We're Goin' to Jackson...Look Out Jackson Town!

 

For our 19th (!) wedding anniversary in September, we had a quick (but lovely) two-night trip to Jackson, NH. Jackson is just north of North Conway, NH, which is a very popular New England destination for tourists.

My Mom volunteered to watch Murray so we wouldn't have to put in him in a kennel (thanks Mom!), so that was comforting knowing he was at home and with someone he knew. My Mom came over on Sunday, September 11th and brought with her the Boston Globe. Interestingly enough, in the Globe Magazine, there was an article entitled, "Perfectly Picturesque New England Destinations." One of the destinations featured? Jackson, NH!

The next day, we drove to Jackson. That's one of the nice things about New England- you can drive to another state in a reasonable amount of time and "get away." It took a little over two hours to get to the area. We pulled over at a  "Scenic Outlook" on the way but honestly? It wasn't that scenic, so no photos.

Since we couldn't check into our room until later in the afternoon, we stopped for lunch at Moat Mountain Smokehouse & Brewery in North Conway, which was recommended by a friend. It was a beautiful day out so we sat outside. We knew we'd have a big dinner that night so we got two appetizers- Long Horn Nachos (smoked brisket) and Moat Mountain Potstickers. Both were delicious but the nachos? Amazing!

(That's a watermelon martini in the photo. Let's just say you didn't want to light a match near my breath after that... 😆)

Next, we drove up to the Christmas Farm Inn in Jackson, where we stayed (and incidentally was featured in the Globe article!)

They have a variety of types of lodging- rooms in the Main Inn or the Barn, standalone cottages, and suites with porches. We had a suite with a porch. While it was somewhat old-fashioned looking, the little porch was nice (and would be great during foliage season) and the electric fireplace was awesome! I sat in front of that reading and staying toasty while John napped.

And if there was any question we were in Northern New England...

(Yes, this was in our room, along with the tourist brochures...lol)

That night we ate at the restaurant at the Inn. It was our anniversary dinner (even though our anniversary wasn't until the next day) and it was great! (The restaurant in the Inn was not open on Tuesday night, so we decided to have our "fancy" dinner the night before. That's something that I noticed- many places we wanted to try to eat at were either closed the entire time we were there and only open at the end of the week or closed Tuesday, not open Monday, etc... All that to say- research these things ahead of time!)

I didn't take any pictures as I wanted to be as free from my phone as I could be, but I'll describe. John had Sangria and I had a Cosmo to drink- both good. For appetizers, we got Grilled Brie (delicious!) and Bacon-Wrapped Scallops (also delicious!). John had Veal Schnitzel (which he said was excellent) and I had the turkey dinner. OK- I know that sounds weird, but that area is known for turkey farms and can I just say that was THE freshest/most delicious turkey I've ever had? We had Tiramisu for dessert, which frankly pushed us both over the edge- we were SO FULL! (Luckily we made it up the hill back to our room!)

The next day we did some sightseeing- we went to Diana's Baths Waterfalls in North Conway and Cathedral Ledge State Park in Bartlett. Both beautiful places (again, I bet they're amazing during foliage season) at which we enjoyed nature and the surrounding vistas.

We had lunch at Horsefeathers in North Conway, which was OK. It's a local pub with sandwiches, etc... We did a little shopping while we were in downtown North Conway and picked up some goodies at one of the many old fashioned general stores.

Next we headed back to the Inn, as we were scheduled for foot soaks and foot massages at the spa. I have to say I was somewhat disappointed with this. The foot soaks were in regular pedicure tubs (vs. fancy bowls with rocks in the bottom, which I've gotten at foot spas). On top of that, one of the pedicure chairs was broken, so no massage and the jet was broken in the other pedicure tub. (I will say that they gave us a 10% discount because of that.) The masseuse was basically like- want me to throw some oil in there? (Again, I'm used to choosing a specific soak.) The foot massage was decent, but again, not what I envisioned.

That night we ate at the Red Fox Bar & Grille in Jackson. It was good (but not as good at the first night's meal).  We had frozen margaritas with raspberry puree (I loved it, but John not so much- and it was the cause of frequent brain freeze!) He started out with French Onion Soup (which he said was one of the best he's ever had) and then I had Mediterranean Haddock and he had ribs & shrimp. The entrees were just OK. We also split maple bacon Brussels sprouts, which again- just OK.

Wednesday morning we packed up and headed out, but not before a visit to White Mountain Puzzles headquarters right down the street from the Inn. There were so many to choose from, but we walked away with these two:

All in all it was a wonderful vacation to celebrate 19th years of wedded bliss!

It's Amazing What an Extra Day Off Can Do For the Soul!

 

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I feel like John & I really made the most of this three-day weekend.

On Thursday (or Friday?) I declared that I wanted to try a "new to us" restaurant. (During the pandemic, I spent a lot of time researching restaurants in the area that I wanted to try once things got "better." Let's just say I came to the discussion with John with plenty of places bookmarked. 😜)

We chose a place that I'd heard good things about from friends on Facebook and the local Facebook restaurant/food group. John has been on an eggroll kick lately and they had steak & cheese eggrolls, so that sealed the deal. (And guess what...I didn't have it bookmarked!)

Saturday we got all of our errands done in the morning, took Murray for a walk in a nearby park, and then made our way to Pica's Pub & Grill, which is about 10 miles from our house.

The inside was much smaller than I anticipated and I think the bar had more seats than the tables did. (Ok, not really, but you catch my drift.) There was one table open (lucky us!) right behind the host station (meh), but we took it.

We started with drinks- a pomegranate martini for me and red sangria for John.

Both were very good. We did get the steak & cheese eggrolls for an appetizer and they didn't disappoint. The queso they came with was yummy, as well. 

For our meals, we decided on burgers. I got the Bacon Onion Jamburger with homemade potato chips and John got the poutine burger with homemade chips. Both were cooked just right and had a great taste- would definitely recommend. I had read a post in the local Facebook restaurant/food group about the cornbread with maple bacon butter and knew we had to try it. (We get something similar at a restaurant in Portsmouth, NH that we absolutely LOVE.) This didn't quite meet our expectations. We expected a side of the maple bacon butter next to the slab of cornbread. Instead, it was melted onto the bread. I'd say that was probably the only thing I wouldn't recommend or get again.

Overall, it was a great meal and I'm glad we "found" it. I think next time we'll try lunch there, as dinnertime is very busy (they don't take reservations) and it can get loud in there. 

Sunday we celebrated John on Father's Day. My mom and Grace came over and John grilled steak & shrimp. My mom tried a new recipe for Caramelized Onion Potato Salad- it was very good! For dessert, we made homemade Raspberry Turnovers. (Well, John made them...lol.) Making them was a little dicey- the filling was watery and John didn't think it would stay inside while baking. Oh, and we were about 1/4 cup short of white sugar, so had to substitute brown sugar for the filling and powdered sugar for the topping. They were a hit! 

Well, with everyone except Grace. 

Me: Do you like it? 

Grace: It's different. 

That's code for "not so much" 😉

Grace brought a dress over to wear, however it was ridiculously cold, so on her own she layered with a skirt underneath the dress and I recommended the sweater layer. Whatever works!

Today I took the opportunity to have a very relaxing day. I didn't sleep in as I'd hoped, but I stayed in my pajamas and laid on the couch and read for a few hours. That was very relaxing. John went golfing, so I braved the park and took Murray for a walk, which went better than I thought (he's a puller). I then came home, had lunch, and sat outside on our beautiful porch with our four-legged friend. 

Monday is Pilates day and since not enough people were around to do the class I usually go to (mat class), I did an equipment class an hour earlier and was able to come home and eat dinner at a reasonable time. 

Now? I lounge in my pajamas sipping a Strawberry Banana Smoothie and watching the Red Sox. 

All in all, the three-day weekend was a success!

Let's Blow the Dust Off This Sucker, Shall We?

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It's been over six months since I've blogged (not my longest hiatus, but definitely up there.)

For those of you that know me "in real life" or are friends with me on Facebook, you know that the last seven months have been extremely challenging- the most challenging of my life.

John was diagnosed with HPV throat cancer in April and things have been chaotic, traumatic, sad, stressful, and finally (the last few months or so) full of relief and thankfulness.

He blogged about his experience at The Village Rant. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. Not only is it enlightening and educational, but also raw and real. Plus, he's a really good writer.

I've gone back and forth about whether I want to dedicate a post to the experience. On one hand, it might help someone else, but on the other hand, I don't want to make the experience all about me. I will share a few things that I've learned:

• Being a caretaker for someone who generally is your caretaker is HARD. John and I had major role reversal in this situation and while it got easier over time, it was foreign territory and uncomfortable in the beginning.  (There was never any thought I wouldn't fill the role- I just wanted to do it "right.")

• If at all possible, go to a hospital that is in your doctors' network. John's first hospital stay was at a hospital that we've gone to for years, so we know it and are familiar with it. However, John's PCP closed his private practice and is now part of another network and different hospitals. It was difficult getting the dots connected and for communication to happen.

• Lastly, as the caretaker, do your best to stay healthy. Eat, even when you don't want to or are not hungry. I lost close to 20 lbs from April-August. I had a stomach bug (which didn't help) and then I didn't eat well, skipping meals or not eating enough. I'm back on track and have gained back 10 of those pounds.

John had a clean scan at the end of September and we are EXTREMELY thankful for that. He will have another in two or so weeks and then hopefully he will go to a more regular schedule (maybe every six months?)

We realize that things will not be exactly the same as they used to be, but we are doing our best to adjust to the new normal around here.

I would be remiss if I didn't thank all those that offered support in person, via phone, via text, via Facebook, and via good old fashioned US mail. They are what helped us to get through this time. We knew that we had a huge support system and lots of people pulling for us. So, thank you- from the bottom of our hearts.

February 2019 In Pictures

Here are some pictures from February of this year that I haven't shared on social media.

February 2nd:

My birthday celebration! We went to CR's The Restaurant in Hampton, NH (one our faves!)

And for dessert, we had homemade doughnuts with dipping sauce. Yum!

February 4th: 

That time my alma mater got a police escort to the Beanpot (and then won it all!)

February 8th:

Let's just say I had NOT had a good day...

February 9th:

Then there was that time when the flu ran rampant through the Sullivan household. (This stuff is liquid gold.)

February 12th:

I've used Clinique products for close to 30 years (eek!), but just started using this in February. I love it. A little goes a long way and it leaves my face feeling super clean.

February 16th:

Drinks I want to try from Boozy Blender book:

February 23rd:

My first ever pecan pie!

February 25th:

Sitting in a common area at work & playing with the panoramic view.

February 26th:

Even though your co-workers might drive you nuts, thank your lucky stars you're not dealing with this...

Follow Your Nose - It Always Knows!

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Those from my era (born in the 70's or prior) will remember this Froot Loops commercial. Toucan Sam was a wise dude -- "Follow Your Nose, It Always Knows!"

This is my tagline.

I have a VERY sensitive smeller.

There's actually a diagnosis for this- hyperosmia! See definition here from the Society of Sensory Professionals (and yes, that's a really society!)

Since John & I have been together, that has become more evident (mostly because he constantly reminds me of the fact.)

I smell something. He can't.

I smell something. He smells nothing.

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. (for years)

UNTIL JUST RECENTLY.

Our house borders a state forest so we have a "wilderness" vibe to our property and thus we see the wildlife that comes along with it- squirrels, chipmunks, deer, and MICE.

We've noticed during the winter weather that the mice like to find a warm comfy place to stay, i.e., our basement, especially the unfinished side.

John tried basically every variety of trap out there and none of them were wildly successful.

So, one day we were visiting our niece in Maine and our brother-in-law came over to visit and mentioned how he had similar wildlife issues and made a homemade trap with a bucket of water and a "ramp." He put peanut butter along the inside of the bucket, wildlife climbed the ramp, went for the peanut butter and CURTAINS! ::glug glug glug:::

John decided to try this at our house. He used a gable vent as the ramp.

This was working really well. They were dropping like flies. Drowning like mice. You get the idea.

We figured we were good and had exterminated the majority of the rodent inhabitants. A few weeks/months went by.

Then, out of the blue, I went into the basement to get a drink and said to John, "I smell something."

And you guessed it, he said, "I don't smell anything."

I said "Just check the bucket. Humor me."

BINGO.

He said (and I quote), "I will never doubt your sense of smell again."

I'm sorry, what was that? Repeat that? (And yes, he repeated it.)

So, whenever I say I smell something now I do not get pushback.

I'm a certified super smeller.

Don't doubt the cartoon Toucan!

Still Here

Ugh...it's been four months since my last post. I think that's the longest hiatus I've had.

Same ole' story- when I have an idea for a blog post, the thought of sitting down and writing it seems onerous. I want it to be grammatically correct. I want my thoughts to be well formed. I want it to be perfect. (In case I haven't revealed that prior, I am a perfectionist.)

So, here I am writing a "catch up" post where I can touch on a number of subjects and not necessarily form one perfect narrative.

Let's see...

It's May 29th and it's not even 50 degrees here in Massachusetts. Awesome. Not. I think the weather has seriously been affecting my mood. I need sun!

One of my new fave drinks over the past few months has been bringing me a little sunshine, however:

It's ah-mazing! I've been looking for a flavored iced decaf tea and I found it! I found it at my local Target. I'm hoping it will help to draw me away from soda completely (a goal far off into the future).

I've been back & forth to Florida twice since I last blogged. The first was a planned visit to my parents and the second was a visit to help take care of my Mom after she had a leg/ankle fracture. It was nice & sunny there. On my last day of my second visit, I headed to the pool for some relaxation.

Oh, and side note? The book in the picture above- The Japanese Lover- was REALLY good!

I turned 45.

OK- moving right along.

I undertook a DIY project and it actually came out decently! I wanted a bulletin board for above my desk in my corner of the newly renovated basement and I wanted something prettier than a typical bulletin board. So, I found a pattern, I went to Jo-Ann Fabric (I must've looked like a deer in headlights in there), I used a glue gun for the first time and I made something. Something I actually liked enough to hang up. I'll try to do a post dedicated to the project. Here's the finished product:

John & I took a trip to Foxwoods & Mohegan Sun (casinos in Connecticut.) We won ZERO.

Moving on...

I watched Sweet Home Alabama (probably more than once since I last blogged!)

(Oh, and is it obvious yet that I'm scrolling through the camera roll on my phone to remind me of what's happened over the past four months? Sad. (See "turning 45" above.)

On April 12th, John & I celebrated our 20 year date anniversary! We had a tiramisu for two:

Going on that date was the best thing I've ever done!

My Mom came into town a few weeks ago and we had a nice visit. Part of that nice visit is having her make me a Cosmo!

My Dad came into town, as well, which was neat (they're usually not here at the same time) and we were all together on Mother's Day. We had lobsters! I also received many beautiful cards and gifts and these flowers.

They're still beautiful today.

Lastly- we JUST (a few hours ago) finished watching The Keepers on Netflix. This seven part series about abuse, corruption, and murder related to the Catholic church in Baltimore is horrifying. Disgusting. I'm still reeling from it. If you get a chance- watch it.

I'll try to write a new post...before October. o_O

Happy Birthday My Love!

The past 16 1/2 years that I've known you have been the best of my life!

Today we celebrate YOU -- and all of the good things about you.

Thanks for being you!

Talented

Great Dad.

Great Husband.

Cute.

Sensitive & Caring.

Funny.

And so much more!

Love you!