings, and serve.
* Corey used hot Hungarian paprika and was a little too spicy. I would add to taste as some people may prefer he soup to be less spicy.

NATURE WATCH!!!!!

NATURE WATCH; a dedication to all things nature observed on my outdoor adventures. This week's nature watch took place yesterday on a visit to see my sister, Denise. She is working at Pok-O-MacCready Outdoor Education Center. Getting to the center is an adventure in itself. Located in Willsboro, New York, Pok-O-MacCready is just a short ferry ride across Lake Champlain. Depending on the weather, the ferry ride can be a scenic view of New York's Adirondack Mountains to the west and Vermont's Green Mountains to the east. Yesterday, it was a foggy ride with limited scenery. Rather than spending $32.50 for a round trip with my car, I spent $3.75 as a walk on passenger. Corey dropped  me off with the intention of picking me up on the return trip back and Denise met me on the other side of Lake Champlain. After arriving at the camp, which is nestled in the Adirondack Park, she gave me a quick tour of the property, her cozy home, and the animals (ponies, horses, and piggies). Due to the weather, we opted out of the big Cascade Mountain hike we originally had set out to complete. Instead, we decided to take the kayaks out on Long Pond.

When first setting out, the fog was getting thicker and we could barely see in front of us. Some might find these conditions less than desirable for a kayak trip however, Denise and I were determined to have fun. The pond, which is more like a lake, was still and quiet. We paddled close to the shore and observed the plant life growing beneath us with hopes of catching a glimpse of a school of fish or turtles. Having some knowledge of the area, Denise shared that a water plant known as Eurasian Watermilfoil was spreading across local watersheds. Once established in a watershed, the plant can quickly reproduce, rapidly depleting the oxygen in the water, altering the ecosystem. It can spread easily from lake to lake as boaters can be carriers of the plant as it often migrates via the propellers. For those of you not interested in water vegetation, TRUST ME, it gets better.

Our kayak trip continued around the perimeter of the lake until we reached a small stream. As we approached we slowed our pace and enjoyed the calmness of the water. The stream was filled with tall grasses and lily pads and was postcard material. Continuing around the edge, we discovered an abandoned beaver lodge. I LOVE BEAVERS! Maybe it's their cute little human like hands or perhaps its the flashback to the film Lady & the Tramp? You know, the scene when Tramp tries to sell the beaver the muzzle that's been placed on her snout? No? Ok, I guess I'm alone! Anyway, after passing by the beaver lodge, we began to grow tired and we were soaked. To quote Denise, "I feel like I'm sitting in a wet diaper." It was indeed time to head back. After drying my clothes, Denise took my back to the ferry to go back home. 

Now, the plan was to have Corey pick me up on the other side, RIGHT? This meant that a simple telephone call needed to be made in order to verify the ETA. While living in an area of luscious forsests and scenic mountains can be truly rewarding, it also comes with a few detriments. That's right folks I had no cell service! I decided to take a leap of faith in hopes that when I got on the ferry back I would have full service, and I did. I boarded the ferry, took my seat on the bench, and called Corey. Ring...ring...ring. Nothing. No answer. After several attempts, I had to begin thinking of an alternative plan of action as the ferry is about a fifteen minute drive south of Burlington. Hitchhiking came to mind, but the thought of standing out on the road waiting for a random stranger to pick me seemed like it would make for a better Plan D! Sure, I could walk back, but that would take forever. I thought about just calling for a cab, but in typical Liz fashion, I had only a little cash. Going door to door to all the divers sitting in their cars aboard the ferry and asking if anyone was going to Burlington was also an option. That's when I found my plan A. After many attempts to call Corey and multiple conversations with my self, I overheard a loud woman talking on her cell phone. She mentioned SOUTH BURLINGTON! I politely waited for her conversation to end, "Excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear that you are going to South Burlington. (Insert awkward chuckle) See, my loving fiance was suppose to pick me up at the other end, however, he isn't answering his phone. So....would it be possible to get a ride with you to Burlington?" Sure enough, she said "Yes!"

The story gets better. Terry and and her dog Daisy, were coming up to S. Burlington for her Aunt's 90th birthday party from New Jersey. She had missed her exit and ended up on the wrong side of the lake. Using her GPS, she followed the directions with some concern as the map had her "driving" across the lake. In hopes there would be a bridge, she discovered the ferry, and little 'ole me waiting for a ride. Now, I'm sure you're thinking, Corey must be in the dog house for this! When I finally got home, I peeked in the parking lot to see if his car was there because I had left my keys in his car. I knew that if I went to the door without keys Campbell would create a scene of howling and whining sure to annoy me and our neighbors. After spotting his car, I peeked into our bedroom window where I saw a furry man and a dog snuggled up on the bed. SOMEONE with a bad cold had taken some cold medication and passed out, missing the SEVEN phone calls and multiple text messages!

At the end of the day, the adventure I had been searching for and found wasn't only across the lake and on the water but also in the mere coincidence of two people being in the right place at the right time.

To conclude, I dedicate this blog to beavers everywhere!

Our Teeny Tiny House