Day 21 - January 30: Marimba Rehearsal

Stuart plays in an African-style marimba ensemble after school.  They rehearse on Mondays and our house lies midway between the middle school and the rehearsal site.  Therefore, every Monday at 2:24pm, four exuberant sixth grade boys tumble through my kitchen door looking for chocolate chip cookies and a lift the rest of the way.  We don't own a marimba, but they practice on the piano, the electric piano, and the drums while they're here - oh, and of course they've discovered "there's an app for that", too.

Day 20 - January 29: Trying on Dresses

It's one of those sweet full circle stories - 18 years ago our niece, Alison was the flower girl in our wedding.  This June, Lane will be Alison's flower girl.  Today we brought four dresses to Alison and Bryan's apartment in Cambridge for a fashion show.  A couple of them have made it into the final round.  Stay tuned.

Day 19 - January 28: Skiing Solo

The last time I skied alone was at Sun Valley, where I chatted slopeside with Arnold Schwarzenegger.  The time before that was at Stowe, where I met Douglas Whitla on the chairlift.  Both memorable days that turned out pretty well.  Today turned out pretty well too.  I gave Erik and Melissa the day off and took the three girls to the mountain for their lesson.  That gave me 6 hours of skiing - and reading my book in an Adirondack chair on the base lodge deck, overlooking the mountain in a surprisingly strong January sun.  Not quite Sun Valley - or Stowe - but not bad at all.

Day 18 - January 27: From the Latin Malus Meaning Bad

This week Lane has the "mal" words for vocabulary and spelling - malfeasance, dismal, malefactor, malady, malevolent, and more.  I'll use one in a sentence - "Today the weather is dismal". 

Day 17 - January 26: A Skiing Pioneer

My 87 year old father remembers the first time he strapped on skis and, 80 years later, the last time - at Blue Hills, just down the road, where he had a season pass and could be found most afternoons.  When he was a kid, ski jumpers were the only ones on skis.  Then a man moved to his Wisconsin town who "knew how to turn on skis".  He taught my dad.  As a high school senior, my dad and his buddies took a train to Salt Lake City and skied at a brand new place called Alta.  From there, my dad continued to ski whenever and wherever he could.  He got us kids on skis as soon as we could walk, sharing his passion and teaching with patience.  Years later, Douglas and I met on a chairlift and got engaged on a chairlift - and now we're raising skiers.  I took my dad to watch Stuart and his buddies ski today.  We sat in the lodge and drank hot chocolate while Dad told me his skiing stories and I listened, hanging onto every word.

Day 16 - January 25: Wonder Drug

Lane has been complaining of a sore throat for two days so I finally took her to the clinic.  Sure enough - Strep Throat.  Within hours of taking her first dose, she felt great.  As I put the little pink bottle in the fridge, two things occured to me - one, it's been a very long time since we've needed it and two, George Washington died of Strep Throat.  On both accounts, we've come a long way.

Day 15 - January 24: And Then There Were Two

Stuart received these adorable (my word) little helmets for Christmas and it's been great fun tracking the NFL Playoffs this year, moving our little Patriots helmet closer and closer to the Super Bowl.  While we've been really sorry to see other favorite teams - the Chargers, the Packers, the 49ers - eliminated, we're thrilled to see our Patriots heading back to the Big Game! 

Day 14 - January 23: Before My Time

In school, Lane is writing the Douglas P. Whitla biography.  In search of images to enhance the project, we rifled through several shoe boxes and came upon this.  How can any picture I take today compare to this?

Day 13 - January 22: Name Change

When the name of your restaurant is "The Raven's Nest" and the New England Patriots are playing the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC Championship just down the street, it's time to change the name, however temporarily. 

Day 12 - January 21: UNH Hockey

Douglas, Stuart and I drove to Durham, NH today - home of UNH and my dear friends, Joanna and Darren.  They're both avid fans of all things UNH (Joanna also serves as UNH CIO), including their Division 1 hockey team.  They have season tickets, right at the glass, and serve up a great dinner, too.  Even a Wildcats loss in overtime couldn't dim the glow of enjoying dear old friends in a fun college town.  We couldn't even hate the other team for winning - it was one of their players who flipped the puck to Stuart during warm up.

Day 11 - January 20: Finally!

We awoke this morning to snow!  It was a beautiful sight and made me realize just how much I've been missing it.

Day 10 - January 19: Protein

One of the things I got better about during my stint at the pricey gym was taking in more protein after exercise - allowing it to "seep into those sore muscles to repair and strengthen", whatever that means.  All I know is that the blueberry concoction I whip up after working out is a heavenly treat and if it happens to also be good for me, well so be it. 

Day 9 - January 18: The Gym

After a year and a half at my great little gym, where one trainer works with four women, my dear husband suggested I might now be motivated and experienced enough to stand on my own two feet at his larger, far less expensive gym.  Always the agreeable wife, I took on the challenge and alone, came face to face with the dumb bells this morning.  So far, so good.  Of course I'll keep you posted.

Day 8 - January 17: Enough Sleep

Stuart and I went to hear a sleep expert speak at his school tonight.  While he's not having trouble falling asleep these days, I wanted him to learn relaxation techniques - an important skill for all of us to master.  During the relaxation exercise, my partner began to snore - I always knew my boy was a quick learner.  The hand-out serves as a good reminder about the amount of sleep we're all supposed to be getting - another resolution.

Day 7 - January 16: Ski Day

With a day off from school, two friends and I took all the kids skiing.  A gorgeous day - not a lot of natural snow, but the manmade stuff was great and the sky was as blue as the trail sign.

Day 6 - January 15: First Aid

Our friend, Jerry runs the Donut Express - picking up, delivering, and returning five 5th grade softball players to and from their clinic every Sunday.  And yes, he even includes a dozen of the most decadent treats Dunkin' Donuts can serve up for the ride.  The nicest guy ever - so it was just as hard on him as it was on Lane's friend, Maddy, when he closed the car door on her hand in our driveway.  Maddy screamed, Jerry cried, but hand, fingers, and nails remained in tact - just another relaxing Sunday morning at 419 Main.

Day 5 - January 14: Ski Bag

Lane is one lucky girl.  Our neighbors and great friends, Erik and Melissa, take their kids skiing every Saturday, along with Lane and another friend.  Erik directs the ski patrol while the girls participate in an all-day "Dev Team" lesson.  While Erik jokes that "1982 called and wants his bag back", Lane loves the ski bag that is packed for the 7am departure each week - it came from Douglas' Uncle Pete Hoyt, who served on the US Ski Team Board of Directors for many years.  He'd be delighted to know it's getting such great use!

Day 4 - January 13: Date Night

One of my resolutions this year is to bring back Date Night.  Douglas and I went to an outstanding restaurant nearby - close enough and early enough to forego the babysitter! - and serendipitously ran into a dear old friend we were both so happy to see.

Day 3 - January 12: The Pediatrician's Office

We've been going to the same great pediatrician since the kids were babies.  When Lane climbed up on the exam table today, the same one she's been on since well before she could climb, I was struck - as I seem to be so often these days - by how much she's grown.  Another reason to preserve a moment from every day.

Day 2 - January 11: Christmas Cards

One of my favorite things to do after the holidays, especially when the decorations have been packed away and I'm feeling low, is to go through the cards we've received.  In January, I can finally give them the attention they deserve, and I relish a cup of hot tea and some quiet time to reread every one.

Day 1 - January 10: The Beginning

This has nearly been the winter that wasn't, at least thus far. I miss the snow and the blustery weather, although I must admit that the mild temperatures have made for easy living. During my walk with Rufus today, I noticed sparkling ice clinging to the pines - finally, evidence of the season we're in. Perhaps this is an apt way to begin my project - coming upon something elusive and precious and recording its existence. I may not find something like this every day, but I'm hoping my eyes will be open a little bit wider just in case.