Sunday, March 29, 2009

Give me some sugar and a phone call

We went sugaring this weekend. It was very neat seeing sap get boiled down into maple syrup...and eating the end result didn't hurt either. The Audobon Society has a sugar house so we went there to eat more syrup products and to take a short hike and we got to see a beaver dam and a weasal - too cool.

There is something magical about driving in/through Vermont no matter the time of year. It's just a really hard place to live.

My Adult Ed reflection on Lent and Forgiveness went well I think. I'm getting better at leading/facilitating these with each reflection I lead.

It's hard to believe that April is nearly upon us...March went so quickly for which I'm thankful because I just can't wait for consistently warmer weather.

The wife and I, and the kids, and one of our dogs, and one of our friends went with us as we canvased a neighborhood to ask people to contact their House Rep to support Civil Marriage. That was an interesting experience - I'd never done that before. We lasted about an hour and a half. The first half we got rained on the second half we were very damp. Plus the kiddos were starting to hit their limits as well.

7 comments:

Lee said...

Glad you had some good fun, JS. I'd been wondering when you'd get to do the sugaring thing. I bet you'll have a whole new appreciation for maple syrup and pancakes now. :-)

Hugs!

jsd said...

Lee: Sonshine had a school lesson about where and how maple syrup is made, and it was so neat to hear share that with us. Apparently, this is a good sap year - last year not so good. Plus, they're saying that if global warming continues VT could lose its maple trees in ten years.

I'll share pictures if they turn out.

murat11 said...

"There is something magical...It's just a really hard place to live." My thoughts about ten years ago about New Mexico, around Taos. Unquestionably magical there and throughout the state, but very different, when the issue was "a living" and not being a turisto.

I'm curious what the reception was for you all, as you canvassed the neighborhood.

jsd said...

murat: everyone was polite even the non-supporters. There were two husbands who opposed civil marriage, but went and got their wives since they were supportive.

But, then VT has had civil unions for 8 years now. NH's house of reps introduced a civil marriage bill last week.

San said...

Maple syrup is delectable. Where I grew up, in northern Alabama, they grow sorghum cane, and in the old days they had a sorghum mill in my hometown, where they made sorghum syrup. I love the stuff, but it's not for everybody, not nearly as sweet as maple syrup. Damn, I would love some now though. It's a fall thing. And we're in spring. Kind of. Another winter storm moving in Thursday. Curses.

Paschal's comment about New Mexico interested me, for obvious reasons. The Land of Enchantment is also The Land of Hardship to many. Any place is though, when you live there. Once I was waiting for my latte at Starbucks on the Plaza in SF. A gushing tourist to the barista: "Don't you just LOVE living here?" The barista: "I got here from Boston and I'm in culture shock." Now, I know that Starbucks employee has been here for a good long while and probably enjoys living here, but day-to-day life is no vacation. Anywhere.

jsd said...

san: the wife has told me stories about visits as a kid to Louisiana eating raw sugar cane - I'm amazed she has such good teeth :-) I've never heard of sorghum cane - do they still process it?

I wish I was better at living in perpetual tourist mode wherever I live...I try though, really, to see the awesomeness of each day, each moment...oh but the mundane doth drive out visions of splendor :-)

San said...

J.S., I believe they still process the sorghum cane in some places, although, sadly, no longer in my hometown. As far as I know anyway. The sorghum is sweet and kind of sour at the same time. LOVE IT!