The Acropolis

Athens

Top to bottom:
1. The Temple of Zeus (one of my favorite sites, but probably because it was right across the street from our balcony, so we just layed in bed and stared at it all lit up every night...we even had a view from it through two way glass in our shower!)
2. Dog and Accordian in the Plaka
3. Our balcony at The Athens Gate
4. Mount Lycabettus from our balcony
5. This Greek man's posture reminded me so much of my late grandfather, he made me remember and smile.
6. Mount Lycabettus
7. View from Mount Lycabettus
8. Little accordian girl in the shadow of the Acropolis
9. AMAZING Baklava with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce and Chocolate Crepes with chocolate ice cream and chocolate sauce....it was during this dinner that I commented how strange it was that the waiters didn't come and ask how the food is like they do in America, to which hubby replied "They don't need to ask, they know it's good!".  Very true.

If you don't like the weather...

There's a saying in Vermont and probably all of New England for that matter, "If you don't like the weather, wait a minute, it will change"...that was exactly what happened on my lake trip this week.  It started out sunny and beautiful allowing for swimming and kayaking and then quickly turned stormy. 

While the storm kind of ruined our plans for the day, I think I enjoyed the storm more than the fair weather.  There was something powerful about sitting under a tree down by the docks and watching the storm roll in over the mountain and down on to the water.  There was shift in the wind and the light.  Thunder growled and lightning flashed, while the water was dimpled by raindrops.  It was almost magical.

We are headed away from the Green Mountain State for a weeks vacation, our one year anniversary trip, early tomorrow morning.  We'll be spending a few days in Las Vegas and a few days at the Grand Canyon.  Neither of us have been west of Pennsylvania, so it should be exciting. 

Right now I'm working on scheduling posts for each day we're gone of our Greek Honeymoon from last August, so check back!  See you in a week! :)

Blueberrying

A heat wave, a stomach bug, and a very uncooperative seller (I don't think I've mentioned it here yet, but we are under contract on a house and so, so excited!), led to an unplanned blog break.  This week amidst everything that was going on with the house I did manage to squeeze in blueberry picking with my mom and a lake visit.

My parents have always had their own blueberry bushes so we've never needed to go picking, but the past few years it seems that their bushes have come down with a virus and aren't setting any fruit, so this year we decided to go to an orchard and pick while giving their bushes a last ditch effort to get well. 

And look what we found on the way home!  We pulled over and watched them for a good 5-10 minutes scampering around, eating grass, and nursing.

Last week with the heat I couldn't imagine saying this, but summer, I wouldn't mind in the slightest if you stayed around for awhile.

Is It Fall Yet?

I can't imagine being stuck in a wool coat in this weather.  I'll be spending my day in our one air conditioned room, drinking iced tea, and watching Christmas movies, trying to trick myself into believing it's not 105 degrees in our third floor apartment.

Maine Outtake

Do you see the little bird?  :)

Today I have a walking date with one of my oldest and best friends and her babe, then an afternoon ice cream date, and tickets to see my nieces (and brother-in-law) performing under the big top tonight.  AND it looks like the temperature is going to stay below 90 today.  What a fabulous day I have on my hands...

Vacationland, U.S.A.

When my husband and I first started dating, one of the many peculiar similarities we had (aside from playing soccer against each other in grade school) was that our families always drove the 3-3.5 hours to vacation in York Beach, Maine each summer, staying at the exact same hotel.  For as long as we've been together we've continued the tradition and plan on doing so with our own family.  This past Friday we went up to York just for the day.  We played in the sea, soaked in the sun, and ate and ate some more...and of course made a stop up at Nubble Light, one of my favorite places in the world, and where my husband asked me to marry him almost two years ago.

The sea makes me giddy.  About a mile away from the shore, no matter the temperature, my car window is down and my head is hanging out the window.  "Do you smell it!?!" I ask him, taking the deepest breath my lungs can handle.  Ahhhh, I've been waiting to breathe in salt air for months.  As we're walking along the beach, I can feel my mouth, stuck in a smile that I didn't tell it to have. 

It was wonderful.  I'm hoping we'll be able to make it up sometime this fall or winter when everything's closed for winter.  Because if there is one thing I love more than the ocean in the summer, it is the ocean in the fall and winter when the beach is empty, the tide pools have been untouched for weeks, and the only sound is the waves crashing on the rocks. 

26

Today I celebrated my 26th birthday.  We ran some errands this morning, then visited with the in-laws and went out to an early dinner.  Afterwards we took a hike through the woods to a castle tower, an old spring house, and an old cemetery.  I wish I'd taken pictures along the way, but I'm pretty sure the memory is much more beautiful than the photo could ever be.  On the way home we stopped to get creamees.  I plan on crawling into bed early tonight because early tomorrow morning we are headed to the sea for the day.  So far, 26 is fabulous.

Midday Babbling

The weather around here lately has been so hazy, hot, and humid.  The only way we've found to make the heat bearable is to find a cool brook and plunk ourselves in the middle of it until the heat of the day has passed.

If you tell me yours, I'll tell you mine

Yesterday morning I received a call from my grandmother with an invitation to hang out and go out to lunch.  It's funny, calling her for the same thing was on my list of things to do that day.  So I went and we spent the day discussing a little of everything, the news, gardens, family, but mostly we told stories.

I told her I remembered when she took me to see my great Uncle Jake.  We brought him watermelon because he didn't have any teeth and it was one of the things he could eat, and he was showing me how far he could spit the seeds.  I thought he was amazing.

And she told me about the time her and my Grampie decided to try to raise Guinea Hens for meat, and then when it was time to butcher them, he didn't have the heart to do it.

Back and forth we went for hours, sharing stories, some we knew by heart, others were new.  It was wonderful. 

(Completely unrelated: Yesterday, I found this website through another blogger and I am completely smitten.  Its radio programs from the 30's, 40's, and 50's...complete with news broadcasts from WWII, and Fireside Chats with FDR...I've heard snippets of radio programs here and there growing up (particularly on The Waltons...how I love the Waltons) and wanted to hear more.  I plan on doing a little knitting today, while sipping some peach tea and listening to some Abbott and Costello.  Perfect.)

Afternoon Paddle