Garmin, RIP

Neil and my parents gave me this Garmin Forerunner 205 for my 35th birthday. It's a GPS that tells you how fast and how far you've run, among other things. It was a fabulous gift that I've enjoyed almost daily ever since. We had two and half great years together. Yesterday, I accidently left it on my car. I'll spare you all the gory details of what happened when I drove away. I'm appalled with my carelessness and bummed that I'm out a pretty sweet, high tech gadget. But I can't help but feel serene about the whole thing. She served me well and helped me train for 4 marathons. I have 2.5 weeks left until my next marathon and I know the distances of all the training runs I have left. It will be interesting to run this marathon without the instant feedback of my Garmin. My dear Michelle offered to lend me her Garmin for the event, but I think I might just do it the old fashioned way and see what happens. And I had already decided that after this 'thon, I'm taking a long break from such intense training. I think training for two marathons in such a short time and with this last round being so intense, has kind of taken the joy out it for me and it's become a chore. I'm looking forward to the big day, but I'm also looking forward to riding my bike and running on the trails with friends. And doing more hiking this Fall. And just not being so regimented. I need a break. So I think what happened yesterday is kind of a kismet. Or maybe I was unconciously purposefully carless (!). This old girl (now represented by the skeleton pictured above) and I have had a lot of amazing times together. We've shared blood, sweat and tears. There's no replacing her. Though the Garmin 405, my lady's descendant, looks pretty sweet and someday I'll be ready to train hard again. 4oth birthday present, anyone?

Back to School, A New Job and Some Changes

The kids started school this week. Seventh grade and fourth grade. Holy shit, I must be old. So far so good, both kids are happy.












Neil resigned from his job at Youth Services on Monday. He has worked there for nine years. And he's accepted a position with the St. Johnsbury Community Justice Center as the Reparative Board Coordinator, a great organization and a job he's highly qualified for that pays a little better per hour than his current position. And we've figured out health insurance details. But here is the catch: it's only 20 hours a week. So he was going to ask his current boss if he could keep some hours at Youth Services, just for the sake of our finances. But as I was driving to Newport on Monday to work on setting up a new DV/SV program in the northern part of our state, I thought to myself, "this is so much work, I should work full time." Neil and I have both worked a little more than 3/4 time for years, sharing the responsibilities of children and home. So I called my boss and she thought I should work full time, too. Plus, I started co-facilitating a group for men who batter on Monday nights, which also pays me money. So, beginning week after next, I'll work full-time (plus the group) and Neil will work 1/2 time for money and be the house husband. We're both looking forward to our slightly tweaked roles. My dad, however, is concerned with the quality of the meals.

You Come, Too, You Dumbass

Without a doubt, last Saturday, August 16th, Kali and Jen made the most beautiful wedding of the year and, with apologies to my husband and the rest of my married kin, the most beautiful wedding of any descendant of Champ. I knew I was in trouble when we approached the location and the sign with an arrow that said, "Jen and Kali" made me tear up. And that was just the beginning of the weeping. Eh, we're Stoddards, we're emotional.
Here are the beautiful bride and groom.


















Aside from the obvious joy of witnessing Kali and Jen commit to each other and our families and friends celebrating their love, two other highlights for me included my dad's toast and Nellie's poem.
My dad makes a toast at every family wedding, but it didn't really occur to me that he would toast Kali and Jen. So as the best man and maid of honor make their toasts, I see my dad standing by with a piece of paper and whisper to my mom, a bit apprehensively, "Is Dad going to speak?" She said, "yeah, but it's okay, he ran it by me first." Phew. Dad gave the following toast, transcribed here, which moved me to tears (again). That old man of mine has a way of getting to the heart of things.

Hello, everybody! For those of you who may have been wondering, “Who’s the fool in the white coat & the hat?”: I’m Kali’s Uncle David – I understand Jen also has an Uncle David – & I’ve been doing this sort of thing at Stoddard family weddings for many years now. In fact, I bought the coat for the wedding of Kali’s mom & dad. When I was thinking about Kali & Jen getting married, I flashed back to one particular email that I got from Sally several years ago. Sally had just made a comment to Kali to the effect that she understood how it was difficult for him to love one particular family member at that particular time, due to that person’s behavior (you know – times like that happen in every family) and quoting now from Sally's actual email, He was in his room getting dressed, and so he called out to me, "that isn't true; family love is unconditional, dumb ass"! Then he giggled and said, "I just called you 'dumb ass'." So, everything is cool in our home, I love you all, and am so proud – and lucky – to be a dumb ass in the middle of this unconditional family. Love Sal So Jen: Insofar as I have any right to do so, I would like at this time to formally welcome you – and your family – into this Society of Dumb Asses known as the Stoddard Tribe, and to offer up a toast: to Unconditional Love!
My two dads and Harper.














Here are my beautiful cousins, Jordan and Kayla...















And Shani and Henekis (groomsmen!)...


















Grammie and Kali...


































Nellie read this Robert Frost poem (we're New Englanders, yes!) she chose to Kali and Jen privately, after the ceremony. It's really the perfect love poem.

THE PASTURE
I’m going out to clean the pasture spring;
I’ll only stop to rake the leaves away
(And wait to watch the water clear, I may):
I sha’n’t be gone long.—You come too.

I’m going out to fetch the little calf
That’s standing by the mother. It’s so young,
It totters when she licks it with her tongue.
I sha’n’t be gone long.—You come too.










I really laughed hard at Netdahe when I arrived and found him dressed like this. But then he spoke so eloquently and wisely during the ceremony.





















My dad can boogie...















I don't think I've ever danced with my mom before. That was fun.

















Hmmm, a bit o wine awfully early in the day...

Vinalhaven and us, then and now.

Our first trip to Vinalhaven was exactly ten years ago. Here's our little girl on the island then...

















and now. Tomorrow she starts 7th grade. Holy Shit!

And here's our family on the island then and now. We've all changed (especially Patrick, who wasn't even born 10 years ago!) more than Vinalhaven, which I guess is why we keep going back there. It's a peaceful place to live by the ocean. There's not too much going on, and you have to take a ferry to get there, which makes it feel like you've really gone somewhere.

We had a beautiful, relaxing week in VH, the second week of our vacation. It drizzled one day, which made for fine blackberry picking on Arey's Neck, and the rest of the time the weather was perfect. We hung out at the beach, went for walks, read our books, ate lobster and good food from the Harbor Gawker, made friends with the neighbors (well, Pat did) and visited with Deb, Nell, Gram, my dad, and, just yesterday, Tommy and Auntie Sally.

One day, Gram and the kids and I went to the quarry to swim. Neil never goes to the quarry because he hates it. When we returned to our rental house, he had bought himself a blueberry pie (homemade, at the Gawker. Sally bought him another one last night!). Neil loves pie. I asked him why he bought a pie and he said, "I was lonely." That lovely simplicity sums up my funny husband, and our sweet, simple and yummy Maine vacation.

After two terrific weeks away, it's great t o be home. I always appreciate where I live, but I was especially happy, after two weeks away, to get back to the Kingdom, Darling Hill, our dogs and our home. It's really great here and we're pretty lucky.


You can walk to Carver's Harbor dressed is Raggedy Anne pajama pants, which is why I love Vinalhaven...

The Rock Pile

Just before and just after the race.


We're in Vinalhaven for the week and stopped in to the library on this rainy afternoon. Our fans have been asking about Neil's big race. It was exciting and wonderful. The weather was sunny and held until just after he finished (at which point it started to hail), he bested his time by about 20 seconds and came in 103rd out of 600 entrants and Grammie Robin got to see him do it and was as impressed and moved as I am each year I see him complete this amazing feat. Yes, he's incredible. I get a little worked up when I'm waiting at the top and very excited when we finally spot him, so I wasn't able to get a good photo of him racing (I just caught the tip of his helmet) but I got some photos right after he finished. Here are the official results. I'll be posting photos of the race and more about our vacation (and particularly the incredibly beautiful, love soaked day that was Kali and Jen's wedding) after we get home next week.

Thanks everyone for asking about Neil's race and being proud of him. Now the question is, will he do it again next year?

Beer Thirty

We are on vacation! I'm writing this on my gram's computer. We've been here enjoying Camp since Saturday. Actually, the kids were here the whole week prior with their grandparents and some of their cousins enjoying all the Old Home Week festivities and Neil and I came to join them on Saturday. We had a couple of sunny days and the weather has been a little iffy since, though better today. But I haven't even minded the rain. When it rains the lake is really quiet so that you can skinny dip during the day and you don't have to be vigilant about sun screening the children. Plus, the cooler weather has been nice for my running. And I've been a fabulous sleeper.

I was just sitting down at the lake with Neil, reading and listening to H and P play happily together (ahhhh--knock on wood) and Neil started wondering what time it was and I said maybe it was time for a beer and he said, "beer-thirty" and I asked him if he made that up and we had a super good laugh and I chased him up to the camp, laughing hysterically, while he pretended to try to run away from me because I'm such a goof ball. I love him. Anyway, it's been great luxury lounging around, getting lots of sleep, reading, eating lobster, drinking a beer at 3:30 in the afternoon, visiting with Gram and just doing whatever we want to do. Especially since the last couple of weeks at work were really busy for me (and will be really busy when I return) and Neil kind of hates his job. So vacation is all the more sweet.

On Thursday we leave here for Boston where Neil and I will go see the John Butler Trio and G. Love and Special Sauce. The kids will go to Lisa's Pizza with my mom, Wayne and their Crandlemere aunts and cousins. Then Friday we'll go to Jackson, N.H. because Saturday morning is Neil's Big Race. This will be his sixth year, including last year which was canceled on account of ice. But the excitement doesn't end there, because once we get back down the mountain, we'll be racing to Kali and Jen's Wedding! Can you believe it? Kali getting married. I'm really looking forward to celebrating their big day. After the wedding, we'll head back to Jackson for the night and then Sunday morning we leave for Rockland, ME, where we will take a ferry to Vinalhaven. We have rented a house there for a week. I imagine that once on Vinalhaven we'll do many of the things we've been doing here, except by the ocean instead of by the lake.

Old Home, 20 Years Ago

While I'm on the topic of Old Home Weekend, here's a picture from that holiday 20 years ago.  It's Champ and me.  I'm 17 years old and he has a fan and I'm on my tip toes and giving him a kiss and he looks pleased to be with his oldest grandchild...  All of that makes me happy and a little sad, too. This is one of my favorite pictures in the world.