Go together well

{views of Vermont} We've been living in Vermont for about 10 months now, and we've found that there's a lot to love about this state and all its quirky crunchiness. I'm a big fan of making top ten lists as a way to embrace the good things in life (especially when I get stuck in a worrying rut , as I occasionally do)...so here is my Vermont top ten list! 10. Recycling: everyone's doing it.  { Universal Recycling Law  & Green OR's } 9. The beer.  We've been to 9 breweries so far...just 20 to go!  { Fiddlehead  & Hill Farmstead are my favorites.}  8. Farmers' Markets galore  { There's even one in the hospital! } 7. People are generally laid-back and low-key.  {Lots of jeans, fleece vests, and duck boots} 6. So. Many. Baguettes.  { August First , Red Hen , Klinger's , O Bread , Gerard's ...} 5. The food--which deserves a separate bullet point from the baguettes!  Everything on the...

We got back to Baltimore late last night after a lovely weekend in Chicago, during which time we got to see lots of family and friends and to celebrate the baptism of a very sweet baby boy! {GP3 and "the Godfather"} We enjoyed too much good food (as we usually do when we go to Chicago), including wine and cheese at Bar Pastoral  (the cheese menu contained vivid descriptors like "curd-sey" and "squidgy"), tropical drinks (the "Dr. Fong") with Chinese food at Chef Shangri-La , and a cauliflower melt at the Marion Street Cheese Market . After such a food-filled weekend, I think we'll be eating salad for a few days! Regarding Earth Day: we did one of the worst things a person could do on Earth Day--we rode in an airplane. One of my greatest hopes is for someone to invent a solar-powered airplane that can fly as fast and carry as many passengers as a 747...because I love doing things to reduce my carbon footprint , but I also love to trave...