honey, honey?

After discovering this adorable honey store from another blog, Tanner and I finally made the short drive off the peninsula to The Honey Exchange. It's an ity bity store in a converted house, painted yellow, that carries beekeeping supplies, jewelry, assorted honey merchandise, meads, and of course, honey. The woman showed us part of their enclosed hive that's kept in the store and we marveled at the little bees. She told about the process and some of the people in the surrounding area who keep bees and sell their honey to The Honey Exchange. We learned that an average honey season will yield about 40 to 60 pounds of honey! I definitely think beekeeping is in our futures (distant futures but still there). Tanner loves honey and I think it would be fun and certainly challenging to come up with different uses for all the honey we might have.

In the other room Tanner and I taste tested a variety of honeys and came to an agreement on our favorite. We will absolutely be going back to pick up some honey once we've gone through ours (unfortunately we have two good sized containers right now. Hmm, I'll have to start thinking of ways to go through it). We also picked out a bottle of mead and we're both pretty excited to try it out!

books and plants

This past Monday I made a rushed visit to the library to return my two books and get some more (I'm so excited to be reading like this again!). I got there about 30 minutes before they closed so I didn't allow myself to really look around for something and after 15 or 20 minutes of very little, I grabbed the Neil Gaiman book I found and started to make my way to the counter. As I left the fiction section I briefly looked over the recommended readings and saw a book that I thought would be interesting and picked it up, ready to check out. When I got to the counter the lady pulled up my account and said the book I had requested (and wasn't expecting for another week or so) was ready for me and she added it to my pile. What a surprise! I was so happy I think I was smiling  the whole walk home. The only downside is that I've put some pressure on myself to read these books fairly quickly so I can meet my twenty book goal. I'm trying not to turn it into a chore but instead encouraging myself to spend my free time with a book instead of Netflix or coaxing my slow computer into doing something in a timely manner. I am really, very excited to be reading these books.

In other good news, Tanner and I brought a new plant into our apartment last week. We still haven't named it, or figured our its gender, but it's a Chinese something. It looks like it's going to sprout something in the middle, hopefully a flower. And in great news, our fern has a new bud growing! I'm so glad that I haven't killed it and that it's actually doing well. Tanner and I are like proud parents, it's really wonderful. The bud gets bigger every day. I can't wait to see what else will happen!

I also just/finally acquired a candle diffuser. I love having candles and incense burning but I love a scent that will fill our apartment and actually last for a while. And then it hit me that I needed to get a diffuser. The wax melts that I got (jasmine) and so intoxicatingly wonderful and lingers for a long time. Now I feel much better about the little weird smells that pop up. 

Ah, the simple things.

catching up

I feel like I've been very busy lately. Or at least too busy to wait for my slow computer to get up and going. So this is what's been happening in this part of Maine.

Tanner and I went to visit his friends a few nights ago where they were staying in Phippsburg. We got there around 2am and tried not to wake everyone up as we walked over to them and to the pull out couch we were given. The cabin was very rustic and stuffy (there were about eight people sleeping near us) and I woke up a lot during the night. Tanner and I had talked about waking up for the sunrise but decided against it because we wouldn't have a good enough view for it. But we both woke up for a minute or so as the sky was changing colors and I was impressed by how beautiful it was. The sky was streaked with bright pinks and stringy clouds and I was happy to see at least that. Once we all woke up several hours later, Tanner and I sat on the deck outside and enjoyed the beautiful river streaming in front of us and tried to get our bearings. It was such a great change to have a whole lot of nature around, complete with the smells and bugs.

We only had a few more hours to hang out because Tanner worked that afternoon and my mom and Gus were going to stop by in Portland. After breakfast we ventured to a nearby island (it was low tide) and searched for asparagus. We only found a handful of stalks because we were much later in the summer than they had been the year before. Tanner took a quick swim and by the time we started back for the cabin the tide had come up about four feet and washed away the path we had taken, along with some peoples shoes that had been left behind. (They were recovered.)

We had planned on making a visit at Fort Popham in town but we would've had to leave almost as soon as we got there so instead Tanner's friend Jon took us up a huge rock-faced hill where we had an incredible view of the fort and the surrounding islands. In the distance we could see a couple small islands and the beautiful lighthouses they held. If it hadn't been so cloudy we would have stayed longer but we had to get on the road anyway.

The next day we met my mom and Gus at the Lobster Shack at Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth for a wonderful dinner. We ate inside because it was a little windy but after we spent a lot of time playing on and exploring the maze of rocks that lead down to the water. It was very cloudy and we were surrounded by storms and so the water was choppy and splashing huge waves against the massive rocks. The tide was also much higher than Tanner and I had ever seen it and I couldn't get over how different everything looked because of it.

We explored the little gift shop next to the restaurant and started to get down to the beach but my mom and Gus wanted to get back to their hotel before the skies let loose. And so we parted. They spent the rest of their trip south of Portland- south of where they were staying in Wells, actually- so we wouldn't be seeing them again this time. After they left we went down to the beach and poked around for a bit but it was smelly and the sun disappeared so we took that as our cue and left as well.

We've had some wonderful adventures these last few days and I for one cannot wait for the next one!

lately

in my life I have:

:: finished reading my third and fourth books of the summer and couldn't be more excited to keep reading

:: discovered that the library closes at 5pm on Saturdays. It seems backwards to me

:: enjoyed some yarn bombing on my way to work. Good for you Portland creativists

:: been looking forward to my mom and Gus visiting

:: gotten three rolls of film developed! More on that later

:: missed nature quite a bit. I must make more of an effort to take a break from the city and look at some grass

:: excited about the super mini vacation/grand adventure Tanner and I will be going on tonight to visit some of his friends from home who are staying at a cabin nearby

happy first day of summer!

Yesterday was incredibly hot (at least 90 degrees) which produced quite a few complaints from this little apartment and so we three (Tanner's friend Ron stayed the night) went to the beach to cool off for a bit before Tanner had to go to work. We went to our rocky section and we all waded in up to our ankles while we adjusted to the jarringly cold temperature. At least that's how it felt to me. Tanner was the first to get up to his waist and then he slowly sank in the water onto a large rock and let the coldness creep up to his neck. Even he had to admit that the water was cold, although on his almost-burnt shoulders it felt cooler than normal. Ron went in almost as far, I think, and I surprised myself by wading up to my knees. That's big for me! Even just being in the water that far cooled me off and I was so happy we were there. There wasn't anyone around us but the sandy part of the beach looked packed. It was great having some quiet time. And there were so many boats on the water! I wish so badly we knew someone with a boat, preferably a sailboat, so we could've really been on the water.

Last night as I waited for Tanner to get back from work I had all the lights in the apartment turned off except one and tried to stay as cool as possible. I had opened a couple windows and was killing off the bugs as they zoomed around me. In the silence between the songs I was playing I heard the night insects outside. You know, all of the sounds that confirm that it's a warm summer night. It mostly makes me think of the Adirondacks and how much I love the summer there. It's by far my favorite season. Fall is beautiful but much too short and winter is too long and intense. Spring is hardly what people assume and more like mud season. But summer is it. It was so wonderful being there for my birthday and I wished we had more time to spend there. If there's any possibility that I can go back before the weather turns, I absolutely will. But for now I'll make the most of my first summer in Portland and look for all the Adirondack-like feelings I can find.

alien ice cubes

Something strange happened in our freezer when we first moved here. Our ice cubes would have frozen splashes attached to them. We were so confused by this alien-esque phenomenon but after a while it stopped and we forgot all about it. Well today I noticed it again! What is it? I don't know but it's pretty cool and I kind of hope we never find an explanation for it.

I finished my third book of the summer last night and I think I'll be finishing my fourth by tomorrow night. I love reading. The weather is going to be beautiful the next few days and I plan on taking advantage of it by reading at the beach.

(This post was mostly done from my iPod. Technology is crazy!)

day off

Last night we didn't end up going to the hotel to visit with Tanner's family more. It was too late by the time he got back from work and they had already gone to bed. We were really tired too so it kind of worked out for all of us. They did stop by this morning before they left Maine which was nice. Tanner will be back down in Middletown in a few weeks anyways but it was good to them one last time. And his nephew will be coming up this summer to stay with us.

I figured out this morning while I was playing games on my ipod that I need to read about two books a week to accomplish my goal of twenty books in one summer. I've already read two and I'm about three weeks in. I'm almost half done with my current book and I hope to finish it by the time Tanner gets home from work tonight (a little after midnight). So that's exciting for me! And I also applied to more jobs just now so I'll have to really manage my reading time if when I get a second job.

more visitors

This weekend we had a lovely visit from Tanner's parents. They got here very late on Friday and we caught up while waiting for Tanner to get home from work. Saturday morning we went to the beach and hunted for sea glass for almost two hours. His mom collects it and was thrilled by how much we found (almost half a sandwich bag). Then we met up with the rest of Tanner's family, minus one sister, and got lunch at the Lobster Shack in Cape Elizabeth. Tanner and I had been there before when we first got here and he tried lobster for the first time. Well, being Father's Day weekend and a beautiful sunny day, there was an enormous line and very little parking. We took in the incredible view while we waited and then ate in the sun where a few of us got sunburned.

Today was less planned and Tanner and I worked in the afternoon so it was an early goodbye for us. We'll be spending the night at the hotel with his sister when Tanner gets home from work. His parents left earlier because of work tomorrow but we're so glad they were able to come and we can't wait for another visit from them. The weather was so wonderful and everyone had a great time. Next weekend my mom is coming again for a visit and we're trying to get Tanner's nephew to come back and stay with us. We love having guests!

Addie

I recently decided that I wanted to have a fern. There are no real flowers or plants in our apartment and I thought we could use a bit of greenery. We agreed that while in the Adirondacks we would uproot a fern, re-pot it, and bring it down to Portland to live with us. Of course we kept forgetting about it until right before we left Saranac Lake while it was relentlessly pouring. Our little seems to be doing well though but I'm sure with more time we'll see just how long he'll last. We named him Addie- short for "Adirondack."

Last night I finished writing my 23 before 23 list. I'm really excited about this one! There's a lot of things to be made whether crafty or yummy and I can't wait to get started. Also last night I finished reading my second book of the summer and it pumped me up to get more reading time in. This afternoon I went to the library and got my card and picked up a summer reading card. For every four books I read I get a small prize and I can fill out as many four book cards as I want! I picked up two books and with the weather acting like it should, I think I'll be able to get in my twenty books this summer.

back on the coast

What a vacation! Everyone had a great time visiting and it was so wonderful being surrounded by the Adirondacks again. The dance recital was great, as usual, and so was the post-recital barbecue at Melissa and Brian's. I got lots of sun and bug bites, go figure. I also, surprisingly, got a lot of reading in. My stitches came out right after we got there and my hand is healing beautifully. Well, it won't be beautiful once it's all over, but I can use my hand now. My birthday was pretty low key and I received lovely and useful gifts (iron, door mat...jeeze, I must be a housewife). And then today I got my last birthday present from Tanner- an iPod touch! Yay!

I took a whole bunch of film pictures (I have three rolls to develop) but here are a few from my phone.

on the road again

Today I found out that Portland is a major stopping point for summer cruises. They either come from Florida or somewhere else and end in Canada. Well, yesterday was supposed to be the first cruise ship in Portland but because of the bad weather it docked today. I was supposed to work a big shift today to cover the craziness of the cruise but it was much slower than they anticipated so I was let out early! And I was also able to fins people to cover my shifts for the next two days so we're going home tomorrow. I'm so excited! Tomorrow is also mine and Tanner's six month anniversary so it'll be a sweet trek up north. We're going the way my dad and I went back in March through Middlebury, Vermont and taking the bridge instead of a ferry. It's so beautiful that way and I think Tanner will really enjoy it. And Middlebury is an adorable little college town.

I can't wait to be back in the Adirondacks!

summer

I've been thinking about this in various forms for the last few months and I'm still not quite sure when it will sink in for me: summer is a completely different concept when you're no longer in a form of school. Even my friend Liz, who is going to China soon and will be there until December taking classes, is in a form of school. We talked about this before she graduated last month and we agreed that it won't really hit her that she graduated for a really long time. Right now is her "summer" and then she'll be taking classes, dotted with weekends off and other breaks until December when she'll be home for Christmas, just like in previous years. And for me it's even more different! I haven't been in school since November. Summer has always been a time of making money but also relaxing and doing whatever possible to not think about school and the upcoming semester. I no longer experience those things. Yes, I would like to go back to school someday but it probably won't be for another two years or so. In the meantime, summer is like the rest of year but warmer. It's so strange to think of it that way. It almost looses some of its appeal.

Along the same lines, my birthday is coming up (a week from today- how crazy!) and I'll be discarding my "22 before 22" list and making a "23 before 23." I've been brainstorming lately about what I'll put down, now that I know better about what goals were challenging enough but still possible to do within a year. (Actually, I made my list in January so I purposefully made some of my goals small so I wouldn't get too discouraged.) Anyway, one of the things that will absolutely be on my list and is also on my bucket list, is to read twenty books in one summer. I really want to push myself to read more and I think this may be the summer it happens. (I'm counting summer this year as the beginning of June to the end of August.) I am planning on working a lot more and soon we'll be having more guests stay with us but it won't be every week. Tanner will be gone quite a bit in July and August so I'll have plenty of alone/quiet time to get some good reading in. And when the rain stops I can go to the beach and read while enjoying the ocean and simultaneously soaking in some Vitamin D. Could it get any better than that? So, in hopes that writing it down typing it out will make me remember and more likely to read them, here are some books I would like to read in my lifetime/this summer:

• any Jane Austen (I still haven't finished "Pride and Prejudice")
• Moby Dick
• The Collector
• The Book Thief
• Infinite Jest
• some Rudyard Kipling
• Catch-22
• some/a lot Oscar Wilde
• some 1001 Nights

Here's to summer reading! 

Book It!

The rain here has been quite intense the last two days. Work was the slowest I'd ever seen it last night. We could hear the rain pounding down on the roof and it made me think of being back in my high school auditorium when the rain would fall on the aluminum roof and drown out anything that was happening inside. By the end of the night we had several trash cans catching leaks around the floor.

Today I'm off which is wonderful since the rain keeps coming down. I'm cuddled on the couch with my crocheted blanket and Kurt Vonnegut's biography, And So It Goes: Kurt Vonnegut: A Life. My dad gave it to me for Christmas (along with many other books) and inside he wrote "Gen, I'm looking forward to a visit to Portland. In the meantime there's Vonnegut." Perfect.

Before I knew how bad the weather would be today, I had visions in my head of walking to the library Matilda style and coming back with loads of books. Except I wouldn't have a wagon but a reusable grocery bag. And I don't have a library card or know where the library is.

Tanner and I are getting excited about our upcoming trip to the Adirondacks! He's already off Wednesday and Thursday but I work so I'm trying to get it off so we can spend more time there. It's a beautiful drive too, and I'd like it if we could take our time and enjoy the scenery without feeling rushed. We shall see.

last night

So much happened yesterday! Tanner got home from work around 7pm and had his friend Ron with him. Last night was the Art Walk down on Congress Street and culminating at Monument Square. It happens on the first Friday of every month. It ended at 8 so we didn't get to see too much but there were still a lot of people about a bunch of galleries were still open. The first one we went into was Alice in Wonderland themed and it was really interesting. In the back was a big chessboard with plaster hands in place of chess pieces. We spoke with the artist on our way out and she said that she made up her own version of sign language for each pieces "character" (king, pawn, knight...). Tanner and Ron had been standing there trying to figure out what the hands spelled in sign language. The next gallery we walked into was about bike trails in the area and found objects. There were two huge maps on the walls where people could map out their bike routes or put a sticker at a place of interest. There were a lot of people selling artwork of various forms on the streets and a band was playing at Monument Square.

Later when we were back at the apartment, Tanner and Ron went out to check out some furniture they saw on the side of the road and they came back with an orange dresser and mustard yellow desk chair. Tanner proudly brought it all inside and said that he'd found the desk for the guest room, after taking out the drawers and rebuilding narrower desk drawers. So now the guest room is pretty much complete. Later they went back out to pick up a couch for Ron at his studio. They came back, we made smoothies again, watched some good movies and shows, and I almost forgot that I'd spent a couple hours in the emergency room.

an unfortunate event

This afternoon while doing dishes I managed to cut my hand open on a glass cup that suddenly burst. I immediately knew that I would need stitches but I was alone and freaking out just a bit so I tried to sit for a few minutes and calm down but no such luck. I went to Maine Medical Center, just down the road, and I got in fairly quickly. My doctor was very nice and he gave me a numbing shot before stitching me up. I did, unfortunately, get several looks at the cut and it's quite nasty. I was thinking about telling people that I was bit by a baby shark but I tried it out on one of the nurses and he didn't buy it. Oh well. My hand is still numb and I can't feel my pinkie but it should all come back soon. If only I were ambidextrous.

we finally have a futon!

The day has finally come! Well, it was really yesterday. Last week Tanner made contact with a guy selling a futon and everything magically worked out, except that I was working and couldn't go with him to pick it up. It's huge and a little firm and only $75. Our guest room is small so it'll be a tight fit once we have all the furniture we want and everything is arranged in an ideal spot. I just moved things around and I like the way it looks but I'm sure it will change very soon.

Last night we found out that Tanner's parents will be visiting us for Father's Day weekend and probably the next week my mom will be here again. And our friend Emerson will be coming soon after that, I think. So many guests! And now they have a real place to sleep.

In other news, yesterday was an employee appreciation day at work and so I got 50% off sale items which is crazy so everyone was shopping. I picked up a couple shirts and a jacket for Tanner and a shirt for me and then I was browsing through our housewares section and found the cutest coasters ever. With the discount they were only $1 each so I couldn't pass them up, even though I know they won't be used too often. I love them!

Tanner picked me up after work and we went to our favorite Chinese restaurant, Oriental Table. They have the absolute best crab rangoon ever. We've been there three times now and the owner definitely recognizes us. It's only a matter of time before they start making our food as soon as we walk in the door. It's so good!

The weather is becoming consistently beautiful here and I'm trying to figure out all the outdoor adventures we can do whenever we have a day off together. We're also getting ready to head back to Saranac Lake for a few days, my birthday included, and I couldn't be more excited! I'm hoping there will be a freak heat wave just for those days so I can enjoy a summer weather birthday in the mountains.

Happy June 1st!