Sunday, October 26, 2008

Vermont

Oh how I love this state. Looking back, it seems thoroughly unfortunate that I didn't discover it until just this summer, while we were passing through on our honeymoon. Only good things happen when we're in Vermont.

We are welcomed into warm kitchens where bunches of herbs hang from the rafters and vegetables are roasting in the oven.

We are required to read to irrepressibly cute one-year-olds.

We savor long views of winter trees and cloud-kissed mountains.
We enjoy long afternoons by the woodstove, and baby smiles.
We take hikes on brisk days. We celebrate larches and crab apples and geese.
We gather inside and share music and wine while cold rain beats against the windows.
We wake up early in the morning and meet the farm's woolly black calves. Hello!
This weekend we journeyed north to Vermont to stay with our friends Jeff and Sarah, and their son Monroe. They inspire me. The way they live, and the way they parent, is simple and organic, whole and nurturing and honest. At times I feel like I've got one foot firmly planted in mainstream, materialistic America-- I like Crate and Barrel and Pottery Barn, I eat at Burger King occasionally, I spend a lot of money at JoAnn Fabrics. But my heart wants to live close to the land, and simply, mostly by what I can provide with my own hands. Jeff and Sarah are more committed to that ideal than I am. They walk the walk. When Patrick and I move out of town, I imagine it'll become easier to live close to the land. We need land first, though, and that day will come.
In the meantime, we can always visit. Thanks to our hosts for food, shelter, and excellent conversation. And thanks to Monroe for enlightenment on the many uses of blocks, new adjectives to be added to my vocabulary, and endless entertainment.

3 comments:

Jenny said...

im with you on only good things happening in vermont. i loved it. i could live there. i will pass on your mutual love to my vermontian sister in law.

Anonymous said...

i love vermont too... we used to vacation in smuggler's notch ever summer, and i've missed it a lot (and the friends we've made there) since I moved across the ocean. I can totally see you achieving that dream of living close to the land and doing as well as your friends do, hun! i just hope you'll be kind enough to let me visit you sometimes! <3

abbie said...

thanks for coming over to my blog and commenting about the wool socks. :) My toddler had this very cute surprised look on her face when she went "whoomp" to the side on her little butt after slipping something good on our kitchen floor.
I grew up in NH and the things you described in this post reminded me supremely of my childhood. I now live in the mega-suburbs of Washington D.C. and really miss the simple country living, farms, organic gardens, wood stoves burning, real wide shaker board wood flooring, and the rolls of the mountain ridges. This post, from a year ago, made me smile. Thanks! Abbie

Post a Comment

Thank you, so much, for taking the time to chime in here. Your comments make my day. Let's do our best to keep the snarkiness at bay and be a happy, friendly place in the interwebs.

Related Posts with Thumbnails