Archive for January, 2012

Where’s Charlie?

Posted on January 29th, 2012 by Tonia 1 Comment

Never mind….I found him.

the frozen lake feat

Posted on January 27th, 2012 by Tonia 3 Comments

We skiied across Long Lake in the Chequamegon National Forest yesterday with friends. And then that wasn’t long enough, so we skied around it too, and down the un-plowed forest road leading to it.

Long Lake is one of our favorite swimming lakes in the summer. It was a little disorienting to see it frozen and snow-covered, but beautiful all the same.

Jack came along. He had a blast running all over the lake with Jenn and Trevor’s dog Coal, and was so worn out when we got home, he curled into a ball on his bed and fell right asleep {very un-Jack-like. He usually has energy to spare!}

After the ski, we headed to the yurt for a potluck of potato soup and an oxtail stew over hot grits- super satisfying after our workout. The dogs laid together by the woodstove and the humans chatted late into the night over red wine.

Ode to Sauna

Posted on January 25th, 2012 by Tonia 1 Comment

Shanna In The Sauna
by Shel Silverstein

“Come into the sauna.”
“No thank you, I don’t wanna.”
“There’s an iguana in the sauna….”
“I still don’t wanna.”
“There’s a piranha in the sauna….”
“Now I really don’t wanna.”
“OK, the iguana just ate the piranha,
And the shark just ate the iguana,
So now you can come into the sauna.”
“Now I‘m never gonna.”

Twenty-seven

Posted on January 23rd, 2012 by Tonia 5 Comments

My family visited this weekend to celebrate my 27th birthday, which is today.

They cooked the most amazing meal: antipasti on fresh bread, chicken risotto {the original recipe of Nonna Tonia- my dad’s grandmother and my namesake}, salad, a browned-butter-hazelnut-pear cake with an orange-cranberry filling, and espresso poured over vanilla ice cream with dark chocolate shavings on top. Holy-moly it was all so good!

Cake, candles, and singing…because we’re never too old for that.

Games, laughter, winners and losers…

Birthday kisses from my favorite little peanut…

And the next morning, a big breakfast made by my handsome husband…how does he get the pancakes so perfect like that?

Thanks for the great birthday, family! I am so blessed!!…And my belly is very full and happy. ♥