tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3091034800302376432024-03-05T08:15:43.086-05:00Nichols NookSarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-72426915007369153252012-12-31T16:52:00.000-05:002012-12-31T16:52:31.881-05:00We've moved!Hey! If you are seeing this, please click forthwith on the following link to go the new site:<br />
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That's right - the Nook now exists in its own domain, nicholsnook.net. If you are a subscriber, <i>please please please </i>re-subscribe on the new page by heading over there and entering your email address in the box on the left.</div>
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Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-23776018127684322642012-12-18T23:50:00.000-05:002012-12-24T03:22:41.058-05:00Just Call Me Pollyanna: A Lesson in Gratitude<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Today, weather-wise, is about as yucky as it gets: the beautiful 8" of snow we got yesterday is melting into muck, mud and slush beneath a steady, 38 degree drizzle. The weather definitely has an effect on me. I feel at my absolute best when it's sunny and warm, and when the darker days slip in and over me, I want to just curl up in bed and hide from it. I'm grumpy. I complain. This is not anything new or unique; the majority of us, I would imagine, tend to feel this way on the bleaker, wetter days of winter.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><br />
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As real as it gets, folks.</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The first thought I had upon waking this morning was a complaint. Instantly. I had overslept; I felt groggy. I saw that Todd was not in bed and was suddenly angry that he hadn't awoken me. I was irritated at Baby C; I'd actually woken up just after 7:00 feeling great, but she'd been needing to nurse, so I latched her on and then proceeded to fall asleep for two more hours. Clearly, this was her fault for "making" me fall back asleep. Or maybe it was Max's fault for having a hard time falling asleep last night and keeping us up late. I was mostly upset with myself, knowing that it really was my own fault for not just getting up at 7 and taking Baby C with me to nurse in the living room. I felt like the entire day was ruined before it had even begun, all because I was out of it from sleeping too much and had wasted my morning. Besides, the weather was <i>terrible</i>. Obviously, no good could come from this day.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><i>I do this</i>, you guys. I do this and I am owning that I do it. It is something that I detest in myself, this propensity for complaint, for grumpiness, for self-pity and blame. I am so far from the person I want to become, the person I strive to be, the person who spreads cheer and encouragement wherever she goes, that sometimes it seems impossible. Something not even worth trying for.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I lay there in bed for a few moments, staring up at the ceiling despondently, feeling guilty for thinking this way and angry that I seemed unable to change the tendency in myself. Then, for a split second, another thought entered my head, a realization: It said, <i>I don't have to keep feeling this</i>. It dawned on me that I really don't. The tendency is there, yes. But I don't have to <i>give in</i> to it. This may seem obvious, but it's amazing how hard a concept it is to grasp sometimes, or at least to put into practice.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">My priest once put it this way: we have no control over the thoughts that enter our heads. We just don't. But what we DO have control over is what we do with those thoughts. We can allow them further in, dwell on them, entertain them; if we do that, we can still dispel them, but it is harder, and it is easier then for the thoughts to lead to action. But if we put the thoughts from our mind as soon as they try to make themselves known, we will have triumphed over them.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">This makes sense to me. It's okay if the thoughts are there; they're there. I don't have to listen to them. I can take them and make them into something better, dispelling the negative, and ushering in the positive. This is true of situations and actions, too, not just thoughts. Take sleeping in, for example. I shouldn't have done it, but I did, and it's too late now to change that. However, that doesn't mean it's going to ruin the day ahead. I can let it, certainly - but I can also refuse to let it. I can get up and charge ahead and spread light and joy all around me, even in the midst of frozen dreariness, in the midst of wet pantlegs and holed up strollers and grogginess.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">After I'd come to this realization, it really hit my hard how often I *don't* dispel the complaining and grumpy thoughts. The blame. The irritation. I'm so frequently playing the victim, I find, and I hate that about myself. So, I resolved to change it. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">So I have been. All day. <i>Bam.</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Today, my goal has been to not complain, and I have been able to accomplish that by finding the good in every situation. You can't complain about something awesome, right? It started as I lay there in bed, angry that I had slept in. I thought: Yes, I slept in and I didn't intend to, and this changes the layout of the day. And then I thought: You know, I am HERE, lying in a warm bed, in a warm house, with two beautiful little people tucked up against me, slumbering peacefully. Do you know how many people would do <i>anything</i> to have that? <i>In that moment, my complaint turned to gratitude.</i> I was so, so thankful, just like that, that I was able to be here, in this bed, with these children. That I was even </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><i>able</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> to sleep in - without having to get up and go to a job outside the home, without having to worry about going out and scrounging for food, even without being awoken by bombs and gunfire outside my window. That I and my children were warm and safe. That we were able to sleep soundly and peacefully. Who the heck would complain about something like sleeping in?? I mean, really?? I have seriously needed to evaluate my priorities. And it is starting <i>now.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I've been trying to do this all day, this turn-the-complaint-into-</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><wbr></wbr></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">gratitude-thing. And you know what? It's working. It has TURNED MY ENTIRE DAY AROUND. Not only has my day not been horrible, it's been completely full of peace and joy. My life is a FRIGGING CHRISTMAS CARD, PEOPLE. For real. And I am determined to start living it like that.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Behold the following examples.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Complaint: "My kid sucks at nursing." (She really does - she has a little mouth and had a tongue tie and still has a wicked upper lip tie, and doesn't handle her tongue well, and seems to have to fight for everything she is worth to stay on the nipple and get anything out of it. This part isn't a complaint, just fact.) "Every feeding is a complete battle and it's just not fair. Max was such a good nurser. Why can't she be the same? I just want to be able to cuddle in and RELAX during a feeding, instead of fighting and straining to keep her on and constantly soaking everything within a one yard radius. I want to be able to nurse easily in a sitting positioning. I want to be able to nurse easily in <i>any</i> position. I want to be able to nurse in public without having a baby who makes sucking and clicking noises to wake the dead. I want, I want, I want, I want, I want."</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Gratitude: "You know what? <i>I am so, so lucky to be able to nurse this child.</i> A lot of babies with frenulum issues aren't even able to breastfeed. It's not easy, by any means, but that just makes me that much more grateful for what I do have. If any of my future babies are good nursers, I will be able to appreciate it on a level that I never had when I was nursing Max. I'm also so fortunate to have a milk supply that isn't effected by a poor latch and a poor suck; many, many women are not that lucky. A lot of women would give just about anything to be able to nurse their baby at ALL, even if it involved struggle."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Complaint: "My back hurts! Argh! It's driving me crazy! OWWW!"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Gratitude: "Honestly, I am <i>so</i> very fortunate to have a body that is strong and healthy, even if a muscle here or there does wig out on occasion. Honestly, this little bit of back pain is a blessing: it helps remind me that things could be so much worse. Some people have to live with crippling pain, far worse than this, every minute of their lives. Besides that, you know *why* my back hurts? From lugging kids around all day. And having armfuls of kids to lug around all day is the MOST AMAZING BLESSING ever. There are a whole crapload of people out there who would give anything to lug some kids around in exchange for a little back pain."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Complaint: "I can't lose this baby weight. I'm fat."</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Gratitude: "See above, re: <em>body</em>. Thank God my body was strong enough and healthy enough to gestate and birth two equally strong and healthy children. Thank God my hips widened to carry them and allow their passage, and are wide enough now to bear some of the brunt of the children propped on them while being carried around. Thank God I have some extra "storage" to make milk for my baby. And you know what else? <em>Thank God I not only have enough food to eat, but have an overabundance. </em>For reals, yo. Let's think about that for a second. People on this planet are <em>dying of starvation</em>. Those fellow human beings would - are you ready for it? - <em>give anything</em> to have even a little extra food - heck, to have barely enough food at all - <em>let alone</em> so much food that they would have to actually worry about eating too much of it. <em>Especially mothers.</em> What I, what we, have here in America when it comes to food is <em>amazing.</em> So it hangs around for awhile after we eat it - that's just a sign that we live in sweet and easy abundance, folks, and that's that."</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Complaint: "My baby is teething/my toddler refuses to potty train/I'm tired/I don't get enough time to myself/blah blah blah."</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Gratitude: "First of all, chica, this is LIFE. How can you complain about something that is a completely normal part of existence? We humans somehow seem to have come to the conclusion that life should be easy, that we are ENTITLED to ease, but that is simply not the case. Life is hard. Get over it."</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> ...Okay, so that's more [well-deserved] self-admonishment than it is gratitude. Here, then, we'll put it this way: "Thank God I <i>even have</i> a baby to teethe/a toddler to potty train/a living body to become tired/so many wonderful people in my life that spend so much time with me." </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I was trying to think of a title for this post and, of course, "Pollyanna" came to mind; however, I didn't really even know what that name truly represents, aside from the name given to someone who is being a cliche of optimism. So, I looked it up on Wikipedia. (Yes, I have seen the movie - calm down! My childhood wasn't full of sad deprivation, I promise. It's just been so long since I've seen it, even though I watched it regularly, that I couldn't remember what it was actually about.) Anyway, it turns out that Pollyanna was a little girl who'd had a few hard knocks in life. She coped with this by playing "The Glad Game", which involved finding the good in every single negative situation. For example, when she was given crutches instead of a doll in a donation box for Christmas, she was gladdened by the fact that she didn't have to use the crutches. When her grumpy aunt tried to punish her for being late to dinner by sending her to eat bread and milk in the kitchen with the servant, she was thankful because she liked bread and milk and she enjoyed the servant's company. (If it were me, I would be flipping grateful that I had a servant to begin with, because that would be the BUSINESS. Ha.) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">When she was given a room in the attic without many furnishings or comforts at all, she extolled the lovely view from the window.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Do you know how that makes me feel?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Humbled.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I am humbled by the fact that there is so much darn goodness and wonder in this world and that I am privy to SO. MUCH. of it. I seriously must be one of the luckiest people alive, when I really stop and take stock of how much of this goodness exists in my own life. I mean really. I have health, food, lodging, a wonderful husband who loves me even in my craziest, most fault-laden hours; I have two smart, healthy, incredible children; I have parents and in-laws who are good and wise people and love me and my family and support us in everything we do. My husband has a job. We have presents under our very large Christmas tree. (The rockin' thing about Maine - one of the many rockin' things - is that our very large Christmas tree (seriously, it barely fit in the house, it's on the verge of ridiculousness) cost us thirty bucks. People in California and places like that have to pay approximately $7,823 dollars for even small fir trees, from what I understand. So, I'm thankful for living somewhere where you can infuse your house with piney goodness and Christmas cheer for CHEAP!)(And I'm thankful for having to vacuum up the pine needles for the SAME GOSH DARNED REASON!) </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I know there have been a large slew of posts out there in the blogosphere about this same topic, and this one may seem to be redundant in light of all of that. But I think these reminders and introspections are warranted, and that each one is not only equally valid but equally helpful. I don't think you can have too many reminders when it comes to gratitude. BE GRATEFUL THAT EVERY SINGLE POST IN YOUR FEED THIS WEEK IS ON THE SAME TOPIC, PEOPLE.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Merry Christmas. Over and out.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-79098411413410268482012-12-11T16:43:00.000-05:002012-12-12T22:21:10.819-05:00Sand<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Sand: A Poem</i></div>
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<i>by Sarah Nichols</i></div>
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<i>(Hey! Get your mouse away from that back button, you jerk! Don't think I don't know what you're thinking! Hmph. People. They have no respect for poetry these days. They wouldn't know fine poetry if it blew sand in their eyes. (You see what I did there?))</i></div>
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<i>Ahem.</i></div>
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<i>And now, for you forward-thinking, cultured folk who have so courteously remained:</i></div>
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<i>SAND: A POEM</i></div>
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<i>BY SARAH NICHOLS*</i></div>
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Sand on the beach</div>
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Sand in the hand**</div>
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Sand in some paint***</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihODz5j5z9QJcwyf_djh2BDW3lInzBWGiofAlbRoYG8vZfmag4n-GqFnZcIgKXlQfU8Fl9xFW3mRPJGIHx_uyNW-i0RTE0cr-Ze2Ke2lQ-_urki0Zl0xVdvn6zw_fdWUG1BUAe71CTEm8/s1600/IMG_2663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihODz5j5z9QJcwyf_djh2BDW3lInzBWGiofAlbRoYG8vZfmag4n-GqFnZcIgKXlQfU8Fl9xFW3mRPJGIHx_uyNW-i0RTE0cr-Ze2Ke2lQ-_urki0Zl0xVdvn6zw_fdWUG1BUAe71CTEm8/s400/IMG_2663.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sand in the stand****</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsbMNrmjUecETXaN_HA6tHoOcKASZWAIcNvy1EFze9U8KzKC3YbsfjzuR6egMRCWgXuzse1MoQ0DObNuQfrrh5APlWyDAo5NWjY8xPCpUjgUejbmk7pnIbDts9Vluz-Kf2e4VEJjczg3k/s1600/red.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsbMNrmjUecETXaN_HA6tHoOcKASZWAIcNvy1EFze9U8KzKC3YbsfjzuR6egMRCWgXuzse1MoQ0DObNuQfrrh5APlWyDAo5NWjY8xPCpUjgUejbmk7pnIbDts9Vluz-Kf2e4VEJjczg3k/s400/red.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sand is red</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDxhPTsMis4YjpI6FY3baQZVL6WdwfdxszFqSBv-1HZsU3-0WGl1U_JtSDJKog4WL320XpN6mMUCT_QEeFhIugUZB_XIhG-HGdkGN-5BPLDmq4c09dgjvvEJyrJMKHuitddDtiL4GB3Y/s1600/blue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDxhPTsMis4YjpI6FY3baQZVL6WdwfdxszFqSBv-1HZsU3-0WGl1U_JtSDJKog4WL320XpN6mMUCT_QEeFhIugUZB_XIhG-HGdkGN-5BPLDmq4c09dgjvvEJyrJMKHuitddDtiL4GB3Y/s400/blue.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sand is blue</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvSjtS8IA_UWMnnd_KvfFOWW1VWeS-6a8utFK3xxhUSkPvN0kCHjGf4Vr9GkOWj4Dy8tMbPwGtXkDv_XJMJ2pZuAPodsXimPmOPBx-2CNzhgX7IrKZNeGRcxn2sdbfwh2cbXzg0pdyE0/s1600/IMG_3484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvSjtS8IA_UWMnnd_KvfFOWW1VWeS-6a8utFK3xxhUSkPvN0kCHjGf4Vr9GkOWj4Dy8tMbPwGtXkDv_XJMJ2pZuAPodsXimPmOPBx-2CNzhgX7IrKZNeGRcxn2sdbfwh2cbXzg0pdyE0/s400/IMG_3484.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sugar is sweet*****</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6C6K0bencpd5QGPb1atL4HTORuiCj48KDyCfub51AVQzi1wG0bjdEw9FEOHJgSSgLDdjCVg_EAiyGpkKDR3dCjdS77Z560LHpZnSSgLRTKWOg9ttTckJYnJxOI6cdTxG3oBHxVbCbMs8/s1600/stream.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6C6K0bencpd5QGPb1atL4HTORuiCj48KDyCfub51AVQzi1wG0bjdEw9FEOHJgSSgLDdjCVg_EAiyGpkKDR3dCjdS77Z560LHpZnSSgLRTKWOg9ttTckJYnJxOI6cdTxG3oBHxVbCbMs8/s400/stream.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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And so are you.</div>
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So... here's a nice picture of a stream for you. </div>
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For being sweet.</div>
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And reading my poem.</div>
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I'm not actually writing a poem about a stream in the second person.</div>
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That would be strange.</div>
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Let's keep going:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFeGg1pTvJQQj0sGa2IUlLGZLa5rw_zgugQwobDeHu8n90PGVyk-8PpR3iWIvQZJJtD8gaJTEvlSYTnU2BcJCd1THeMdDYWpJBKSmzxdHI29uxeMEwQASM6upkTEc7H03RlrH26kaQbSA/s1600/IMG_3485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFeGg1pTvJQQj0sGa2IUlLGZLa5rw_zgugQwobDeHu8n90PGVyk-8PpR3iWIvQZJJtD8gaJTEvlSYTnU2BcJCd1THeMdDYWpJBKSmzxdHI29uxeMEwQASM6upkTEc7H03RlrH26kaQbSA/s400/IMG_3485.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This sand once melted</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgscZKz8QLdI1D0DBuIxsyVbi9zSETziPC8qIwRr0y3TcvgXadIW3138BCfxQYNGFhHwF0hBDPTZR09ftm-40euAXgsCPCpfPz6v2Hqvn2V2bmjD1ZU2UIOhW-ThDTZUVWGQQVxTY0_OnU/s1600/IMG_3017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgscZKz8QLdI1D0DBuIxsyVbi9zSETziPC8qIwRr0y3TcvgXadIW3138BCfxQYNGFhHwF0hBDPTZR09ftm-40euAXgsCPCpfPz6v2Hqvn2V2bmjD1ZU2UIOhW-ThDTZUVWGQQVxTY0_OnU/s400/IMG_3017.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This sand was trodden</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTZHCNTP6SO1qKnv7hJRMnv_v-Qr673jhwD13efQYivayTvw5M4ZqQWfsY9pOA7BXA1f0iqeSsoDUony3YdZBmImFdjovpIcytdNVNE3zzyjZe-Lrg6njdSmYOaonnIDElE5J3wFH4FA/s1600/IMG_2994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTZHCNTP6SO1qKnv7hJRMnv_v-Qr673jhwD13efQYivayTvw5M4ZqQWfsY9pOA7BXA1f0iqeSsoDUony3YdZBmImFdjovpIcytdNVNE3zzyjZe-Lrg6njdSmYOaonnIDElE5J3wFH4FA/s400/IMG_2994.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This sand in a desert is dry and not sodden******</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdj0gdY6NLyUhSzgZRzgw2QPZx1tn3Orx2wsWLdlvoDxmAuad-Fj5kLwokW4b2EgkColwF-_0VfdeYKV9bNK8laoUwO07uxwMqSYkMwo5OPEQlLGUWw0kAaf8GzaRvTczUv0RedvCOdUM/s1600/IMG_2599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdj0gdY6NLyUhSzgZRzgw2QPZx1tn3Orx2wsWLdlvoDxmAuad-Fj5kLwokW4b2EgkColwF-_0VfdeYKV9bNK8laoUwO07uxwMqSYkMwo5OPEQlLGUWw0kAaf8GzaRvTczUv0RedvCOdUM/s400/IMG_2599.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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And holy sauce muffins, this person was brave in November!</div>
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<i>*bows*</i></div>
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<i>Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go practice my speech for when I am appointed United States Poet Laureate. </i></div>
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<i>Later dudes.******* </i></div>
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*<i>Dear Blogger: Why is my last name in all caps apparently a misspelled word and worthy of your neener-neener red lining, but my last name in lowercase is not? Sincerely, Sarah. </i><br />
<i>Dear Wordpress: We'll be there soon. Don't worry. Love, Sarah. xoxoxo</i><br />
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<i>**The Toe Thumb strikes again (and again). Blast!</i><br />
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<i>***That rainbow is real, by the way. Apparently Mother Nature doesn't think that my fingerpainting is good enough by its goshdarned self. Whatever, Mother Nature. </i><br />
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<i>****(Candlestand at church.)</i><br />
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<i>*****And somewhat resembles sand, thus qualifying it for inclusion in this work.</i><br />
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<i>******The fact that this sand is pixelated also helps make it not sodden. I have a feeling the TV wouldn't appreciate wet sand, honestly.</i><br />
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<i>*******If I fell asleep at the keyboard with my forehead on the 8 and my chin on the shift it would look like this:</i><br />
<i>***************************************************************************************************************************************************************</i><br />
<i>But don't worry, I'm still very much awake, so despite appearances to the contrary, we're not quite to that point yet. You know, asterisk-wise.</i><br />
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<i>Also, if anyone ever wants to teach me how to make those crosses and little wiggly circle things and all the other footnote markers besides the noble asterisk, I'm all ears. And shift-8-key-combos.</i><br />
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P.S. Oh, and just in case you didn't get enough colored sand the first time around:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIWDevCrnJ73gfrI7PCURgAYoRaBm6HgF_i3XCiZmvNeS8Mu0ieD8aSwTr974-BpiWq7zVFzT5xvr2z6T2Etg5v3_ut-Pr2JT0Rv3x_nLZPuOQIeF332VQM4yE6b-mNfx8dzhzSfq11I/s1600/yellow+yellow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIWDevCrnJ73gfrI7PCURgAYoRaBm6HgF_i3XCiZmvNeS8Mu0ieD8aSwTr974-BpiWq7zVFzT5xvr2z6T2Etg5v3_ut-Pr2JT0Rv3x_nLZPuOQIeF332VQM4yE6b-mNfx8dzhzSfq11I/s400/yellow+yellow.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTezRZyzmudetpPxGRbxpIJR6i5f5E55SavEn1ge_fYJHFcLb_mYjkNAg3RWEC7KsVYIyo1pzSp8HqnZ1jfm5wB8TfTXuMyC5dPNpyUNnuT4uyZ7evmdE-YizLN78Y5zYipsgxhGrkbI4/s1600/green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTezRZyzmudetpPxGRbxpIJR6i5f5E55SavEn1ge_fYJHFcLb_mYjkNAg3RWEC7KsVYIyo1pzSp8HqnZ1jfm5wB8TfTXuMyC5dPNpyUNnuT4uyZ7evmdE-YizLN78Y5zYipsgxhGrkbI4/s400/green.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwS2Cw-iUHwjjqm6O8u1uWoJCfOY2eiK1bBgODWDUhTuYG-mzpM3dqwyl_b3xwl_95crGfYCqq-ypuP-N2GzM8OfBrsm1PK1x_ZaLKJ_2O20ULM02m1Ncw_sPFjjl1GyefkljsVQiKHmA/s1600/purple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwS2Cw-iUHwjjqm6O8u1uWoJCfOY2eiK1bBgODWDUhTuYG-mzpM3dqwyl_b3xwl_95crGfYCqq-ypuP-N2GzM8OfBrsm1PK1x_ZaLKJ_2O20ULM02m1Ncw_sPFjjl1GyefkljsVQiKHmA/s400/purple.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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You're welcome.</div>
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Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-82208363635531427432012-12-02T21:47:00.000-05:002012-12-02T21:47:16.759-05:00Ειρήνη-Αικατερινη (Eirini-Aikaterini)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As many of you know, we are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox_Church" target="_blank">Eastern Orthodox</a>. </div>
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Today our daughter was baptized at<a href="http://www.stdemetriosmaine.com/" target="_blank"> St. Demetrios Orthodox Church</a> in Saco, ME and I</div>
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thought I'd share with you some moments from our special day. :-)</div>
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Catherine Irene's patron saint is actually St Irene Chrysovalantou, which means that when she is baptized, 'Irene' (or 'Ειρήνη/Eirini' in Greek) becomes her Christian first name. </div>
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We really love St Catherine of Alexandria, too, and wanted her to also be a part of our daughter's life. </div>
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Thus, she was baptized 'Ειρήνη-Αικατερινη / Eirini-Aikaterini or Irene-Catherine.</div>
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Whew! I know. If you think that was long and complicated, you should try one of the services. ;-)</div>
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We love our church, though, and think it is incredibly rad.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKaa1K00707eJ23tF85LrXkBQdzaEqcr9RJo-Thj-HV5r_RhiMMQy-CJ0hVFAWJM2fDErylwzurGs9AOnsuyd8xvot-Uq7QABOoqqbw8f8EEfDLXXprh9YRUbnTj2ukcA38pJHd2oFJAY/s1600/IMG_3341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKaa1K00707eJ23tF85LrXkBQdzaEqcr9RJo-Thj-HV5r_RhiMMQy-CJ0hVFAWJM2fDErylwzurGs9AOnsuyd8xvot-Uq7QABOoqqbw8f8EEfDLXXprh9YRUbnTj2ukcA38pJHd2oFJAY/s640/IMG_3341.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNyBkVGUhbjfsJFlA-dbIsaMFFVz3BZJUl4HT69sRTdV9l3R3uJAepS-s8fErzvwA3RN_RkJALmMaeslI3TdmelUtXZvmZSAa1dNaAcLfaa4IDgTRhntp7lfQZI8d4ei_fEDskST8HBg/s1600/IMG_3343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNyBkVGUhbjfsJFlA-dbIsaMFFVz3BZJUl4HT69sRTdV9l3R3uJAepS-s8fErzvwA3RN_RkJALmMaeslI3TdmelUtXZvmZSAa1dNaAcLfaa4IDgTRhntp7lfQZI8d4ei_fEDskST8HBg/s400/IMG_3343.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-yjPaPnaTeSnxaSf9fvvneGN4LlqsO1jfrBxr5dqVpQX1kHsbHyD14Rms9EG8OItkQbrsAE0Efj75zIYAMTGsoRO52dzFXyGc3BxGdVZFIRNn_d3NUxT3neocfZAXLiE8YYCTd5tZwN4/s1600/max+nikolia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-yjPaPnaTeSnxaSf9fvvneGN4LlqsO1jfrBxr5dqVpQX1kHsbHyD14Rms9EG8OItkQbrsAE0Efj75zIYAMTGsoRO52dzFXyGc3BxGdVZFIRNn_d3NUxT3neocfZAXLiE8YYCTd5tZwN4/s640/max+nikolia.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Max and Nikolia, one of Baby C's new godsisters</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipbAStjEXsD5T_boEN54y8DJ3U57mEcR2HyH76D31ZyWRzOpVYxmFojgbMBunIrVLzONo94RFECbsjT1A0fa6KUuvn53B6Qzk5MTNQjnqSGZnNdveVDrz6ibjoKJTaoAcZLBH6wwVq30I/s1600/IMG_3339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipbAStjEXsD5T_boEN54y8DJ3U57mEcR2HyH76D31ZyWRzOpVYxmFojgbMBunIrVLzONo94RFECbsjT1A0fa6KUuvn53B6Qzk5MTNQjnqSGZnNdveVDrz6ibjoKJTaoAcZLBH6wwVq30I/s400/IMG_3339.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby C gon' get dunked!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby C seems far more relaxed about the whole thing than her godpapa. ;-)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby girl and her WONDERFUL godmother, Georgia :-)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWyCDmhLs_fNkLS_lVV0WCl0EFPRXpaRp8CuVV0nwUGj9AmgEU_ZFqZmUHtq2r8yPWWu4irLgFoc0ceAKehHTgxYih7YYLCl7zM9nkI061rqbkY6amK_RcKoP6sVoEXhkgOet4aFP6bQ/s1600/IMG_3346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWyCDmhLs_fNkLS_lVV0WCl0EFPRXpaRp8CuVV0nwUGj9AmgEU_ZFqZmUHtq2r8yPWWu4irLgFoc0ceAKehHTgxYih7YYLCl7zM9nkI061rqbkY6amK_RcKoP6sVoEXhkgOet4aFP6bQ/s400/IMG_3346.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our chanters</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And... zonk.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gettin' ready with Nanny!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfkGIIsAXgn1kuyZDHGuyWUxHe7vZs-4dNlXz5nXKYFs-ju4vJdWIxO6zP7LRVbSSTvZjJjBD8D91r4T34lzFIN8CE0DQ5eL3dYKvM8l7yAS4aMPn_BKrwK9SP0DBA2u9pi5wOvM2h9aI/s1600/IMG_3361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfkGIIsAXgn1kuyZDHGuyWUxHe7vZs-4dNlXz5nXKYFs-ju4vJdWIxO6zP7LRVbSSTvZjJjBD8D91r4T34lzFIN8CE0DQ5eL3dYKvM8l7yAS4aMPn_BKrwK9SP0DBA2u9pi5wOvM2h9aI/s400/IMG_3361.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">She was smiling and cooing and laughing at Fr Basil the entire time.<br />It was splendid. She is a pretty rad chica, that Baby C.<br />Or a pretty rad κορίτσι, I should say.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOnjKnyp1R8mZSficSfrFwPnGTxcgjXBcu4uU-qP3DXQL_0ecue9BhgX9V8Bb25bpzzUH4ROjPATSnXdOMETsvh0Hbe2A_ATLk067-kwY8y3c2HKa1FObVzTFNKh_SXsXBtiFydB2KX-g/s1600/IMG_3373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOnjKnyp1R8mZSficSfrFwPnGTxcgjXBcu4uU-qP3DXQL_0ecue9BhgX9V8Bb25bpzzUH4ROjPATSnXdOMETsvh0Hbe2A_ATLk067-kwY8y3c2HKa1FObVzTFNKh_SXsXBtiFydB2KX-g/s400/IMG_3373.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyxu2VXWWtIlJvX63oPQ81Nqn3p0yFjJ9qS9tE50f1eW8d4oHQT-l4sIegF0ABPumMjEzXaMGgNRMfqe1K8muIu3ugYEvm0ZDQjndy1GsU201Ozvaq1qkzzAL7Qe_QdVYonNq5kn91C5g/s1600/IMG_3375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyxu2VXWWtIlJvX63oPQ81Nqn3p0yFjJ9qS9tE50f1eW8d4oHQT-l4sIegF0ABPumMjEzXaMGgNRMfqe1K8muIu3ugYEvm0ZDQjndy1GsU201Ozvaq1qkzzAL7Qe_QdVYonNq5kn91C5g/s400/IMG_3375.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still smiling away as she goes into the water</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJnOX-3reKohVIKSyBzPxSmdIliCOjElHkBaS7uRj0dT75drKCpOdPMC0mCGixnWb-NlDFWMA-adwMn591FudcINTFNuMeQS6NmaeW0tcg4kqAmdypdiG0gzMSC1ULRYHYm5tSYioQBM/s1600/IMG_3377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJnOX-3reKohVIKSyBzPxSmdIliCOjElHkBaS7uRj0dT75drKCpOdPMC0mCGixnWb-NlDFWMA-adwMn591FudcINTFNuMeQS6NmaeW0tcg4kqAmdypdiG0gzMSC1ULRYHYm5tSYioQBM/s400/IMG_3377.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1YHxU-Bugr_26NksDLmQiWMkxzIsNnoHTG3Vhyphenhyphen0Vt99Xm8dcVKBF4STT9Tno0PzLQ3L2CBttsmfumu5ZkRdz4QdPwXg94sZcxRkX5zhaqP8NTex3newL4lpg7jo0hPXsCWMK7-mZMjg/s1600/IMG_3378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1YHxU-Bugr_26NksDLmQiWMkxzIsNnoHTG3Vhyphenhyphen0Vt99Xm8dcVKBF4STT9Tno0PzLQ3L2CBttsmfumu5ZkRdz4QdPwXg94sZcxRkX5zhaqP8NTex3newL4lpg7jo0hPXsCWMK7-mZMjg/s400/IMG_3378.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Splash!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0NHmBWK00gOaFaZJy7NCTpfBehMFWorh2cZJFIkdACW6Hb4_JcKx4rXKveE6XztEZGq6MBgCZc0ENhTGln5ZpkiVoL-daf8YEMwWYXpzMz_qmItve-f8LKB-0bFwwypJBLpdywmSi06I/s1600/IMG_3380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0NHmBWK00gOaFaZJy7NCTpfBehMFWorh2cZJFIkdACW6Hb4_JcKx4rXKveE6XztEZGq6MBgCZc0ENhTGln5ZpkiVoL-daf8YEMwWYXpzMz_qmItve-f8LKB-0bFwwypJBLpdywmSi06I/s400/IMG_3380.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool as a cucumber.<br />
(Seriously, she did NOT CRY AT ALL during the entire thing. She was so peaceful.<br />
Not that I should be surprised - that's how she rolls pretty much all of the time!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq63Vh4MUZlmCuc2NvUqPgbNxUyd-0gYG3gp82rpwbnT4HOs4J8X0CFhno5DpSwnyDkvW4e5nIG02fz5pnig14eeb8WPPuYJ4WVhlA8S-rRcvEXU-gaVty944enzEHRK_dsgcIWa6VEjg/s1600/IMG_3382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq63Vh4MUZlmCuc2NvUqPgbNxUyd-0gYG3gp82rpwbnT4HOs4J8X0CFhno5DpSwnyDkvW4e5nIG02fz5pnig14eeb8WPPuYJ4WVhlA8S-rRcvEXU-gaVty944enzEHRK_dsgcIWa6VEjg/s400/IMG_3382.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SUPER BABY!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ZdAOQj5vXIGEVVThMnemELRCRYBGSQXPpDGNVKEjEKHpJO6YZ1w0HTlBAxYqNiHkxOpH3IhM_1aXsF9mFozdvofsqAt7dADsyjy6gD22Axh-PkxZ8rotR3LTrmAABsGL1UR4rur718c/s1600/IMG_3383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ZdAOQj5vXIGEVVThMnemELRCRYBGSQXPpDGNVKEjEKHpJO6YZ1w0HTlBAxYqNiHkxOpH3IhM_1aXsF9mFozdvofsqAt7dADsyjy6gD22Axh-PkxZ8rotR3LTrmAABsGL1UR4rur718c/s400/IMG_3383.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aaand again</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3HuKd6Hb98UlVt3eg_GQlnJFs_dwpEpwvyu24SuzGrKgF_pyAJPm7GbC0HTi1E33LxQBnoKAJ3IHkpSVhuLMU0GjGtWFoE8fOSRkn9an1SbuQijsoBOIULF50HKpyNRDupVUUQCpvueg/s1600/IMG_3385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3HuKd6Hb98UlVt3eg_GQlnJFs_dwpEpwvyu24SuzGrKgF_pyAJPm7GbC0HTi1E33LxQBnoKAJ3IHkpSVhuLMU0GjGtWFoE8fOSRkn9an1SbuQijsoBOIULF50HKpyNRDupVUUQCpvueg/s400/IMG_3385.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big smile for Nouna</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cm_x5vO-PHH_XiQLLuz-sNB9t3kL3YjOOYMbw1ad2j-_5XvQZ1fivEnbymKPYl9d_EZbabLciKcAyRvLr-GbeVUHRs2k-Uv3VgrSeQeVdsvlWtlUTg10vCWAEV1ziP65fFcTwfq4lGA/s1600/IMG_3387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cm_x5vO-PHH_XiQLLuz-sNB9t3kL3YjOOYMbw1ad2j-_5XvQZ1fivEnbymKPYl9d_EZbabLciKcAyRvLr-GbeVUHRs2k-Uv3VgrSeQeVdsvlWtlUTg10vCWAEV1ziP65fFcTwfq4lGA/s400/IMG_3387.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Well THAT was different!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSgM2bh-rs8KunpC4WGMGIvSKNCtMnKZvTa2ZIRaHvQX6TPnx1n1UcDLMC9VU2KBxFQkDfyPQJKVqPshp0qdFTCxcQYvM9MrwFUx3pSlLVzWJ1rnxx3U8rCOzKg3ZhglXg3d14wP-8bA/s1600/IMG_3386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSgM2bh-rs8KunpC4WGMGIvSKNCtMnKZvTa2ZIRaHvQX6TPnx1n1UcDLMC9VU2KBxFQkDfyPQJKVqPshp0qdFTCxcQYvM9MrwFUx3pSlLVzWJ1rnxx3U8rCOzKg3ZhglXg3d14wP-8bA/s400/IMG_3386.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oily oily oily. Oily. Oily. (Doesn't look like a real word anymore now, does it!)<br />
Oily oily oily oily oily oily oily oily oily oily.<br />
Now say it five times fast.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzii-IUkCVZ0vkQYLy7Gnf4Q6cftFQUEH_d93zAInpLrUpjVHHrbT1BU-VIx0l77109MaorD1KHy0zOuQ6XjQNBi1S_IGWDciraWMuqIWIhBzqj2oLrPD2FBVOjp-su3fEGYXVEU8rxE/s1600/IMG_3389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzii-IUkCVZ0vkQYLy7Gnf4Q6cftFQUEH_d93zAInpLrUpjVHHrbT1BU-VIx0l77109MaorD1KHy0zOuQ6XjQNBi1S_IGWDciraWMuqIWIhBzqj2oLrPD2FBVOjp-su3fEGYXVEU8rxE/s400/IMG_3389.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First haircut!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnkYwbnHveVzHbrjucl86KL7SkHduV2TGoZ_UoY-n0Fycl2bHWpEj8De-qUOfuIs9Aw_20aJF-ynOh1MLWjagheh_qxI5ABoRoNVz1oSbLy2P9cVXQMn785rtxEyEssGMsdkqBoLJ6-Yo/s1600/IMG_3388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnkYwbnHveVzHbrjucl86KL7SkHduV2TGoZ_UoY-n0Fycl2bHWpEj8De-qUOfuIs9Aw_20aJF-ynOh1MLWjagheh_qxI5ABoRoNVz1oSbLy2P9cVXQMn785rtxEyEssGMsdkqBoLJ6-Yo/s400/IMG_3388.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"HEY! You with the scissors! What do you think you're doing with my, like, three hairs??"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiigbQuwEucYqhEZI1bQXdcNClC1EIrdZn_BQudfNTFy9ynCmwu4ASsWK_ZimmLuEyl7RROnVFYhV-GxyGbc57HDBktc3D4OGIvH2BXp3WZzR32943D8PqZ7xKEgAtzg2azHf6oalngu1Q/s1600/IMG_3390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiigbQuwEucYqhEZI1bQXdcNClC1EIrdZn_BQudfNTFy9ynCmwu4ASsWK_ZimmLuEyl7RROnVFYhV-GxyGbc57HDBktc3D4OGIvH2BXp3WZzR32943D8PqZ7xKEgAtzg2azHf6oalngu1Q/s400/IMG_3390.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to part-ay.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjzuRD_r3lc0PwE2sA2HKKe9o_SbaEvVgLD9c91s6R2etwrP2TcR8RuSGGY1FttQXXn5PeweqmTfL-ihJLaA8qFdocjdT6m_5ddBEDlQxGPXkKyHmPX2Xiw_XfzUrqtbdoGRJdj5T2kRI/s1600/IMG_3391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjzuRD_r3lc0PwE2sA2HKKe9o_SbaEvVgLD9c91s6R2etwrP2TcR8RuSGGY1FttQXXn5PeweqmTfL-ihJLaA8qFdocjdT6m_5ddBEDlQxGPXkKyHmPX2Xiw_XfzUrqtbdoGRJdj5T2kRI/s400/IMG_3391.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I'm getting hungry and no one seems to be feeding me... maybe I'll just gnaw on this dress."<br />
Nom nom nom.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqaXFGtxGCNWbtfhhHHEwXL9WuDvBdHFicrO1umBfApOCSg5vesnhPBVhHydnRwrepVRmk1XnaNPPGj3at1THQSCxN_QmRzAnGi_4L3Lg3AVJko_cnxm2hb3RVWMqgNLqGDUd2zBn6pyE/s1600/IMG_3393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqaXFGtxGCNWbtfhhHHEwXL9WuDvBdHFicrO1umBfApOCSg5vesnhPBVhHydnRwrepVRmk1XnaNPPGj3at1THQSCxN_QmRzAnGi_4L3Lg3AVJko_cnxm2hb3RVWMqgNLqGDUd2zBn6pyE/s400/IMG_3393.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVGboo4LRQzzcnbLOXZPuK3d1LhRc8N9CU1AQWoT1EJsirhY3UNdkd2CRWQkiQNCPbH23nvDV1Ql9C0OPWcGJ3DN1v0uFfhjJfmf1LE_xP2dHCC5ExdgAPGmaSmm4-uuumK37FYXY71g/s1600/IMG_3392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVGboo4LRQzzcnbLOXZPuK3d1LhRc8N9CU1AQWoT1EJsirhY3UNdkd2CRWQkiQNCPbH23nvDV1Ql9C0OPWcGJ3DN1v0uFfhjJfmf1LE_xP2dHCC5ExdgAPGmaSmm4-uuumK37FYXY71g/s400/IMG_3392.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhDhGDlIPpSvszSMYByGOjmEr7qUSVbmImGkt5C-1F_JbbThuQHcODIUtlisxm58uRNLlyKmPo2Rmx9C5ps5n32cisIShl1qqVCvp21UINb3pjC7S7hog0_n4L4KfBhwPaOAFMmAAu9Vs/s1600/IMG_3400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhDhGDlIPpSvszSMYByGOjmEr7qUSVbmImGkt5C-1F_JbbThuQHcODIUtlisxm58uRNLlyKmPo2Rmx9C5ps5n32cisIShl1qqVCvp21UINb3pjC7S7hog0_n4L4KfBhwPaOAFMmAAu9Vs/s400/IMG_3400.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eirini and her new godsister Kassiani<br />
(She really does like her, I promise. Right now she's just thinking "Why aren't you feeding me? WHY ISN'T ANYBODY FEEDING ME???")</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbDBpi0C3ORoaO3avKai7A4vx7uoD3RpiloNeTOPTC41YcBcn7C63ZnvaxlIQb6fpVzJ8uRPfMzvnUcHZk6WjUwPbnv4H3DM0r-bMGChUDwxNhh1JPGFQSPce7H77teWhRXFRb0DmQ5M/s1600/IMG_3401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbDBpi0C3ORoaO3avKai7A4vx7uoD3RpiloNeTOPTC41YcBcn7C63ZnvaxlIQb6fpVzJ8uRPfMzvnUcHZk6WjUwPbnv4H3DM0r-bMGChUDwxNhh1JPGFQSPce7H77teWhRXFRb0DmQ5M/s400/IMG_3401.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aaaand... zonk. Again. Post-nursies, at last.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWs07ruMAdyrh39a_6-4vE9ZNu-tjBc9zEfi0a1U2R8lYKXz1HmHIDqmNXDed-jAYW-sHp_VWt27ty76QJshYS2r5GUkFMl59n_s-KMnkXM8pSR6Ry2HQbpE7jIH-v1-nUet4GB6EvxY/s1600/IMG_3410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWs07ruMAdyrh39a_6-4vE9ZNu-tjBc9zEfi0a1U2R8lYKXz1HmHIDqmNXDed-jAYW-sHp_VWt27ty76QJshYS2r5GUkFMl59n_s-KMnkXM8pSR6Ry2HQbpE7jIH-v1-nUet4GB6EvxY/s400/IMG_3410.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what happens when your parents make you get up early and then you run around nonstop with all of your Greek friends for five hours.<br />
I know, because it happens to me too. Both the early part and the Greek friends part. Ha.<br />
(He seriously was so tired he just plopped down in the middle of the parish hall and stared up at the ceiling. Two of the girls picked him up and swung him onto a table and he continued to just lie there limply. You only have so much energy, I guess! Haha!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigOZ7L_BWuD5b16rgIJIatOvJ1_8TwQhcwHBbaD-E-V_v4AVy6mkd3-FS1EMrToyL02EJ6FFDJJYWxKkAC5tgCw7LdZzVBDD9rFndBp_yKalALcG1aTD7Aw2VcVpwc7XdmNiIENemXnPo/s1600/IMG_3398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigOZ7L_BWuD5b16rgIJIatOvJ1_8TwQhcwHBbaD-E-V_v4AVy6mkd3-FS1EMrToyL02EJ6FFDJJYWxKkAC5tgCw7LdZzVBDD9rFndBp_yKalALcG1aTD7Aw2VcVpwc7XdmNiIENemXnPo/s640/IMG_3398.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big happy family...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EYuRnmJGScVRF49anbmuQXaNFXh8u-MJv989VLlLu7_l6B15gHvkWl78EMR4V0qsOzske1TNpIB7WpMwRVFCID15b5Xi0MO49S6WHFwVp8IulHX2oky3USNNOUHzTw7lx6wL6yb1aG0/s1600/IMG_3394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EYuRnmJGScVRF49anbmuQXaNFXh8u-MJv989VLlLu7_l6B15gHvkWl78EMR4V0qsOzske1TNpIB7WpMwRVFCID15b5Xi0MO49S6WHFwVp8IulHX2oky3USNNOUHzTw7lx6wL6yb1aG0/s640/IMG_3394.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And bigger happy family!</td></tr>
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Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to join us and help us on this blessed day. </div>
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You guys ROCK. Hard.</div>
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Also, church folks in Idaho: We miss you tremendously. Wish you'd been here!</div>
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Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-47214508799740307932012-11-28T00:21:00.001-05:002012-11-28T00:30:58.866-05:00Life Lately<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey! It's us again. The Nichols. You know, the ones in the Nook. </div>
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We thought you might enjoy a brief review of our lives as of late.</div>
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Those eyes! They never end.</div>
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These eyes never end either! What is it with these kids?</div>
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Max's new favorite game is building castles and making train tracks with our Mexican Train domino set.</div>
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...Or watching me build castles before he knocks them down and then chasing my little plastic train with his little plastic train and crashing them together and making explosion noises, at any rate.</div>
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Same difference.</div>
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He's a beautiful child, but for some reason feels that he must always have a bruise or cut on his nose/cheek/forehead. Always. I'm not sure I'd recognize him without one.<br />
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More walks! More pictures! </div>
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<i>More exclamation points than ever before!</i></div>
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Capitol Park in Augusta. Glorious in the fall!</div>
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I took this picture by <i>accident</i>. It has not been edited in any way.</div>
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I know, right?</div>
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Baby C kickin' it with a seagull at some beach in Saco we found after church.</div>
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That house is for sale, by the way.</div>
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Go ahead. You know you want to move to Maine. </div>
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I can even help you <a href="http://nichols-nook.blogspot.com/2012/09/how-to-fit-all-of-your-earthly.html" target="_blank">pack for your trip.</a></div>
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Do it.</div>
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Now.</div>
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The seagulls are very friendly, when they aren't trying to devour you.</div>
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Yep. <i>Like a boss.</i></div>
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Big boy swing! And he didn't even fall off! I guess Max does the park like a boss, too.</div>
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Church!<br />
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Perpetually messy hair (and I don't mean Max's), race cars, babies out of my ears, and pearl onions.<br />
Yep, sounds about right.<br />
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Child 1: "GOTCHA! Haha!"</div>
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Child 2: "<i>Egads</i>!"<br />
(Yes. 'Egads'. I mean really, what other word on the planet could she possibly be saying in this picture?)</div>
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I know. I can't handle it either.</div>
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Requisite beer-related picture. This weekend we went to Lewiston for an open house held by Baxter for the release of their newest offering, Phantom Punch Winter Stout, which gets a definite Official Nook Seal of Approval.</div>
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What's that you say?</div>
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You want an Official Nook Seal of Approval, too?</div>
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Well, then, go brew something delicious.</div>
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Or move to Maine.</div>
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Either one.</div>
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And they all lived happily ever after.</div>
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Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-76796136448556926482012-11-25T23:56:00.001-05:002012-11-26T00:12:52.838-05:00The Sea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>1. Carbon Leaf , "The Sea". Press play. Enjoy.</i><br />
<i>2. This Way to England</i><br />
<i>3. Look</i><br />
<i>4. Quahog</i><br />
<i>5. Max</i><br />
<i>6. Baby C makes a friend... or narrowly escapes being devoured</i><br />
<i>7. Ascophyllum nodosum + Toe Thumb</i><br />
<i>8. Ripples</i><br />
<i>9. Ammophila breviligulata + no Toe Thumb</i><br />
<i>10. Drift</i><br />
<i>11. Going... going...</i><br />
<i>12. ...Gone</i><br />
<i>13. Tide</i></div>
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Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-50020464771861545212012-11-23T00:34:00.005-05:002012-11-25T23:57:25.316-05:00Brew Day: Hungarian Dark Oak IPA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Todd and I have kind of been initiated into a strange and wonderful circle here in Maine. Todd's dad and his best buddy/partner in crime/brewing compadre, Dwight, are Beer Guys. That's right, with a Capital B and G. Beer is what they do - it's a passion, not just a hobby. They drink it, they read about it, they talk about it, and, of course, they brew it.</div>
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Dwight's kids are very much involved in the process, as well, as are many of his and their friends. Quite often, the ranks will assemble at "The Littlefields' Brewhouse" - the breezeway (or 'brewsway'?) of their home, just a few miles from ours - and brew some beer. </div>
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Oh, the fantastic festivities and the fun that follow! (<--- Yep. That. I totally just pulled off that alliteration right there. I get the Blogger of the Year award now, right?)</div>
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Ladies and gentlemen, I now present to you... Mr Dwiiiiight Littlefiiiiiield! </div>
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Brewmaster extraordinaire!</div>
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Here we go... assembling our ingredients. Everyone brought a different random ingredient so that we could come up with something new to brew out of what we had.</div>
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Herb pellets, toasted grass seed, wood chips, and living fungi microorganisms! Makes your mouth water, doesn't it?</div>
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Baby C is concerned.</div>
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I'm quite certain that Heaven smells like Summit Hops. Or Heaven's local brewpub does, at any rate.</div>
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It's actually brewer's yeast. Not a condom.</div>
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Also, please disregard the Toe Thumb. I've told it to stay the heck out of my photographs but the darn thing just keeps popping in there. I'll have another talk with it.</div>
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We decided to name our creation 'Hungarian Dark Oak IPA', at least in its initial stages. Sounds like win and mystery, doesn't it? Win and mystery... in a forest? Full of hops? And Eastern Europeans? ...Dancing?</div>
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Perfect.</div>
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Battle stations, everyone! </div>
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Let the brewing begin!</div>
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Even more crucial to the brewing process than skillfully manned battle stations:</div>
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Crunchy Salty Brew Day Snacks!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAZLcd04QTZpCAUkeNBhBqWrZecWX2dQOXBCcddAk5sG4vi9X1MnzuZiXdQzyfSRtbFWGNWJhwjdIo_EUnBZ_Ggad_RvbtpnBkoV7UEhpi1fgj2yeLv2TqgVPgYxqFeg_igCknP3uKBI/s1600/IMG_2233.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAZLcd04QTZpCAUkeNBhBqWrZecWX2dQOXBCcddAk5sG4vi9X1MnzuZiXdQzyfSRtbFWGNWJhwjdIo_EUnBZ_Ggad_RvbtpnBkoV7UEhpi1fgj2yeLv2TqgVPgYxqFeg_igCknP3uKBI/s400/IMG_2233.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Don't worry, we have fruit, too. The presence of fruit automatically makes all of the other food Healthy. Everyone knows that. Gosh, you act like we aren't responsible adults or something. </div>
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Calm down.</div>
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This process here is called "sparging the grains", where you rinse every last drop of goodness out of the boiled malted barley. Here in Maine, though, we call it "spaaaaahging". </div>
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If you don't call it "spaaaaahging", with exactly five very flat As, we will kick you out. Fact.</div>
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It's five o'clock somewhere! </div>
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And now, King of the Crunchy Salty Brew Day Snacks, and Special Magical Guest Star of Brew Day:</div>
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Cheese Balls.</div>
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When you start to regain feeling in your tongue, you know it's time to eat more.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPk7TwPdTaQmwj9o-5EYi4UMAwJrXpZFWsayFXuwu01XRFnCbRCPXo4V1xO6ZqdTvRKW50yIVFmlbFElCqf26FajMg4MHSscSYiJW2rCYOvpJElBDp6Xzs1wScgOt-KhMAo0yZYCJUDs/s1600/IMG_2238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPk7TwPdTaQmwj9o-5EYi4UMAwJrXpZFWsayFXuwu01XRFnCbRCPXo4V1xO6ZqdTvRKW50yIVFmlbFElCqf26FajMg4MHSscSYiJW2rCYOvpJElBDp6Xzs1wScgOt-KhMAo0yZYCJUDs/s400/IMG_2238.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Alyssa: "Max, can you say, "Tastes like America"?"</div>
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Max: "...Mmm! Taste wike 'Maywca!"</div>
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That's my boy. A child of Liberty!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLElpK4UPrHNdV6I6vkAML3Y89aZzE3uxcBbNqsFnZ4ULHnEpEk0U52HiP0bDaYEOU6-8Y-HMwIhUBJwHZLUXZMoVyhAo9VfWuxhBENCLSUi4IRc5yF4IUv1gfTykA9tXPkxf1KCKfk3M/s1600/IMG_2242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLElpK4UPrHNdV6I6vkAML3Y89aZzE3uxcBbNqsFnZ4ULHnEpEk0U52HiP0bDaYEOU6-8Y-HMwIhUBJwHZLUXZMoVyhAo9VfWuxhBENCLSUi4IRc5yF4IUv1gfTykA9tXPkxf1KCKfk3M/s400/IMG_2242.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Ginni: "Wowww! Cheese Balls!" </div>
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Catherine: "Are those cheese balls that I see!!??</div>
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Oh man. Things just got <i>real</i>."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5Oh04lEB3lUWdNhdBTtfmrMa1XqPpRPE6xw5tlf2mJ84rJIaQXsdhBp_PPV8U9WVateUeeRbvpdAgXj2aNzma3nX2OrSkFDWmWzI9JzFmT54N3K2vHJHzLcRWTBh8gNBfJN3w7PY-5Q/s1600/c+filmstrip+down.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5Oh04lEB3lUWdNhdBTtfmrMa1XqPpRPE6xw5tlf2mJ84rJIaQXsdhBp_PPV8U9WVateUeeRbvpdAgXj2aNzma3nX2OrSkFDWmWzI9JzFmT54N3K2vHJHzLcRWTBh8gNBfJN3w7PY-5Q/s640/c+filmstrip+down.jpg.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Ooh! Cheesy, tongue-numbing goodness!"</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(Just kidding. She didn't really eat any cheese balls. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But she WISHES she did. I'm sure they turned my breast milk neon orange,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
anyway, so she got her share, don't worry.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrnmc0fqKZXsoxm2BYTluNy9hhSkvq1aAS63tSVCYCKspsv0JVCSm0aN2OWNMTN1Utq7vKNELxiucDclWWvKR3fXasGAW7EJPyzmq4KBuWCGzbFihYkZiatTVq5h6YBoCPS3T0MvOKyRc/s1600/barbecue+sauce+or+malt+extract.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrnmc0fqKZXsoxm2BYTluNy9hhSkvq1aAS63tSVCYCKspsv0JVCSm0aN2OWNMTN1Utq7vKNELxiucDclWWvKR3fXasGAW7EJPyzmq4KBuWCGzbFihYkZiatTVq5h6YBoCPS3T0MvOKyRc/s640/barbecue+sauce+or+malt+extract.jpg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Barbecue sauce, anyone?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Wait, no, just kidding. It's malt extract. And it tastes deliiiicious. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Like biscuity molasses, kind of.</div>
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I'm not actually sure that you're supposed to just eat it, but... what was I supposed to do, wipe my finger on a napkin?? </div>
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Pffft.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Beer = science! And half empty pint glasses!</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
The Brewmaster at work.</div>
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Mmm... the otherworldly scent of wort... why don't they make candles and air fresheners that smell like this???</div>
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Think what fresh bread baking smells like, but x100. And with the sweet promise of alcohol.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
By the way, if you don't live in Maine, that word is pronounced like 'wert'.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
If you live in Maine, however, it is pronounced in a way that is indescribable but something along the lines of 'whuuurht'.</div>
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It's a steamy business, making beer!</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Jim Nichols, Resident Hopsniffer.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I am his apprentice. </div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
In case you're wondering why I am so obsessed with the smell of beermaking:</div>
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I only learned how to smell in 2008 (don't worry, you'll get a whole post about that someday), so I am particularly taken by olfactory wonders. And brewing, dear friends, is one such wonder. </div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: center;">By the way - the Mystery Ingredient that one of our brewers picked out turned out to be 'Medium Toast Hungarian Oak Shavings'. Hmm!</span></div>
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Of course I had to taste one. </div>
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Want to know what Medium Toast Hungarian Oak Shavings taste like?</div>
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Nothing. Literally nothing.</div>
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If it weren't for the horrible, disintegrating, um-there-is-definitely-a-piece-of-mildly-burnt-tree-in-my-mouth-right-now texture, you might not know that they were in your mouth at all. I'm assuming that the flavoring impact they will have on the beer itself is more subtle and requires a bit of soaking. We will find out in a month or two.</div>
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I only eat wood in the name of science, I tell you!</div>
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Bag o' wood chips.</div>
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Dwight is VERY proud of the fact that he tied the knot without touching any of the bag with his bare hands - since it is going directly into the fermenting beer, it can't have any bacteria on it that could give the final product any off flavors. Note that he's holding it with a paper towel.</div>
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I suggested sterile gloves - this man is a nurse in his other life - but he wanted to show off his skills, I think. I was indeed impressed!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgluIJLh6u1hyphenhyphenWJeZtgRUdADGx3c-oE5qytT1-19hMpkourLofU3foCY_SckOsIO0hpGDpOMGkzULdgeTuGaYtwQ9zqa1yUU7HB5XMbt-G91tWKV0zblV44keATzS8JERUdqodFpdaUD-U/s1600/hop+bags.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgluIJLh6u1hyphenhyphenWJeZtgRUdADGx3c-oE5qytT1-19hMpkourLofU3foCY_SckOsIO0hpGDpOMGkzULdgeTuGaYtwQ9zqa1yUU7HB5XMbt-G91tWKV0zblV44keATzS8JERUdqodFpdaUD-U/s640/hop+bags.jpg.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Why yes, those hop bags DO look remarkably like old socks, don't they!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SED4G-E_99EsZ4P7cNqndbJ3pf1MnfZB4kNJiL1qA2OVi5nseiJjMU4hs4mZ8llz4D23-BYoECMibwSKe41RhuhfWYCo5JY8nT68lwIdCpUspPjJkHE0sC9b92ZKQLnF9FnghF4KI8Q/s1600/IMG_2310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SED4G-E_99EsZ4P7cNqndbJ3pf1MnfZB4kNJiL1qA2OVi5nseiJjMU4hs4mZ8llz4D23-BYoECMibwSKe41RhuhfWYCo5JY8nT68lwIdCpUspPjJkHE0sC9b92ZKQLnF9FnghF4KI8Q/s640/IMG_2310.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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But don't worry. As you can see here, they are just made of innocent, ungross, very stretchy gauze material. Just because we put tree shavings and live fungi into our beer doesn't mean we add discarded foot garments, people. I mean come on. Have a little faith.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU1JyfiNX_d0rN5Mrhzf-9vV_FLyP61vWPhxEReOSF6P-WoVzK3arjDmfxW1IH_DAcS6mdVASqF35OXUGInDqRhuBxoVPmilSxCiHEH3N6CzBiOJ0THwuRuD3gNlLs73jBTnrmjDKZAAc/s1600/IMG_2351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU1JyfiNX_d0rN5Mrhzf-9vV_FLyP61vWPhxEReOSF6P-WoVzK3arjDmfxW1IH_DAcS6mdVASqF35OXUGInDqRhuBxoVPmilSxCiHEH3N6CzBiOJ0THwuRuD3gNlLs73jBTnrmjDKZAAc/s400/IMG_2351.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Cheese balls...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5qkXW0NNnaJ3mYZbeiQH2p_uZAYw8QPLbi78f-Be1VqQahMN7WTtCJo28OM2SHxYqBeFayHGg4rnPn7Sqcucg5DiFsG7LcUP8VSnIPQcMHWcFpQEwojvTrOHSdI2sUgheV2HmZt8qao/s1600/IMG_2348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5qkXW0NNnaJ3mYZbeiQH2p_uZAYw8QPLbi78f-Be1VqQahMN7WTtCJo28OM2SHxYqBeFayHGg4rnPn7Sqcucg5DiFsG7LcUP8VSnIPQcMHWcFpQEwojvTrOHSdI2sUgheV2HmZt8qao/s400/IMG_2348.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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CHEESE BALLS....!! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLqemSHq9n6x89T8rv_97f4jeBMi72E3BWANC6PLJ1Kon7fBdR2qSS2zJArU64cbnWq8LLiDzN7XWfXRkY9oZsMlFNpr-6ltyaZB1f0BaShoEVM5N13-gORbeHHr9yLmTSapIcJs0Pp4/s1600/IMG_2297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLqemSHq9n6x89T8rv_97f4jeBMi72E3BWANC6PLJ1Kon7fBdR2qSS2zJArU64cbnWq8LLiDzN7XWfXRkY9oZsMlFNpr-6ltyaZB1f0BaShoEVM5N13-gORbeHHr9yLmTSapIcJs0Pp4/s640/IMG_2297.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Alright, time to get things a fermentin'! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqV6Z3hAzPNuFhJxi43Aqi0Km1CQFmtzh14vF9rM5ADIAd7JPxDpIFB_bto1fF2UyDNEehDq1Q_1i8gVB4NJ7K3p8k7msmBdg7gbpsnUFiSpxrTBZZshUjdwDr4fXL7vqwkPZFkuuArN8/s1600/IMG_2295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqV6Z3hAzPNuFhJxi43Aqi0Km1CQFmtzh14vF9rM5ADIAd7JPxDpIFB_bto1fF2UyDNEehDq1Q_1i8gVB4NJ7K3p8k7msmBdg7gbpsnUFiSpxrTBZZshUjdwDr4fXL7vqwkPZFkuuArN8/s640/IMG_2295.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Ooh! Ooh! Let's play that game where you make up a caption for the picture:</div>
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1. <u>"I love my husband, but he is really terrible at Hide and Seek."</u></div>
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2. <u>"Aha! I've got you now, Giant Fly! Prepare to meet your doom!"</u></div>
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3. <u>"The window in this submarine really could use some cleaning."</u></div>
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4. <u>"Help! My head is trapped in a giant mesh bubble!"</u></div>
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5. <u>"_______________________________________________________"</u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGljkydypTA8vBk8eckrkqflLgxOEjv4ypJmE7aLMlQbHR8S0rgCQq7slTglXcOghed2fuA1EQDZEa57xCUmtfeOOvARXyzcgnyRTprpFjnIIDcE_OHQB_Y8wCbrn3zCDG9VH8JREGZks/s1600/IMG_2332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGljkydypTA8vBk8eckrkqflLgxOEjv4ypJmE7aLMlQbHR8S0rgCQq7slTglXcOghed2fuA1EQDZEa57xCUmtfeOOvARXyzcgnyRTprpFjnIIDcE_OHQB_Y8wCbrn3zCDG9VH8JREGZks/s640/IMG_2332.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The wort goes into the fermenter through the strainer so we don't end up drinking hop pulp.</div>
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Because that would be gross. </div>
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Hop <i>juice</i>, on the other hand, is magnificent.</div>
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...It's a fine line in this business, what is gross and what isn't...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLs0JgXgq3A8yuUwAKs_yHLp1UACI5JY8b2WaC-CpVoIbq_aQ4wNX9kV7to81G4F3Gfzsiy4wFTa7LvRXtW7DR2HsmlSXYUYirjDf-jmyyCgOz7Dt1aoT_N4dltDkyLGBp39i1G_d1cos/s1600/IMG_2335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLs0JgXgq3A8yuUwAKs_yHLp1UACI5JY8b2WaC-CpVoIbq_aQ4wNX9kV7to81G4F3Gfzsiy4wFTa7LvRXtW7DR2HsmlSXYUYirjDf-jmyyCgOz7Dt1aoT_N4dltDkyLGBp39i1G_d1cos/s640/IMG_2335.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Topping 'er off</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4z5t3Sb0cjTEYRvkVgmpDW80xPoccXjPDa3sPT6aUbKUpfkNr8fyZSdpjLQi21mEKO7CTHbWKdWAnfXGV6PiGKX2NxIEsYtdixrYWLZ81yBiUxRXPe94rER6XoqAi7Mgt5EGRxn8oRms/s1600/adding+oak+chips.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4z5t3Sb0cjTEYRvkVgmpDW80xPoccXjPDa3sPT6aUbKUpfkNr8fyZSdpjLQi21mEKO7CTHbWKdWAnfXGV6PiGKX2NxIEsYtdixrYWLZ81yBiUxRXPe94rER6XoqAi7Mgt5EGRxn8oRms/s640/adding+oak+chips.jpg.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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In go a few small pieces of the Hungarian forest...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_V5GZY22vBj9iDmlrIXZgrAnYgMt2ewpzioEnD33nWoBn1OcCsWoRZh6AxoAhR0IWOGBxTzndcQ3uf44UCs95groAV8dLhEx9zxyY8zc7lxsV0gn71ZDhKdCvdxD2XL1oZtdSFTI8IFU/s1600/IMG_2361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_V5GZY22vBj9iDmlrIXZgrAnYgMt2ewpzioEnD33nWoBn1OcCsWoRZh6AxoAhR0IWOGBxTzndcQ3uf44UCs95groAV8dLhEx9zxyY8zc7lxsV0gn71ZDhKdCvdxD2XL1oZtdSFTI8IFU/s640/IMG_2361.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Aaaand... last but not least, pitching the yeast! (<--Oh man, and a CATCHY RHYME! Forget Blogger of the Year. I should be Blogger of the DECADE. Talent.)</div>
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Alright, little yeasty beasties, time to get BUSY! </div>
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Enjoy a mad round of gluttony before you end up eating everything and dying of starvation. Oh yeah, and we are going to drink your excrement. Thanks for that. Sorry about the dying business.</div>
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(Don't worry, the yeasts' bodily wastes are okay. Remember the part where there is a fine line of grossness? We're good still. Yeast excrement is just alcohol and bubbles, yo. We like both.)</div>
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! ...Oh man, forget Blogger of the Decade... I just thought of a <i>limerick. </i>And limericks automatically qualify one for Blogger of the Frigging Century! Here you go:</div>
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<i>And finally - last, but not least -</i></div>
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<i>Came the time for the pitching of yeast.</i></div>
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<i>The fungi were thrilled - </i></div>
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<i>"So much food! We'll be filled!"</i></div>
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<i>...They knew not of their sad fate post-feast.</i></div>
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<i>...</i>You're welcome.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rVA-iq75PUoSO7IJU8T84sDDZNFt_LUzbKwNXfhfc6tzJGI2f389Rk-y3XRGKi-Pi414D6NqaXH56UGU02xNgA8znmftyFYt6DNhc0N_ZzrfzvnQ5I7s8sgsSBA9AhZ35R_E0ep5jfU/s1600/sample.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rVA-iq75PUoSO7IJU8T84sDDZNFt_LUzbKwNXfhfc6tzJGI2f389Rk-y3XRGKi-Pi414D6NqaXH56UGU02xNgA8znmftyFYt6DNhc0N_ZzrfzvnQ5I7s8sgsSBA9AhZ35R_E0ep5jfU/s640/sample.jpg.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Alright! Time to check the specific gravity of our delicious concoction before we tuck it in to bed for two weeks or so. The specific gravity tells us about how much alcohol we'll be looking at when things are all said and done.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgneF8pQVREn8B6hi8V2xsDqajDgm6GqZQXdxF3YSmslSvkS8_cm6yeQViAFl7_SCLqrw0S4fhLcYRk98ja6YoFMFmG3zo7McueTW5eJKw0ie-DwjDz90k5YRFBpx3Ha0YD7Prum0YLcfU/s1600/IMG_2343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgneF8pQVREn8B6hi8V2xsDqajDgm6GqZQXdxF3YSmslSvkS8_cm6yeQViAFl7_SCLqrw0S4fhLcYRk98ja6YoFMFmG3zo7McueTW5eJKw0ie-DwjDz90k5YRFBpx3Ha0YD7Prum0YLcfU/s640/IMG_2343.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The longer you stare at the Bobbing Gravity Measurer Stick Thing (yes, that's its official name) to gauge the final number, the more professional you are. </div>
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Wes is very professional.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKP9W2e6INOjPCD3JCVweafkJxtsyju0zk057y0wHreYBG9qGmgi_xUsgdGDu6RwgExW-UC9MSlFvf8eGjYfENBFew0su0tcIScw3ZJs4yiHifaevO6PZqhthqmR77vq3sv3rCdNh3mA/s1600/closing+up.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKP9W2e6INOjPCD3JCVweafkJxtsyju0zk057y0wHreYBG9qGmgi_xUsgdGDu6RwgExW-UC9MSlFvf8eGjYfENBFew0su0tcIScw3ZJs4yiHifaevO6PZqhthqmR77vq3sv3rCdNh3mA/s640/closing+up.jpg.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Put the lid on, screw it in place, and you're done! For awhile, anyway.</div>
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Cheerio, little beer, old chum! See you in a proper fortnight! Wot wot! </div>
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(That's a British accent, by the way, not a Maine accent. That was just for fun.)</div>
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(But Maine accents are NEVER just for fun. Maine accents are SERIOUS BUSINESS.)</div>
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In a couple of weeks, we will return and decant our lovely loveliness into another container for secondary fermentation. After that, bottling... and not too long after that, drinking! And angel choruses! And rainbows! And fairies! And dancing Hungarians!</div>
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It's going to be magical.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4L-zjmLIWxTaDlRGZTNIhekH33sGgBUan7sMjTG6GGS2jR-siftJlc0ulRp8vSsVLPskp0jYkqIatZeCExjGV77MfDyHYxaJq7arZMONuoKcbayugQHTitsam7Fvpnvnp8k1cdJsCBg/s1600/IMG_2364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4L-zjmLIWxTaDlRGZTNIhekH33sGgBUan7sMjTG6GGS2jR-siftJlc0ulRp8vSsVLPskp0jYkqIatZeCExjGV77MfDyHYxaJq7arZMONuoKcbayugQHTitsam7Fvpnvnp8k1cdJsCBg/s640/IMG_2364.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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MY CHEESE BALLS! STAY AWAY!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi98HWilGpmTogdEsL-DoupFCEZUNhKTg-wxvuDtyTUCxtCE1seyd9b35kvxLJr9LyYYh6vnZSr68VnBNCSlvxa_3NzKcm72pj4E96rD08T8DN3j-2dpNlFR2cHND4ot5ukjJUvXT8fbu8/s1600/IMG_2365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi98HWilGpmTogdEsL-DoupFCEZUNhKTg-wxvuDtyTUCxtCE1seyd9b35kvxLJr9LyYYh6vnZSr68VnBNCSlvxa_3NzKcm72pj4E96rD08T8DN3j-2dpNlFR2cHND4ot5ukjJUvXT8fbu8/s640/IMG_2365.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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...Don't judge me?</div>
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<span id="goog_1403728559"></span><span id="goog_1403728560"></span><br />
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...P.S. Quick! Make up a caption for the Make Up a Caption Game in the comments section! GO!</div>
Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-84149284375431075122012-11-11T19:43:00.000-05:002012-11-11T19:43:09.213-05:00Beware of Trolls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I try to go for a lot of walks. Getting outside seems to make both me and the kids feel better than we do if we are in the house all day, and the exercise seems to be helping me lose the baby weight! Gardiner is VERY hilly, so a good workout is guaranteed any time I take my rad double stroller out and about.</div>
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Here are a few of the things I've been seeing on my walks lately:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sadly, all these lovely leaves were blown away by Hurricane Sandy - but on this day, they were particularly pretty.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beware of Trolls. Note all the little fairy houses hidden all over the place. The Maine woods are magical! :-)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This graveyard is HUGE. Huge. <i>Gihugeabigantic</i>, in fact. The two pictures above of two different areas are not even half of the entire thing. Also, there are older and newer sections, which is cool. You start in the 1700s, walk through the Civil War, and keep going from there. When you get to the end, you're walking through modern grave stones, and actually they are quite amazing - they have actual 'photographs' engraved into the stone, as well as entire scenes and images engraved into the stones that are absolute works of art.<br />Also: this chick was named Cinderella!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I did look in the window. There's nothing in there. Except mice. And dust. Lots and lots of dust. But we can pretend it's something really enticing and hidden away.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sleeping babies!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>1896 ~ Built By The Berlin Iron Bridge Co. </i>I have no idea to what this plaque is referring, but it's nonetheless neat.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a lot prettier in real life. But hey, I tried.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a little segment of the Gardiner Public Library, where Todd's mom works.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kennebec River! It's not <a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/2092743/sandpoint-waterfront-blog-lake-pend-oreille-sunsets" target="_blank">Lake Pend Oreille</a>, but it's got its own regal beauty.</td></tr>
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<br />Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-12037490446089802732012-11-11T16:54:00.001-05:002012-11-11T16:54:32.070-05:00And now, some babies on a bed<div style="text-align: center;">
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...Because they are stinkin' cute, that's why.</div>
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<br />Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-68515108127202675542012-11-09T00:30:00.001-05:002012-11-25T16:02:49.909-05:00Ten Things<div>
"I MUST HAVE MORE NOOK! I AM GOING TO DIE IF THERE ISN'T A NEW POST BY TOMORROW! THIS IS TOO MUCH! HAVE MERCY AND POST SOMETHING ALREADY! IT"S BEEN TOOOO LOOOONG!!" said Bop the Dinosaur, my children's under-appreciated stuffed toy, to me recently. Bop is quite awesome and has excellent taste, and is invited to my next dinner party. He and I are pals. Actually, he is invited to ALL of my dinner parties.</div>
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Now, I wouldn't want to bring unnecessary fatality to my classy Jurassic friend, because otherwise my dinner parties would be extremely sparse in attendance, so I am coming up with a post even though I have two small children, recently moved across the country, am cooking and housekeeping for 6, am de-cluttering and organizing our current living space, and am assisting in cleaning out 50 years of stuff from my husband's grandmother's house that is being sold as she now lives in a nursing home and must be empty by November 16th. Dear Bop: you owe me one. You'd better bring the booze. Or at least an appetizer.</div>
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Here are Ten Things that have been going on in my life lately!</div>
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<b>1. See paragraph above. It explains a lot.</b></div>
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<b>2. Hurricanes, Snow, and Nor'easters, Oh My!</b> Luckily for us, Maine has kind of been hovering somewhat above all of the crazy apocalyptic weather stuff, so we've only gotten some windy flurries and the occasional downpour, and never even lost power. I am grateful. I love Big Weather, but having six feet of standing water in my basement is NOT something I would want to be dealing with right about now.</div>
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<b>3. I finally started appraising my coin collection. </b>I inherited a foreign coin collection from my grandfather and have picked up random additions to it over the years. After many recent blissful hours watching Storage Wars, Pawn Stars, and American Pickers (thanks to my in-laws, I now have TV for the first time in seventeen years. How, oh how, did I live before the History Channel??), I have developed an acute interest in collectibles and their value, so of course I was all nobly prepared to go online and discover what I had known all along, that my cigar box of assorted metal bits is worth Thousands of Dollars and that I have been sitting on a Veritable Gold Mine and that I Will Be Going On A Two Week Long Cruise When The Snow Starts To Get To Me This Winter, Thank You Very Much.</div>
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You can see where this is going.</div>
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Yeah, most of my coins are worth about a buck apiece. Some of the solid silver ones in good shape might sell for $10. MIGHT. Woohoo. Save the cruise for next year, I guess.</div>
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<b>4. Baby C seems to be growing</b>. <b>Shocker, I know. </b>I have been tipped off to this by the fact that we have had TWO major blowouts in one day (if you don't know what a blowout is, well, consider yourself very fortunate indeed!) and by the fact that ALL of her 0-3 month clothes, which fit her just fine yesterday, are too small today. This is not an exaggeration. They literally did fit her on Wednesday, November 7 and now, on Thursday, November 8, they don't. The Nook Is Now Accepting Donations Of 3 Mo. + Baby Girl Clothes. And College Fund Contributions.</div>
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Also, I am 73% sure she is starting to teethe. Seriously. Max started teething at 3 months and had his full set of teeth before he was two, so it's really not impossible. I can feel a couple of very hard bumps on those gums and she is drooling like crazy and has been a little warm, and enjoys gnawing on my knuckle and practically purrs when I rub her gums. The poor kid is 11 weeks old. Time to break out the baltic amber.</div>
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<b>5. I am slowly, but surely, learning to love being in the kitchen again. </b>I took about a year off from my adoration of cooking - being pregnant and mothering a toddler this year kind of took it out of me. I used to LOVE to cook. Then I was morning-sick and nothing sounded good. And then I was starving and only wanted steak, gummy bears, and McDonald's french fries. And then I weighed 172 pounds and it hurt to be on my feet too long... especially after serving coffee to people for eight hours straight... and then we were selling everything and packing, and then we were moving, and then I couldn't <i>fit</i> in the kitchen even if I wanted to, and then I had a newborn and couldn't be bothered to do anything but sit on the couch and stare at her and then we were flying around the country and then driving 3,021 miles and the whole cooking thing was just ridiculous.</div>
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Happily, with settling in and a slow return to normalcy, and a houseful of working people who need to be fed after I've been home alone with a kitchen all day, I have been forced to cook - but I've actually had the time and energy to cook, and am falling in love all over again. I developed a propensity for burning things this year but that seems to be changing, too! Maybe it's the time-and-energy thing. All I know is that I semi-deep-fried (shallow fried?) hoe cakes tonight and Didn't Burn Them, For The First Time Ever. On an electric range, no less. And dang, unburned hoe cakes are GOOD!!</div>
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With all of this magical Cooking and Time and Energy flying around, I might even come up with some more The Nook Cooks posts. We'll see!</div>
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<b>6. I love <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/" target="_blank">Pioneer Woman</a>. Sigh!</b></div>
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<b>7. This coming Monday, Todd and I are brewing our first beer! Finally! </b>Okay, so we aren't doing it all by ourselves. His dad and his dad's brewing partner/best friend Dwight and Dwight's kids are helping, too. But it will be my very first Brew Day here in Maine and I am STOKED. Stoked, I tell you! I may even write a blog post about it! You have been warned. [UPDATED: <a href="http://nichols-nook.blogspot.com/2012/11/brew-day-hungarian-dark-oak-ipa.html" target="_blank">Here's the blog post!</a>]</div>
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<b>8. I have been horribly remiss in practicing my fiddle and banjo lately. </b>They stare at me forlornly from the corner of my bedroom where they live, and it's quite sad. But it's really, really hard to play when the only time you have both hands free is after everyone else is asleep and then you <i>can't</i> play because, obviously, everyone else is asleep. And I'm sorry, but one-handed banjo just sucks. </div>
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I have been trying to fill the banjo-sized hole in my heart by watching YouTube videos of others doing what I cannot. Alas.</div>
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<b>9. Apparently, I Am On A Let's-Capitalize-The-First-Letter-Of-Each-Word-Like-We-Are-Really-Making-A-Statement Kick Right Now. </b>It's Just A Phase. It Will Pass.</div>
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<b>10. It's after midnight and I'm too tired to think of a real #10. </b>Sorry. I hope that was enough for you, Bop. If you only manage to bring yourself to the dinner party and don't bring the appetizer and the booze, we will just put out carrot sticks and nip out of the vodka bottle I use to make pie crust and it will all be okay. </div>
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<b>...10 1/2. Vodka in pie crust. Yes. But that is a Post For Another Day, My Friends. :-)</b></div>
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Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-44582671522142428002012-11-03T01:47:00.004-04:002012-11-03T01:47:42.062-04:00CourageSometimes I can't sleep.<br />
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Eyes wide, curled around babies, holding my breath to hear whispers of theirs. Soaking in heartbeats, the tugs on my hair, their reassuring warmth and their beingness here. I love them so hard it grips my throat in ice and my heart stops. My love is wonder and joy and gratitude, it is these filmy flashing breathless nights and the photo-snapped days, the soft milky mornings, the proffered snacks and blonde heads that smell like sunshine, the marvel - and the terrible, terrible fear. The disbelief.<br />
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How do I have this? <i>What if I lose it? </i><br />
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Sometimes I can't sleep.<br />
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I'm thinking of towers and planes and storms, and car accidents, flames in the snow, sirens. I'm thinking of fatal diseases and falling bookshelves, of house fires, of accidents with knives and guns and fridges and clothes dryers, of SIDS, of infants abandoned and left to starve and the baby girls in China with pins stabbed through their silky fontanelles, the fontanelles they share in common with my own baby girl. I'm thinking of the children on the news, throats slit by their nanny, their mother who came home and found them, clutching her last living baby and being led away, my brain inventing her screams and playing them on repeat, hour after hour through the night, the gut-wrenching, mind-numbing horror. I can't even <i>breathe</i>, let alone sleep. I am paralyzed. It is too much. I am too little.<br />
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Mothers, how do we do this? How do we live, in face of the fear, in face of the possibility? What if we love? What if we <i>lose? </i>Surely life isn't benevolent enough that it will let us be this happy forever - will it? How can we face each day knowing it may be our last, or their last - and <i>live it anyway</i>?<br />
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To love is to be brave. Motherhood is courage. Heck, it is <i>distilled</i> courage. It is plunging in and <i>embracing</i> the fear, charging in like a lion and swallowing it whole, acknowledging our fragility, yet being strong; it is having <i>faith </i>in that strength, trusting that it will be there when we need it. Having faith in our <i>love </i>and trusting that it will be there when we need it. It is knowing that we are the luckiest beings in the whole world, <i>to have this love</i>, and that nothing - <i>nothing, not even death</i><i> - </i>can take it from us. That what we carry within us now we will carry within us always, no matter what shape the future takes, and that we will be okay.<br />
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Sometimes I can't sleep. But when the fear grips me hard, when it crushes my organs and clutches my sinews, when I start counting the heartbeats and listening to breaths, I must remind myself: <i>I can do this. I can love these beings with everything I have; I don't have to hold back for fear that I will lose it. If nothing else, I will always, always have this love. </i>I am so, so thankful for what I have been given, even if I don't have the substance of it, as it is now, forever. I can't control what happens to me, and to them, but I can control how I live the life I've been given. For now, I close my eyes and I snuggle my babies.<br />
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Courage, mamas.<br />
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<i>You've come far, and though you're far from the end</i></div>
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<i>When all of your tears dry, let your troubles roll by</i></div>
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Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-25505978027719820732012-10-31T03:43:00.000-04:002012-11-25T23:59:27.703-05:00The Nook Cooks: Hungarian Chicken and Spaetzle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello all! Welcome to the first edition of The Nook Cooks, in which the Nook... well, Cooks. Hence the name. But you got that.</div>
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If I'm going to be all Professional Mommy Blogger here, I figure I'd better jump on the whole look-at-me-I-can-write-AND-cook-yay-for-awesome bandwagon. Jump with me!</div>
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Today we are making Hungarian Chicken and Spaetzle. It's actually two separate dishes - the Hungarian Chicken is a saucy kind of paprika chicken deal [insert here the image of a paprika-colored chicken standing saucily that just popped into my mind] and then the spaetzle are the noodle/dumpling bits of pure comfort over which you serve it.</div>
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I think paprika is the like the banjo: underrated. It's good for way more than just sprinkling on eggs, people. (The paprika, that is. Not the banjo. </div>
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...Not that I'm saying that banjos are also good for sprinkling on eggs. I mean, maybe they are, but probably not. Sprinkling banjos on <i>anything</i> sounds, well, cumbersome. And possibly twangy. And no one likes twangy eggs. So there you have your lesson for the day: Keep Eggs Twangless. And use paprika. Lots of it.)</div>
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So yeah. If your chicken is going to be all saucy and Hungarian (seriously, can someone draw me a cartoon of that!?<i>), </i>you need to break out the paprika. I will recommend, though, that you check the date on your plastic bottle in ye olde spice cupboard - if you only use your paprika for occasionally sprinkling on banjos, then it might be time to invest in a new container of the ground fruits of the <i>capsicum anuum. (</i>Thank you, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paprika" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>.) You want your spice to be fresh and delicious so that your chicken can be fresh and delicious. (C'm<i>on</i>, we've got the makings of an entire comic strip, here! Nothing says comedic gold like a fresh, saucy Hungarian chicken. Wearing a jaunty hat.)</div>
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I happened to be lucky enough to have received a big packet of smoked Spanish paprika in an unlabeled baggie from one of my loyal customers at Starbucks, who got it from his elderly Sicilian mother in Texas, of all places. And this stuff is the <i>business. </i>By all means, if you have access to Smoked Spanish Sicilian Texan Grandma Paprika, <i>use it use it use all of it in everything all the time</i> and never look at the bottled stuff ever ever again.</div>
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That being said, fear not if your trusty back-of-the-cupboard bottle of McCormick is all you have. This is basically chicken and dumplings, for crying out loud - you <i>cannot go wrong</i>. It's like homemade bread that way. Homemade bread, no matter how much of an epic disaster, is <i>always</i> going to be better than storebought bread.</div>
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Banjos away.</div>
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<b>RECIPE ONE: SPAETZLE</b></div>
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By the way, spaetzle is German and has nothing to do with Hungarian chickens whatsoever. But it is way delectable and also is a veritable <i>ambassador</i> for World Peace. I bet spaetzle and Taco Chicken would be absolutely rockin'. Or spaetzle and Chicken Kiev. Or spaetzle and Poulet a la Mode. Or spaetzle and... erm... Eskimo Chicken. (Which, if my Cultural Anthropology class taught me <i>anything</i> besides how to watch movies with lots of wrinkly old naked people in them and not giggle, would probably be raw seal.) (We didn't giggle but we did draw a lot of really hilarious cartoons in our notebooks, though, if I remember right.) (And if anything is going to make raw seal taste good, it's spaetzle!)</div>
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Ahem.</div>
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You will need:</div>
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- 2 cups of all-purpose flour</div>
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- 1.25 tsp salt</div>
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- 3 eggs</div>
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- milk</div>
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C'est tout!</div>
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1. First, throw some flour and salt in your trusty big bowl. (Hint: if you make 1/4 of it whole wheat flour, it automatically becomes Healthy and will cancel out all of the calories you eat at dinner. Fact.)</div>
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(Second hint: whole wheat flour sucks. Use entirely white flour if at all possible. Relish.)</div>
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(Like 'enjoy', not like 'pickles'. Pickles in spaetzle would be gross. Even World Peace Ambassadors have to draw the line somewhere.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQGwYG60jXwobZ6g0eCoEZh0fUiwM35d5Q42trL5Isgngx5XHjm3NMWv8pbRpGv8mn_KKtY1-aVDF_4yeO0ULetOKbzhHdVX0nbfrpAZPkChbjojisOZPuhxtkwLRD03f97q1aMkuMMM/s1600/IMG_1693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQGwYG60jXwobZ6g0eCoEZh0fUiwM35d5Q42trL5Isgngx5XHjm3NMWv8pbRpGv8mn_KKtY1-aVDF_4yeO0ULetOKbzhHdVX0nbfrpAZPkChbjojisOZPuhxtkwLRD03f97q1aMkuMMM/s320/IMG_1693.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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2. Next, crack in the ol' eggs. If you are Super Amazing and Talented and Full of Flair, like me, you will do it with one hand while taking a photo on your phone with the other. </div>
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...Then you will spend eight minutes trying to pick all of the shell bits out.</div>
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Mix the egg into the flour with a fork until it is too stiff.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgf5_Yjk36EnkKZSTtcnuXzGs6urdN7G6KP8lLGeVaojwNNFueO2tPol_dxTkMQhWi-YtmI9y5CofZfa5Py8OIAWX2EQsPVmxEtUhVSScpDa9imfSQeJAL2JRqRjLtRqZQM_ABnPyswMM/s1600/IMG_1714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgf5_Yjk36EnkKZSTtcnuXzGs6urdN7G6KP8lLGeVaojwNNFueO2tPol_dxTkMQhWi-YtmI9y5CofZfa5Py8OIAWX2EQsPVmxEtUhVSScpDa9imfSQeJAL2JRqRjLtRqZQM_ABnPyswMM/s320/IMG_1714.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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3. Pour in some milk - just enough to form the whole thing into a shaggy mass of dough. You don't want it to be too sticky because you want to be able to roll it out onto a board, so go easy on the liquid and add more only as you need to. I had to flour my board pretty heavily and roll it around a bunch to get it to the proper consistency.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhukapzeTZb-i6qY37YEXyUHeQz5U0KbrWKU_1w7SIcLQfUPqFGvegqB4lDNWZ35fTvYH9BSsGWc0lct89DA3-Y6C2SBPPfyxQdzoW7AKvIJokpOFZnRk9tJHZbzwLSL-Ej1nJYFA8qgy0/s1600/IMG_1724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhukapzeTZb-i6qY37YEXyUHeQz5U0KbrWKU_1w7SIcLQfUPqFGvegqB4lDNWZ35fTvYH9BSsGWc0lct89DA3-Y6C2SBPPfyxQdzoW7AKvIJokpOFZnRk9tJHZbzwLSL-Ej1nJYFA8qgy0/s320/IMG_1724.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEq7_B5iaZa0eU8mjhY81H4GWJbQ-kursUoqWgPTeokADLDZ1rggMLpOdnLk6iS4ub2AoTOiiTYcfTNTmE1BNfpKcDGr2uNMCDh92W2IXHEp0LlG5-8iDIU7kboiCLvjNqZureNdV1FGA/s1600/IMG_1730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEq7_B5iaZa0eU8mjhY81H4GWJbQ-kursUoqWgPTeokADLDZ1rggMLpOdnLk6iS4ub2AoTOiiTYcfTNTmE1BNfpKcDGr2uNMCDh92W2IXHEp0LlG5-8iDIU7kboiCLvjNqZureNdV1FGA/s320/IMG_1730.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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4. Roll it out! Don't panic if it's too sticky, though, or if you don't have the time, space, or inclination to mess around with fiddly rolling pins and the like. Just tear off blobs and throw them into your water. Oops, sorry if I spoiled the ending of this recipe for you with that last part. Didn't you kind of see it coming, though?</div>
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But anyway. If you don't mind the fiddly rolling pin part, then roll out your dough like so:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2GFkG4HaMEjIS1TQNVjkHyBz71UZyucuicaAi6RbmwJVXfq93AaPRLVvE9rssuIIv0AbLCeszNk_g-cLDxaCjFNQEhRAwCE6CfFeZFvmpGj52JNrl_e9SUeMkc7UI2W7XiyzClhpt1AE/s1600/IMG_1734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2GFkG4HaMEjIS1TQNVjkHyBz71UZyucuicaAi6RbmwJVXfq93AaPRLVvE9rssuIIv0AbLCeszNk_g-cLDxaCjFNQEhRAwCE6CfFeZFvmpGj52JNrl_e9SUeMkc7UI2W7XiyzClhpt1AE/s320/IMG_1734.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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5. Grab a very sharp knife or a pizza cutter and make diagonal cuts down your dough.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0WguBTl-iD_Xq4aEnvk5nWm25eUqvISoYmCLRNUr274e962DmzuqLn1DHyj-Zu6qjwBSN3KiS7Ij9qc0pZS7ZX9kct7Pg9QdchLzkQOPWI_TwMUMnMCO104_TsuZflRJ7sJanjV5vJY/s1600/IMG_1736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0WguBTl-iD_Xq4aEnvk5nWm25eUqvISoYmCLRNUr274e962DmzuqLn1DHyj-Zu6qjwBSN3KiS7Ij9qc0pZS7ZX9kct7Pg9QdchLzkQOPWI_TwMUMnMCO104_TsuZflRJ7sJanjV5vJY/s320/IMG_1736.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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6. Now, flip around and do the same thing, but going the opposite direction:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxN8f2EbSUx9ItXoaeHB3nsp64vehCI-EnWgqkEtsBDryuVrU9l-r49IQCr_64HjetwLlMwXSMN4WeiOCi1JrMAazComqEpGwM3bT3G-umIe-WTeWTIZTdTci77eCrKHrbavnqw1XhOw0/s1600/IMG_1740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxN8f2EbSUx9ItXoaeHB3nsp64vehCI-EnWgqkEtsBDryuVrU9l-r49IQCr_64HjetwLlMwXSMN4WeiOCi1JrMAazComqEpGwM3bT3G-umIe-WTeWTIZTdTci77eCrKHrbavnqw1XhOw0/s320/IMG_1740.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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7. Almost done! Now separate your little dough pieces out (they may stick together; if you need to, grab some scissors and cut off the bits and put them on a floured plate or board. You could even skip the fancy cutting part and just use the scissors right out, I bet). Then, throw your dough pieces into a pot of rapidly boiling water.</div>
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8. The pieces will sink to the bottom at first. Hang out and don't panic. This is just flour and water, yo. As simple as it gets. Pretty soon you little doughy gems will pop back up to the surface and wave hello.</div>
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At this point, set your timer for two minutes (or one minute if they are very small or particularly thin) and chill. Maybe even pop open an appetizer beer. No one is judging. We're all friends here.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKWYmL8ltiW6HxvAjR-CpF1H52TN4AWhImGJEOCXTwyHkMCjZN1wxj4c3bJlKeK9npxxNEKnHJaU6BObh2qqKthtk2SaQkrBFC99jvYfd-J1ehsoGyIu4HGmZ8ka7scZJeFYGJmB31dA/s1600/IMG_1745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKWYmL8ltiW6HxvAjR-CpF1H52TN4AWhImGJEOCXTwyHkMCjZN1wxj4c3bJlKeK9npxxNEKnHJaU6BObh2qqKthtk2SaQkrBFC99jvYfd-J1ehsoGyIu4HGmZ8ka7scZJeFYGJmB31dA/s320/IMG_1745.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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9. Ding! Remove your spaetzle with a slotted spoon (I just love the sound of that phrase... 'slotted spoon'... for some reason it sounds all dainty and quaintly alliterative to me. So does 'clotted cream.' Or... 'blotted... beans?' Never mind.) and set them tenderly in a waiting bowl or colander to await their upcoming Paprika Sauce Drenching.<br />
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<b>RECIPE TWO: SAUCY HUNGARIAN CHICKEN</b></div>
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This time, you're looking at:</div>
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- <b>2.5 - 3 lbs skinless chicken pieces of any kind</b>. Bones are fine. Or not. Whatever. Breast falls into the same category as whole wheat flour, apparently, in that it is Healthy and Not As Good As Thighs. (Because whole wheat flour is <i>obviously</i> not as good as thighs.)</div>
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- <b>salt and pepper</b></div>
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- <b>1/4 cup butter</b></div>
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- <b>1 garlic clove, minced</b> (or just smash it in one big piece if you don't want to mess with mincing garlic since it is kind of a pain. We're going for flavor here, so one smashed piece is fine. Or, even better, use <a href="http://www.litehousefoods.com/products/freeze-dried-garlic" target="_blank">This</a>, and tell 'em Sarah sent ya!)</div>
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- <b>1 small onion, chopped </b>(you do have to chop the onion. Sorry. One big giant slimy smashed onion in your saucy chicken will taste great and look horrendous.)</div>
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- <b>1/4 cup paprika</b>, preferably Smoked Spanish, or good-quality Hungarian Sweet if you're going for authenticity, or the ol' McCormick's if that's what you'e got. And yes, you will be thinking "Holy living snarzgards 1/4 cup is a freaking TON of spice out of this little spice jar" and you will be correct because it really is and then you will double check the recipe and think "this can't possibly be right" and you will be incorrect because I'm the boss and you have to do what I say. Bam. It really is this much paprika. Which is why we're going for the good stuff!</div>
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- <b>3 tablespoons tomato paste. </b>No comment, sorry. It's tomato paste. (I will throw in a parenthetical statement for you, though, since after all this is me we're talking about.)</div>
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- <b>1.5 cups chicken broth </b>(one and a half, not fifteen. :-) (<--- how are you supposed to follow a smiley with a parenthesis, by the way? Like this? :-)) (Because that just looks weird. But you can't leave your parenthetical statement <i>open. </i>That would be a grammatical travesty.</div>
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<b>- 1 green bell pepper, chopped</b></div>
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<b>- 1/2 cup sour cream </b>(please dont use Lite sour cream because it is full of weird chemicals and also just gross. Always go full fat on the dairy products. Besides, as long as you throw in a tablespoonful of whole wheat flour and a chicken breast, the whole thing becomes calorie-free, anyway.)</div>
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This should feed about 4 people with some leftovers. Or just me and Todd after a hike with a very very small amount of leftovers. Or just me when I'm pregnant with no leftovers whatsoever.</div>
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Ready? Go!</div>
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1. Assemble ingredients. Admire.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqj-FytQEYJg1bjnVBSbTcZWJ6MLQQJWl3tnrYOmLtuo9vno3zpKmz_aV0vvMYGVWkkAb6BY_LWePZO2tfiAVLekIVxgppMbp4n-R1Y6XiKmLBohuVh-yM_Xp7cIwgtq3vaY2uOiEcJg/s1600/IMG_1731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqj-FytQEYJg1bjnVBSbTcZWJ6MLQQJWl3tnrYOmLtuo9vno3zpKmz_aV0vvMYGVWkkAb6BY_LWePZO2tfiAVLekIVxgppMbp4n-R1Y6XiKmLBohuVh-yM_Xp7cIwgtq3vaY2uOiEcJg/s320/IMG_1731.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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2. Secure infant in relatively safe position outside of the general spatter zone. Ignore look of concern.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmOvCDvs7lgdfE7pEHt56ww_cwS-npBkBlo4H2AMT2H_6uMNl7ntfXen4-oBnTUeSY4sqksQlt0_CdoVRwREcZIVZeT0lwM_CqU_fGgvRxPPZA131uSIE_asiRbpObawvsEGVPNFUE4k/s1600/IMG_1689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmOvCDvs7lgdfE7pEHt56ww_cwS-npBkBlo4H2AMT2H_6uMNl7ntfXen4-oBnTUeSY4sqksQlt0_CdoVRwREcZIVZeT0lwM_CqU_fGgvRxPPZA131uSIE_asiRbpObawvsEGVPNFUE4k/s320/IMG_1689.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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3. Toss a big pot or deep skillet onto the stove and start melting your butter. It has to be real butter and not margarine because butter is yummy and margarine is not. And because I said so.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEG5pKByWlmaDtBCboUyd0EnBx8heDigDN9dCsrXK0jwTnLRhsmwTmUE6vG3tYMP6SOWRh54RNNsCcBEwYhyxZksMQVjLmld7EWbuca55CvC5xgJ7Ahmf8UOX0IlDz7ManpWd2NRtfx8/s1600/IMG_1677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEG5pKByWlmaDtBCboUyd0EnBx8heDigDN9dCsrXK0jwTnLRhsmwTmUE6vG3tYMP6SOWRh54RNNsCcBEwYhyxZksMQVjLmld7EWbuca55CvC5xgJ7Ahmf8UOX0IlDz7ManpWd2NRtfx8/s320/IMG_1677.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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4. While your butter is melting, de-skin your chicken pieces and cut off any hanging fat (some leftover fat is good for flavor so don't get rid of all of it, just the flappy grody parts), then sprinkle both sides liberally with salt and pepper. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPnC2mZn9cC2og-UTlcwSXSO_CH1_nOdJUWRQenC-qIq-gF_0u9QtroMiDc2HEsotqqdXYn1Q3DJTd1r_d9tTv-6hnXJF3P3wZy0hxpOk0Dhv1-nhYEvWHiovi1MfR66JSJ63fMviDgw/s1600/IMG_1666.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPnC2mZn9cC2og-UTlcwSXSO_CH1_nOdJUWRQenC-qIq-gF_0u9QtroMiDc2HEsotqqdXYn1Q3DJTd1r_d9tTv-6hnXJF3P3wZy0hxpOk0Dhv1-nhYEvWHiovi1MfR66JSJ63fMviDgw/s320/IMG_1666.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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And FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, WATCH YOUR BUTTER. I am serious about this. Nothing - NOTHING - burns more quickly than butter by itself on the stove. Even crap under a broiler at 500 is less at risk. And the burned butter gets all stuck on to your pan and never ever comes off. You have to mind your butter CONSTANTLY because the SECOND you forget about it, it will turn into a black smoky mass and laugh at you evilly and you will feel like a miserable failure and go order takeout, which is expensive and not usually as good as homemade food anyway. Burned butter is the most frustrating thing EVER and it seems to happen all the time. I'm pretty sure the butter is all conspiratorial about it, though I'm not yet sure why. Some very, very sneaky butter reason, I'd wager. Someday I'll find out.</div>
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Actually, you know what? Forget those last two steps. We're just going to start over. Just in case. Because butter, even though it is delicious, is not to be trusted.</div>
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HUNGARIAN CHICKEN: 1. Assemble ingredients. Glare suspiciously at chunk of butter.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimd_A1A-7RwuJuEpeuaEtOTq4Bty0-Ipkik86qsEk7I1aStdqCs3b_qjBDIydWe9tyTQuy8i31GTK8fCg7iwq2NZteC5L016DgX8mgqerFD8mfx2pGnsOWNLjOzHZfc_QdMrTJxJmA6uA/s1600/sneaky+butter+ingredients.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimd_A1A-7RwuJuEpeuaEtOTq4Bty0-Ipkik86qsEk7I1aStdqCs3b_qjBDIydWe9tyTQuy8i31GTK8fCg7iwq2NZteC5L016DgX8mgqerFD8mfx2pGnsOWNLjOzHZfc_QdMrTJxJmA6uA/s320/sneaky+butter+ingredients.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Butter may glare back. Ignore.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpALbRokTESt_60teY6u7gLImvHGJjkg4hFPJo8xhY9NkFefLHADbvnGSw9YZ1Z7RGRbY96puRirSzekz44eu-4Yztn72xqQu6kK5IQLoffQgtf4SJWvLLBYB1zcE_wscJOkJ-k4CUvk/s1600/sneaky+butter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpALbRokTESt_60teY6u7gLImvHGJjkg4hFPJo8xhY9NkFefLHADbvnGSw9YZ1Z7RGRbY96puRirSzekz44eu-4Yztn72xqQu6kK5IQLoffQgtf4SJWvLLBYB1zcE_wscJOkJ-k4CUvk/s400/sneaky+butter.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>
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2. Prepare and season chicken.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPnC2mZn9cC2og-UTlcwSXSO_CH1_nOdJUWRQenC-qIq-gF_0u9QtroMiDc2HEsotqqdXYn1Q3DJTd1r_d9tTv-6hnXJF3P3wZy0hxpOk0Dhv1-nhYEvWHiovi1MfR66JSJ63fMviDgw/s1600/IMG_1666.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPnC2mZn9cC2og-UTlcwSXSO_CH1_nOdJUWRQenC-qIq-gF_0u9QtroMiDc2HEsotqqdXYn1Q3DJTd1r_d9tTv-6hnXJF3P3wZy0hxpOk0Dhv1-nhYEvWHiovi1MfR66JSJ63fMviDgw/s320/IMG_1666.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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3. NOW melt your butter. And don't do ANYTHING else but sit there and stare at it until it <i>just</i> starts to melt.</div>
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4. Add chicken and laugh in butter's now-nonexistent face.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLPpqqiZKriNQ_jlkadmc9LjOjkkJk5ZLcjqhenYTEJs8Jf1PjdzHtog25PDmgZfuyX3BH640-n0rGQh7wu_HcWYAc8ixWmiE4oGogHAWKKlF9gx-bO7qqb9WqS2Euhq3E3fXqmy06FA/s1600/IMG_1679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLPpqqiZKriNQ_jlkadmc9LjOjkkJk5ZLcjqhenYTEJs8Jf1PjdzHtog25PDmgZfuyX3BH640-n0rGQh7wu_HcWYAc8ixWmiE4oGogHAWKKlF9gx-bO7qqb9WqS2Euhq3E3fXqmy06FA/s320/IMG_1679.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I did my chicken in batches, because what we're doing here is getting a nice brown on it for flavor, not cooking it all the way. If you toss 'em all in at once, they will probably be a bit overcrowded and steam instead of brown. Which isn't the end of the world, because this is chicken and dumplings and you can't go wrong. It's just a <i>wee</i> bit tastier to brown your chicken first, if you can, that's all.</div>
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5. Add garlic while chicken is browning. Sprinkle it on the top of the chicken more than directly into the pan so that it has less time to burn. It's in cahoots with the butter in that department. If you forewent the mincing and just have one smashed piece of garlic, just tuck it in amongst the chicken so the butter picks up some of the garlic flavor.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKtBpwtYGtDeufbp7o8FcgRQullOF_XmRZSzr06L8tIl_OVJM_bATqEyvIZokFH8QTkTD9gqH5C2YyxROz6rMFwR72Ef_P-YSappTDnUgvOE1pWnePWThuRq929EWcmubAWNvX_QnG9U/s1600/IMG_1685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKtBpwtYGtDeufbp7o8FcgRQullOF_XmRZSzr06L8tIl_OVJM_bATqEyvIZokFH8QTkTD9gqH5C2YyxROz6rMFwR72Ef_P-YSappTDnUgvOE1pWnePWThuRq929EWcmubAWNvX_QnG9U/s320/IMG_1685.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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6. Ta da! Lightly browned, but not cooked all the way through.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4X4Cbi0gm_IBgUhu2lHHJbjuEUZ6V0GSHZ6WM4_RXB2G4ZwPWHMwFjXesciBP34-lo_PHbNsB9wFkaRStENQwVGwDwGJ7FihgjdAAoJwNJZZBHKlTj2-xxwvsUAjP0t9wpKVPNFWn4A/s1600/IMG_1721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm4X4Cbi0gm_IBgUhu2lHHJbjuEUZ6V0GSHZ6WM4_RXB2G4ZwPWHMwFjXesciBP34-lo_PHbNsB9wFkaRStENQwVGwDwGJ7FihgjdAAoJwNJZZBHKlTj2-xxwvsUAjP0t9wpKVPNFWn4A/s320/IMG_1721.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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7. Observe baby fussing. Note fussiness escalating rapidly. Move fussy baby into yet another giant battery-operated expensive baby contraption in hopes that she will settle down long enough for you to finish cooking. Cross fingers.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcw9abTuW6bdqRETU8e_gq3c8jSejlF2ZAdB6r2_Ols5AWKcOYz3dTIr4qSR87FWKiwekv9HMVjniKbag-drmK3oZMftSjd3wFb_iPzbVNDpO07ewZfD40bcVnUiQg-Hdo6awh7IwbI8I/s1600/IMG_1708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcw9abTuW6bdqRETU8e_gq3c8jSejlF2ZAdB6r2_Ols5AWKcOYz3dTIr4qSR87FWKiwekv9HMVjniKbag-drmK3oZMftSjd3wFb_iPzbVNDpO07ewZfD40bcVnUiQg-Hdo6awh7IwbI8I/s400/IMG_1708.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Ignore baby glare. If you can ignore the butter glare, you can ignore the baby glare.</div>
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8. Drain fat out of the pan if you can. Not because we're worried about fat - after all, this is a calorie-free meal thanks to the chicken breast and whole wheat flour, remember - but because too much fat can leave the sauce a little greasy and we want to avoid that if possible. You can also skim grease off the top of the sauce later if it's a problem.</div>
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[I didn't take a picture of that because pouring hot grease out of an equally hot large metal pot with one hand while taking a photo with the other probably isn't a smart thing to do.]</div>
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9. Add onion, paprika, tomato paste, and chicken broth. Cover and cook over low-ish heat for 25-30 minutes. Chicken should be tender and cooked through by that point.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFtqpXao9VLvNJ7O5Dk8xAl9yz9NemkC-yM5kM8f48iiJFrK_hlg6Q75twmuQDYXdgYgFMnn2pLGWhiiRnQpq66_ipMlRQWfUcDx6Id1IBfW4BTOq4dw8YuxpPfOxML-a4iTKRVXhLZjo/s1600/IMG_1733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFtqpXao9VLvNJ7O5Dk8xAl9yz9NemkC-yM5kM8f48iiJFrK_hlg6Q75twmuQDYXdgYgFMnn2pLGWhiiRnQpq66_ipMlRQWfUcDx6Id1IBfW4BTOq4dw8YuxpPfOxML-a4iTKRVXhLZjo/s320/IMG_1733.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Mmmm! Steamy. Lookin' good.</div>
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10. Note continued baby fussiness. Sigh. Bring in frog binky. Hope for the best.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvXkI3MGFaj2p9PEwWGIXTtaLRFkYyWbY22XCW2A5TI0-zeqJmMjmxbYkm2U6weDm7DTBWybEwi0i46okRuQqOLEsQ70tCJzNjzvHcpNdbvbzqXjS04ZItjFwoBH5YAfH8pDIHByq-vQ/s1600/IMG_1725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvXkI3MGFaj2p9PEwWGIXTtaLRFkYyWbY22XCW2A5TI0-zeqJmMjmxbYkm2U6weDm7DTBWybEwi0i46okRuQqOLEsQ70tCJzNjzvHcpNdbvbzqXjS04ZItjFwoBH5YAfH8pDIHByq-vQ/s400/IMG_1725.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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11. Take the lid off and check your chicken, then tip in the green pepper and give it a stir. Leave uncovered and simmer another 10 minutes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwP1kYQwsHX0nye0sqHjs8IMsp3izaBYymmy8kOKcAuBqdUUsPlp-pyIcIPtThWeBPl0CJwVNjIPFX0_Qx4qYTNcCUzc4rgCtQ1X04SSNZhAduf6fDt-0vYLDpmtwrF9LtJlYTthycuK8/s1600/IMG_1742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwP1kYQwsHX0nye0sqHjs8IMsp3izaBYymmy8kOKcAuBqdUUsPlp-pyIcIPtThWeBPl0CJwVNjIPFX0_Qx4qYTNcCUzc4rgCtQ1X04SSNZhAduf6fDt-0vYLDpmtwrF9LtJlYTthycuK8/s320/IMG_1742.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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12. Skim off any remaining grease with a spoon, if necessary. You can also just stir it into the sauce later. It will be tasty either way.</div>
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13. Grab a fork or something and spear your chicken out onto a plate for a sec. This is just so we can add the sour cream and stir it easily into the sauce. Once you do that you can put the chicken back in the pot. Or you can pour the sauce over the chicken on the plate and serve it that way, with spaetzle on the side.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rMcOt5zK5ofYSxfcOiL4IzsdqCM1c4ma_KC22jG8dtA2BhSHmvcaQvksgdJlovwUZFnmyvuALxde3-SKOzkvyO3PTef4L5R9hVV1CXrcOWcuKqSmWrZxLNGsstbOQeUBAKxcIG0ujww/s1600/IMG_1744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rMcOt5zK5ofYSxfcOiL4IzsdqCM1c4ma_KC22jG8dtA2BhSHmvcaQvksgdJlovwUZFnmyvuALxde3-SKOzkvyO3PTef4L5R9hVV1CXrcOWcuKqSmWrZxLNGsstbOQeUBAKxcIG0ujww/s320/IMG_1744.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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OR - best idea of all - mix the sauce and the chicken AND the spaetzle all together in the pot and have everyone help themselves.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3UVJYbn3YG9YbspblheJyaBImIM6htzVRHbJGk_1PW57v8fnRHYN1bkY-yoF1diLDIr4cavpepk4VwWPbYxvKWZitg8yq9iYQbZfd4byIRqSNqukf4dnFnFpoeahcUDJaiLF0td3Z6rI/s1600/IMG_1749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3UVJYbn3YG9YbspblheJyaBImIM6htzVRHbJGk_1PW57v8fnRHYN1bkY-yoF1diLDIr4cavpepk4VwWPbYxvKWZitg8yq9iYQbZfd4byIRqSNqukf4dnFnFpoeahcUDJaiLF0td3Z6rI/s640/IMG_1749.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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YUM!!! Comfort food heaven!</div>
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Pat yourself on the back, make your husband do the dishes, and go drink a beer! You have successfully Cooked with the Nook!</div>
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We'll see you back in the kitchen soon!</div>
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(By the way, in case anyone is wondering, that missing parenthesis up above is STILL driving me bonkers. I'll probably lose sleep over it. I'm already losing sleep over the smiley face parenthesis question. Sigh.)</div>
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Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-29617176430981109362012-10-22T23:22:00.001-04:002012-11-26T00:00:17.438-05:00Keeping BusyHey guys! I'm still alive!<br />
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Sorry I haven't blogged much for the past couple of weeks... as you can imagine, it's been pretty hectic here, trying to get settled in and all. This is has been exacerbated by the fact that Todd went to work the day after we got to Maine and both of his parents work, so I'm home alone with the kids a lot, and juggling two kids is chaotic enough as it is without also trying to unpack, organize, clean out old closets, move furniture, walk, and cook dinners. Oh yeah, and blog. Sometimes I have to sleep! Believe it or not!<br />
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When I'm not doing all of the above, I'm out and about here in Central Maine. There is so much to do, which is awesome. Having "so much to do" is one of the reasons we moved to New England, anyway. For example, our town just had its yearly Octoberfest, dubbed the "Swine & Stein", which is basically a street festival involving - shocker - lots of pork and beer. Which is, obviously, AWESOME.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialPTpOhrXoh4en_DUdD5pXCy3NNrUNX1-cYo5gYrgjTVn2wY2RS3319d5gh7red89cbs6zMinBYjDb6W_U1XV98PABRgUCYPSu6yhpCYcSf9HTdBx6K7ju75qyOk0399jgzy01uqNGuY/s1600/IMG_1498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialPTpOhrXoh4en_DUdD5pXCy3NNrUNX1-cYo5gYrgjTVn2wY2RS3319d5gh7red89cbs6zMinBYjDb6W_U1XV98PABRgUCYPSu6yhpCYcSf9HTdBx6K7ju75qyOk0399jgzy01uqNGuY/s640/IMG_1498.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCkjurTA7lrvxWVjh3IeiJSGC4JcYPbmUKhqwFwNIySLogtubLHdaKe1GtcxOfrc_e2fSTdboKkKb0Fi_SGkzXnYc2EDjoRD6Td4UBejNQIZuJ954xpHy5ioakWyQ-U8SpS890J1287k/s1600/octoberfest+line.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCkjurTA7lrvxWVjh3IeiJSGC4JcYPbmUKhqwFwNIySLogtubLHdaKe1GtcxOfrc_e2fSTdboKkKb0Fi_SGkzXnYc2EDjoRD6Td4UBejNQIZuJ954xpHy5ioakWyQ-U8SpS890J1287k/s640/octoberfest+line.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0xhlJ5CbgU8KPI8cxfjYPQZyf0x1O78n57fnIqCvnhpRXSV8hE4yzunxV5bRTMVuOPZ2YjmubuQ7ZTAitRNQjowo_4MLxhgsQ2NzJRyZ2uxQYCl23Fy0qV6wBe2_JSpD8nhtLbEdETKk/s1600/IMG_1494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0xhlJ5CbgU8KPI8cxfjYPQZyf0x1O78n57fnIqCvnhpRXSV8hE4yzunxV5bRTMVuOPZ2YjmubuQ7ZTAitRNQjowo_4MLxhgsQ2NzJRyZ2uxQYCl23Fy0qV6wBe2_JSpD8nhtLbEdETKk/s640/IMG_1494.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9V8jZ4RGSR1rxTz9xa-4yduaLtbaP-L_dqIP0wfQcTsf_I-GoKVl4SDbs-rM7fhsbiiKatTLgojJ9jxpsU-wQCucwUq1X0xIIrzUXJ1Jq-2Zdjf8qM6-l4jCw7SGBbsEfymUFBc1Ays/s1600/IMG_1446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9V8jZ4RGSR1rxTz9xa-4yduaLtbaP-L_dqIP0wfQcTsf_I-GoKVl4SDbs-rM7fhsbiiKatTLgojJ9jxpsU-wQCucwUq1X0xIIrzUXJ1Jq-2Zdjf8qM6-l4jCw7SGBbsEfymUFBc1Ays/s640/IMG_1446.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Me and my father-in-law/drinking companion :-). Oh, and Catherine is in there too</i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLtRV6SRPvFs6U-Pz6qy-l-qEDeaChQrGGxnHkJWRo7tawYFRBUuzNLgDeZn86sXc-i6Z7Pdt-9oS8HXT1SapTP3VxWFElkQh-3QP7X9Bkeq_Ib4lBCCpJM8JkK2duNUuEpwLQXqcrWU/s1600/music+and+beer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLtRV6SRPvFs6U-Pz6qy-l-qEDeaChQrGGxnHkJWRo7tawYFRBUuzNLgDeZn86sXc-i6Z7Pdt-9oS8HXT1SapTP3VxWFElkQh-3QP7X9Bkeq_Ib4lBCCpJM8JkK2duNUuEpwLQXqcrWU/s640/music+and+beer.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ClVt1Nl_ej8vVn0LZK8MAScgqQj8ui3jnDR7yxcFdLOKxqlL1DYVlE2F2iWdSQUT6xF00rPquVURHR5e7zUi_6QB5mj0SoeHLksfTcaWcRKK3aLozVexVTvSZo4RaVMyFXkndyoE7Rk/s1600/bigopit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ClVt1Nl_ej8vVn0LZK8MAScgqQj8ui3jnDR7yxcFdLOKxqlL1DYVlE2F2iWdSQUT6xF00rPquVURHR5e7zUi_6QB5mj0SoeHLksfTcaWcRKK3aLozVexVTvSZo4RaVMyFXkndyoE7Rk/s640/bigopit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>BBQ, baby! One of many. Nice to stand by on a frigid day!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Yep.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2r5MMlYvKE5IM99qxIF4hOUAZnGTRq8dKJziv6qnmE4Zm7liAO1TKvNA15Me8MTI0VdlFKCloGqu7ODbyGH9mhDnxAEIuRUP1_TeJhOHtf6456-nTClTVUCFr2by9WmgNBOeL3jm1X-4/s1600/petting+zoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2r5MMlYvKE5IM99qxIF4hOUAZnGTRq8dKJziv6qnmE4Zm7liAO1TKvNA15Me8MTI0VdlFKCloGqu7ODbyGH9mhDnxAEIuRUP1_TeJhOHtf6456-nTClTVUCFr2by9WmgNBOeL3jm1X-4/s640/petting+zoo.jpg" width="520" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I am trying my absolute darnedest to turn Max into a farmboy, but to no avail... here he is apprehensively maintaining a safe distance from the terrifying danger that is the pigs and goats in the petting zoo. I'm pretty sure he nearly fainted when I fed the pig some grain. I spent my childhood practically and happily swimming in livestock - where did this child come from?? He rode his first horse at six weeks' old, for goodness' sake!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A local brewing supplies shop/brewery on the main drag in Gardiner. Free Octoberfest samples!! Yeah!<br />Also, feel privileged that you get to witness a rare glimpse of my toe thumb, which I normally keep hidden from the world, unless of course I've had a few beer samplers on an empty stomach. Never speak of it again.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Prost!</i></td></tr>
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A few days after that, the Gardiner fire department hosted an open house and barbecue. It was technically to promote fire prevention and safety, but Max was far more interested in the fire trucks than the pamphlets. Luckily, there were plenty of the former, including visiting trucks and firemen from the surrounding towns.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This isn't a mirror, it's the inside of a fire truck door! So shiny!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Baby C enjoyed the fire trucks as well</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1rwT2MX4Y11IQkqceHPQj-hbTdbPLH7-wTZD9fcflP6t3cuTZrJHPuh1LmUT-m4jW0v0Ka1vfM6Ud-BznUo5dYetIOl7_JavsrQfo-Tbz1Rbx5LRvKAWMxmiIOyieYk-egexh0-mH0Q/s1600/IMG_1583.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1rwT2MX4Y11IQkqceHPQj-hbTdbPLH7-wTZD9fcflP6t3cuTZrJHPuh1LmUT-m4jW0v0Ka1vfM6Ud-BznUo5dYetIOl7_JavsrQfo-Tbz1Rbx5LRvKAWMxmiIOyieYk-egexh0-mH0Q/s640/IMG_1583.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Climbing something like this is preeeetty much my worse nightmare.</i></td></tr>
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Of course, when there aren't any interesting festivities or village gatherings afoot, there are plenty of walks to be taken! I am SO enjoying exploring the area around our home and our little township. I have been so busy at home (and so stranded without a car while everyone else is at work, most days) that I haven't had a ton of opportunities to do much of this yet, but I have loved what I have been able to do so far. I just got a wonderful BOB Revolution double stroller and adoooore it. It has made walk-taking an absolute joy!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I love New England - it's so picturesque! The building in the front here is the library, where Todd's mom is a librarian.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ivy on a building</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lots of steeples poking through lots of trees in these parts!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Old buildings and stone walls abound</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A new park for Max to play in! This is a small section of the Gardiner town common.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Church across the street from the common</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Todd's grandma's house in Farmingdale, Maine</i></td></tr>
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Now that we've gotten most of our stuff unpacked and gotten some semblance of order established in our lives, I should be able to find time for more posts. Stick with me, friends!</div>
<br />Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-49646970472006809362012-10-12T21:00:00.000-04:002012-11-02T22:20:28.972-04:00Smiley C<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-58871528476600127442012-10-11T23:15:00.001-04:002012-11-02T22:20:40.332-04:00Climbing Mount PisgahToday we went on a hike! Go us! There is a mild hill not terribly far away from where we live that goes by the name of Mount Pisgah. How they got "Mount" out of it, I have no idea, but that's what it's called. Aside from one steep stretch of trail, you'd never guess you were on a hill, let alone a Mount. But we desperately needed to get out hiking again and it is local and easy to get to and easy to climb and not too long, so it was a good choice for today.<br />
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The drive to the trailhead was lovely. There are an astounding number of random tiny little lakes in this part of Maine. They have typical weird Maine names, like "Annabessacook" and "Cobbosseecontee". (I know, right??) But they are just gorgeous, and surprisingly large, and all over the place.<br />
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The non-aquatic sights are pretty nifty, too:</div>
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But anyway. It took us about eight years to get to the trailhead because I demanded that Todd pull over and let me take pictures every half a mile or so, be we did finally get there, and the hike was lovely.<br />
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At the top of Mount Pisgah stands a fire tower, which you can climb - if you are very brave - to enjoy the commanding vista below.<br />
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I made it, white-knuckled and hyperventilating, to the 3rd platform before I couldn't take it anymore and headed back down. It was a tremendous adventure for someone as terrified of heights as I am, especially because the wind was blowing SOOO hard. I babbled a lot. Apparently I go all stream-of-consciousness when I am on the verge of flat-out panic.<br />
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I got a few good shots from my third platform perch, white knuckles and all. Luckily, Todd is far braver than I am, so he took my phone up to the the tippety top and got some snaps from up there, too. Rockin'.<br />
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So yeah. Not a bad start to things at all, after an eight week hiking hiatus! Maybe we'll go back sometime, and maybe if it's not so windy I'll even climb to the top of that tower myself. MAYBE.<br />
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Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-43399746039104525752012-10-10T20:46:00.000-04:002012-11-02T22:21:19.833-04:00Wordless Wednesday: Running Around Town<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-37232619709755418522012-10-09T22:09:00.000-04:002012-11-02T22:21:33.480-04:00An Attempted Walk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our house</i></td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Now that I am a stay at home mom, I have decreed that Every Day We Will Go For A Walk. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Today was not a particularly pleasant day for walk-taking, but I was determined not to let that stop us. I got my babies and Max got his babies and we were ready to go. Our walk down the driveway was a raging success, a veritable triumph of nature-appreciation and infant-caregiving, of invigorating exercise and health-boosting Fresh Air, of developmental stimulation; the very picture of an afternoon wholesomely spent.</span></div>
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Well, at least we made it to the end of the driveway.</div>
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We'll try again tomorrow.</div>
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Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-65302700219728631602012-10-08T15:28:00.000-04:002012-11-02T22:25:15.236-04:00Nook on the Road: Niagara/A Few Other Places<br />
I'm so sorry I stopped posting daily!! I got mastitis in Indiana and had chills and fever and pain and general misery and blogging was the last thing on my mind for a couple of days. Here's a quick update:<br />
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- Indiana is as boring as I always imagined it to be. At least, Northern Indiana on I-90 is. I did hear that Indiana has a cave somewhere, though. Maybe if I went and saw the cave, I'd have a different opinion.<br />
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- Pennysylvania's Hershey bars are way cooler than yours. Also, the Cracker Barrel we ate at in Erie had a vintage sign for "Nichol Kola", which raised the state in my esteem considerably. We also stayed at a Wingate hotel that was probably the nicest we've stayed in this entire trip.<br />
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- Cleveland is AWESOME. I never gave a second thought to the city beyond a general awareness of its existence until I saw it with my own eyes. Who would have thought? There is loads to do there. Todd and I loved it so much that we want to go back for a vacation sometime. We were only passing through so we only had about an hour and a half to spend, but we stopped at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum. They also had a huge science center/NASA museum/giant ship docked that you can tour right next to the Rock Hall that I was dying to go see, but we just didn't have time. Todd also saw the field for the Cleveland Indians, which excited him because he loves them even more than he loves the Red Sox. Anyway. Cleveland! Completely rad! Go figure.</div>
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- Our bikes continued to not get stolen! All of the bike thieves in the world must be safely back at Alcatraz. I am amazed. And grateful. And hoping that I can figure out how to extract them from the mess of top-security cable locks, nylon straps, and zip ties that are holding them on there with such a theft-preventing death grip in the first place.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left: Boston, MA. Top right: Rochester, NY. Bottom right: LaPorte, IN.</td></tr>
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- There is at least one other "Silver Shadow Pearl" (yes, that is the official name of the color of our car) Toyota Sienna XLE running around out there on I-90 with bikes on the back. See photographic evidence below. Our setup is of course far cooler and more impressive because of the aforementioned mess of theft prevention devices. And the crapload of stuff on top. And the glow of awesomeness that follows our particular <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql-N3F1FhW4" target="_blank">Swagger Wagon</a> everywhere it goes.<br />
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- Niagara Falls was exceptionally cool. We were there for four hours and even then didn't get to see and do everything that we wanted to. This is another vacation spot we're going to have to hit again. The falls themselves are, of course, amazing, and unlike anything else. But there are cool boat tours, base climbing tours, observation towers, imax movies, trolley rides, and an entire state park island to explore. Not to mention the Canadian side, which I'm dying to see sometime. Go watch the video I made! (I shot and edited it 100% on my iPhone, by the way. iPhones rock.)<br />
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- We spent a day in Boston visiting old friends, which was awesome, though driving was a nightmare. (When we lived in Boston before, we didn't own a car, so the whole driving in the city thing was new to us.) Ran into a random street festival in Harvard Square while we were walking around looking for a Boloco at which to eat:</div>
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We did find the Cambridge Boloco, and it was every bit as delicious as I remembered. I had the teriyaki with chicken, as always. Yum. Brings the ol' "college days" right back, that's for sure! So did passing by and briefly stepping foot into Harvard Book Store, where I spent many, many, many hours and dollars in my Boston days.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boston, you will always be my city. Way to go, being awesomer than all other cities. Heart.</td></tr>
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- I-95 passes through all of 17 miles of New Hampshire. So, not much to report there. Besides the fact that New Hampshire is part of New England and thus, of course, rad.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yay New England ^_^</td></tr>
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- We made it to Maine! Cars and sanities and bikes entirely intact! Car interiors, boobs, and bank accounts slightly worse for the wear! 3,057 miles! DID YOU HEAR THAT, PEOPLE? 3,057 MILES! With babies and toddlers and assorted illnesses and semi trucks and music and Finding Nemo, and diapers and caves and bathroom breaks and hotel pools, and circus museums, and waterfalls. And peanut M&Ms. Many, many peanut M&Ms. And oh, it so, so good to be here. New England. In the fall. A clean slate, an empty notebook, a brand new start. SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS! WITH LOTS OF EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!!!! WE HAVE ARRIVED!!!!!!!!!!!!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maine: Open For Business</td></tr>
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<br />Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-87649494619527168722012-10-03T20:38:00.001-04:002012-11-02T22:25:28.324-04:00Nook on the Road, WW Edition: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-22786973550812195682012-10-03T11:41:00.001-04:002012-11-02T22:30:58.882-04:00Nook on the Road: South Dakota<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We made it into South Dakota pretty darned late, crossing the state line probably around 11-ish PM. We were trying to make it to Custer so that we could take the earliest tour of Jewel Cave at 9:20 a.m. the next morning and thus get a bit of a head start on our day instead of staying in Wyoming and having to drive a couple of hours and taking the 10 or 11 o'clock tour. It took us forever to get from the border to Custer because there were deer on the road EVERY. SINGLE. MILE. We probably saw at least thirty deer on or near the road in Wyoming and SD that night. A bunch of them were bucks, most had huge racks, and one of them was a 12 or 14 pointer. Seriously. Where are the hunters!?? Are people in WY and SD a bunch of vegetarians or something? Sheesh! Anyway, we had to go 30 mph the entire way but we did finally make it to Custer.<br />
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In the interest of full disclosure, I must sorrily report that we did not stay at a Best Western.<br />
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We stayed at a Comfort Inn.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ihpo967MtSSg0m9_LgYBQ3OAkBAXVL6svgntFoH8ZT6oEARiVUp_MKe_4d4t6TerfZOx6NUZ9vTsgZTwLBxXGf5gPM_EVvKj1D1Np0noUTI2EOEUcXwj4RNORFfYza-70Mm0Jvfeggw/s1024/Photo%252520Oct%2525201%25252C%2525202012%25252C%2525202%25253A34%252520AM.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignright" height="375" id="blogsy-1349278741979.4714" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ihpo967MtSSg0m9_LgYBQ3OAkBAXVL6svgntFoH8ZT6oEARiVUp_MKe_4d4t6TerfZOx6NUZ9vTsgZTwLBxXGf5gPM_EVvKj1D1Np0noUTI2EOEUcXwj4RNORFfYza-70Mm0Jvfeggw/s500/Photo%252520Oct%2525201%25252C%2525202012%25252C%2525202%25253A34%252520AM.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Extra special queen-suite half-sized bed pillows, new from the Comfort Inn! Baby C sold seperately.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">The horror, I know. Well, we didn't </span><em style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">intend</em><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"> to stay at a Comfort Inn. We had booked a reservation at the BW there in Custer but apparently they were closing for the season the very next day and actually didn't have a room for us after all, so the clerk at the BW called and said that she had transferred our reservation to the Comfort Inn across the street and upgraded us to a queen suite for the same price, and that we should still get our BW rewards points. Small comfort! Pun only mildly intended! The only difference between CI's "queen suite" and BW's normal rooms seems to be the inclusion of a desk and a dated loveseat. I was somewhat distressed by the CI's bed pillows, which are fully </span><em style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">half</em><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"> the size of normal bed pillows. Half! What gives, "Comfort" Inn? Goodness. The kid at the front desk was at least pleasant and gave me free laundry detergent, though I had to pull him away from watching a program about UFOs on the TV in the breakfast room. It was one o'clock in the morning, though, so I cut him some slack. I'd be watching a program about UFOs at 1 a.m. in the off-season in Custer SD if I were him, too</span><br />
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Happily, our rough start in South Dakota redeemed itself the next day. We were awoken at an early but reasonable hour by a strange, blow-torchy kind of sound, and opened the curtains on an amazing sight:<br /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-DO0EYZDZCpsEezdWri6zmXUvZzo8TpTjTGKlPIlfYzGxozl5eymLuMjMPW6gJJv_3jXZe7SgNbBrFP3UTzusBaqcRP4qmRWsVCr6BSmgy49zY87-QU_wKLsRFLALH8HQ7LVanod7yg/s1024/Photo%252520Oct%2525202%25252C%2525202012%25252C%25252012%25253A01%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="650" id="blogsy-1349278741954.1829" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-DO0EYZDZCpsEezdWri6zmXUvZzo8TpTjTGKlPIlfYzGxozl5eymLuMjMPW6gJJv_3jXZe7SgNbBrFP3UTzusBaqcRP4qmRWsVCr6BSmgy49zY87-QU_wKLsRFLALH8HQ7LVanod7yg/s650/Photo%252520Oct%2525202%25252C%2525202012%25252C%25252012%25253A01%252520PM.jpg" width="650" /></a></div>
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Right there! Outside of our hotel room window on the first floor! By the time I grabbed my phone and took a picture it had risen a considerable distance; when we first saw it, it was literally <em>yards</em> from the window. It must have taken off from the field right next to the hotel. Anyway, as I blearily blinked at the majestic globe rising magically, I knew that it was a sign that the day was going to be awesome. Like, how could you wake up to a <em>hot air balloon outside your window</em> and not have a wonderful morning?? That would be like waking up to a chorus of leprechauns dancing on a rainbow for you and then being grumpy. Not possible.<br />
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">At first, Baby C was skeptical about my theory that early morning hot air balloon sightings automatically create perfect days, but eventually she saw came around.</span><br />
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And - spoiler alert - I was proven right. Our day was magnificent. Sorry if I ruined the end of the blog post for you. But you were going to find out anyway, right? Right.<br />
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First of all, our bikes were still there in the morning. Not stolen yet! Hooray! Glad to know that the bike thieves are still off starring in their spy movies somewhere and not prowling around rural South Dakota. Whew.<br />
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After a quick breakfast we headed to Jewel Cave. Which was AMAAAAZING. So amazing. Oh my goodness. You guys, you have no idea how spectacular this cave was. Have you ever been in a real cave before? I had not. And my life was incomplete, until now. Jewel Cave got its name when some miners discovered it way back when - 19th century, I'm pretty sure - and saw that it was filled with "jewels"; they turned out to just be calcite formations, which are worthless, and the cave was forgotten about until good ol' Teddy Roosevelt declared it a National Monument just in case when he was running around the West declaring National Monuments all over the place, and then it hung around still forgotten about until the National Parks Service was created and took over. It was thought to be a tiny, uninteresting (albeit pretty) little cave until some cartographers discovered an opening in the back and decided to investigate. Turns out that Jewel Cave is, as of 2012, the second largest cave system in the entire world, just after Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, with over 157 miles of <em>mapped</em> cave passages. Scientists have estimated that only 5% of the cave's air volume has been discovered. That could mean that there are a couple of huge rooms undiscovered, or katrillions of tiny little cracks and crevices filled with air, but still. 5%. There is definitely more of Jewel Cave left to be discovered, which is the coolest thing <em>ever.</em> I'm kind of obsessed with it now, and with caves in general.<br />
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If you've never been in a cave, please go find the nearest one and enter it. Immediately. Your life will be immeasurably improved. I won't even be mad if you stop reading my blog. Just go do it. Now.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ranger Lydia preparing us to enter the elevators</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Todd and Max excited to go hiking below the surface of the earth! Well, Todd is excited, anyway...</td></tr>
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After we assembled for our tour and met Lydia, our park ranger guide, we were taken by elevator down about 27 stories into the earth, released into a giant gallery of a cave room, and then led on an hour-and-a-half-long hike through the crystal-strewn bowels of the earth. <br />
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I felt like I was a character in Journey to the Center of the Earth (the Wishbone version, of course). The rock formations were unlike anything I've ever seen before; something from another world entirely different from mine. Lydia described how the entire cave had once been under water and how many of the boulders and limestone crusts that had fallen from one place to another had done so when the water receded and the rock couldn't support itself anymore. I imagined what it must have been like - complete, utter darkness, cool water, an echoing, mighty crash and splash as boulders fell, with no living creature around to hear it, with no human having any idea of what was going on below, if humans even existed then. A sudden and intense interest in caves has sparked within me, and has yet to leave, and will probably be present for a very long time to come. It was astonishing to see all that lay deep below the highways and building and feet up above. Lydia told us how on a few occasions she had been the first person to step into new rooms discovered in the cave system, and spoke of how amazing, eerie, and humbling it was to set foot in those areas and raise a flashlight - to be the first human being in the history of mankind to be standing there, to shine her light on the crystals and let them glitter for the very first time.<br />
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At the deepest point on the tour, we were almost 400 feet below the surface of the earth - something like 34 stories, if I remember right. At one point, Lydia turned out the lights so we could experience what absolute darkness feels like. It was crazy. You can't see <em>anything</em>, even your hand in front of your face. My eyes kept trying to adjust and I saw phantom shapes and fuzzy lights as they tried unsuccessfully to see in conditions they weren't made for. What an experience. Someday I want to return to Jewel Cave and take more tours; they have a lantern tour in which you get to enter the cave from the original entrance and explore as the earliest explorers did. They also have a spelunking tour in which you get to do some serious cave exploration. Both would be awesome. I'm also determined to visit more of the caves out there in the world.<br />
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Besides, some of the rock formations look like dinosaurs. Anything having anything even remotely to do with dinosaurs is obviously awesome in every way.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do you see the dinosaur?? By the way, the piece that has fallen from where his "mouth" is is an example of a piece that broke off when the water drained away.</td></tr>
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When we first left Jewel Cave I was pretty sure that life outside of a cave was not worth living and we might as well just give up and stop our travels right here, but luckily I have a sensible husband who convinced me to carry on, heading northeast and through the Black Hills toward Mount Rushmore.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpu58V1jJRIp6Vg_CffM1c9RmRBdvIW4RxQpv2gCarKOJ3XHHD0SwWzqQ9rd5EZI8GCyzK4yt-nxiioMmpEG6sPGXqNj1ou13mcX6KWK44yggcT13PFqZQR0adi_q-OoqprurktcQZos/s1024/Photo%252520Oct%2525202%25252C%2525202012%25252C%2525202%25253A13%252520PM.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="650" id="blogsy-1349278741970.869" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpu58V1jJRIp6Vg_CffM1c9RmRBdvIW4RxQpv2gCarKOJ3XHHD0SwWzqQ9rd5EZI8GCyzK4yt-nxiioMmpEG6sPGXqNj1ou13mcX6KWK44yggcT13PFqZQR0adi_q-OoqprurktcQZos/s650/Photo%252520Oct%2525202%25252C%2525202012%25252C%2525202%25253A13%252520PM.jpg" width="650" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heads in the distance!</td></tr>
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To get to Mount Rushmore, you drive up on top of a mountain. It's not a particularly big or scary mountain - I've certainly been on bigger - but it's definitely a ways up, on a road that twists and winds its way a bit steeply through pretty gold-tinged forest. When you finally reach the top, the vista is really quite incredible - you can see where the Black Hills flatten out into the plains and badlands that make up the rest of the state of South Dakota, and it is truly breathtaking. I was going to take a picture but couldn't get a great angle, so you'll just have to go visit Mount Rushmore and see for yourself. I know, I know, you love my pictures (right? Right!??) but I've got to let you do <em>some</em> imagining on your own. Or Googling, at the very least.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGKCKHUQZnWFxYgkd502BA79GLzcTTZpE6cg19cIfFnHepepRebR5hAVKYDUF7yxIOanGcjmABFjXzaYAszsuOJkMcom60vvaXuqVYkyg50DsJSkyZS6XrAuuYfqHIW6GI5GsUbGI0SU/s768/Photo%252520Oct%2525201%25252C%2525202012%25252C%2525201%25253A40%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="667" id="blogsy-1349278741959.2522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGKCKHUQZnWFxYgkd502BA79GLzcTTZpE6cg19cIfFnHepepRebR5hAVKYDUF7yxIOanGcjmABFjXzaYAszsuOJkMcom60vvaXuqVYkyg50DsJSkyZS6XrAuuYfqHIW6GI5GsUbGI0SU/s500/Photo%252520Oct%2525201%25252C%2525202012%25252C%2525201%25253A40%252520PM.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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The monument was great. The flag-studded entryway was quite majestic, with lots of granite and official looking engravings and all of the state flags, and I found myself suddenly feeling all patriotic and teary-eyed in a down-home conservative God Bless America sort of way. I couldn't help it. I think even the loads and loads of roaming Korean tourists there were feeling all God-Bless-America-y. It was just in the air and you couldn't help but inhale it, just like Red Sox Mania when you go to Boston.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib92MfCFt93nwn0oMYn71RpxP4F0v5kM6hgGY5W_lDURVJvyyEGgiuFWBsNP5pjPfv2CQaaZbxRmAj2LxdXLTyeepgND5gz3OqywHeVx8zooAyjyNtRImg5WCtHan-O10x97XyyptRPq4/s1024/Photo%252520Oct%2525201%25252C%2525202012%25252C%2525201%25253A48%252520PM.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="487" id="blogsy-1349278741962.81" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib92MfCFt93nwn0oMYn71RpxP4F0v5kM6hgGY5W_lDURVJvyyEGgiuFWBsNP5pjPfv2CQaaZbxRmAj2LxdXLTyeepgND5gz3OqywHeVx8zooAyjyNtRImg5WCtHan-O10x97XyyptRPq4/s650/Photo%252520Oct%2525201%25252C%2525202012%25252C%2525201%25253A48%252520PM.jpg" width="650" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of an extremely nice Korean lady who was asking how old Baby C was and raving about her cuteness factor. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZlzYhv04kgGXk8UsHSlng1dD5Ju2LoVa6Aw-IPGG3UjpHPs5ffPW3mm4_3sy_HT07VfXO3r9gJ4x39rqOYCyytZByJZvz8PIMfj5-hQFgciFVmydghN6gmicwx6P6ghxnzFSq8M0GrE/s1024/Photo%252520Oct%2525201%25252C%2525202012%25252C%25252012%25253A49%252520PM.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="306" id="blogsy-1349278741953.664" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZlzYhv04kgGXk8UsHSlng1dD5Ju2LoVa6Aw-IPGG3UjpHPs5ffPW3mm4_3sy_HT07VfXO3r9gJ4x39rqOYCyytZByJZvz8PIMfj5-hQFgciFVmydghN6gmicwx6P6ghxnzFSq8M0GrE/s567/Photo%252520Oct%2525201%25252C%2525202012%25252C%25252012%25253A49%252520PM.jpg" width="567" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mount Toddmore?</td></tr>
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A couple other cool things about our Mt Rushmore experience: 1. There was a pet mountain goat there. He was just roaming around, munching on grass, completely oblivious to the visitors and not enclosed in any way.<br />
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2. The CMT show "My Big Redneck Vacation" was filming an episode while we were there! I have never seen the show, but hey, it's TV, so of course that was cool. One of the Clampet girls said "Awww" as she walked past us and pointed at Catherine sleeping in the sling. Woohoo.<br />
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After Mount Rushmore, we headed out across South Dakota, aiming for the requisite Wall Drug stop.<br />
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We bought our donuts and souvenirs and picked up our free ice water and free bumper sticker and then continued on our way.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglH29OMlrk7kRU-f4H_2GaiYQKp_vGE14a76ziViHO3J_bQBUMmbR9h67gUDBsumccYAm4V4Wq8fjkL45II8NlbOZXBYtMzp-O-r9ODDtWRy7nwp-C6UpYfug32PCef28pp4x73BQImUo/s1024/Photo%252520Oct%2525202%25252C%2525202012%25252C%2525203%25253A21%252520PM.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="650" id="blogsy-1349278741961.4019" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglH29OMlrk7kRU-f4H_2GaiYQKp_vGE14a76ziViHO3J_bQBUMmbR9h67gUDBsumccYAm4V4Wq8fjkL45II8NlbOZXBYtMzp-O-r9ODDtWRy7nwp-C6UpYfug32PCef28pp4x73BQImUo/s650/Photo%252520Oct%2525202%25252C%2525202012%25252C%2525203%25253A21%252520PM.jpg" width="650" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what most of South Dakota looks like. Spoiler alert #2: It's what most of southern Minnesota looks like, too.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dywhKQPlK7h4B7SADKJlpz0AMNTuRsc9BlDkACd0wAmmmRXWcyQUfuvXy-MW-DQoBhvG3YvFb6F-y7JShuSJn4zHYayntjTC2yDwVVPlef_Nql6R-50qOuEWhmpTtRCvgd0cS-mq-ww/s1024/Photo%252520Oct%2525202%25252C%2525202012%25252C%2525203%25253A27%252520PM.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="623" id="blogsy-1349278741960.9753" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dywhKQPlK7h4B7SADKJlpz0AMNTuRsc9BlDkACd0wAmmmRXWcyQUfuvXy-MW-DQoBhvG3YvFb6F-y7JShuSJn4zHYayntjTC2yDwVVPlef_Nql6R-50qOuEWhmpTtRCvgd0cS-mq-ww/s623/Photo%252520Oct%2525202%25252C%2525202012%25252C%2525203%25253A27%252520PM.jpg" width="623" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top: SD sunset. Bottom: Crossing the Missouri River.</td></tr>
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We were hoping to make it to Sioux Falls, which is right on the Minnesota border, but we were exhausted and ended up stopping in Mitchell, about three quarters of the way across the state. (BTW, South Dakota is HUGE.) I feel like I am way more jet-lagged driving across the country than I have ever been flying; when you fly, your time change is over all at once and then you can start adjusting to it, but when you drive East, you add an hour every day or two. This is problematic when you are behind on sleep, because you keep arriving at your hotels later and later because of the time difference, and then have to get up earlier and earlier to make it to breakfast on time, and wind up sleeping like five hours a night. I can't seem to get to sleep before 1 a.m. Central time now, but we keep having to wake up at like seven to get everyone ready and get breakfast in time and check out in time and all that. So yeah. We were tired. So we stayed in Mitchell.<br />
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Full disclosure #2: We did not stay at a Best Western. And this time, it wasn't even accidental.<br />
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We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express because the BW in Mitchell is a motor inn with the outside doors, which I don't love, and the reviews said it was kind of dated. The HIE, on the other hand, was brand new and gorgeous like every other HIE I've ever seen, and had an indoor pool and hot tub. That was the main reason we stayed there: we were tired and sore and wanted to soak in a hot tub, and the Mitchell BW didn't have one or only had an outdoor one or something, so HIE it was. I felt very guilty as we checked in, like I was cheating on my hotel chain. And the room was huge and spotless and comfortable and we had a great time in the pool and hot tub; they even had a kiddie pool with a frog waterslide that Max played on. That being said, the breakfast was not as good as BW breakfasts that I've had. But I don't know. HIE was pretty nice. I would stay there again, definitely. Also, they gave us a 10% off coupon for the grill across the street, where Todd had incredibly delicious fettuccini and I had an incredibly delicious flatiron steak. Win. Oh yeah, and we had beers, of course. I went with the Sam Adams Boston Lager on tap and Todd had some sort of unfiltered wheat beer that was surprisingly low on citrus, high on biscuit, and quite tasty. I hadn't had a good ol' Boston Lager in years and was pleasantly surprised at how solid it is. I shouldn't have been, but it's just so widely distributed that I think of it as a macro-type beer and just assume it's not great. But it's *perfectly* well balanced - just the right touch of malt and hops. Good with steak.<br />
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In the morning, our bikes were still with us!! Hooray! <br />
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Do you remember Bop? We first met him <a href="http://%28null%29/" target="_self" title="">here</a>. Anyway, in case you've been wondering, Bop is still very much with us. Max still doesn't concern himself with him much, but I'm hoping that if we get Catherine started early that maybe the two will hit it off. I am so, so determined to get my twenty-four dollars' worth out of the darned thing! ...Plus, I really like Bop.<a href="http://nichols-nook.blogspot.com/2012/07/evening-interlude-sticks.html" target="_self" title=""></a><br />
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Anyhow, I think the reason that nobody stole our bikes last night is because we had a trained attack dinosaur in the car. Believe me, you do not want to mess with trained attack dinosaurs, people.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raaawwr!</td></tr>
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We stopped at a grocery store called County Fair which I had never heard of before and which is the 2nd sketchiest grocery store I've ever been in. The actual sketchiest grocery store I've ever been in is Harold's, also known as Dirty Harry's, which no longer exists but which you may remember if you lived in Sandpoint, ID at least ten years ago. But anyway. The County Fair restaurant was being renovated or something, which was fine, except that there was equipment and hanging ceiling tiles and blowtorches and the like ALL OVER THE PLACE, which made it feel like we were in a scary factory or something, not a grocery store. They had weird products for sale like pickled turkey gizzards - not hidden away in a gourmet section or something, but displayed in multiple areas, front and center. And they didn't have Huggies diapers! What kind of grocery store doesn't carry Huggies? It was baffling. They did have Pampers, but only about 4 packs in various sizes, none of which were size 1, which is what we needed. So we were forced to buy some random store brand I'd never heard of. We haven't used the store brand diapers yet, but probably will later today, so we'll see how that goes. Also, they didn't have packages of the fun-size packs of peanut M&Ms! Outrageous! They had fun-size packs of just about every other kind of candy. So, we were forced to buy a party-size resealable bag. Oh well... I suppose there are worse things in life than having a year's supply of peanut M&Ms in one's car. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There comes a point in every road trip when the carefully packed carrots, almonds, and apples seem to mysteriously transform themselves into candy and pringles... funny how that happens...</td></tr>
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The only redeeming factor about this grocery store was the fact that they carried Litehouse salad dressing and that the clerks all had adorable midwestern accents.<br />
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So yeah, that's South Dakota for you! Things I will definitely do again in my life: Visit South Dakota, explore Jewel Cave. Things I will never do again in my life: go to the County Fair grocery store. Things I haven't done but would like to do in my life: Vacation in SD, play tons of minigolf, see the various little western towns and roadside attractions there, go to the Badlands and drive the entire scenic road, go to Wind Cave, go to Rushmore Cave, and maybe even track down that hot air ballon and take a ride.<br />
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Woohoo! On to Minnesota!<br />
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Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-89509909969397114062012-10-01T21:00:00.001-04:002012-11-02T22:23:47.470-04:00Nook on the Road: Wyoming<div style="text-align: center;">
Well, our experience of the great state of Wyoming can pretty much be summed up by this:</div>
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...That being said, we did get a few minutes of this.</div>
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Also, in case you were wondering, when we stopped in Sheridan I did indeed get my beer.</div>
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When we stopped in Sheridan we pulled into the Rib & Chop House, which was jam packed with people and a relatively enjoyable experience. The atmosphere seemed a bit confused, like they were going for a more upscale steakhouse vibe - the host was wearing a tie and a dress shirt, the lighting was somewhat dim, and many of the patrons were dressed nicely - but they put paper over the tablecloths (our server wrote her name on ours in crayon, much to Max's delight) and the servers were wearing sports T-shirts. Of course, that didn't matter any, but it was somewhat comical. Probably had to do with the fact that the restaurant was, in fact, located in Wyoming - now, I've never been to Wyoming before and I don't claim to be an expert on the state in any form, but if my experience growing up in Idaho and Montana is anything to go by (especially Montana), country folks in country states can try as hard as they can to be urban, but it's just never going to be 100%. That's the appealing thing about this part of the country, though. Life is plainer and simpler here, even when it's trying hard not to be. A part of us country mice, no matter how small, is irreversibly country. And so forth.<br />
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In case anyone was wondering, I had chicken fried chicken, Todd had chicken fried steak, Max had all of his fries and none of his chicken strips, and Baby C had nursies and a nap.<br />
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And yes, they had beer - we tried a porter and a brown ale from a Wyoming brewery. I think it was called Beartooth, though I can't seem to remember now for sure. The beers were listed as "Beartooth Porter" and "Beartooth Brown" (I think) but a Google search for such a brewery only turns up a Colorado based brewer who doesn't have a porter and whose brown goes by "Beartooth Ale", so I have no idea. Regardless, the beers were entirely underwhelming. The Porter was pretty standard but the coffee notes were waaaay too forward and didn't let much of the maltiness through. The Brown was particularly dark in color, almost as dark as the Porter, but astonishingly low in both texture and flavor. It was like someone had put brown food coloring in a session lager and removed all traces of hops. That being said, beer is beer (I read a quote recently, I think in Beer Advocate magazine, that went something like "No beer is bad. Some beers are better, but no beer is bad" - fair enough!), and I enjoyed it thoroughly after a long day on the road. <br />
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...And then we drove. A lot.<br />
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...And then we entered South Dakota.<br />
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There you have it, my friends. The Complete Life and Times of the Nook in Wyoming. Before you run away and never read my blog again, please let me assure you that you need to hang around because our day today in South Dakota was MARVELLOUS BEYOND REASONING and will captivate and interest you to <em>tears</em>. Tears! I love South Dakota. And I will love blogging about loving South Dakota. And you will love READING about me blogging about loving South Dakota! So please, stay with me here and check in tomorrow.<br />
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Hugs and kisses!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Forever West." How romantic. I'm going to start saying that all the time, maybe as a farewell or something. "Bye guys, see you tomorrow. Forever West." ...It will be neat-o.</td></tr>
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Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-60589115172004255002012-09-30T17:13:00.001-04:002012-11-02T22:31:11.437-04:00Nook on the Road: MontanaHi guys! Welcome to the wonder and excitement that is Nook on the Road, in which the Nook goes, well, on the road, on our move to Maine! I know the marvel factor you are facing in vicariously living this experience with us is almost overwhelming, but just take a deep breath and let the astounding views and charming words wash over you. It's going to be alright. I tell myself that every day and have yet to be proven wrong. It's going to be alright!<br />
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We left Sandpoint around 7 last night and made it into Butte, Montana, around 3 a.m. Mountain Time. Kiddos watched Finding Nemo and then fell asleep, so that was pretty painless. <br />
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As we pulled into Butte, (for you East Coasterners, it's pronounced "bute" like the first half of the word "butane", not like the anatomical region) we were welcomed by what appeared to be some sort of UFO floating above the city - a bright, bright light hovering high above the ground.<br />
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Now, since I grew up in central Montana (betcha didn't know that, did ya! and oh, the stories that I have to tell... growing up in Montana is an adventure in and of itself), I actually knew ahead of time that Butte has a giant statue on a mountain above it, and that the statue turns into a giant glow-in-the-dark figurine in the evening hours. So I reassured everyone that no, we were not in fact actually about to be abducted before we'd even had a chance to see Mount Rushmore. However, I did think it was a statue of Jesus, so I cried, "Look! It's Jesus! There in the sky!"<br />
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Needless to say, we had a pretty good laugh about that. <br />
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In actuality, the statue is <em>not</em> a statue of Jesus, but of the Virgin Mary. It is called "<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=our+lady+of+the+rockies&hl=en&client=safari&tbo=u&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=c6JoUPPKG8rO2wWCy4CgCw&ved=0CDkQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=672" target="_blank" title="">Our Lady of The Rockies</a>" (click the link to see pics that do not look like UFOs) and was erected in the seventies when a man asked Mary to intercede on behalf of his wife, who was dying of cancer, saying he'd build a five-foot-tall statue of her in his yard if she helped them. The wife was cured, but the man was so grateful that apparently five feet wasn't enough, nor was his yard. The statue stands 90 feet tall and is the second highest statue in the United States, after the Statue of Liberty! Wikipedia says the statue has been "dedicated to all women", which is probably the politically correct way of saying "Mary rocks." Or something like that. Anyway, it was pretty neat-o. (<---Why does no one use this word anymore? I'm going to start using it. All the time. And everyone will think I'm awesome and will be like, "Wow, that Sarah, I want to be just like her, she is <em>so neat-o</em>." Just wait.) <br />
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Anyway. We stayed at the Best Western. Expect a lot of that on this trip - I like to think of myself as adventurous, and I get tired of the same things after awhile, but in certain aspects of my life I really appreciate a certain level of consistency and dependability, and BW fulfills both of those for me. That's why chains are so successful, after all - because they're familiar, and familiarity is comforting. But I digress. I totally heart Best Western. (Note: This blog post is not sponsored by Best Western... but it <em>should</em> be. Dear Best Western: If you give me a few free nights I will gladly blog your praises to the end of time!) The rooms are almost always spotless, the amenities are great, they always have fridges and microwaves, the beds and bedding are always super comfy. Plus I have BW Rewards so I get points toward free stays which makes me feel awesome when I spend money there because I'm thinking "Woohoo! I'm not <em>really</em> spending money right now because after I spend $63,456 more dollars I'll get <em>one whole free night at a Best Western!</em> Think of the savings!!" So really, what more do you want from your hotel rooms, people?? Do you really need them to be unique or have history or be mom-and-pop places? The historical ones always feel, well, <em>old</em>, and old is not always good when it comes to where you are sleeping and bathing, and the mom-and-pop ones don't always have desks that are manned at 3 a.m. with a check-in process of approximately 2 minutes, which is important when you have driven through the night with kids, one of whom is small and crying and the other of whom is also small and has wet his pants and has a cold and is sad and miserable. One could argue that mom-and-pop customer service is more apt to be friendly, but that is NOT true. I have had some pretty cold glares from people at independently operated motels at times. And, honestly, I have <em>never</em>, not once, had poor service at a Best Western. Never. I've probably just gotten lucky, since they're all franchises anyway and do vary a <em>little</em> bit from place to place, but they seem to have some great people there. I'll save my experiences of the unique and unexpected for coffee shops and roadside attractions.<br />
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But yeah. Best Western rocks.<br />
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This morning I was exceptionally pleased to discover that our bikes had not been stolen in the night. Having never traveled anywhere with bikes before, and having heard an onslaught of horror stories on the subject, this is a constant worry for me. I will say that the reason our bicycles were still attached to our car this morning probably has something to do with a) the fact that we are in Middle-of-Nowhere, MT (the entire state of Montana is classified as Middle-of-Nowhere, by the way) where the closest things to criminals are chicken-theiving coyotes, and b) people with the level of security-breaching skill it would take to break through the armor system we've devised around our bikes are generally only found in spy movies. For a small sample of what I mean by that, see below:<br />
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Maybe it's hard to see in the pictures, but there are 3 separate cable locks woven all in and around every piece of each bike and attached to not only the bike rack but both roof racks on the van itself. There is a piece of cable woven around each frame at at least two separate points on each bike, through every single tire, and around handlebars. There are also pieces of padding and heavy nylon straps zip-tied on all over the place, transforming two separate bikes into one giant impenetrable mass of nylon, metal, and plastic. The only bike parts that <em>aren't </em>wired to the vehicle are the pedals, but if someone really wants my pedals and only my pedals and thinks they can sell them somewhere and make enough money to make the process of wanting and stealing and selling them even remotely worth it, then God bless 'em. <br />
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Also, I'd like to point out that this whole setup is also designed to hold the both bikes up against the car, by the sturdiest parts of the frames, in the event that the bike rack straps break or fail in some way. Can you tell that I'm darned proud of this whole setup? And that I was an engineer in a past life? An engineer that fashioned things by wrapping cable wire and nylon straps around them in a haphazard manner and then padlocking them to a car, that is.<br />
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So yeah. Our bike rack is the Alcatraz of bike racks at the moment. However, even Alcatraz had some escapees (very cold and wet and dead/MIA escapees, but escapees nonetheless), and so my paranoia about our bikes being stolen won't rest until they are locked safely to the porch behind our house in the country in relatively-rural Maine, I'm afraid. (The bikes, that is, not the escapees.) (...Although if the escapees were in fact locked to our porch in Maine, at least there would be two or three fewer potential bike theives out there in the world. Because you do go to Alcatraz for stealing bikes, didn't you know?)<br />
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Anyway. Every morning that I wake up still being a bicycle owner will count as one small victory, in my book.<br />
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I love Montana. I always have. But for now, on to Wyoming!<br />
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Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-58097950328124102172012-09-29T17:22:00.001-04:002012-11-02T22:31:29.917-04:00How To Fit All of Your Earthly Possessions Into a Minivan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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...And away we go!</div>
Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-33293332035800881522012-09-27T00:22:00.001-04:002012-11-02T22:31:53.367-04:00Wordless Wednesday: Packing<br />
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Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-309103480030237643.post-63914627816403957362012-09-22T05:28:00.001-04:002012-11-02T22:32:07.615-04:00"Idaho State Draft Horse & Mule International Show"<br />
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Yesterday we went to the draft horse show that they have here in Sandpoint every year. My mom used to take me when I was little and I have fond memories, so it's fun to do this now with my kids. I will say, though, that they didn't quite seem to have the same experience that I did when I was a kid... Baby C was zonked out the entire time and Max is terrified of any animal that is bigger than a Chihuahua, so needless to say he wasn't exactly thrilled with our dragging him into the midst of a bunch of dinosaur-sized equines. But Todd and I enjoyed ourselves, at least!<br />
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Sarah Nicholshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17441988739120975531noreply@blogger.com0