Upcoming Winter Fun! We're just getting started around here!

Late January and February will as usual prove to be a great time to visit the area - lots of special events and things to enjoy in addition to all of our wonderful winter outdoor activities.  I would also remind everyone to catch a movie at The Strand Theater and see the exhibits at VIEW while in town.  Also I'd like to give a shout out to Randy's Restaurant in Old Forge - quickly becoming a favorite spot for dinner for this family!         

OLD FORGE Fri & Sat Jan. 25 & 26 7th Annual Zippy'sCrusade for Kids Charity Snowmobile Ride - Ride tickets will be $250 per person through October 25, 2012 and $300 per person after October 25th so don't delay and register today! To purchase tickets online, go to the website CrusadeforKIds.com. Fri - Sun Jan. 25-27 Adirondack Ice Bowl- A weekend of ice hockey tournaments on Fourth Lake with music and activities. AdirondackIceBowl.com February 2013 Fri & Sat Feb. 1 & 2 Snowmobile Poker Run - The Inlet Barnstormers Snowmobile Club sponsors this event and will include dealers located at business sponsors from Thendara, Old Forge, Stillwater, Beaver River, Eagle Bay, Inlet and Raquette Lake. Players may pick up a card up at any sponsor. You need only one card to play. Please have each sponsor stamp the back of the card. Go to as many sponsors as possible. Bring your stamped card to Daikers between 5:30pm and 7pm on Saturday evening. Fri & Sat Feb. 8 & 9 Annual New York Snow Run - A snowmobile ride for the awareness of breast cancer in men and women sponsored by the Pink Ribbon Riders. The weekend includes a welcoming party, event ride, lunch, dinner party, music & giveaways. PinkRibbonRiders.com Tues Feb 12 Sweetheart Dessert Contest - The Old Forge Library will be celebrating Valentine’s Day early with the annual Sweetheart Dessert Contest. There are four categories: Youth Student, Teen Student, Adult and Master. To enter the contest, create your favorite dessert and bring it to the library from 11am. to 5pm that day. Judges this year are Paula Roy, Paula Weal and Albert Worthen. A reception will be held at 7:00pm and the contest winners will be announced at 7:40pm. The community is invited to stop in to sample the delicious entries from 7-8pm. Please phone 315-369-6008 for additional information. Fri to Sun Feb 15-17 Winter Carnival- Activities, races, family fun, and fireworks. Sponsored by the Town of Webb and the Central Adirondack Association. Click here for a schedule of events. Sat Feb. 16 Winter Sports Challenge - Held at McCauley Mountain Ski Center. Sanctioned 3K & 5KSnowshoe Race starting at 11am, Cross-country Ski Race, and other fund-raising events sponsored by Kiwanis to benefit the Kommunity Youth Activity Center. Registration times: 8:30-9:45am for sanctioned race and 8:30-11am for fund-raiser events happening from 10am until 1pm. Free cross-country and snowshoe rentals. Door prize raffle tickets for all registrants. Prizes for top fundraising teams and individuals. For additional information, please phone Bill Ransom at 315-369-2858 or Bob Teesdale at 315-369-2059. Tues Feb 19 Chili Bowl Luncheon - Please call 315-369-6411 for additional information or visit the website ViewArts.org Fri Feb 22 Snowmakers Ball - For additional information visit the website McCauleyNY.com. February 23, 2013Frozen Fire & Lights Inlet’s Frozen Fire & Lights (February 23, 2012)Bring the family for a full day of fun!Bonfire & treats at Fern Park beginning at 10:00am. As always, there is free sledding, ice skating, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.A Book Sale will be going on at the Inlet Public Library 11:00am-2:00pm.A Cardboard Sled Race will be held at 1:00.The Inlet Youth Commission will hold their Noah’s Ark Animal Workshop at the Town Hall 2:00-4:00pm.Then join us at Arrowhead Park after 5:00 PM for a much larger bonfire, free hot dogs, donuts & cocoa and a spectacular display of fireworks at 7:00 PM.After the fireworks wander over to Matt’s Draft House for Wine & Chocolate. Wed Feb 27 Terra Nova - Performed by Pendragon Theatre, Terra Nova is a riveting play about the race to the South Pole form 1910 to 1912. In the winter of 1911-1912, five Englishmen and five Norwegians raced each other to the bottom of the earth. Only the five Norwegians returned. This is the story of the Englishmen. Please call 315-369-6411 for additional information or visit the website ViewArts.org

New Year - new start - new resolutions!

As 2013 begins we are ever grateful for 2012 and the things we've learned and experienced this past year.  Most of all that we're all still here!  We've had another year filled with challenges and are ready to start anew.  I love the feeling of fresh starts and clean slates that we can fill.

"And in the end it's not the years in your life that count.
It's the life in your years."
-Abraham Lincoln  

We've spent the past year busy with many things but most of all trying to learn to keep our priorities straight.  Sometimes we become so consumed with work that we forget to care for ourselves.  I always tell the kids -don't loose focus on the mission - they laugh at me but I hope it is sinking in.  I really just want them to hurry up with whatever they're helping me with.  I try to teach them that if we get the chores done then we have time to play.  I think they're starting to get it.  I have to on the hand remember to schedule in the play time and let them still be kids even though we expect so much from them.

 

Last Year I had lots of resolutions - most of which I kept up with strangely enough - exercise - diet- ran my first 10K - brought home our team of driving horses - attended 2 horse clinics - for 2013 I have  one major goal - organize this family!  I feel like we live a life of barely managed chaos and we have to harness it and harness it now.  Fortunately I think now the kids are old enough to help and had I tried this earlier it would not have worked as they simply weren't ready for the responsibilities that they are now.   We're starting off January with a huge schedule filled with ski races, Karate, band concerts, Confirmation classes, scheduling riding weekends, looking into riding clinics, trying to figure out a garden plan for the B&B, and an upcoming wedding in the fall but with any luck we'll  manage to get to it all. 

Most of all I think right now we need to each pick one thing in each major area of life to focus on.  Our life is so full that to try and do it all sets us up for disappointment.  I have tried to do it all but there are just not enough days in the week.  So for example for my garden I think I will only pick one vegetable this year - if successful I can add a second next year.  I've tried planting big gardens and keep failing miserably - a couple of little tomatoes - a little lettuce but no great harvest.  When I lived in Jersey I had huge tomato plants and more tomatoes than I could ever eat - gave them away - froze sauce - you name it - had a "green" thumb.  Here I haven't quite figured out the growing season yet which is quite different from Jersey except for my perennials which seem to have overfilled my flower beds.  So in addition to my one vegetable garden (haven't chose the vegetable yet) I will pick one new kayak adventure, one new snowshoe, one new hike, one new run (maybe 1/2 marathon?  am I too ambitious?) one new riding weekend, one horse show for Emily and conquer at least one of my overgrown perennial beds.  Whew!   

So we wish you all good health, prosperity, happiness and time to enjoy life with your friends and loved ones. 

 

 

"Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle."
-Abraham Lincoln  

So we'll continue to work hard and that means scheduling the fun stuff too!  Hope to see you all in Stillwater and that you all keep your resolutions for the new year!