Mud Before Spring

Spring in Vermont is fantastic! It would be nicer right now for me personally if my PR business wasn't running every facet of my life so I could do something besides work. I am working on that - believe me...

But, spring is still fantastic. I heard a great commentary on VPR driving home from a day of meetings today that made me smile. The mud, the "sugar snow," the red trees, the drastic shifts in air temp - they are all a part of spring! Here's a few pictures I took while driving through Lincoln Gap after meeting with my fantastic clients at The Round Barn Farm in Waitsfield. Beauty is in the honesty and promise in photos like these!






Before those spring greens can bud, the sun needs to warm up the trees which melts the snow which makes the mud. In honor of this process and the beautiful mud Vermont produces, I am attending the Mud Season Madness Event at the Old Lantern this coming Saturday, March 28th. The Mitch and I will be donning our best mud season outfits for the event's fashion show. Music will be provided by the Gordon Stone Band and Brett Hughes' Wrecking Ball. Check out the poster to the right and come rock out with Vermont Vibers of all ages at the Old Lantern this Saturday night!!!

Vermont Vibers Need Some Myra Flynn

If you are a Vermont Viber, you need to vibe your way to a Myra Flynn show. I guess now that I have abandoned the Vermont Music Blog (time, my friends, time), I can still write about fantastic Vermont musicians on the Vermont Vibes Blog. And I will.


So, yes, Myra Flynn. This woman is amazing. I seriously need to urge all Vermont Vibers and Vermonters period to make a definite effort to go check out a show. She is playing everywhere on many nights so it shouldn't be difficult to find a time to see her. Check out her upcoming shows and pick on to attend! You will be knocked off your rocker.


This soulful Vermont singer is truly in a league of her own and we as Vermonters are lucky she hasn't whisked away to the lures of big music cities. I had the chance to chat a bit about this with Myra when we had lunch a few weeks ago (she is also a talented writer and journalist). She said she sometimes does the New York thing, but there is nothing like playing to the intimate, cozy crowds of music loving Vermonters. And she said this in such a humble, honest way, I could do nothing but admire her and be grateful I really got to have such a conversation with the best singer I have ever met. (And I have actually met a lot as I was a singer in a former life and even performed with Natalie Merchant and Kenny Rogers if you can believe it.)


Watching Myra perform is magical in itself. Her vibes are so pure and she can bring you in so small and delicately and than wallop you like a diva who means business. It's great fun to see her perform. And her voice - well, it's sheer brilliance. I am happy to say Myra is off in Boston as I write recording a CD which I can't wait to get my hands on. This will be a fabulous addition to the Vermont Vibes repertoire. For all who vibe, check out Myra's website - www.myraflynn.com - to learn more about this Vermont rock star where you can see her perform, and how to get a CD for your own positive vibes as you rock out across the state!

Dinner Vibes, Starving for Friends

While vibing around Vermont is an excellent adventure, sometimes I am starved for the positive vibes of good friends. The Mitch and I have been discussing recently our collective need to spend quality time with friends away from rocking out to a band. We are needing to reconnect with folks for good conversation - sometimes if even to confirm why we are friends!

We have started making this a priority lately and are finding the going out to dinner concept our favorite. While I love to entertain at the farmhouse and love visiting others, there is something alluring about being out to dinner and having no distractions while you conversate over a glass of wine and no prep time before you actually eat a meal together.

As I approach 33 (which I turn in two days) I am more and more aware of the constraints of time and the most cherished exchanges with the people I love and how imperative it is to fit them into the life schedule. Squabbling over dinner price and paying is soooo 20's and not being able to plan get togethers is so married with kids.

The Mitch and I recently enjoyed a "heady" dinner with our BFF, Caitlin at Starry Night Cafe in Ferrisburgh - the venue I think we want to plan our rehearsal dinner for our wedding! Check out some pics:






We also had dinner just this weekend with good friends Christine and John at A Single Pebble, followed by a sleepover and Saturday at the Vermont Flower Show - talk about great phriend times! (The PH is because during the evening hours, we were tracking the Phish shows being played in Hampton all weekend for Phish's reunion.) I have never been to the Vermont Flower Show before, although I have always wanted to. What an absolutely fantastic event! Christine and I even rocked the live auction! The Faerie Garden was my absolute favorite - every woman in there was turned into a ten year old for a few minutes. Here are a few pictures of our flowering adventures:





Back to our hunger - The Mitch and I are on a mission to dine with friends! We are looking for a couple to join us for our first Kitchen Table Bistro experience in Richmond. As a gardener and localvore cook myself, I am dying to check this place out! We also feel reconnecting with friends at local restaurants is not only a great way to rekindle friendships after a long winter, but a great way to directly support a local economy during the financial drama of the century.

Now that we live out in Charlotte and many of our friends live in Burlington, we feel the best reasons for us to visit Burlington is for the food and friends, so if you're looking to reconnect - let's make some dinner plans!!!

Love and Light All!

Sneaky post by the Mitch

Man, it has been a long time since I have caught Rachel away from the slave owner that is her computer! Thank goodness for snowy Vermont vacation days so I can sneak on here while she is not looking...he he! I have to take this moment and share what truly has been a great experience over the past few days. Since I am a teacher I am blessed with a few glorious weeks a year of vacation. This is a time for me to get caught up on much needed rest, work, and fun! My vacation weeks are always kind of a problem for Rachel as she is endowed with work everyday and can't take the time as I can to relax. I admire her determination and success so very much. I for one could not handle her job!! It is the nature of her beast however that never affords her the time to just simply be. I have to say folks, please every once in a while give your self a "mental health" day or a few if you can. At the start of my vacation week, Rachel came down with a cold. This forced her to just sit and take care of herself. Because of her sickness, we were able to sit as a couple and get back to basics. After some much needed rest and relaxation, we were able to play a little bit and forget work, school, household projects or anything else that ties us to life. This has been an eye opening week for both of us because we have regained some spirit and life back into us. My desire to all is, as winter slowly comes to a close, be sure to take what ever moments you can and give yourself a break. It really is okay to do this. No matter what you are doing in your life from day to day realize we all have the right to take a much needed "mental" vacation!! You just never know what you might rediscover about yourself when you take that much needed break. Looks my time here is done, I hear the pitter patter of PR feet coming my way!! Peace and much deserved rest to all, the Mitch!!