Deb Markowitz - She's Got the Vermont Vibe

Why?

I'll tell you why...

I am not political, although I do know how the world should be run :). But my energies have to be on my life purpose and mission: to help people think out of the box by being me (not being a politician). So I have to find other kindred spirits out there to support in a world where politics basically suck ass and an apathetic public whom I am just tapping my fingers along with for a nationwide coup. I think I would implode with irritation if I hadn't started my own business to make a difference where I actually can so I have to give it up to folks like Deb Markowitz with her optimism, integrity, and realness.

I don't give two flips about this view or that view and think political parties need to be abolished along with people who live off the system, overpopulation, and puffy faced old politicians who claim to love America but who hate Americans. Besides, this political fiasco we live in doesn't let anything get done anyway since checks and balances have turned into "let's just fight with each other until these stupid Americans actually step up and do something about this mess."

So why Deb Markowitz? Because:

~ When I worked at a marketing agency pretending to by a stereotypical PR chick and was working on a project Deb was involved in, she was so very nice to me and I will never forget someone's kindness even if I was too little and stereotypical to be remembered.
~ Every time she has spoken at an event, she has lingered and chatted with people about things regular people chat about and when annoying little PR chickies like me try to introduce themselves to her, she was nice - not acting like so many other prominent people have - oh, you know how they act.
~ When I started my business I found her office very, very, very easy to deal with and was immediately impressed.
~ When I heard her speak at an event this summer she told her story in an interesting, compelling, and funny manner which made me feel very good about some of the abrupt decisions I have made and actions I have taken.
~ Following that event, we left the parking lot together and she told me some of the best business woman advice I have received in a long time (and as a women who started her business at age 30, I need a LOT of advice) - don't flop around with lots of handbags and accessories - it makes you look scattered. And, no - she didn't tell me that, she was simply telling some funny stories of things she learned, but from that I made a concentrated effort to try to be less scattered with all of my crap. Flashbags gals - you need a Deb Markowitz for Governor Bag and I will buzz it all over the place! Deb's entire way of communicating is impressive and the type of story telling I strive for with my PR clients.
~ And lastly, Deb Markowitz actually called me on the phone, took the time to listen, chat, laugh, and not be pushy about money.

In Vermont, it is about community, truth, honesty, and being real. And I bet Deb Markowitz read Anne of Green Gables as a girl because she knows about being a kindred spirit - hey, maybe she'll comment on my post!

Deb - I have no money, but I have a voice and I am in!

Vermont Vibers - forget about politics - think about community and good people - www.debforvermont.com.

Valentine's Week

I made similar commentary to Valentine's Day last year (and you can check out the post here), but basically I think Valentine's Day sucks for single people and having been a single person for many, many years in the past, I can say that without being too big for my britches. But, now I am finally not single and I can say that Valentine's Day is a great reason to focus on your sweetie since the hum and drum of everyday life often makes your sweetie more of a punching bag than a lover. This doesn't mean having to buy dumb crap at the drug store, but flowers are a necessity this time of year (especially ones you can plant later) and the scope of the Vermont restaurant landscape and the Valentine's Day menu performances are silly to skip out on if you have someone to dine with.

The punching bagness I sometimes feel as a Vermont public relations professional, sadly gets bounced over to The Mitch on occasion. He is never slow to point this out and I am always quick to know it is not fair and a few weeks ago I decided I would celebrate The Mitch for the entire week leading up to Valentine's Day. Beginning with dinner at Tourterelle's last Friday, I spent the week making The Mitch his favorite dinners, doing extra chores that he usually does, and giving him a massage with the magical oils I made from lavender in our garden.

I am so infatuated with Vermont dining right now. Maybe it's because of all the Twitter activity local restaurants are so good at or maybe it's because I really am quite a chef myself and experiencing cuisine created by the professionals makes me feel like a palette connoisseur. As my last blog mentioned, we were headed to Tourterelle's which we did indeed do. I reviewed the menu online and knew I was getting the escargot and the bouillabaisse and wondered how adventurous The Mitch would be. He is not the biggest fan of interesting looking things on his plate and does not approve of anything that creeps along the floor of the ocean. But alas, That Mitch got the hamburger and while he savoured the bullish American classic, I enjoyed the artwork - the same design captured in various frames - while feeling very connected to the bottom of the ocean.





As the week wrapped up I felt a bit under the weather and rest, vitamins, fluids, and herbs kept me in the game while The Mitch graciously took over the final days of celebrating Valentine's Day. Always up in the trends, we spent Saturday shopping for records since we decided to return the Wii we got for Christmas and get a record player and surround sound system to compliment the awesome array of old records we "inherited" from my dad. And on Valentine's Day I awoke to a healthy breakfast snack in bed with an English Primrose, a Tulip plant, and a CW Creations necklace.

A day of Vibing began with a neighbor's lovely wooden heart but was ruined by a young Vermont state trooper who thought it funny to follow us through a multiplicity of backroads, slowing down and then racing up behind us. Congratulations to continue to make people not like cops - he was a complete dickhead. When someone flashed us to warn of another enforcer of the law, he happily squealed his wheels to ruin someone else's day. Looks like someone has no Valentine. And it ruined our afternoon of Vibing through the Bristol area looking for potential love nests for our future.

But all came out alright when we arrived at Mary's Restaurant at the Inn at Baldwin Creek very early, but were greeted with warmth even though we knew we were throwing off the reservation schedule. It gave us ample time to relax at the bar with a glass of wine and complimentary hummus - thank you. The Mitch and I enjoyed a plethora of bar-side reading and sharing and when our five course dinner table was ready, we were led to the coziest table in the barn board small dining room where every couple spoke at a whisper. Several hours later we made our way to the fifth course - the Chocolate Fest - and closed our week of celebrating our very special love for one another. In addition, Mary's Restaurant was right up The Mitch's ally. No frolicking ocean artforms on his plate, just a solid representation of hearty meat and potato type meals with a savoring twist of elegance and palette perfection that makes me smile. Plus, they have an annual poem contest we knew nothing about and I wrote up the days events in a verse of prose I think is at least a contender - I'll keep you posted and once they announce the results, will publish my romantic, yet deep and honest masterpiece!




Love and Light!

The Waybury Inn & The Pub

Hello Vermont Vibers! I have been one bad blogger - I admit it! I need to write shorter and more frequent blog posts - especially since I have been doing a ton of Vermont Vibing lately! Dining in the winter is a special favorite.

A few weeks ago, The Mitch and I drove the 116 route to The Waybury Inn - this is because I am most recently obsessed with Bristol and want to buy a house there after this mysterious wedding I continue to not talk about! So, down to The Waybury Inn we went because our great pals the Birongs (also owners of 3 Squares Cafe in Vergennes) got married there last summer and were off to enjoy a little winter love reunion. As The Mitch and I are often looking for things to do outside of the Burlington bubble and Charlotte does not have a happening social scene (besides chillin' with Carrie and friends at Spear's Corner Store), we happily joined our friends for dinner at The Pub at The Waybury Inn.

We whisked in running late as we usually do (this is because I have transitional disorder and have not yet found a cure) and sat down to a lively dinner - both in conversation and taste. Leek soup, trout, quail, salmon, tapenade, seafood mountains - no wonder it's Hi Ho, Hi Ho, Off To Tae-Bo I Go. Publicity quote for the cuisine - The Pub at The Waybury Inn is located at a crossroads of many potential Vermont Vibes outings and I energetically suggest a casual meal that livens your taste buds and strengthens Vermont's position as the nationwide leader in the best localvore cuisine.

Using the cuisine setting on The Mitch's old digital camera, we enjoyed pretending to be food critics:





We got a quick tour of the Inn after dinner before heading into Middlebury for a little apres dinner and took this fantastic press shot of the Birongs loving their room. I personally thought the romantic CDs and CD player was a classic touch - be sure to include the new Sade CD!

I can't remember a time I had a more enjoyable evening with friends and dinner - The Mitch and I are really digging this double date dinner thing at nice Vermont restaurants and there are so many we haven't hit up yet! Tonight we are finally heading to the long awaited Tourterelle's in New Haven - the escargot has been wafting up Route 7 and into my Vermont PR office for months now. If anyone has a restaurant they want to try and are looking to Vibe a bit with us - let me know! Let's be inspired by social media and then act on it like real Vermonters and support this groovy state!

New Year's in Vermont

Some folks like to spend New Year's in Vermont "getting away from it all." But what if you live in Vermont? The Mitch and I learned we could get away from it all just a few towns over at Bolton Valley Ski Resort. We got fed up with movies showing ski getaways that we always want to take and early in the fall made the decision to forget the rock concerts, parties, and hype-that-leads-to-letdowns of New Year's and get away from it all ourselves. We booked a room for two nights at Bolton Valley and as a PR person who often works with travel writers - here is my take:

Bolton Valley has made a lot of great improvements over the years. No one is immune to hearing about the years of management and financial turmoil they have gone through and I always rooted for the smaller mountain because I learned to ski there and always liked lots of different folks who have worked there. The hard work and Redstone collaboration seems to be working well for them. There is still strange communication issues between marketing/events and folks who work there - for instance not everyone being in the know of pass holder discounts and annoying housekeeping things like the shower water temperature controls. I guess to some out-of-state travel folks this would be a huge irritation, but to us Vermont folks happy to get away, it wasn't that big of a deal (but should be noted, that's why I mention them).

The procedures for picking up your pass have vastly improved and the mountain overall has gone through some needed enhancements. Seems like the windmill is more trouble than it's worth, but an A+ for being bold and trying!

The biggest improvement I saw was the food. I dined at Bailey's several years back and was actually rather horrified at the food - and that was before I considered myself and decent chef. I had the most critical eye going into dinner, but both The Mitch and I were very, very pleased - we had melt-in-your-mouth cuisine and very pleasant service, Bailey's was like a separate intimate experience far removed from the rest of the mountain activities and we both highly suggest it to others.

We were joined for New Year's Eve skiing by our good pals who celebrated into the New Year with us - check out the "eskimo costumes" us ladies wore! Then The Mitch and I relaxed New Year's Day followed by our delicious dinner and then another day of skiing.

I think we might have to go back next year - this Vermont ski resort thing is just the "get away from it all" I need.

Julie & Julia in the Snow

Wow. I just watched that last night. I have been told by countless people that I needed to see that move - I LOVED IT! I knew I needed to see it and that fabulous The Mitch brought it home last night since we've had the Hannah Montana movie from Netflix sitting around the house WAY too long. He also made me homemade chicken pot pie which I am going to crave forever now.



Anyway, with a new year, I need to bring this blog back to its roots of Vermont Vibing which includes positive exploration and energy vibrations and also stay pertinent to the activities in my life which are living at the Charlotte Farmhouse and planning the MitchaRachia Wedding Extravaganza. I will keep my sometimes charged commentary to my PR Blog and steer away from complaining about personal relations which does take away from the positive nature of this blog. That said, I do ask everyone to keep in mind what a blog is - a public diary - and if there's something you want to discuss - by all means, leave a comment, drop me and email, or let's get together in person!

As for snow - how about it??? Yeah Vermont! Here's some photos I took during a snowshoe this Sunday at the Charlotte Farmhouse in the middle of the white blasts from the sky:

Vermont Music for Holiday Gifts

One of the things I love most about Vermont during the holidays is how easy it is to buy gifts for people out of state - everyone loves the Vermont brand so you really can't go wrong with Vermont product gifts. Last year I wrote about some Vermont product gift ideas and this year I will again - only this year I ask you to think about Vermont music gifts!

Support a Vermont artist and buy some CDs for folks you love - plus CDs are wonderful gifts that fit in that difficult "under $20 mark."

Gordon Stone - who cannot know of Gordon Stone now that his fab tunes are on satellite radio!? The newest CD - Night Shade - is an uncanny rhythm bound exploration of Gordon's pedal steel and banjo second skins folding in the shadows with the lurid sounds of a variety of other musicians to create the well entitled - Night Shade. A much different sound of Gordon Stone than while picking blueberries in the summer twilight and a very welcome sound to hear on the stereo while eating holiday leftovers and contemplating returning other gifts. www.gordonstone.com

Cody Michaels - Vermont's best solo piano artist who combines raw, earthen beauty with glorious piano chords and progressions. The newest CD, Winter Suite, is full of threshold moments like finding the gem of unfinished business with others. While listening to a live performance of Winter Suite with my eyes closed, I envisioned swirling around in a blaze of colors capped with white, filled with awe, and exhaling sharp breath and compassion for life. I even created the new design for my garden next summer. While the CD does skip the lovely musings between songs found at live performances, it is the best companion music I can think of for nature visions on a cold afternoon inside. www.codymichaels.com

Myra Flynn - Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon meet
Alicia Keys and Erykah Baduh - in Vermont. Pick up Vermont's vocal siren's debut CD - Crooked Measures and enjoy the soulful, mature, and creative sound Myra seduces audiences with. She performs extensively around Vermont and catching a live performance would be in your best interest and a CD in a friend or relative's hands would be in theirs.
www.myraflynn.com

If you're looking for a bit of a Vermont Vibe adventures to go along with your music shopping, visit Vermont's Classical Music Haven, Brandon Music in the former Warren Kimble Gallery in Brandon, VT for a cup of tea and an eclectic mix of classical music CDs from the Divine Art Recordings Group.


Peace, Love, & Light Throughout the Season...

2 BIG NEWS FLASHES!!!

I MUST be quick because The Mitch and I are supposed to be leaving to have a weekend of dinner with friends (I did post a while back that's what I really wanted to spend my time doing and now that The Mitch and I have manifested it, I am being bad and blogging!)

So.......in case you all didn't know, The Mitch and I are getting married! Of course we got engaged on September 3, 2008 - not this fall, but last - oh how time flies. So we are WELL on the way of planning our wedding - in fact, we are so planned the wedding might as well be this July. That's how I roll. But, instead, the wedding is in July 2011 so I can spend a year and a half telling you about all of the awesome components to our localvore wedding while the stressful planning parts have already been completed.

To start, the wedding is at The Sleepy Hollow Ski & Bike Center in Huntington - just a town and a half away from us located deep in a mountain hollow on a couple of well-trodden dirt roads. Check out their wedding gallery to get a glimpse.

Next piece of Big News is that my beloved band moe. - whom I sometimes can squeeze in commentary about even though they are not a Vermont band, are playing the most fantastic ski festival this March in Rutland, Vermont and Killington - Snoe.down. Stay tuned to the Vermont Vibes Blog for some groovy insider scoop to Rutland and Killington and if you've ever wanted to experience the rock star life I love so much - in a Vermont atmosphere of skiing and riding - this is your big chance!!! Check out all the details at www.moe.org/snoedown and by golly, buy tickets and book a room!