Peacful Evening Bike Rides

Each clear spring evening after diner our family has been loading the bikes up in the truck and heading over to the Windham Rail Trail. Eddie just happened upon this place one day when out looking for a trail with Ellie. They came back so excited to tell Xavia and I that they had seen an otter, eagle, snapping turtle, and snake all in about one hour along this 3.5 mile paved trail. Needless to say I was eager to go see this place for myself, so we all went the next evening. What a great find! We've been almost every day since and I'm in awe each time by all the beautiful scenery and wildlife along this trail.

Awaken

This I wrote as a homework assignment that came out of class work on writing about a moment of realization. What was the realization? I also tried to transform this into the 6S from the last post.

The crisp spring air filled my sleepy lungs. I crawled out of my snugly bed and shivered in my white tank and short yellow sleep shorts. Tip-toe to the alarm to shut it off before it buzzes 5:55. I hear the hum of the refrigerator and feel the cold kitchen tile under my feet. I buzz around preparing his breakfast and lunch, taking care to add my little touches of love, the drizzle of honey on the sliced banana, the chocolate kiss in the brown paper lunch bag.

When he joins me in the kitchen I hand him his creamy coffee with a goodmorning peck on the cheek. I settle into the stiff wooden kitchen chair and wrap my hands around my own warm dark ceramic coffee mug at peace with the start of our day.

My Try At 6S

Routine
The awakening sun peeped through the blinds. I sucked in a deep breath and peeled myself from my cushy bed. I leep to turn off the alarm buzzing 5:55, excited to be up five minutes before him. In that five minutes I brush my teeth, wash my face, make coffee, toast, bag a lunch of ham and cheese, a water, a banana, a chocolate kiss, and an "I love you" note. The next five minutes is just about my favorite time. When we have each other in the silent of the morning coffee, before I kiss him and say "goodbye, have a great day!"

A "Sweet" Weekend

The four of us loaded in the van and followed the heavenly smell of steaming maple through the majestic north country of New Hampshire. This past weekend marked the traditional "maple weekend" in the state. Our family always enjoys a March visit to a sugar shack, but this was our first in New Hampshire.

Shortly into our drive we spotted the tin buckets hanging from maple trees on the roadside. One year, Ellie dipped her finger in one to taste and was surprised to find that the sap tastes much like water. There are a couple of sugar maples at our prospective new house and I hope for the girls and I to try out tapping them next season.




Our adventure brought us to Sugarmomma's Maple Farm (www.sugarmommasmaple.com), a small family home on a few acres with two Scottish Highlander bulls, a hen house, a pig and a sugar shack with a state of the art steamer. This amazing momma spends all of sugar season out in this shack loading wood for the steamer. In the off season she bottles, makes maple candy and even a maple hot sauce. This small family operation is the largest producer of pure maple syrup on the New Hampshire seacoast. Her story of producing one gallon out of her kitchen her first year to thousands just a few years later was inspiring to hear. This type of small family business pumps the true New England heart.

Believe it or not pure maple syrup, in moderation of course, has many health benefits. The sweet stuff is loaded with calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin B6. Swap it out for sugar or corn syrup in recipes and you'll end up with a healthier, more moist product. Sugarmommas site is loaded with tasty looking recipes. Just think of those strong beautiful maple trees. Doesn't it make sense that what they use for nutrients would benefit us too?

Thank you Sugarmomma for the great family adventure and a yummy pancake breakfast!