Hi John….

How do you like the title of this letter?  Yes…Dan G. will be renting and living in the old Jonesville store and making it into a community market!  I am thrilled with his plans.  So here is the deal.  You know he started the Back Country Pizza business which has been doing well.  I heard he was cooking them at the Green Grocer’s spot.  When I heard that Chris was closing I emailed Dan the question “what was he  now going to do?”  He said he didn’t have a clue yet and he had just given his notice at his other job.  Then I get another email with his big plans.  He hopes to open May or June 1st.  He wants to create a community kitchen where others can come and cook or bake….test out recipes..or whatever.   As you can imagine there is a ton of stuff to do before he opens.  I offered my help and I’m sure he could use yours when you return.   This is exciting.  I’ll keep you posted on the details.  Oh, there is a space for rent upstairs that would be good for a massage or artist person.  That is the exciting Jonesville news.

I spent the morning cleaning the yoga space and the house.  I went for a short run with Chai.  Satori needs to give her leg a rest.  I left her home with a bone.  After that I went to pick up your newly fixed Prius.  They did a good job.  Gabe asked me a question that I still need to answer.  The guy at the shop didn’t know either.  So we have a $500 deductable on our cars in case of an accident.  Since you hit an animal it is only a $100 deductable.  Gabe asked what if you swirved to avoid hitting an animal and hit a tree.  What is your deductable then?  I hope the answer is still $100 or else the animals are at a disadvantage.  I will have to get that answered sometime.

I brought your summer tires and will get them on, have an oil change and detail the interior to your car.  That light tan fabric always looks so ratty.  I think a Spring cleaning is necessary for that car.  So when you return you will have a clean happy car.

I needed to call Shane today and ask for you driver’s licence for some paperwork.  I have many other numbers yet didn’t have that one.  I decided to call him later and in 5 minutes he called me.  This was the third time I ever talked to him and he called at the right time and had your licence number handy.  Interesting.

I did a few more small errands this afternoon and got home at 3:00.  Gabe & I played a little lacrosse.  I got better as we continued on.  It helps that I wear my glasses.  Chai and Satori loved chasing and stealing the balls.  At some point we walked over and looked at the pool and it was almost empty.  The bottom hose had popped out due to ice melting.  Ooops.  There is a big ice cude still in there however I need to fill it soon.  Gabe & I hauled the hose into the garage for overnight to help avoid it freezing more.  I will lay it in the sun tomorrow to try and melt the ice in the hose.  Maybe I can get Janet’s water into the pool tomorrow.  I guess I will also need to treat the water.

Speaking of water your poopometer’s light is totally out.  I tried another batery and it still did not work.  Maybe something got dislodged accidently due to traffic in and out of the house.  Not sure.  I’ll investigate that also tomorrow.  The good thing is that we are trained now…at least I am. 

Yoga tonight felt good.  Great to practice with such good friends.  You are missed there also.  So today marks 3 weeks since you left.  I imagine you are really in your groove now…and passed the honeymoon stage.  I send my love and energy your way.  I imagine you could use a boost right about now.  Much love…d                 

I wonder is you know it is the Ides of March?  The day marked by Julius Caesar’s death…made famous by the big Shakespeare guy.  Or the day in the Roman calendar dedicated to Mars.  I also think it may be Rafe’s birthday…and close to Pat R.’s birthday (he will be 21!).  I actually think Pat’s may be tomorrow.  Happy birthday to you two.    

The morning was spent at home doing the normal nondescript yet necessary stuff.  Mundane may be a better word yet I don’t view those activities as drudgery as mundane feels to me at times.  I need a better word.  I spent the morning reshaping and cultivating our living space.  That sounds more positive. 

So, I made some bread for Martha to thank her for Friday.  However the upstairs computer is doing a major repair scan right now so I may be making a few more loaves unless it cleans itself up.  I did the water softener, vacuum, and got your snow tires out of the basement.  Yucky jobs.  I cleaned up the pictures on my camera.  Okay I have had that camera almost a year and I now have decided to look at the pictures I have taken.  I am still trying to wrap my arms around this digital picture thing.  I think if I get some made up I will feel better.  I like the tactile aspect.

Last night Gabe & Trevor were too full to eat the focaccia I made so I turned it into an apple cinnamon breakfast focaccia.  I sprinkled it with raspberries and chocolate chips.  It had a brown sugar and butter glaze.  You would have liked it.

The boys headed to the mountain at about noon and I delivered bread to Martha & Joe.  Joe was the last to see you leave Vermont and he had a sense that you had a hard time walking away…almost like he could have pulled you back.  I like that he was sensitive to that.  That must be a good attribute for a TSA guy.

I then went to Jen L.’s house to take a walk and play pool.  It was another warm sunny day.  We are getting spoiled and hopefully this will help dry out some of our dirt roads.  She taught me 9 ball.  I won at 8 ball and she beat me at 9 ball…but who’s counting.  I just love their house.  It is so inviting to go there.  I saw Avery as I left.

I got Trevor, Kristin and Gabe from the mountain,  Gabe and Trevor went out to spray paint project x for pond skimming and Kristin joined Maureen & I for a dog walk.  Satori was romping as we started on the trail and Kristin had to take her back because she was limping so bad.  Once home though she was her normal bouncy self.  We continued on and had a good time.  Ruby and Chai enjoyed the quieter time.  As I was hooking Chai up I was marveling that she didn’t even skip a beat not having Satori with us.  She didn’t see Kristin go back with Satori.  For all she knew Satori just disappeared.  I know Satori would have been looking for Chai.  Chai was probably happy to have just me.

Hey…I use to think that putting pictures into the blog would turned off my spell checker but I’m wrong.  The first few paragraphs the spell checker worked and now it is off and I have not put in any pictures.  I have no clue why it turns off.  Hmmm.

A bit of sad news.  It appears that Trevor and his family will be going back to Texas at the end of the month.  I…he…we are sad.  I understand that they must do this however I am sad for Gabe to lose Trevor.  They are such good friends and have such a bond.  Gabe has seen Sam leave…Ian and now Trevor.  These are very important people in Gabe’s life.  I know Gabe will manage and grow in some aspect.  This will form who Gabe will be.  Everything that happens to us causes some evolution and growth.  Yes yes..I understand all that.  I just feel that Gabe has had more than his share.  Then again…who am I to say how much his share ought to be.  It’s not like we get a certain allotment. Oh well.  I can still be sad.  For now I want to support Trevor and help him as he prepares to leave Vermont.  I offered to have a party here for him.  We will see.

As I went up to the mountain to get the kids I was scanning the radio to avoid the fund raising (sorry NPR).  I came upon Astrias playing just like Sam played it.  I was so excited to hear this I had to call someone so I called Gabe…then the Kenneys.  I have never heard it on the radio before.  It made me happy to feel that connection.  Just as I pulled in front of the deli to get Gabe…seriously right as I stopped in front the last note was played.  Thank you Sam.

I’m off to bed.  Hey…I smell a skunk outside.  A sure sign of Spring.  I hope the smells around you are more pleasant.  I know I know…you like the smell of skunk…you would say it is sort of smells like coffee.  Whatever.  love..d

I was outside today from 9:30-5:30 (with a 1 hour drive home in between).  That is my kind of day.  Gabe dragged himself out of bed at 7:45 to eat and leave for Sugarbush.  Today was the last day of Billz For Skillz.  Gabe qualified to attend however they only did 1st place so we don’t know how well he actually did.  I thought he did great.  His age group has stiff competition.  As always he had fun.  Unfortunately Tyler took a face plant in warm ups and had to go off to the hospital for a concusion.  He could not remember anything.  We heard he was okay.  Gabe was sure that he would have taken first place.

I met up with Karen (Cole’s mom) at 9:30 and we took a snowshoe up our normal trail.  We made it up to the lift line of the lift that goes in between the mountains.  It was cool to see the line.  I guess it cuts right through the bear territory and it took quite a bit to get approval.  We had a really good time.  We would be very good friends if we lived closer.  We think the same.

Here is Gabe…   

This picture is at the end of the competition.  Cole (in light blue pants) is to the right of Gabe.  He won first place in his ski category and got $500.  He also got a new set of skis last night from Night Riders.  Not bad for a 12 year old.  His brother, who turns 16 next week, is ranked 5th in the nation for speed racing.  Something in the genes I think.  They are a great family who spends many Saturdays just like this.

I dropped Gabe at Bolton around 3:30 and then went home to walk the dogs.  They had been in all day and really enjoyed getting out.  Satori has moved on from taking my socks downstairs to taking my other clothes that she finds on the floor.  I found several pieces of clothing around.  She must miss me while I am out.

The River Shore has been an ice rink however today was passable due to the 40 degree weather.  All along the ice you could see leaves and branches melted down several inches into the ice.  The sun must warm up the brown pieces and then they melt in.  It was fun to see the different shapes.  

Char and Alex were off to take the horses for a romp.  Can you just imagine coming home and hopping on your horse for a walk?  George and Jane went to Lucinda Williams last night.  Remember they got us tickets.  We would not have been able to go anyways due to the Night Riders change.  George said the music was great.

I went home and did another scour of the yard for dog droppings.  Glad I didn’t include pictures.  Lacrosse will go better with a cleared yard.

I got Gabe & Trevor from the mountain and they are watching “The Dudesons”, eating homemade popcorn and drinking fruit smoothes.  They are sore and tired.  The Dudesons are the Finnish jackass guys.  I’m not sure how they survive.  I am convinced that they have damaged so many brain cells they have no clue how stupid they actually are.  I’ll just leave it at that.

The joke show was on Prairie Home Companion tonight.  I like the classic silly jokes the best.

Look…I am done writing with enough time to read tonight.  You have been out of communication for 2 weeks now.  I like writing to you.  I feel like we have just talked on the phone.  I can’t get too gushy with others being able to read this.  Know you are missed, loved and still a part of our days.  Love….d

I am exhausted so this will be short.  The morning started off well.  I cleaned up from last night and put the house in order.  I went to start some computer work and I noticed that my outbox did not send out all of my messages.  After a few tries I called Martha.  She helped me get a full scan going so we could make sure all the updates were in.  She told me to go away for a while because this would take some time.

I took the dogs for a sunny walk with Jen, Julie and Wilbur.  It was just what we needed.  I returned back to home and still waited while I did various tasks in the house until it was finally complete.  Martha continued to help me with all that needed to be done.  All in all about 3:00 the computer was ready to be used.  I am not sure I would have been able to say that without Martha’s help.  Thank you Martha.

After school Gabe & Mitch waxed their boards and then they headed to the mountain.  I met up with Sue…then Patti and for a bit Jen B.  It was a treat to be in that sunny weather however once the sun dipped so did the temperatures.  Here are a few pictures of Gabe.  I have a ton more of Gabe and others but they will just have to wait.   

Check out the Gordidi goggles…

Awards ceremony was nicely handled again by Zach the man.  Dylan got first in Gabe’s age group and Ryan second.  Luke got first in the 18+ group.  Ellis & John got 3rd in their categories.  Tim Farrell and Talent also did their generous giving.

The last award was for the Sam Cohn award.  This year Douglas Fay got it due to his perseverance, good attitude and great smile.  I’m sure snowboarders don’t want to be called cute but he really is.  It was good to hear Sam’s name spoken at Night Riders again.

Good night John.  I will have no trouble falling asleep tonight.  Sleep well.  love…d