Greetings from the Northeast!

My last few days have been a fabulous mixture of whirlwind craziness and relaxing quietness. I keep thinking this trip is just what I have needed.

There were times over the past week that I was so stressed and stretched with all I have had to do, wondering if this trip would really actually happen...right up until the moment I arrived at the airport, very nearly missing my flight and making a mad run through the airport Sunday morning. But now that I am here, it was all worth it.

Vermont (that is a picture of the mountains in Rutland, VT above) was absolutely beautiful and quaint. Maybe a little too quaint I was thinking on my first morning there after realizing I had no cell phone service, and best of all, no hot water in the inn we were staying in. Here's a picture of the lovely in in Proctorsville, VT that didn't seem so lovely or quaint when I was walking down the street in my pjs at 6 am in 40 degree temps to take a shower at our hostesses house:




It was dark the first time we arrived at the inn, but from the front porch, we could hear the sound of running water. The next morning, we discovered this right across the street:



The picture I took of the inn above was actually taken from the bridge over that little river, that's how close it was.

While we were in VT, our hostess took us to the Vermont Angel of Hope. I love visiting the Angels when I am in other places that have them. Well, this is only the 3rd one of seen, counting ours, but I enjoyed it anyway.



Cathi and I in front of the Angel:





That's all the pictures for now. The only thing I am disappointed in from my days in VT is that we didn't see a moose. When we drove into VT and stopped at the visitor center, we were told it is moose season, and I was so hoping to see one.

I am writing this from Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, MA. Hopefully, when my boss is finished with her workshop this afternoon, we will have some time to go exploring. I hear there's a really amazing yarn shop here that I hope to check out, too.

While we are staying in Northampton, we have been given use of a beautiful home out in the country. Yesterday afternoon, just after we arrived, I looked out in the field about 100 yards away, and there were 2 whitetail deer watching me. Unfortunately, my camera was in the house.

So while this week so far has been spent running and driving from one place to the next, it's been wonderfully relaxing as well.

*I haven't watched tv since Saturday.
*I rarely have cell phone service.
*I rarely have wirless internet access. (This in fact is only the third time since I left)
*We drank homemade strawberry rhubarb wine courtesy of our VT hostesses husband who makes homemade wine as a hobby. When he asked Cathi and I if we wanted some homemade wine, we didn't hesitate to say "Of course!" When he said it was strawberry rhubarb, I nearly changed my mind. I love strawberry rhubarb bread/pie/crisp, but strawberry rhubarb wine? Sounded gross. Give me chardonnay or reisling. I didn't want to hurt his feelings after I'd already said I wanted to try his homemade wine, so I took a glass, and it was surprisingly good. He also sent me on my way with 2 jars of homemade zucchini relish, that HE canned. What a man!
*We ate lunch yesterday at a restaurant called Babba Jabba in the VT ski town of Ludlow at the base of Okemo Mountain. I love eating in local places when I am away from home.

Sooo, to wind this down, I'm having a great time. I was a teensie bit worried about spending so much time alone with my boss, but it's been really wonderful. It's going to be difficult to head back to real life next week.