West Virginia to Maine

Recently, I was able to take my first real trip north of the Mason-Dixon line. Bodhi, Thomas and I went to Eastport, Maine to visit his mom and step-dad at their house there. They live most of the year in SoChas and go north for the summer. I took 10 days off work and we decided to celebrate the Fourth of July, which happens to be my birthday, in Maine.

I don't have a lot of pictures for the car time, though I ensure you we spent A LOT of time in the car. 2500 miles roundtrip, 3 nights in a hotel and one night at a friend's house. Approximately 45+hours were spent driving.

This post is the first major leg of the trip, Charleston, W.Va. to New Harbor, Maine.

We left around 2 a.m. Thursday, July 1. I got off work at 1:30 and met Thomas at his mom's, where we left his car.

I drove the first leg while Thomas slept, which was supposed to be to the first rest area in Maryland. I was pretty awake at that point, so I drove a little further and the sun started rising. Around 5 a.m. we stopped about 20 miles from Frostburg at an Exxon to gas up, wake up, and let the baby eat. Bodhi was a trooper and easily slept the first 8 or 9 hours of the trip, waking only to eat or when we stopped.

Thomas took over and I got a chance to sleep. That's the primary reason there are no pictures from the first leg of the trip; the photographer was asleep. I slept all the way past Scranton, which was a bummer because I was eager to see the town where my favorite TV show is based! Saw it on the way back, wow. like a slightly larger Huntington.

We switched drivers again and Thomas got to sleep a little more, while I took us through N.Y. I kept going through Connecticut, on our way to Hotel #1, in Vernon, Ct. Thomas calls Connecticut the Land of a million Audis. We decided to count and see how many we could spot. At an off-time, only going through half of Connecticut, we saw more than 50 in about 70 miles. Not too shabby.

We made fantastic time on the trip and ended up making it to the Comfort Inn before check-in time. There was a deli next to the hotel, Rein's, which had a pretty good UrbanSpoon rating. We checked it out and it was delicious! Thomas has a Rachael, which is just like a Rueben but with slaw instead of sauerkraut. I went with the traditional Reuben and Bodhi had the mac and cheese. It was so delicious.

We went to check-in, got to our room and promptly crashed. Bodhi and I snuggled from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thomas said he got up at 7, but I have no recollection and can only take his word. We were hungry, and Rein's was good the first time, so we had it again for dinner. I had the open face roast beef and Thomas had the hot turkey. We decided to reward ourselves and add some ice cream. I had chocolate peanut butter and Thomas had vanilla. It was absolutely awesome ice cream. Maybe even better than the sandwiches. We wound down with some TV and then hit the hay.

Friday we got up early and left for Freeport, an town of outlets in Maine. We passed through Massachusetts and New Hampshire before hitting Maine. Traffic got a little heavier, but very reasonable, especially for the time of year.

We arrived in Freeport at lunchtime and walked around looking for a place to eat. We decided on the Corsican, which was a very charming little house with good food and reasonable priced. I had my first official New England clam chowdAHHH. Mm. With the dill roll, it was so delicious. Bodhi had some pasta with really fresh tomato sauce and Thomas had a cup of chowdah and a sandwich I think, plus his first Gearys.

We left the Corsican and went to the LL Bean store, where we drooled over everything we couldn't afford. I had to pull Thomas away with the promise we would go to the outlet where he was more likely to find something in our price range.

We went to the regular store, the bike, boat and ski store and looked at some of the large tents. LL Bean just so happened to be next to Ben and Jerry's, so we had to have a little afternoon snack. I have the black raspberry froyo and Thomas went with the heath bar. both delicious.

We needed to get to Hotel #2 so we headed for the LL Bean outlet. after not thinking we would find anything there, either, Thomas scored a nice gortex jacket and I got, get this, a day pack and a sleeping bag, for less than $47! Great, great deals.

We drove up U.S. 1 to Damariscotta, ME to the Pioneer Motel, and that is where this post will end. stay tuned for lobstahh!

Not so little anymore

How are these precious, delicate feet walking already? Will someone please tell me how that is possible!?

Our babies are supposed to stay babies forever, not children that walk past your bedroom door without even looking in to say hi on their way to their next big adventure. And babies aren't supposed to walk before 1, much less before 9 months! I suppose one that toddles earn the name toddler, but I'm going to hold on to baby as long as I can.

what if...

For some unbeknown reason I have been feeling oddly nostalgic lately.

That's not entirely true; I'm always nostalgic. Example, keeping little plastic thimbles from the hospital because they made it possible for the babe to get all momma's good milk those first few days. What can I do with them? Nothing. Yet a large part of me was saddened when I threw them away. At least, I think I threw them away... they might be nestled deep in a safe place where I can pull them out and remember the first days of life.

But I've been feeling a stronger pull to do things I have always wanted to do and right any wrongs I have committed. I think motherhood brings that out. Watching the little bundle that is so new start walking and talking and getting attitude reinforced the vapor that is life.

I've been saying a lot of what ifs. If I had had looked left, instead of right, my life would be completely different. Not nearly as good, I don't believe, but so different. Bodhi? maybe not here. How could I live if he never was?

I'm so happy with my life right now. Yet there are still aspects of it that can be improved: I could own my natural momma store with tons of cloth diapers and slings and teas and a nursing nook for new mommas to come in and be surrounded by love and encouragement.

I could have a much better schedule where I snuggle with my baby all day while he still lets me and ignore bills and laundry and email.

What if I had done everything I was going to do but didn't, and not do the things I said I wouldn't do, but did.

The longer I think about it the more I come back to the fact that I can say what if all I want, but that won't change anything. Accept the moment I'm in, live for it and the people in it.

I've strayed far from my initial thought of nostalgia. Maybe it's the combined 6 hours of sleep I have gotten the past two nights, or the excess of caffeine running through my veins, I don't really know or care, but my brain is having a hard time starting and getting back on track.

In the meantime, I want to start a new hobbythat has always been in the back of my mind. I'm thinking the garage would be a great place for a spinning wheel and big tub of mud. Now, anyone out there have a wheel I can borrow? :)

Earth Day

Well, I suppose I took my own advice and unplugged for awhile. I didn't mean to go over a month without writing, but life happens and posts need time and motivation to be born.

Today is the 40th Earth Day. In celebration, I took the day off. It was an absolutely beautiful day. To start it off my brother took baby boy to OG for 'take your child to work day.' While they were being social, I ran some errands.

Speaking of, it is absolutely amazing to me how quickly I can do things when the baby is with someone else. I did a quick Target trip, since they were giving out green reusable bags in honor of the day. However, they didn't have them out, or had already given them all out, when I was there. I need to stock up on more canvas bags. I have three, but a few more would be nice.

I hate going to the store and unloading my goods only to have mounds and mounds of plastic bags. To me, plastic bags are the perfect opportunity to reduce, reuse and recycle. Reduce by using environmentally friendly bags or declining a bag. I reuse by choosing them to put the baby's cloth diapers in. Recycling is easy. Every recycling center takes bags. If a recycling center isn't an option, most Krogers have large bins that take plastic bags.

Back on track, bub and i went to Qdoba for lunch, then I took the babe to Borders to look at books. At the mall, I remembered he needed walkin' shoes. He's days away from his first steps, so off to Journey's Kidz we went. His ankles are too fat for the hightop chucks I wanted, so I chose a pair of "Jesus sandals." yep, my kid is a hippie. A cute, yummy smelling hippie.

After hanging out with bub and babe, I picked up the littlest sister and we headed to the middle littlest sibling's African Drum and Dance concert. Very fun time. I was reminded that the Bailey clan is Irish, therefore very, very white. While music and dance likely originated with humanity, so dancing should be natural, it is so not. Especially when you're dancing next to a native African.

Then, I went to our friend Mark's place and bought a Neti pot. It is wonderful. A little odd at first, but it feels fantastic after.

Then my honey bought me dinner :)

Really a wonderful Earth Day.

Unplug

It's nothing new to hear we live in a connected world.

Facebook, twitter, IMs, texts, phone calls, blogs, blackberrys, iphones and the 24-hour news cycle make it very easy to keep up with everything happening. Often times, too much of everything. One can barely make dinner plans on facebook or enter the beginning of a relationship without 500 people finding out. For some odd reason, we're all okay with that.

I recently spent a weekend in a cabin in the mountains of West Virginia, disconnected. I didn't plan on it. If you had asked me prior if I wanted to go without my precious updates and notifications I likely would have laughed and shuddered concurrently.

smartphones, my preference is an iphone, have become security blankets for grown ups. we never have to feel awkward or alone in a group of new people, because we have socialization at our fingertips.

I was with a group of people I didn't know, with the exception of a precious few, and my worst nightmare (aside from skiing off the side of the mountain) happened. The internet wouldn't load. my facebook because a swod. I felt jittery, nervous. A part of me was missing. How could I function not knowing what was going on in the rest of the world?

The feeling lasted for about a day. I was like a smoker trying to quit. The habit I was quitting was all I could think about and at times to urge was too strong to fight. After repeatedly trying to access my internet at various points at the resort, I finally just accepted the fact that I was going to have to socialize with people in the same room as me. So 2004.

That lasted for about 48 pretty wonderful hours and then we made the trek down the valley. Upon returning to work I found out that unfortunately drastic spring floods had hit the region, claiming two victims. sporting events had happened, some guy at some school up north hit a last-second shot, or two, and I had no idea.

I missed so much, I thought... for about a minute. Then I said, no, I didn't miss anything. In fact, ignorance truly is bliss. I spent time rolling around with my baby on the floor instead of scrolling through the lives of people I never see. I commented in a conversation instead of commenting on a wall. I unplugged, disconnected, shut down, and yet I opened up, released and kept living.

Spring is here, and with it the perfect time to try to unplug. Here are some ideas: Go for a walk at the park, perhaps fly a kite. Place a jar of topics at the dinner table and have a discussion. Do a puzzle. Get the mitt out and play a game of catch. Make cookies for a neighbor.

Disconnect, and get connected.

bailey briefs

As I sit here polishing off a lovely square (or two or three) of Ghiradelli chocolate squares, I wonder how I've missed out on the nirvana that is 60% cacao, or higher. Did I really go 25 years thinking Hershey's chocolate is the best out there? How mistaken I was...

I don't even like chocolate that much, but recently a bite or two of dark chocolate has made my palate sing. I discovered 14 days of Dark Chocolate at Starbucks and almost danced. Milk chocolate tastes like pure sugar now, I crave the bitterness of a dark chocolate bar. so good.

(**as a side note -- The dove peppermint bark over the holidays was bangin'. it should be for sale year round.)

My buddy Dave recently did a story about Huntington's own Chiammaya chocolates. Total Chocolate Indulgence has 71 percent cacao. That is next on my list.

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I took my poor sniffling, teething baby to get pictures taken today. He is 6 months old and I want 6 month pictures, not 7 month pictures! (yes, mother dearest...) We had an appointment last week and canceled because he was so sick he couldn't stay awake long enough. He didn't feel much better today but I risked it.

I'm glad Paul over at Boekell Photography is so patient, and glad Bodhi is so cute without even trying, or we'd be in trouble. He was not a happy camper. Even so, I am excited to see my photos, the studio is gorgeous. Bodhi might have some snot on his face, but that's ok. Most 6-month-old baby do.

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on the menu tonight: fried rice and possible installation of a new car seat. it's an exciting life.

Welcome!

I was never the kind of girl to keep a diary. I loved to buy them and look at the blank pages, imagining what they would be filled with in the future. Often the pages were never filled. Maybe an occasional doodle or entry, but I never felt the need to express my thoughts on paper.

Now that I have a long commute, I have a lot of time to think about things. Some serious, some funny, some bizarre and ridiculous. Lately I have felt the need to write them down, perhaps just to get them out of my head and clear out room for other trivial matters.

My life seems to be in quick transition at the moment, and this will help me remember some days, events, feelings that I might otherwise forget. Being a new momma, I'm sure a picture or two of the babe will pop up. You might see some sports posts, a music graf or two and a veritable pantheon of anything else.

My hope is that if you stumble upon this little spot you leave with something on which to ponder. Perhaps you'll be educated, maybe edified. entertained, even. Hopefully all of those things. If nothing else, this will give you a little insight into an oft-guarded soul. Feel free to ask questions, share thoughts, make suggestions and, most important of all, have fun!