Got your flu shot yet?
This video, Gimme 3 Shots, by Valley Regional Hospital might inspire you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1J_qtaLBas
(If link doesn’t work, go to www.vrh.org and click on the yellow box on the home page.)
Good sandwich
In the middle of running my errands, I realized I was hungry. Real hungry. But I didn’t want to go to a chain (I wanted to spend my dollars locally) and I was by myself (with no book to read), so I didn’t want a sit-down restaurant meal. I went down a side street – Glidden Street – that I don’t usually take, and there was my answer: Elaini’s Greek Cuisine. I ordered a souvlaki wrap to go. I thought I might sneak a bite in the car, then eat the rest of the sandwich when I arrived at my next destination. Well, that one bite was pretty yummy. I kept eating – ignoring the cucumbers that occasionally rolled down my shirt - and finished it off in the car. It wasn’t until later that I noticed that I cut my face on the tin foil surrounding the sandwich. How’s that for a testimonial? That souvlaki wrap was so good that I didn’t notice my face was scratched and bleeding! If you’re in town, I recommend trying them out for lunch – or ordering something to bring home for dinner. I wish I lived in town – I’m thinking about mousaka (a lasagna type dish with eggplant and ground beef). Yummy.
An artful day
Sure, Columbus Day means that you might get a three-day weekend, but it also means that you might be able to visit an open studio of a local artist. I was driving along Route 4A and saw signs out for an open house. Ann Feeley – a Wilmot artist who sculpts in marble, bronze and clay – was welcoming folks into her gallery and studio. Her work is lovely, and I plan to return to learn more. Next door, Margaret Howe opened up her late husband’s studio, so folks could see the works of the talented Townsend Howe as well as her talented son Paul Howe, a local photographer. It was a pleasure to tour her home and see Townsend’s work in a real life setting. (Below is a photo of his artwork on the front porch.) I entered to win a painting (wouldn’t that be nice?) and met another local artist, Loa Winter, who was also visiting. I am fortunate to have one of Loa’s paintings in my front hall. I’m certainly no artist (unless crafting with words counts), but I feel an urge to take a class to learn how to be one. Just need to decide which medium… 
Fall foliage, part two
The colors are lovely – but I do wish the sun would come out! I saw this tree while on a back road in Washington. The sun was shining, but was hidden by gray rain clouds by the time I turned back around to take a photo. It’s still pretty though.
Red, yellow, orange
Here’s one fall foliage shot in Alstead. I’ll work on getting some more this week!
Foliage and chocolate
Walpole is a drive, but the destination is worth it: Burdick Chocolates. There are very few places that make their own chocolate (a shop in Newport and a shop in Woodstock made their own, but both closed last year) and there’s a huge difference between the waxy chocolates that sit on a shelf for…weeks…months…and something that was made on site that day. We didn’t buy much (it was very busy) but we did pick up a sampler box and some penguins for the kids. Then, on our way out of town, we see Walpole Creamery – their homemade ice cream is my all-time favorite. (I recommend the cinnamon.) Of course we’ve already eaten some chocolates AND a cookie, but we have to stop in to see where the ice cream is made…and get a scoop. If you decide to make the drive (an hour from the Kearsarge area and probably about 35 minutes from the Upper Valley), don’t plan on sticking to any diet. 
Fermented apples (and other fruit)
It’s not my favorite activity – loading the family into the car and taking a drive to see the scenery. (In this case, the foliage.) But I’m okay with it if we have a destination and, this time, we did: Silver Mountain Ciders in Lempster. Last summer, we picked up their product in Georges Mills and enjoyed it. Today we got to see how they made it. Cindy Brzezinski gave us a tour of the facilities and then my husband got to do the tasting. (We know that the apple wine has a real kick, so only one of us tasted.) Everyone is really nice, and you’re sure to find a flavor that you’ll enjoy. We picked up a few bottles, including two of Silver Mountain’s new flavors, to enjoy at home. Today Cindy and Steve Miner (shown in the photo giving a tasting) will be pitting peaches, with the help of friends and family, for another new fruit wine. Check them out at www.silvermountainciders.com 
apples & more at Windy Ridge
Apple picking is an annual activity for anyone with kids. This year we left the Kearsarge area and made a drive to North Haverhill to Windy Ridge Orchard. Why? Because I heard that the cider donuts were amazing. (They were.) We picked a peck of apples, walked the nature trail, pet the animals (sheep and goats), shared a dozen donuts – all in a really scenic location. My favorite part of the day was when my husband yelled to our kids (playing on the swings) “Hey guys, it’s lunchtime!” and two little old ladies yelled back, “Great! Count us in!” I would have treated them to some donuts but they were leaving with several bags of their own. If you don’t mind an hour drive, I highly recommend the trip. We stopped at Farmway for some shopping on the way home and Colatina Exit for some pizza for dinner, so you can really make a whole day of it. 
