2012 Mother's Day Weekend Wrap-Up

I spent the entire weekend at my parents' house for Mother's Day. It was a really nice and relaxing three days spent with my mom and dad. After getting my shiny new Maryland driver's license (a bit late after over a year living here) and a 15,000 mile checkup on my still-scarred car, I headed to the 'burbs to shed my work armor and get into the relaxation mode.

Rocky and me soaking up the sun on the front porch.

My mom and I spent Friday night together without my dad, who was at his first real baseball game of the season (the man is in his 60s and STILL plays ball with the best of them). While I waited for her to finish her work day, I slipped on some fluffy slippers and headed to the front porch with a Captain and coke and Rocky. I just love porch sitting in the evenings. We decided to head to Lemongrass, which is a Thai restaurant in downtown Annapolis. The weather was so nice that we sat outside on the patio eating our shrimp bowl (her) and crispy duck (me). A little fabric and baby clothes shopping and we were heading home for the night to indulge in a little Queen on Idol.

Cattle farm in Davidsonville on my impromptu bike journey.

Saturday, Mom had to go to a baby shower, so I took my free time to work on a newsletter, sit by the pool, and take a bike ride. Who knew you could do so much in four little hours?! I gotta say, after my bike ride through Baltimore City the other weekend, I'm much more adventurous with my bike rides. And thank god, too. I was starting to feel very bored and very isolated when it came to good ol' Patty. Saturday, I just did a loop from my parents' house to a road near route 50. It turned out to be around a 12.5 mile ride. 

Homemade watermelon mint sangria. Recipe here.

One of my favorite things about biking is that I can make last-minute decisions when I see something interesting. It's different than in a car where a) I don't always notice everything since things are moving by so quickly and b) sometimes I'm moving too quickly to make a last-minute decision. Saturday, I was planning on turning right toward St. George Barber Road, but when I got to the intersection I saw a road on my left that I'd never noticed before. After a quick check for cars, I decided to give it a go! Super fun exploring options, I tell you what! After my bike ride, I was pooped. Took a shower, had dinner with the 'rents, did a little sewing ironing, and called it a night. Oh, and we watched a three-part series about Taylor Swift. Man, do I want to be a country singer now! Or her friend! Or a song writer! Or...you get the point. That girl is inspiring and seem so REAL.

Mom and me kayaking in front of the Annapolis Landing marina.

Going along with the past few Sundays, I spent this Mother's Day Sunday out in nature. I woke up to my dad cleaning out their kayaks, which Mom and I had planned to take for a spin around Beard's Creek. I feel very grateful for the childhood that my sister and I had in a safe neighborhood that had such easy access to the water. Every time I talk or think about growing up on the Chesapeake Bay, it becomes more and more apparent to me that this was a very special and unique childhood. I mean, how many people can say they spent two weeks every summer since the age of...two?...on a boat on the bay?  

So after my dad helped us drive the kayaks down to the marina, my mom and I were off paddling away. We spent about an hour putzing around the creek, sneaking up on great blue herons, calling neighbors to wave from their back porches, and snaking through super shallow creeks. Oh! Speaking of snakes, we even saw a snake swimming near our marina! That nature sure is crazy!

Pier near Austin Drive in Edgewater...I think :)

Luckily, after our hour of kayaking, we had some time to snack and nap. We were going to dine on the deck, but my dad found a crazy wasp nest growing in the seat cushion container and had to deal with the queen wasp, her nest, and the crazy ants taking over! As my mom said, this was pretty much a trial run weekend for the rest of the summer so mishaps were OK. We got the kayaks ready, the deck cleaned off, and the pests taken care of. Now we just need to sit back, relax, and enjoy the start of another Maryland summer!

I loved spending the entire weekend with my mom and dad. Once again, I realize how amazing it is to live so closely to my parents. It really is so great to be able to spend these times with them! I think my mom really enjoyed her Mother's Day, too...at least that's what she said. Only one thing could have made it better: Having my sister and her family there too! But she's in Florida on vacation with Lou's family, so I guess that's alright :)

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend and had a chance to call or be with your mothers. Any fun stories with moms or other pests? ;)

Love,

Stephanie Marie

Defending Ft. McHenry

I decided early Sunday morning that it was about time I figured out how to ride my bike around town. Trails are lovely and safe, but not biking in Baltimore has become quite confining and frustrating. I knew that I'd want to give it a go when there was little traffic, and what better day to try than a slightly rainy morning after Cinco de Mayo. NO one is up before 9 after a drinking holiday :) 

I followed the trail as best I could, starting in Canton, going through downtown, and curving around the Inner Harbor. They're doing some construction downtown, so the trail is a bit disconnected in spots, but I believe the construction is for an improved bike path, so go forth and conquer, construction guys! I was initially going to try to meet up with a friend for breakfast in Federal Hill since I never go over there (you'd think it was a different city from the lack of traveling back and forth between the two neighborhoods), but she was out of town so I decided to take the time and investigate Ft. McHenry.

I haven't been there in ages, so it was super fun to spend the morning poking around and enjoying the sights. I can't quite count my Cliff bar as a "picnic" so I will be coming back soon to enjoy some more greenery. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the freedom that biking across town by myself has given me. One goal down; only a few more to go!

Signage and view of the fort.

Bike path around the river.

Just another lazy Sunday morning :)

"5th Regiment! Has anyone seen Earl Smooter?" Name that movie!

Canton church...communion maybe?

I love being up early to see what I can run (ehem, bike) into!

 

Love,

Stephanie Marie

Weekend Recap: It's Natural!

Did you ever hear that joke about why the lady had green hair? In reply to the question, she smoothed her hair back, rubbing her hand up her nose and says "It's natural!"

 

I had such a wonderful weekend, friends! I wish that everyone's weekends could be as fulfilling as mine was this past weekend. There's just something about being outside all weekend long that makes me feel really happy. I think it's a combination of being under the sun and being among nature that just really does it for me. And I realize that nature doesn't tickle everyone's happy bone, but I just feel like a completely different person when I'm outside. I'll have to try to figure out how to explain it one of these days. I think it's my church :) 

Horses along the BWI trail.

Anyway, I kicked my weekend off with a ride around the BWI trail. I've been doing this ride for over a month now, but it's amazing to me to see how everything changes throughout the year. This weekend the fields are covered in buttercups. The horses seemed to love the flowers! Side note: Has anyone besides my sister and I done the buttercup test to see if you like butter? This makes zero sense, but I remember sitting outside during recess holding buttercup petals under my friends' chins to see if they like butter. I did this to my friend Teresa the other day and I think I invaded her personal space ;) Maybe it's an East Coast thing? She's from Cali, so it's possible Sacramento doesn't have buttercups to do the spot test? Kids are so literal ;)

Those buttercups sure must taste good!

After my ride, I met up with two friends to see Mary Poppins at the Hippodrome. Unfortunately, the tickets were sold out by the time we got there, but it was so fun to be spontaneous! We knew that a sell out was possible and decided while we were all together, we'd just have a few drinks at Alewife instead! I've said this before: I am not a spontaneous person. So whenever I'm anywhere CLOSE to being considered spontaneous, I feel so daring! Living life on the edge, folks! 

Mt. Washington monument on my way home.

Saturday, I had plans to meet up with a 20s and 30s hiking group from meetup.com. If you haven't heard of this and are new to an area or are looking for new friends, I highly recommend it. You can find lots of different groups for any number of things. Looking for a dog walking group that meets after work? Meetup will have one in your area! Looking for a springer spaniel dog walking group that meets after work? Meetup might have one in your area! And if they don't, you can start one for $15/year...or something like that. It's such a great concept. How did people make friends before the computer?! I don't have a shot of the hike we did on Saturday, but we went to Cromwell Valley Park near Towson. I have to admit that I'm really quite ashamed at how little I know of where I live. I never would have known about this place had it not been for meetup. And I'm hoping this group will help me to pick up a few more places to get my nature on! (If you're wondering why I chose the 20s and 30s group, I've found that when you don't specify the age you're looking for you experience a sort of cougar-ish dating scene...and that is NOT what I'm going for!)

Baltimore Bike Club in Galesville.

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y NIGHT! I helped watch a friend's toddler. Evelyn is adorable, so it was really just a few hours of play time before her normal babysitter could come down. I headed to my parents' afterward for some dinner and birthday planning. And then work up Sunday morning to go on my first road trip with Patty! 18 miles of bike riding in Galesville, Maryland, was just what the doctor ordered :) More horses, rolling hills, fields of buttercups, farm after farm after farm. I'm in luerve! This is how I'm going to spend my lazy Sundays from now on. I'm thinking there's a whole new meaning to the Sunday drive...

Hope your weekends were equally as fun, whatever that means for you! Now back to our regular weekday trudge.

Love,

Stephanie Marie

Finding My Way

Yesterday was nearly 70 degrees! Two snaps and around the world for that! So I packed my bike in my car and headed out to the BWI trail. It goes around the airport, so you'd think it would be an easy right, but boy you would be wrong! A. I never found the designated parking lot, but after asking the Linthicum Bike Doctor where to go, found that the middle school had ample space. B. I got lost around the 5/8ths point and went about two miles out of my way. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but the sun was starting to go down, I was already exhausted, and I had to do a little "off-roading" (mud and hills) to find my way. THANK GOD I brought my cell phone, so I could figure out how to go. I almost didn't bring it, but will make it my #1 to-bring item from now on. So 13 miles and almost an hour and a half later, I had a big sigh of relief when I saw my lonely car in the parking lot. Didn't have enough time during my misadventure to freak out, so I'm also pretty proud of that :) AND, I was so tired after biking that I just headed to a local bar for the first time and went all by myself. After a hurtle like finding my car, going to a bar alone wasn't a challenge at all! Perspective, my friends ;)

So, this is the only shot I got from my journey. There are a few boardwalks you have to go over on the BWI trail. My butt hurts like whoa today because of stuff like this, but I'm OK with that. Means I'm heading in the right direction...literally and figuratively. 

Had any misadventures lately?

Love,
Stephanie Marie

PS. HAPPY FRIDAY!