Happy 50th Birthday to Me!

I turned 50. It was quick, painless, and without too much fanfare. 

Truth is...I've been feeling like I turned 50 two years ago. Changing jobs and starting at several new places had already had me tackling the big questions — what do I want to do with the second chapter of my life? Do I see myself working another 15, 20, or 25 years?

My health prompted me to ask other questions. Did I go through perimenopause or menopause? Why do I often feel tired and forgetful? 

Last year, at age 49, I began seeking answers. My new career with our state community college system solidified that I want to work in higher education for the rest of my life — and, more, that I want to return to school to pursue higher positions (as I had before). I have just completed two fall courses toward my Doctor of Education and, surprisingly, am making it work — with my career, my son, my husband, my mom, and my friends and family.

I also learned that I am in menopause or even post menopause. With low hormone levels, I've been having the following symptoms:

• Hot flashes and night sweats
• Brain fog, difficulty concentrating, and memory problems
• Irritability, anxiety, and depression
• Joint pain, muscle aches, and weight gain, and
• Exhaustion and sleep disturbances

I changed my diet and started taking supplements to counteract these changes, but truthfully, I still experience a combination of these symptoms every day.  One day it might be exhaustion, depression, and brain fog--another day it might be anxiety, muscle aches, and hot flashes. I am continuing on a path to wellness and may write more about it at a future date.

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For my birthday, I had two requests. One was to go out to my favorite restaurant with my peeps — my mom, hubby, and Lewie.  The second was to go on a romantic weekend trip to Manchester, VT, with hubby.  Lucky for me--I got both my wishes!  

Here is our dinner at the GW Restaurant in Washington, CT.

For our trip to Manchester, VT, Lew and I stayed at the Equinox Resort. It was our first trip without Little Lewie since he was born 17 years ago!  I chose the resort because we knew it well — we went on vacation here fifteen years ago, when Lewie was less than two years old.  

It was interesting going to the same place without a toddler. For one, Lew and I had a chance to dine out at several restaurants and explore the town--something we didn't have the luxury of doing with a squirmy little one in tow.  Second, I had a chance to go for both a massage and a yoga hike! The massage was planned, but the yoga hike was completely spontaneous. The resort offered it as a complementary service. Once I learned the details (hiking half an hour uphill to a mountain lake for an hour of yoga before hiking back down), I was all in. The BEST part of the experience is that when I arrived at the meeting point on Monday morning, I learned that I had the yoga instructor all to myself. We clicked immediately, as if we had been best friends for an eternity, and she showed me a few gentle yoga moves I could do at home to unwind.

Hubby greeted me after my yoga hike for a soak in their outdoor hot tub—the view was spectacular — and then we took a dip in the pool. While we were swimming, an 80-something-year-old water aerobics instructor invited us to join her class, and we had the best time ever. At first, my husband, citing his recent knee surgery, tried to get out of it. She laughed: "Welcome to the club! I've had surgery on both knees." She was fun, energetic, and limber. We joined three other ladies (60+) and laughed as we paddled and kicked through the water. Now, at 50, I've begun to realize I have more in common with this group than with my seventeen-year-old son... I admired our aerobics instructor, wishing that if I'm ever lucky enough to be eighty one day, I hope to have her vitality!

Interestingly, when I first entered the pool area (before our water aerobics), I began to sob. Memories of being in there with Little Lewie fifteen years before flashed before my eyes. It was one of his first pool experiences, Daddy Lew and I taking turns pushing him on his float as he giggled and giggled. 

After a full ten minutes, I finally composed myself--I hadn't had a good, long cry like that in ages. Perhaps the businesses of life suppressed it. No matter, it was needed. When we get older, we miss, of course, the youthful days of our childhood and our twenties. This cry wasn't about that. It was a longing for my thirties, the days of being a wife and a mom for the first time. Oh, how I wish I could relive those moments of Lewie's toddlerhood, even for just a day... The pool may have been empty, but my mind saw Daddy Lew, Little Lewie, and me in there splashing away like no time had passed at all...

During our trip, we also had a chance to drive to the Hildene, the Lincoln family home, after President Abraham Lincoln's death. We visited this place before, when Lewie was five, but the experience was different now that there were just the two of us, meandering around the property at our own pace. (I made sure to visit the gift shop before leaving--purchasing Vermont's specialties: yummy chocolate, maple candy, and cheddar cheese curds.)

On the last day, I had a chance to saunter around the Northshire Bookstore, a must-see not only for book-lovers but also for coffee drinkers, bakers, record-enthusiasts, crafters, and home decorators. (I bought a book called Keep Your Brain Alive by Katz and Rubin--the perfect self-gift for a 50-year-old that wants to remain sharp and relevant.)

Our trip lasted only two nights, but I arrived home feeling well-rested to tackle the last two months of the semester. (Well, almost... during my massage, the door to the massage room kept mysteriously opening. "What's going on?" I asked quizically as my masseuse closed it for the second time. "It's probably just the ghosts," she said, half serious, half laughing. "You know this place is haunted.") On my last night at the hotel, I slept with a few lights on... still, it was the perfect trip to welcome in a new decade.

Celebrating the First Day of Spring in Killington, VT

 Last weekend, we went on a short excursion to Killington, VT.  

During the weeks before the trip, I waivered back and forth on whether we should actually go.  First, my husband and I are not vaccinated yet (although we just recently got our first shots this week).  Second, we would be leaving my mom alone with our puppy, Bruce.  Third, we would be spending a lot of money for a short two-day, two-night trip.  Would the trip really be worth all the worry?

We received our answer, and it was a resounding, YES!!  Having not gone on any trips or vacations since December 2019, we needed this one--not just to reconnect as a family but to remember what it was like to enjoy activities, to sightsee, and to PLAY!  We called my mom every day to make sure she was doing well at home with Bruce, and thankfully, we did have our neighbor/friend across the street who would have gladly checked up on my mom if we asked her to.

We started our vacation by renting a cute cabin in Mendon, VT through Vrbo.  I didn't know much about the place other than it received excellent reviews for its cleanliness and the friendliness of the owners.  Well, the cabin was PERFECT.  We soon discovered that it's centrally located to Rutland, Killington, Plymouth, and Woodstock, VT, and the owner couldn't have been nicer.  First, he greeted us at 8 p.m. Friday night with a key (after a series of texts back and forth), and he also gave us a map where he starred favorite restaurants (after I asked him for eating recommendations).  On Saturday, he gave us firewood, so we could use the firepit in front of the cabin. (Fun fact--we all think we saw a UFO as we were gazing at the stars from the firepit.)  The cabin itself was roomy, clean, and warm.  I packed a number of blankets and pillows just in case, which we didn't need for the entire trip.

On Saturday, our "vacation" finally began.  Here were some of the highlights from our weekend, and some places, activities and restaurants we would HIGHLY recommend.

Maple Sugar and Vermont Spice, Mendon, VT:  This family restaurant is a MUST if you are staying anywhere near Rutland, Killington, Plymouth, Woodstock, or Mendon, VT.  The building itself is a working sugar house, and in the spring, you can actually watch them boil the maple syrup right from your table.  Because of COVID, we ordered our breakfasts to go on both Saturday and Sunday morning, but on Sunday, I did give myself a few minutes to browse through their giftshop, which is full of maple syrup goodies like butter, cream, hard candy, cotton candy, and nuts.  Their breakfasts were also kid and husband approved with dishes like French toast, waffles and ice-cream, and steak and eggs.

Calvin Coolidge Historic Site, Plymouth, VT:  We drove to and walked around the Calvin Coolidge Homestead since we were right near Plymouth.  Calvin Coolidge was the 30th President of the United States back in the 1920's, and it was interesting to learn a little about his conservative values and legacy on the website.  (He was definitely a product of his times.)  The site, which seemed to include a museum, two houses (his childhood home and his adult home), and a church were all closed for the winter, but even with the snow, I could tell the grounds are BEAUTIFUL.  I would have loved to see the inside of the buildings and to have learned more about VT life and American life from the late 1800's and early 1900's.  I'm thinking this would be a good summer/fall trip to take with my mom!  (P.S.  Dogs are allowed to walk here on a leash.  We didn't have our Bruce with us, but it's always nice to know he would have been welcomed if we did!)

Snowmobile Vermont and Back Country Tours, Plymouth, VT:  We haven't gone snowmobiling since Lewie was six (exactly six years ago), and we were hoping there would be enough snow on the ground in March to enjoy an excursion.  Thankfully, there was still about 6 to 12 inches of snow left (although it was melting quickly).  Lew rented a double snowmobile for him and Lewie, and I rode on the back with the tour guide.  We chose the "back country tour" because it's a two hour jaunt through Calvin Coolidge State Forest, which is located right across the street from the snowmobile shop.   

Although our tour wasn't exactly through the State Forest (our tour guide told us they had to change the route because the snow was melting too much in the forest), we did get to ride around the campground area, which was just as much fun!  Sometimes we went at a leisurely pace, and sometimes we sped up super fast, watching trees, cabins, and even cemeteries (yes, VT has a lot of historic cemetery plots in their woods) whizz by!  We stopped to get a glorious picture with Mount Killington in the background, and then we went to an open area where both hubby AND Little Lewie had a chance to test their skills.  Hubby did a couple of rounds super fast, and then he let Lewie take the front seat, so he could drive around a few times.  My son, thank you God, is more cautious than my husband, so he had fun driving, but he was not interested in going fast.  

The ride was exhilarating, scenic, and refreshing.  We were able to get such nice pictures, and we lucked out to have such beautiful sunny weather.  It was one of the last perfect ways to frolic in the snow.

Our tour guide is on the left.  It was wear a suit Saturday for the guides.

The Lincoln Covered Bridge, Woodstock, VT:  What is a vacation to VT without a covered bridge sighting?  I made the family drive about 20 minutes North of Plymouth, so we could check out this beauty.  In short, the Lincoln Covered Bridge was built in 1877 and is the only known example of a wooden Pratt truss bridge in the United States.  It has undergone some restorations over the years, but today, it still serves as a functional one-lane bridge.  Of course, I not only needed a selfie with it, but I had to walk through it!

Flannels Bar and Grill, Mendon, VT:  I don't always post about everywhere we eat, and quite honestly, I couldn't tell you about the ambiance of Flannels because we did take-out.  (Again, darn COVID spoils the full-experience again.)  Still, I have to mention this restaurant because I had one of the BEST foodie experiences ever!  I ordered the Mendon Grilled Cheese because I just had to try it--a house specialty with Vermont Cheddar Cheese, maple bacon, maple syrup, and apple served on sourdough bread.  The sandwich was one of the best I've ever had in my life--it was like a dessert sandwich.  I'm honestly thinking about making this trip again, just so I can come back and have this sandwich!!

Mountain Top Inn and Resort, Chittenden, VT:  On our last day in VT (Sunday), we decided to go snowshoeing and have lunch before our 3.5 hour trip home.  A blog had recommended this resort for winter activities, and they weren't kidding.  This resort has EVERYTHING winter--cross country skiing, snowshoeing, sleighrides, ice skating, and sledding.  (They also have snowmobile trails for those with their own.)  We rented snowshoes for the morning and had access to their trail system, which included soft, groomed snow.  It was just glorious to walk in the snow on a 60 degree day!  In fact, Little Lewie became so warm, he asked if he could remove his sweatshirt and just wear his t-shirt while we were hiking up the trail.   

In the beginning, the "peanut gallery" (that's my husband and Little Lewie) complained a little about having to stop and go snowshoeing.  They seemed to be satisfied with the snowmobiling experience; however, after about 10 minutes of walking on the trails, we were all so glad we did it.  There's something so rejuvenating about the fresh mountain air, and we laughed and laughed, mostly at daddy's antics, as we tried climbing to the peak of the mountain.  (Spoiler alert: we were supposed to walk up to the "lookout," but after all our climbing, we never found it!)  

Hubby jumping on the ice.  I told him I should have bought a life insurance policy.

Going down the trail was a lot easier than going up, and we were back to the "activities building" in no-time.  Before leaving, I suggested we grab take-out at their tavern, but when we went downstairs to the tavern to place our order, we discovered they had a beautiful patio with some tables and chairs.  "Can we eat outside?" I gushed.  The weather was so warm.  The answer, or course, was yes, and we spent the next 40 minutes looking at this view (below) before leaving.   

The scenery from the patio.

My favorite picture of the trip.  Little Lewie and I look so happy here.

It was quite honestly the perfect end to the perfect trip.  I didn't know how we got so lucky with EVERYTHING, but we did.  The year of quarantine was worth it.  I couldn't have asked for a better experience, plus, I left knowing we were SAFE about everything to boot.  My cup is full.