tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-146928463353478852.post6524951276910500126..comments2021-12-23T04:53:44.566-05:00Comments on American Dream Finder: The Power of Getting Away: Postcards from the NortheastCatherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06488301404397970300noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-146928463353478852.post-60463558927472852092013-12-13T12:30:53.449-05:002013-12-13T12:30:53.449-05:00Greetings to you Megan and thank you for your kind...Greetings to you Megan and thank you for your kind comments which mean so much to me! I have always loved Angela’s My Year Without Spending blog.<br /><br />You mention “wonderful New Jersey,” something I try and remind myself of when I’m frustrated in traffic (often, especially lately!) and the fast pace of life here. I think of the wonderful farms I love visiting that still thankfully exist, the great times I’ve had at the local historical group’s events which transported me in time and put me in touch with what’s so essential, and the familiar and friendly faces at the libraries, small businesses and charity thrift shops I go to, and such. I try and live by the notion that we get to decide the world we want to live in by voting with our dollars and our actions, but know perfectionism in our ideals is impossible and we are all flawed. But we also must try and seek out the quality of life we want, no matter where we are on the map. <br /><br />Thank you for reading, and best wishes to you for the holiday season. May it be peaceful, healthy and filled with moments of small joy!<br /><br /><br />Catherinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06488301404397970300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-146928463353478852.post-53276770958100880512013-12-12T17:54:07.964-05:002013-12-12T17:54:07.964-05:00Catherine I have recently discovered your site thr...Catherine I have recently discovered your site through Angela Barton's blog and have been slowly working my way through The Vegan Good Life and now American Dream Finder. Although I'm Australian I lived in New York many years ago and have a friend who once lived in Ridgewood and now lives in Mah Wah so I can relate to much of what you post about wonderful New Jersey.<br />What I really relate to are your thoughts on vegetarianism/veganism, consumerism - in fact virtually everything ! The difference is that I am old enough to be your mother (my daughter is 34) however the beliefs we share are (or should be) timeless and ageless.<br />Have a wonderful festive season and I look forward to your future posts. Meganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18233631855574286076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-146928463353478852.post-62931787674919504912013-12-12T12:56:34.421-05:002013-12-12T12:56:34.421-05:00Hi Amy. A pleasure to hear from you as always! Per...Hi Amy. A pleasure to hear from you as always! Perhaps one day I’ll have a travel series from Montana. It’s high on our travel bucket list! I hope to post my Washington state travel diary series (eventually!) and probably sooner memories of an overnight trip to historic sites in Philadelphia to celebrate my November birthday. I had wonderful meals on both trips (I had blackberry everything in Washington!) and am always trying to answer the question non-meat eaters often get, “But what do you eat?” I see so many people who can't go a meal without meat on their plate.<br /><br />R.E.M. was a very big influence on me as a teenager to be a caretaker for the environment. Recurring themes on their Life’s Rich Pageant album are living by example and raising your voice for your beliefs. I feel like the person in Find the River or Maps and Legends, having gone to task in the city, waiting for my just deserves, dreaming of nature and taking the roads less traveled. <br /><br />I can see why the von Trapp family was drawn to that area and how much it reminded them of Austria. It reminded me very much of the landscape of Switzerland. There’s something that calls to one’s soul in the mountains. John Muir had it right, “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.” Even just go the them! There was a cozy looking Swiss fondue restaurant in Stowe we saw when we were leaving. Another place to visit! <br /><br />Thank you! Wishing you a happy, healthy and joyous season as well. The winter solstice will soon be here, a good excuse to drink hot tea, gaze into a candle and find inner peace. Catherinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06488301404397970300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-146928463353478852.post-68922314398113564402013-12-11T15:35:59.773-05:002013-12-11T15:35:59.773-05:00Catherine, thanks, as always for delighting my min...Catherine, thanks, as always for delighting my mind and senses with the description of your lovely trip to New England. I live in beautiful Montana, but still long for the memories of my youth of charming New England. You really do seem to find the best veggie food and I shall have to walk in your footsteps in some of these locales to find these delights (Linzertorte at the Trapp Family Lodge! I've always wanted to go there!). And thank you also for sharing some of your favorite R.E.M. songs -- a group I know of but not much about. My husband and I did visit the Ben & Jerry's factory many years ago and it was a very fun, yummy, and informative visit. I don't think they had the flavor graveyard at that time -- what a hoot! Wishing you a warm and festive holiday season, AmyAmyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09978107688401584445noreply@blogger.com