Road Trip to Vermont

We only had about a two hour drive from Sharon to North Bennington, VT which is where our B&B was located (southwest corner of Vermont).  First time ever for each of us to be in Vermont!

Our home for two nights was the Eddington House.  It has three guest rooms and we were upstairs.  The owner, Patti, was very welcoming and made us a wonderful breakfast each morning.  She is from Bennington so was a great help in getting about and around.

In 2005 they had a contest and artists from the area decorated moose figures.  We saw them everywhere around Bennington - even on top of buildings!  This one is Benn and he is outside our B&B.  Local citizens got together and purchased him so he would always stay in Bennington.

This is the Paper Mill covered bridge.  It was really beautiful and in amazing condition.  There are two other covered bridges within a mile of this one.  You can drive through it and walk down a little path in the woods to stand beside the river.

Grandma Moses is from the area and the Bennington Museum has a large collection of her paintings.  She went to school in this one room schoolhouse and they have since moved it right beside the museum. She did not start painting until she was in her 70's but was very prolific once she got going.  She was born in 1860 and died in 1961.  Her real name was Anna Mary Robertson Moses.  She completed over 3600 canvasses in 30 years - sold small ones for $2 and large ones for $3!

Hanging with Casey and Elliott

Dave had to go to NYC for the week for work, so Casey asked if I'd come spend some time with her and the little guy.  Of course, I said yeah!  Dave is gone all week, but I can only stay until Wednesday.  But it's fun being able to spend time with my daughter and her baby - just the 3 of us.  It rained all day here today, but we still got out and about.  Went to my favorite Concord antique store, Thoreauly Antiques and found a new place in Concord called Nesting on Main which was really great - old stuff, new stuff, interesting stuff - could have spent a good hour in there just looking around.  The off to take Wee Wee to the vet.  Poor Wee Wee, she's having to wear a lampshade on her head cause of an eye infection so she's not a happy kitty.  But we survived.  Tomorrow we are off to Dedham for shopping and some good eats.  Rain or no rain, we shall prevail!  Love spending time with my kids and my grandkids.  

Casey's birthday dinner in Sharon

Casey, Dave, Elliott, Ian and Emmett came to Sharon on Sunday for a belated family birthday dinner for Casey's 30th birthday.  Jamie was committed to a baby shower so she didn't get to join us, and we missed her!  Before we ate, Dave took Elliott in the pool for his first ever swim, and Elliott seemed to like it.  Emmett, Dave and Ian then went swimming and apparently Emmett took a header into the pool while trying to push his Dad in, but all was well.

 Emmett showed up with shorts, a t shirt, and a bow tie!  I'd watch him and he would look down at it every so often to make sure it was still on straight!  He wanted to ride his tricycle, so we went out to the drive and he told me we were to race and when I was racing I had to put on a "mean" face.  We had about 5 or 6 races, and if he didn't beat me every time!

 Emmett decided he wanted to hold Elliott, and he was so good with him!  The first time they met Emmett did not seem too impressed with Elliott, but he really got into it this time.  When Elliott was making some fussy noises, Emmett patted his belly and said "It's all right!"  And it was cute to hear Emmett call him "Baby Elliott".

 Group shot!!  Ian took this of the 5 of us.

 Casey helps to cook the roasted red pepper risotto for our dinner.  I roasted 3 red peppers - my first time to try that, and she is the old hand at making risotto so took over and stirred and added broth and stirred some more and it turned out fantastic.

 Sharing birthday dinner.  Roasted red pepper risotto, roasted asparagus, salad with Martha Stewart's favorite viniagrette dressing, ciabatta bread, steak for David, and peach crisp with ice cream for dessert.

 Blowing out the candles on her birthday peach crisp!  She had cake and cupcakes last weekend, so it was time for something different.

 The two cousins get to spend some time together.  Elliott will be passing Emmett up in height and weight before you know it at the rate he is growing!

Elliott's first swim!  We just need to make sure that when it comes time for him to learn to do a handstand underwater, that his father does not teach him how!!

 Cute baby award!  Laughing, sticking out his tongue, trying to roll over - cute, cute, and cuter!

 Roasted asparagus

Peach crisp with fresh organic peaches - yum!  Casey had the leftovers for breakfast this morning!