Buried. Send Help. And Paxil.

At the risk of repeating myself...it's snowing. A lot. And I hate it. Yes, it's New England. I know I wanted seasons (which are, apparently, overrated), but this is overkill. Each week another 10-18 inches barrels down on us. There is no warmth to encourage melting...there is nowhere else to pile the snow. You take your life in your hands when you pull into each intersection, inching forward ever so slowly in attempt to see around the 8 foot piles on each corner. Winter wonderland my arse.

My current goal involves moving somewhere tropical and living in a yurt. Who's in?

Our backyard before the last 20 inches.


Driveway at the same time...

We've spent the last couple of weekends up in NH visiting Daun, Alyssa and the goats. Arden continues to be a huge goat fan. And, as it turns out, Annie is a big fan for Arden.

Gabby

With George and Evie...the favorites

George....

...and Arden....

A love story

The One in Which I learn I Will Have Two in Horses

We've had a busy week and it appears there is no end in sight. We finally created a google calendar to try to manage it. This past weekend was our only relatively unplanned weekend for the next two months. It's all with really great, fabulous stuff, but the fact that we need a calendar to manage our social lives is well, ridiculous. Needless to say, our unplanned weekend ended up full, but fantastic. We have such great friends, new and old. I will refrain from breaking into song and present you with pictures....

Last weekend Arden and I went to Juli and Alisha's house, and Arden and Bryce had big time sprinkler fun.
Back home we played a little t-ball

And did a little gardening

All dressed up for an impromptu trip to Target. Yes, she wore the crown.

Ready for pizza and pj day at school...wearing the result (and reason) for the aforementioned trip to Target. One needs new jammies for pizza and pj day, right?

We are on the hunt for new couches. This is how Arden felt about the selection at one of the stores. We agreed.

I'm not certain, but I think she was in the middle of rapping Ice Ice Baby

It appears we're going to be working our way into the poor house with another horsewoman in the family. Saturday we went to a horse show to watch our friends ride. This is Brego. He is gigantic. Arden was ecstatic. She stood right next to him with her hand on him until he had to go in the ring. I'd say it was about an hour of just standing there petting him. This does not bode well for me.

He's HUGE. She did not notice.

Happy girl. Apparently the genetics did *not* skip a generation in this case. Damn.

I feel the need to go out and buy her a lot of football padding.

More furniture shopping. At this store we learned that we have very, very good taste. If we sell the horse, we can afford the furniture we like. I just want to put that out there...

Monday (Memorial Day) we went to Daun and Alyssa's farm. Oh, Brego is their horse. Anyway, Arden was overjoyed to visit the goats and we had a great time.

Here she is in the middle of their acreage with the goats.

She took this picture

On a big rock, deep in thought

Goats, Chickens and Horses oh my!

We had the opportunity to visit a farm in New Hampshire this weekend. Some new friends invited us to their farm to see what it's all about. And, let's be honest, they knew that Arden has an affinity for goats, and well, they have five. Five glorious goats.

We offered to bring dessert, so in the morning Arden and I made Grandma Joanne's famous chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies. I'm on a mission to make them as perfect as my mom's, but according to Arden I'm not quite there yet. "That's not how Grandma Joanne does it." Everyone's a critic.

Anyway, we headed up 93 north in the drizzle to their gorgeous 5 acres. We bonded with the goats, the horses and the chickens. We had a wonderful dinner, all food (including the chicken!) was homegrown, and they sent us home with a dozen eggs from their chickens. Arden impressed our hosts with her taste for fancy cheeses. She even took the opportunity to shove a piece in my mouth...'just TRY it Mom." -- Funny, you'd think she's heard that somewhere before.

It was a wonderful evening and Arden was in heaven. They even had a hamster, whom Arden spent a good half an hour talking to. Somehow, I don't think that part of her personality is from me. The kid spent a great deal of time today talking about our trip and I'm relatively certain she will be inviting herself back in the near future. And I think she'd be relatively content to be put to work.

This morning we watched Food Inc. and King Corn where I learned all about the corporate manipluation that is the food industry. It was, in a word, horrifying. Every last bit of it. Dora succeeded in showing me the whats and the whys behind what she's concerned about. Lord knows I'm not a green thumb....so if we relied on me to grow what we eat...well, we might starve...but I'm willing to start with some tomatoes and see how it goes.

And now, onto the pictures. I don't think the grandparents even read the rambling writing ;-).


Arden mixing in the oats


The results (after chilling for 8 hours in the fridge before baking, of course)

GOATS!

Meeting Mama and her babies with Mama

This is Jolene. She thought Arden was the cat's meow. After all, Arden held a big bag of carrots.

Calling to the goats

These two were quite the conspirators. Arden wanted to bring her home. Jolene will go wherever the carrots are, I think.

Arden trying to feed the babies

Jolene thought sharing with her babies was overrated

Arden has a way with goats. She TOTALLY gets this from me. I'm a big fan of farm animals. Ask anyone.

Convincing the babies to eat them

Well hello again, Jolene!

Contemplating the pure joy that is a farm.

Thinking about how to smuggle a goat home with her.

Following the leader the leader the leader....