Blog for adaysouting.com

I told you guys I would let you know how the snowboarding progressed.  Late last week we had yet another snow day and I took the kids up to our closest resort, Wintergreen.  Earlier we had purchased the learn-to-ski/snowboard package.  It included three days of lift tickets, rentals and lessons.  This was our second trip up and it was great.  The weather was again perfect and we were one of the only counties who had a snow day, so there were very few people there.  The kids had there own private instructor, made incredible strides and loved their cool instructor.  Most importantly, he was able to teach my youngest, who is not very tall, how to get off the lift when she has to jump off and he taught the oldest a few tricks and he now feels like he can keep up with his friends.  I think for the third lesson, I will plan to pull the kids out of school one afternoon and hope they can have private lessons again.  I was also wonderful that there were so few people there that I wasn’t concerned about the kids being skied into.

We have started to consider buying a family season pass for next year and with that, we have started to look at buying equipment.  So far we did buy the youngest a helmet that fits her very well.  I got some great advice from my Vail snowboarding friend on buying equipment for kids.  He suggested buying them a used board from a local shop and buying cool stickers to put on them.  Small boards aren’t going to have lots of riding time on them, you can get the board a good tune and you should be all set.  Kids outgrow their equipment and also don’t think it’s cool after a season or two.  Sizing is also important, they need to have a board they are comfortable with and can turn.  It’s hard to buy a board they can grow into.  On helmets, you just want something that fits well, protects their head and keeps them warm.  Try going to a local shop and ask what they have, a used helmet is fine and again that’s what stickers are for.  The fit is the most important part of the helmet.  It can’t come off during a collision, that defeats the purpose.  Many shops will also rent equipment for a season and you can usually rent much nicer equipment than you would ever want to buy.

Wish us luck, so far it’s been a ton of fun!

I went to the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show recently with Cathy, my partner in crime at A Day’s Outing.  The show was so amazing that I don’t think the term “Craft” is sufficient. It should be something like the, “Philadelphia Museum of Art Show of Extraordinary Artists that make you Want Everything they Make”.  Cathy and I were so excited about the art we saw that we are going to highlight the work of a handful of artists over the coming months.  Here are two to get us started….

Laura Breitman - The first time I saw Laura’s work, I thought I was looking at a black and white photograph of a tree.   As I walked closer, I realized the “photograph” was really a collage of finely cut pieces of material.  I found myself backing up to see it appear as a photo and then coming closer to see all the fabric pieces. It’s hard to express just how breathtaking Laura’s work is and how much it really fools your eyes into thinking you are seeing a photograph.   You really have to see her work in person to understand just how amazing it is!

Carolyn Morris Bach - It was a treat to see Carolyn’s jewelry for the first time at the craft show.  In her jewelry there are hand carved faces of owls, birds and bears that have been wrapped in gold and adorned with stones.  In Carolyn’s work there is a spiritual aspect that draws you in.  No two pieces of jewelry are the same and the individual personalities of each piece truly shows through.

If you can get the chance to attend, the show is annually the second weekend in November.  The work displayed there by all the artists is awe-inspiring.

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The weather is nice enough that most people can still plant bulbs.  Up until the ground freezes, you can get bulbs in your flowerbeds and vegetable garden, including garlic and daffodils.

I was recently at a harvest festival and I purchased two types of garlic. If you haven’t planted garlic before it’s fast and easy. You simply break the bulb apart into separate cloves and plant each clove 3 inches down and 5 inches apart.  Each clove grows into a bulb and it’s well worth the little amount of space that they take up.  I love buying specific types of garlic at festivals and farmers’ markets, but I have also simply planted garlic I bought at the grocery store.  I know I am taking my chances with this method, since grocery store garlic wasn’t grown in Virginia and may not make it through our winters, but I haven’t had any problems in the past.

As for daffodils, I have hundreds growing around the yard.  With so many amazing varieties available, I can’t help but plant a dozen or so new ones each year.  I tuck daffodils behind and between my perennials.  This way when the foliage of the daffodils is dying they are hidden by the new growth of the other plants. Look for new and different types of daffodils at fall farmers’ markets and through specialty growers, like our local grower Brent and Becky’s Bulbs.

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You might have seen apple butter at a farmers’ market or for sale at a pick-your-own apple orchard, but until you have tasted apple butter fresh from the kettle, you just don’t know what you’re missing.

Apple butter is a super thick, dark applesauce with hints of cinnamon and clove. You can have it on biscuits, warmed and poured over ice cream or added to your morning yogurt. Every fall, people come together to make apple butter in communities across the country. Some apple butter events are large festivals that attract people from across a state. Others are local events held by civic or religious groups. And, many are small family and friend weekend events.

Apple Butter Festival at Wade’s Mill, Raphine, VA,

October 17, 2009  10:00 AM-4:00 PM

Apple Butter Stirrin’ Festival, Coshocton, OH,

October 16, 2009 - October 18, 2009

Richards Apple Harvest Festival, Middletown, VA

October 18, 2009 8:30 PM-5:00 PM

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Here’s a guest blog post from a Facebook Fan, Allison Bartlett-

I wanted to share what a SPOOKtacular time I had at the 3rd Annual Ghoultide Gathering Art Show this past Saturday in Northville, MI right outside Detroit.  We met some great people in line while we waited for the doors to open.  I spotted Dani Nelson of Ambitions Design and Founder/Owner of Spooky Time Jingles.  I love the ornaments she creates.  Dani is a true sweetheart and rare gem in my book. She did me a huge favor by picking up something extra special from the 14th Annual Halloween & Vine Show in Petaluma, CA and brought it all the way back to Northville, MI.  I was so glad we finally were able to meet each other in person.  Check out the picture below and see if you can spot the piece I’m talking about.  If you know who the marvelous Johanna Parker is, get ready for your jaw to drop.

I was shocked when I heard you better run when the doors open if you want a piece from Scott Smith of Rucus Studio.  Boy oh boy, it was a sight to see so many people dart to his table.  I have to admit when I got there, I totally froze.  I was just like a kid in a candy shop.  Fortunately, my husband was victorious (as always) and snagged an unbelievable piece.  I was and still am thrilled I was able to score something from Scott.  His work is crème de la crème and it was phenomenal to meet him and see his fascinating unexpected characters in person.

After that whirlwind I quickly ran over to super savvy Artist, Kristen Beason of Kristen Beason Designs.  She had a table packed of impressive treasures, which people gobbled up right away.  I wanted one of everything she had!! I was stoked to score a beautiful hand painted gourd lantern and devious little devil ornament. It was awesome to finally meet her in person too!  Kristen blows my mind on how amazingly creative she is.

While I was chatting with Kristen, the one and only Joyce Stahl of Enchanted Productions was standing right next to me.  She is also an amazing lady.  Joyce is so energetic and creates SPOOKalicious dolls with hand-stitched 3-D wicked eyes.  I could kick myself for not asking her to sign my copy of Art Doll Quarterly.

I was also lucky enough to score two incredible hags from the divine witch maker herself, Sheila Bentley of Primdolly Designs.  They are a reflection of her outstanding imagination, their faces look so shockingly real.  Her stuff also quickly sprouted wings and flew away.  I was without a doubt mesmerized by Sheila’s work!!

I’m thankful for just how good-natured everyone we met was, they were the kind of people you hope there are more of in this world.  The energy was fanatical and it was electrifying to be around so many Halloween enthusiasts of all ages.  It was an honor to be in the company of such awe-inspiring talent and can’t wait for next year!

I’m getting all flighty that Halloween is almost here…

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Find Restaurants in Detroit, MI!

I couldn’t pass up an outing this weekend when one of A Day’s Outing’s fans on Facebook posted that she was showing her art at a nearby fair.  My daughter was up for a drive so we took a day trip to Richmond, VA.

Arts on the Grove was a small, but lovely art fair.  There were artists showing glasswork, beaded jewelry, photography and paintings. They had lots of hands-on activities for children, face painting and a special music area with every imaginable type of stringed instrument for children to try.  They did a great job of making the fair a true family event.

And, the art we had come to see was wonderful.  Pam Connolly’s silk paintings are whimsical, light hearted and simply make you smile. She also had fabulous note cards and handmade t-shirts on hand. I snapped up a Cupcake t-shirt with beads sewn on as non-pariells up for my daughter.

Art fairs, whether they are big or small, offer a chance to see a range of work by truly creative people. Try finding one near you.

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It is the perfect time of year to enjoy the many farm stands and harvest festivals that showcase the bounty of late summer fruits and fall vegetables.  There are corn mazes, pumpkin patches, open air markets and dozens of harvest fairs around the country.

My daughter and I had a fabulous outing together to the Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello in Charlottesville, VA.  She seems to have inherited both my love of gardening and my husband’s love of cooking, so a harvest festival is perfect for her.  We enjoyed watching chefs prepare dishes with local produce, eating fabulous hot cider donuts, buying garlic bulbs to plant in our garden this fall, and sampling a few of the dozen or so heirloom tomatoes on display.  The diversity of vegetables and fruit was impressive and it reminded me that there are so many more varieties available than are offered at a typical supermarket. If you want to grow heirloom vegetables and fruits at home, look for seeds that have done well in your area. There’s really nothing as wonderful as a tomato grown in your own backyard.

Whether you set off on an adventure to a harvest festival or take a simple drive out to a local farm to buy a pumpkin, now’s a great time to enjoy an outing during the cooler days of fall.

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I was asked a seemingly simple question by my eight year old daughter while we were visiting a park – “What is the difference between and butterfly and a moth?”  I had to confess that I didn’t know the exact differences, but I could tell them apart when I saw one. She didn’t think that was good enough, so we did some research when we got home.

Here’s what we found out:

There are approximately 140,000 species of butterflies and moths worldwide. There’s no hard and fast line that divides butterflies from moths, but in general:

-Butterflies generally rest with their wings held upright; moths spread them out.
-Butterflies have knobbed antennae. Moth antennae range from straight filaments to feathery or branched antennae.
-Butterflies have smooth, slender bodies and moths tend to be plump and fuzzy.
-Most butterflies fly during the day; most moths fly at night.

If you want to learn more about butterflies and moths, you can visit one of the amazing butterfly gardens and conservatories across the country.  You can wander through an outside garden and see dozens of different species of butterflies on native plants.  There are also conservatories to visit where you wander through a tropical greenhouse filled with spectacular moths and butterflies. Here are a few to consider:

Butterfly Kapers, Douthat State Park, VA

Butterfly Bungalows, Douthat State Park, VA

Children’s Colonial Garden, Leesburg, VA

Virginia Zoo, Norfolk, VA

Butterfly Pavilion, Washington D.C.

Salisbury Zoo and Park, Salisbury, MD

Butterflies:

Moths:

It’s great that the 4th of July is on a Saturday this year.  We can all stay up late celebrating with friends and watching fireworks.  Last year, we spent the day in the historic small town of Scottsville, VA.   We watched the home town parade and waved as my daughter and her grandfather rode a very special tandem bike down Main Street.

July 4th is the celebration of that day in 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress.  The declaration recounted the grievances of the 13 colonies against the British crown and declared the colonies to be free and independent states. The Declaration of Independence, which can be viewed at the National Archives, laid down the foundation for the U.S. Constitution.   Look at all the events I found celebrating the 4th of July.

Baltimore’s Fourth of July Celebration, Baltimore, MD

July 4th Celebration Concert/Fireworks, Westminster, MD

4th of July Celebration,  Benson, NC

Village of Pinehurst 4th of July Celebration, Pinehurst, NC

Skippack Village 4th of July Celebration at Skippack Village, Skippack, PA

July Jubilee at Wintergreen Resort, Wintergreen, VA

Fourth of July Weekend Activities at Smith Mountain Lake, Huddleston, VA

4th of July Celebration at Lakeside Park, Chesapeake, VA

Old Time 4th of July Celebration, Sterling, VA

Paddle Boarding is fun, really fun for all ages.  Paddle Boards are like long surf boards that you stand on and use a very long canoe like paddle.  With another family this weekend we rented two of them from a great family owned company in the Outer Banks, Outer Banks Stand Up Paddle.  They delivered the boards right to the house we were staying in.  After 15 minutes of instruction, we were off.  We initially brought the boards to the shallow sound and it was perfect for getting the feel of the boards and great for the kids.  The adults in our group had a much harder time learning to hold their balance, although I would have to say I was the best at it :).  All of the kids were able to stand and paddle and my son loved paddling his sister and her friend all around.  It was also great fun for them to play “king of the mountain”.

We then brought the boards to the ocean.  The waves were very high and rough coming in and so we didn’t allow the kids to try them again.  Once we got past the break, the water was smooth and perfect.  We were able to easily stand and paddle, it was so quiet and the dolphins would come in very close to us.  I did make a critical mistake and I did not account for the wind at my back which pushed us very far out.  I took me just under an hour to paddle back in and days later I have muscles that hurt that I didn’t know I have, or don’t have.

All in all, it was great fun for our whole group and I can’t recommend trying it enough.  I can’t wait to do it again when we are in the crystal clear shallow waters of the Florida Keys.

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