One of the cool things about having kids is when they introduce you to fun treats. Like boba tea. Laura had a hair appointment this afternoon and then we had about an hour to kill before Mass, so we got a really good parking spot in front of the church and then walked down to the new tea shop in town. Now, of course, Laura has already had boba from the new tea shop but I have not so I was really excited to try it.
She got honeydew and I got matcha. Rhinebeck, tourist town that it is, can be a little pricey but I thought the cost for these drinks was totally fair. Less than $10.00 for the two of them. They were loaded with tapioca boba and really delicious.
I loved this treat! We enjoyed it outside on a bench while watching the traffic go by. The weather was perfect and we were just off of E. Market St. so it wasn’t too crowded. I look forward to trying more flavors in the future!
Hello, all! Thought I’d pop in and say hello. Actually feeling a little under the weather today — nothing concerning, just some tummy discomfort. As I get older some foods really seem to bother me and as much as I hate to admit it, coffee is one of them. If I don’t have something to eat along with my morning cup of coffee, it just doesn’t set well. I skipped breakfast today, so… After having lunch I started feeling better but I’m still kind of meh.
Check out these moths we saw on our small shed yesterday. I looked them up and I am pretty sure they are Blinded Sphinx Moths. Drew caught them in the act, and by the time I got home from work only one (what I believe is the female) was still hanging around. They were so big and honestly could easily have been mistaken for leaves. Amazing!
https://flic.kr/p/2joThvF
Not too much else to report. I did get a new menu board to replace a chalkboard I had in our kitchen. In case you don’t know, Joann is having a pretty great clearance sale right now (it’s heaven if you like Happy Planner products!) and I scored this dry erase board for under $3! There were sets of calendar clings, and I was sure to grab those too because they’re so cute. Drew drilled holes at the top and added the screw eyes so we didn’t have to remove the hooks and then patch the wall. I love it!
https://flic.kr/p/2joPi8g
Another thing I’m loving is the new Paul Tremblay book! I am a slow reader when I’m enjoying a book — I tend to linger on the pages and savor the words — but I think I’ll finish it by the end of the week. It is a little odd reading about quarantines and pandemics while we are living in one, but in a way that’s what makes it even more compelling.
https://flic.kr/p/2joPi3X
The weather is still so hot and humid. I sound like a broken record, I know.
I did finish my crochet candle mat, and I really love it! I’m going to work up another one and then I will share the pattern. I have it all written out, I just want to make sure my instructions are correct.
Well, I suppose that’s all for today. Nothing great for dinner tonight – just Italian grinders and tater tots. Feeling in a cooking slump at the moment. Nothing sounds good, and I don’t feel like standing over a stove either. Come on, cooler weather! Even a few days of relief would be welcome!
We woke up to a dusting of snow on the ground this morning. I love how pretty it looks. We haven’t gotten much snow so far this year, so I enjoy it when it’s here.
https://flic.kr/p/2cAommM
By lunchtime it was all melted away, but I was happy to capture a little winter beauty.
One of the most fun things about this year was being able to get back out there seeing live music. I love going to shows. It’s what I did through college and when I was living in Boston afterwards. Of course, when you have little ones it’s not so easy to just head out to a concert. That’s why I’m enjoying it so much now!
This week Drew and I went to see Yo La Tengo play at BSP Kingston. It was a treat to see such a great show locally (just around the corner from my huband’s office). I’m not a YLT superfan, but I definitely listened to my fair share of their music in college, and I am so happy that we got to see them play live.
The room was really neat — lots of decorations and lights. However, it was so hot in there. I plunked down $3 for a Diet Coke just because I was starting to feel dehydrated. That wasn’t so much fun, but after a cool beverage and some ice I felt better.
Here we are being all hip and cool and Kington-y (ha — yeah right)! Actually, we were just goofing around because I loved the string lights.
But it was a great date night and one more band I can cross of my “must see” list.
Hellooo! I’m trying to catch up on posts. Lots going on to share! Let’s start with last week, Labor Day. One of the things I really wanted to do this summer was head up to Bash Bish Falls for a hike. With no plans last Monday, that’s exactly what we did!
We decided to go in the morning because it was going to be really hot. That plan worked out well because it wasn’t terribly crowded by the time we got to the falls, but it was getting busy as we were heading back down to the car.
The State Park straddles New York and Massachusetts (my two favorite states, obviously!). I had to get a pic of the kids at the border!
The falls themselves are absolutely beautiful! Photos don’t really show how stunning the scenery is. When you get to the top of the trail, there’s an overlook with a rail, and then there are steps so you can get to the bottom.
We hiked from the New York side, which is a little longer than from the Mass. side from what I understand, however, it’s not as steep. It was a really easy hike and I’d love to go back in the fall when the leaves are changing colors.
Little bit of trivia: In October 2009, AOL Travel named Bash Bish Falls as one of the “Most Dangerous Tourist Attractions” in the U.S. and in 2010 AOL Travel again named it one of the ten “most dangerous travel” destinations this time in the world! It would be pretty easy to slip and fall on the rocks, I suppose, but when we were there I never really considered the area dangerous. There have been 25 deaths there, come to find out and there is a fascinating and eerie legend!
Nevertheless, it is just one more reason to love living where I do. The natural beauty here in the Hudson Valley and Berkshires is amazing!
Sometimes I feel bad for everyone else in the world who does not live here in the Hudson Valley. I’m not quite sure how my path brought me here, but I know for sure that it is where I’m meant to be. It is just so damn gorgeous, especially this time of year. We are lucky to have so many amazing historical sites nearby where you can go (for free) and just take it all in. Laura joined Daisy Scouts, and today was their first outing. We went on a nature hike at Wilderstein. Now, a few years ago I wrote an article on some rennovations that were completed there but until today I had never actually visited. It was a perfectly cool fall day, and a great time to visit. I forgot my DSLR at home, so I only snapped a few shots with my iPhone, but still, I think these photos give you an idea of the beauty of the area. I am a sucker for any Hudson River view. Can you imagine seeing this every day when you walk out of your house? Oh, what I would give!
And then, of course, there is the mansion itself. You can read about the building’s history here. We did not go on a tour (with 8 little girls, that would have been a challenge), but it’s definitely on my personal, ever-growing list of things to do in the Hudson Valley. I also want to do a little research to see if it’s haunted at all. With all the additions and rennovations over the years I wonder! There is a creepiness about it, but that’s not uncommon to many of these Victorian-era houses.
The girls hiked like champs, and we identified many different types of trees, nuts, and grasses. I think this might be the first time I’ve ever seen a ginko tree in person.
And what little girl can leave without a few treasures? We collected a Sycamore leaf, some chestnuts, a black walnut, and an acorn cap (of which we must have hundreds in our own yard, but…). The acorn cap is to practice whistling. One of the moms showed everyone how to do it. I can’t seem to get it, but a few of the girls had no problem!
Definitely a fun afternoon out! But now I am ready to wind down. I have a fire going and I’m making pork chops, baked potatoes, and broccoli for dinner. Afterwards I look forward to (possibly) seeing if I can manage any last-minute crochet (maybe a hat or cowl) to wear to Sheep and Wool tomorrow. Hope you are having a great Saturday, too!
I may be biased, but Autumn in the Hudson Valley is pretty darn gorgeous. This afternoon I just took a few photos around the yard while waiting for the school bus.
As you know, I love tea. I mean, I really love tea. A few weeks ago, a friend mentioned something in passing about some sort of festival at Harney & Sons Fine Teas. Lucky for me, Harney is a local company, located only about 30 minutes away. I immediately clicked on the link to the Facebook Event to learn more information. Oh. My. Word. It was a free (FREE!) tea festival! There was no question — I had to go.
Immediately, I messaged my friend and fellow tea-lover, Kelly. Since we met during our days at UMass, we have enjoyed many cups of tea together, shared info about new tea shops, and generally geeked out over a good cuppa. We made our plans to meet up and counted down the days until August 15th. Because the kids had two different parties on Saturday afternoon, we decided to meet up bright and early. HarneyFest started at 9, so we were one of the first people there. It got really busy by the time we were wrapping things up, so I would definitely go early next year.
There was a variety of things to do including tea tastings, a tea ceremony, and blending your own tea. Although the entire event was free, you did have to sign up for everything you wanted to do. This was not immediately clear to us, so we missed out on a couple things. Nevertheless, we started out with the factory tour, which was probably the main thing I wanted to see.
Harney moved their headquarters from Connecticut to here in the Hudson Valley a few years ago. The facility is huge and the pictures I took really don’t show the enormity of it. When we stepped inside the factory, I was just overwhelmed by the stacks and stacks and stacks warehousing bags of tea, just waiting to be blended, bagged, and packaged. They do it all right there, which is pretty cool!
We had the chance to see the production lines in action. We saw silk sachets formed, filled, and tagged. We watched single-serve bags produced. We even got to see how they seal up the tea tins. I am fascinated with manufacturing (in part, I’m sure, because I grew up in a manufacturing town), so watching all of this was really cool.
The other super fun thing Kelly and I got to do was create our own tea blend. Yes, it’s exactly what you think! We donned our very fashionable hair nets and made a couple “I Love Lucy” jokes about feeling like Lucy and Ethel.
There was a table set up with a few tea bases, and several flavoring additions. Honestly, I didn’t know where to start! I finally decided on a rooibis base and I added apple, cinnamon, orange peel, and some coconut. The coconut was an impulse addition, and I’m not sure how it all will taste, but I’m hoping it will work. After we added our goodies to our tin, we brought it over to a Harney employee who blended it all together and then labeled and sealed our tins. I hasitily decided to call mine Carol’s Tropical Harvest Blend. I’m looking forward to brewing a pot of it once this weather cools down!
Of course, there was a little shopping to be done. Honestly, I didn’t really need much tea, and the flavors I was really looking for were not available at the tent sale, but of course I found a few things: their chai teabags, a tin of Chocolate Mint sachets, and a tin of Paris sachets. I am such a fan of tea lattes made with Paris, steamed milk, and a little sugar-free vanilla syrup. I also couldn’t resist this beautiful enamel Nina Jarema tea/coffee pot. The woodland pattern just called to me, and it was the only one I saw.
There were a couple food vendors there, so we decided to grab lunch before we departed. There was a little booth serving up Mexican food that we decided to try. A couple people were getting tamales, and I never had one before so I figured this was the perfect opportunity! It was so delicious I just had to get a second (along with a chicken taco — yes, I went a little overboard, but the yumminess was hard to resist). I wish I knew the name of the vendor so I could give them a little shout out! All I know is that she told me she’s often at the Millerton and Amenia farmers’ markets. The food was cheap, filling, and tasty. She also had a nice variety of homemade salsas. If anyone knows the name, please comment and let me know!
The absolute best part of the day, however, was getting to spend it with my good friend. Kelly and I don’t get together anywhere near as often as we’d like. In fact, before Saturday it had been well over a year since we had the chance to hang out. The awesome thing about your best friends though, is that no matter how much time passes, you pick up just like it was yesterday. There is no one else who would have jumped for joy over tea with me (yes, I literally jumped when I learned I could make my own custom blend), and I’m so thankful we were able to make this happen!
HarneyFest was such a fun event. The company was generous with samples, the employees were super friendly, and I really hope they do it all again next year because I will definitely be there!
It snowed last night! Around 9:00 I was leaving a friend’s house and was excited to see a dusting on the ground and flakes falling from the sky. Funny, isn’t it, how it just takes a couple months for us to go from “Ugh, more snow?” to “Yay! It’s so pretty!”
When Laura walked down the stairs this morning, she immediately gasped and asked if it was Christmas! So cute, right? Noah was hoping he could play in the snow after school, but I explained that it would most likely be melted by then (and for the most part it was). Nevertheless, it was a lovely start to the weekend.
I realize that I basically take the same photos year after year when it snows, but… somehow it just always seems new. Maybe it’s just me. I am sure that by the end of January I will be longing for warm days, but for now I am very content to bundle up, sit in front of my fire, and enjoy dark, cozy evening.
