A generous thank you to those of you who have sent me emails now and again asking after me. I am well and alive. Santa, Cupid, the Muses, and the Fates have all been kind to me since I last wrote. Just when I thought I couldn’t write any less, 2015 unfurled with only two blog posts. Oops. Here’s a quick update.
Dan and I started a blog to chronicle our camping adventures. In 2015, we camped 6 times–a hefty schedule that included the Adirondacks, the Cape, and points in between. I love these weekend getaways for the practice of domesticating a small patch of earth, and for the intensity of attention that immersion into nature demands.
We have finished our first house project–redecorating the bedroom. We are now practiced in the art of negotiation, having agreed upon paint colors, furniture, linens, and fixtures together. It only took a year. Our next big project will be weatherizing the house and then turning the attic into a library.
As we love to hang with our friends, in 2016 we will be continuing the party schedule as follows: Beltane, group camp, Friendsgiving, Xmas eve. We’ll accept as many party invites as possible, and be wonderfully entertaining guests. And to put our new acacia wood dining room set to good use, we’ll of course host a few dinners.
We had a rousing evening recently where we served up tacos and tequila. I received a Crock Pot for Christmas and used it for the first time to make pulled pork for our guests. It was a good first try. Moist, yet shy on flavor. I’ve got loads of it left, and am working up a recipe for meatballs in roasted tomato gravy. Next up in Crock Pot cooking: using it to make pho.
We’ve finally decided on a name for our house. There’s a storage room in the basement that has become our pantry for the bulk items that do not fit into our cabinets. We call it The Bunker. It’s the safe spot we’ll retreat to when the Apocalypse arrives. Whenever we run out of something upstairs, we head down to The Bunker to replenish. It’s our store. The name extends to the whole compound now. Our safety. Our retreat.
I’ll have to add “write blog post” to my list of Sunday activities. Hopefully by next writing, I’ll have my aunt’s beef jerky recipe in hand.
What I’m reading: The Food Section: Newspaper Women and the Culinary Community by Kimberly Wilmot Voss
What I’m eating: French butter cookies coated in dark chocolate
What I’m doing next: dishes
Phayvanh Luekhamhan 
Where are you camping in the Adirondacks? My family used to drive up from NYC to Lake George, and my father would hike and camp at the top of Tongue Mountain with my uncle when I was a bit young to fathom camping…Somewhat unfortunately for me, I suppose, I haven’t actually gone camping *period.* ;(
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We went to Lime Kiln Lake, a place my boyfriend’s grandparents took him as a kid. This year, we chose a different spot. It’s a interesting change from the typical Vermont state park.
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