Boots

Being a woman, I have quite a few options for footwear.  Winter months limit the selection somewhat, but there are still plenty to choose from.  However, not all of these footwear options are really all that practical.  I suppose your profession also plays a part as to the functionality of your footwear choices.  Such as when I worked at the hospital I was most often seen in my Danskos, which I rarely wear now (let's just forget the fact that I live in my slippers now when I'm at home).  There are plenty of practical winter footwear choices: sneakers, muck boots, work boots, winter boots, snowshoes....  One I have yet to mention that I find no real functionality are the pretty boots.  All of us women have them.  Yes, they look cute with skinny jeans, skirts, dresses, etc., but they are just not practical in this winter weather.  They do not keep our feet warm and are no match for ice and snow.  So, after wearing my winter boots to shovel the walkways while my car warmed up last night, what was it that I grabbed to wear out to dinner with the girls? Yup, my pretty boots.  I threw them on (ok, really I took about 10 minutes unzipping and zipping about 7 different zippers to get them on) and marched out the door.  I started down the steps and immediately went down all four and onto my butt.  I yelled out a certain four letter word and then cursed my decision to wear skinny jeans thus requiring my pretty boots. I gingerly got up, dusted off the snow, and walked cautiously to the car. I debated calling to cancel.  My hip and wrist were throbbing, but I decided not to let my poor choice of shoes ruin a night out with friends.  I was glad I didn't cancel.  It was a great night- delicious food, fantastic drink (also my first scorpion bowl!), and fabulous company celebrating a dear friend.  I guess it is true that we learn something (new) everyday, and for me that was to definitely be more aware of the functionality of my attire!

Weather Obsessed

This time of year we tend to check the weather a little obsessively.  Yes, we like to know what to expect for the next couple days, whether a storm is coming, what we will have to deal with.  With the cold weather and many of us with cabin fever, we are hoping for sun and soaring temps.  I could now care less about the amounts of snow we will get, unless it's a few feet and I have to go out and clear off the mainline. My main reason as of late to check the forecast constantly, even a month out, is because I am ready for sugaring.  When I say I am ready it just means I want to boil.  I've got the itch.  It has come to be one of my most favorite things to do, and there is only a short time frame in which I can. And, I want to use my new drill I got for Christmas.  We still have a lot to do before we are "ready."  We are in the process of getting a dry line put up, we have a few taps on the new 3/16" tubing to get out, and possibly adding more taps in another section of woods.  We are by no means "ready" to tap and boil.  I just want to.  Last year I would have been more worried about the weather for work reasons.  What would the conditions be for delivering the mail?  I still worry about that for my husband's sake, but I am more concerned about when the temps are going to raise enough, consistently, so we can start making syrup.  I'm ready for some sun and 40 degree temps.  It's hard being in an industry that is dependent upon the weather.  So, Mother Nature, what do you say?  Please don't let us have to wait too much longer!

Cone of Shame

Our puppy got spayed and is now sporting that hideous cone of shame.  And it is a sad sight.  She hated the cone since it was put on when we picked her up at the vets.  Her head hung low, as if the cone weighed a gazillion pounds.  It was hard for her to walk at first.  The cone would get stuck on the floor, my daughter picking up the cone so we could get her to the car.  Getting in the car was another ordeal.  Having a low sports car would have been ideal for this situation.  However, we have a SUV, which is not low and is hard for a puppy who just had surgery to get into.  Thank God I didn't have to take the truck that day.  After the kiddo and I were able to maneuver the cone, I was able to pick up Sadie's back legs and tuck her inside the car.  We must have been a sight to see in the parking lot.  The ride home was pretty uneventful (thankfully), Sadie holding her head low, unable to figure out where exactly to put it.  Getting out of the car was another task.  It was like Sadie was unable to figure out what to do with her hind legs.  The kiddo finally coaxed her out of the car and walked her over to the front steps.  The cone hit the step and Sadie froze.  The kiddo lifted the cone over the steps as I lifted her front paws and then back paws on each step.  Thankfully there are only 4.  I open the door and Sadie attempts to enter the house, her cone getting stuck on the door frame.  I push her cone over and lift it up, seeing the look of contempt in Sadie's sad glazed eyes.  We all finally mosey into the house and get Sadie into the living room.  She stands there, not knowing what to do.  I put her bed and blanket on the floor.  If she can't make it up the stairs, she is not going to get on her couch.  It takes a while, but she finally figures out how to lay down.  She is not impressed with any of this.  The kiddo laid on the floor next to her and colored her a "get well" picture.  Sadie gets back up and tries to move.  She's stuck.  Her head is on the floor, unable to move the cone forward on the carpet.  "Pick your head up," we tell her as we both go to lift her cone.  Sadie is having none of this and puts her head back down.  The kiddo keeps working with her to lift the cone and her head.  After a while, we try to get Sadie to eat a little.  She walks into the wall near the laundry room where her food is kept.  I straighten her out and try to coax her in with some food in my hand.  She eats it, but won't come any closer to her dish.  I let her out of my hand again, and push the bowl closer to her.  With the next handful of food, I bring my hand down to the bowl. Visions of hand feeding her for the next ten days went through my head.  "Please use your dish," I pleaded with her. She then proceeded to eat from her bowl. Success! I let her be for a bit.  Every time we heard her whine she was stuck.  Whether on the rug with her head down or on a wall or door frame, we would have to go rescue her.  Taking her out to do her business was another endeavor.  Sadie was used to going out without a leash, but we didn't want her taking off and pulling out any stitches.  I, apparently, was the designated dog walker.  It is January.  It is cold.  There is snow.  And I have a dog with a cone on her head.  Poor Sadie kept trying the sniff the ground unsuccessfully, getting snow in her cone in the process.  Every chunk of frozen snow we came across she somehow managed to get stuck on. Every little noise she would stop, not sure what it was or where it is coming from; lost without her peripheral vision. The longest, coldest 15 minutes of my life went by until she finally eliminated.  I thought that job to be finally done as we headed back inside.  Until we reached those dreaded steps.  Another five minutes until we were back inside.  Sadie spent the rest of the night trying to get comfortable and whining whenever she was stuck until she finally fell asleep.  As the days went on, Sadie learned to pick her head up and maneuver more easily.  The cone is in rough shape, banged up on all sides from her walking into things.  Our puppy loves attention and needs lots of loving.  Unfortunately, with a cone that is so much harder to do.  She will follow us around, banging into our calves with the cone.  Or if she is in front of us, she'll turn abruptly, banging into our shins.  I'm thinking about putting a layer of foam around the edge of it so my legs will have less bruising.  Our cat has been enjoying the cone head Sadie, as she is unable to reach Lily under the coffee table and beds with the cone on.  I think the rest of us are ready for the ten days to come to an end.  Sadie is getting used to the cone for the most part, figuring out how to get herself unstuck, making her way up the steps, and only slamming into my shins or calves a few times a day.  But I know she'll be just as happy as us when that darned cone can come off.

Of Mice and Men

We live in the sticks. There are spiders, snakes, rodents, bugs. None of which I am particularly fond of.  It has been nice to not see any of those creatures since the cold weather and snow have come.  Last night my husband and I had settled into bed, drifting to sleep, when the cat started racing around erratically.  My whole body tensed.  Was she chasing a mouse?  God, I hoped not.  My husband rolled over and asked if I had locked the door.  "Umm, no." I laid still hoping he would get up to lock it.  He asked if I could get it.  I shot straight up.  "No!  There could be a mouse! Lily is running around all crazy!"  He groaned.  Told me I was being ridiculous and I should get up and lock the door.  "Grab your phone for me! I need to see!" My phone was out of reach, as was the light switch.  My husband mumbled something and gave me his phone so I could use it as a light.  I quickly scanned the room for both Lily and the potential mouse.  No sign of a mouse.  I ran to the light switch and rescanned the room with the light on.  Still in the clear.  I ran to the front door, locked it, and ran back to bed.  My husband poked fun at me.  "Remember what happened a couple years ago?" I asked him.  He nodded and laughed. 
A few years ago we were in bed, sound asleep.  I woke when I heard the cat, but didn't think anything of it, and rolled over with my back to the door, falling back to sleep.  Apparently Lily was playing with a mouse, tossing it around and then retrieving it.  Well, she threw that mouse pretty forcefully and I felt it hit me with a thump in the middle of my back.  I freaked.  I screamed.  I sat straight up, waking my husband.  He jumped out of bed asking what was wrong. "A MOUSE!" I screamed.  "IT'S ON THE BED!"  Like a good husband, he started ripping the covers off until the mouse fell to the floor.  He told me it was just a little mouse. I shivered.  It didn't matter how big or small it was,  "It hit me in the back!"  My husband just laughed.  I made us change the sheets and blankets before we went back to bed, my husband quickly falling asleep as I laid with one eye open all night. 
Needless to say, my husband doesn't let me live that down.  But, somehow, I feel this incident justifies any irrational behavior if I suspect a mouse around....

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

It's January. We have subzero temps and a two hour delay from school.  This is New England.  We should all be used to this yet we gripe about these weather conditions every year.  That being said, I am not a fan of the extreme cold.  I've lived in New England all my life, but I think living with my grandparents for a couple years with the thermostat set at 74 and then having a third floor apartment where it was 70 without having to turn on my own heat has thinned my blood a little.  Don't get me wrong, my home is not currently a balmy paradise where one would mistake for being in the tropics. We try to keep the thermostat down in the winter, only keeping it raised if there's a threat of lost power or frozen pipes. I have learned to dress appropriately, layering up and loving my wool and flannel this time of year.  This cold makes me appreciate that I can work from the comfort of my warm home.  This time last year I was working the streets, delivering mail no matter the weather.  With cold weather, layers were imperative; both thermals and under armour, neck warmers, hats, toe and hand warmers all in place before going to the route.  Often told by customers "At least you have heat in your vehicle" and "I'm sure there's four wheel drive in that thing," causing a suppressed laugh because the defrost gave little "heat" at all and the LLV is a sled in the snow or ice.  It's chilling weather like this that makes me appreciate my husband that much more as he works delivering mail, allowing me to stay home to do what I love (well, paperwork for the business is not quite what I love, but it still has to get done) and spend that extra time with the kiddo before taking her to school.  Cold weather like this makes me appreciate our local farmers who have farm chores to do regardless of the temperatures so that we can have eggs, milk, meats, etc.  This kind of weather that makes me appreciate anyone in an occupation that requires them to be outdoors.  So if we happen to venture outside on this frigid day and see someone who is working in this glacial weather, thank them and let them know we all appreciate their dedication and hard work.

Through the Looking Glass

I suppose I should state how this whole maple thing started....
I first laid eyes on my (now) husband through the window I had in the office where I worked.  The window was great, and was probably the reason (other than my friends) why I lasted so long in the job. When the sun hit just right, people couldn't see in and would use the window as a mirror - adjusting their clothes and hair, applying makeup, picking their nose - you name it, we saw it. People would walk by all day long, posing a distraction at first, but you learned to block it out until something really grabs your attention from the corner of your eye.  The mailman was one of those distractions.  Cute, kind eyes, and a nice smile - it was lust at first sight (cuz can it really be love if you don't even know them yet?). To make a long story shorter, it took a few months of smiling and waving to each other through the window to finally give me the courage I needed to go outside and talk to him.  I saved my mail to bring out with me (I needed an excuse) and had planned out exactly how I would introduce myself and what I would say.  That day seemed to go ever so slowly.  The time finally came and the cute mailman came to the collection box that was located conveniently outside our office windows.  I ran outside so as not to miss him (I needed my bills to be mailed out).  I handed him my mail and then the worst thing happened - he spoke first.
"Hi, I'm Mark. What's your name?"  I froze.  My plan unraveling as I looked down to my name tag. "Umm, Kati." We exchanged a few more words and then he handed me his card for his maple business.  I scored his number, so I hadn't completely blown it.  I debated calling that night, but you are supposed to wait, right?  The next three days were complete agony and, at the time, were the longest three days of my life.  And then I finally called. We ended up having a few conversations and I became the luckiest girl in the world. Our first "date" was in the sugar house.  It was cold and fun.  I would bring coffee and in turn get to sample the delicious syrup, candy, and - my favorite - maple cream. Sugaring became a passion we shared.  I loved it from the start.  That first season we bought sap.  Mark and his dad had built the sugar house in 2005, but he had yet to tap the trees in the area.  That next summer right up to sugaring was spent in the woods putting up wire, main line, and tubing.  Getting all aspects of sugaring, not just the fun of boiling and consuming, made me love and appreciate it so much more.  After a few career changes, I am now producing and promoting our premium maple products full time at farmers markets and other events in the area.  I truly love my "job."  It's so rewarding to be able to do something you love and are passionate about. I have been thinking back to our "how we met" recently. I am appreciative for the arduous journey of life that got me to this point - and so grateful for that office window.

Resolutions

It's that time of year when we resolve to live a healthier, happier, more ambitious year than the one before.  Some of my resolutions are ones we all strive to attain throughout the year, while others are probably not on anyone else's lists.

    Losing weight/Getting in shape/eating healthier.  I'm pretty sure this is #1 on a list of new years resolutions somewhere.  A few weeks ago our lovely eight year old was going to bed.  My husband went in to tuck her in for the night.  As he was leaving the room he said "Goodnight munchkin."  Her response: "Goodnight donut."  We laughed about it at first, because it was cute.  But now that has become the nightly response if either of us say "goodnight munchkin." Which got us thinking.  Although we have tried to eat healthier, the last few months of 2014 were filled with temptations - and will power seems to lose around the holidays and the pounds seem to settle on.  At least for me it does.  Thus our resolve to eat healthy and workout regularly this new year.
     Lower debt/Save money.  It seems that the new year is always when the budget is tight.  We always try to not go overboard on Christmas gifts and such, but we always end up spending more than planned.  We resolve to pay off our debt and put more into our savings this year.  Finding ways to cut back is not that easy.  We just have to think about our purchases and gear them towards necessity versus desire.  We resolve to save more money and reduce frivolous purchases.
    Drink more water.  I guess this could really fall into the eat healthier/get in shape category, but we really want to make a point to drink more water.  When I first got back into working out regularly I realized I was not getting enough water.  I would tally each day until I drank my eight glasses.  I have been off the wagon for a bit, and I find myself dehydrated often.  It is hard this time of year to get adequate water intake.  The colder weather makes us crave the warm drinks - tea, coffee, cocoa.  I resolve to start my day off with a bottle of water and increase my intake. 
     Support local farmers.  Since being in the farmers market circuit, it has made me so much more aware of what we eat.  During the summer months I was vending at six markets a week, which was great as I could bring home fresh fruits, veggies, and meats daily.  I love knowing where my food comes from and what is (or isn't) in it.  Personally knowing the producers (and fellow vendors) is great.  The winter months proves a little more difficult as we only have two markets that go year round and some of the produce is not available or is in short supply.  We resolve to support our local farmers and farmers markets.
     Hard maple candy.  We have had so many requests for hard maple candy.  My husband has perfected his technique and taught me how to make pure maple candy that is so soft and creamy in the middle.  But hard candy is something we have yet to really venture into.  We tried once with not much luck.  The lollipops we had molded melted.  My goal for the year is to figure out how to make hard maple candy.
     Get caught up on paperwork.  I'll admit it, I'm a procrastinator.  I have a stack of paperwork right next to me that I should be entering, but instead I am writing this post.  Maybe because it seems so daunting.  And tedious.  But they are not going to enter themselves into quickbooks nor file themselves afterwards.  I resolve to get caught up on paperwork and stay on top of it this year.
      Stay focused on school.  This should probably be "not procrastinate." But why ruin something I have perfected?  So instead I will resolve to focus on my classes this semester and not wait until the due date to start my homework. 
      Spend more time with my kiddo and husband.  We often find ourselves too busy to pay attention to the things that are important to us in life.  Juggling work, school, schedules, and running a business is not an easy thing to do.  Those who are important to us often get lost in the shuffle of life as we are running late to the next place we have to be.  I resolve to try my hardest not to get caught up in the hectic schedules and make a point to spend time my family. 

We hope everyone has a fantastic new year!  We wish us all luck on completing and sticking with our resolutions for 2015!