remember when it snowed?

There's nothing quite like a good blizzard.

Even though it seemed only yesterday that spring was about ready to find her way back to us forsaken Mainers, we are now in the process of being swallowed back up by winter.

And for the time being, I'm ok with it. 

Even with the all wheel drive that our Outback offers, I didn't want to brave the treacherously worsening roads to go in to Portland for work today. 

So, Sarah made some banana pancakes, I brewed a pot of french press coffee, and we spent some time enjoying the amazing talent of mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile via YouTube. 

If you've been around me long enough, you know I have a great love of music. 

It gives me the same warmth that you get from a good stew after a long day outside in the cold. 

And today, Chris Thile & Michael Daves have become my bowl of stew...metaphorically speaking of course. 

It's as if God was rummaging through an antique store in the Appalachians, found these two, wound them up, and set them loose on a stage. And for someone who wishes he was born 100 years ago, this music makes me feel like I'm home.

So whether you're being snowed in today or you're dragging your weary feet towards 

the weekend, give these guys a look-see and get to toe-tappin'! 

chop wood, carry water

This is a short story about a cold and rainy December day in Maine. 

I have a friend named Steve. 

Steve and I grew up together.

Steve has a father named Steve.

I call him Big Steve...at least, that's what his number is listed under in my phone.

Big Steve is probably one of my most favorite Mainers that I know...definitely on my Top Ten Awesome Mainers list. In fact if you're close to me, odds are, you've heard me mention Big Steve or give my impression of him. 

Big Steve owns a construction business and I'll occasionally do some odd jobs with him.

Today, I did one of those previously said odd jobs.

We winterized Steve's workshop roof for him in the cold December rain, cleaned and stacked scrap wood and kindling, and ate Boston Cream donuts from Dunkin' Donuts. 

It was a good day. 

And Big Steve is a real good guy. 

One of my favorite things about working with Big Steve, besides the random conversations we may engage in, is that at the end of the day there is always a slight hint of the smell of sawdust and wood that clings to my beard...

So that's my short story. 

It's not a very exciting story, but if you ever visit me in Maine, I hope you get the opportunity to meet 

Big Steve.

christmas classics

Tis the season...and I love my seasonal classics. These are just a few that I grew up watching around this time every year. Sometimes, it's nice to feel like a little kid again, eh?

Happy Day

Wow. It's been a while since I've done this, eh? So long in fact, that I just misspelled 'it's.' Don't worry though...I fixed it. 

My dad's coffee cup this morning told me to share my insight, so here goes. Today, I am 23.
I have lived 23 years on this earth. To my young mind, that sounds like a pretty decent piece of time. And when I see my younger brother recently not knowing how to use a cassete tape, I instantly feel older than I really am. However, I do realize something today...the passage of time isn't something to dread, but rather something to look forward to. 

Leather, denim, music, wood, wine, relationships, traditions and beards...these are just some of the many things that are better with age. As time continues to pass, we should anticipate the growth and change in our lives and live each day with that excitement, knowing that God is never finished with us.

Well, that's all the pompous sounding wisdom I can dish out for one day. I could attempt to sound a bit more eloquent, but I don't think you all could stomach it. 

I am so very thankful for friends and family, both close and so very far away. Thank you for the splashes of color you add to my canvas. 

From Maine with love,

zach

someone's in the kitchen with Dina...

So lately, I've been really excited about cooking and trying new recipes...especially when it comes to grilling on my little table top Webber that Sarah got me. I grew up watching the Food Network with my family, settling down in the living room after dinner to watch Emeril Live or watching Rick Bayless on PBS on Saturday afternoons...I could go on and on...Basically, I love food. I love GOOD food. I love fresh, rustic food. 

Recently, I have started watching Jamie at Home and he has quickly become my favorite chef...no joke. Whether he's sitting out in his garden grilling salmon on a coal pit and picking fresh herbs and vegetables for his dishes or throwing an amazing looking rustic spaghetti & meatballs together in his little european kitchen, he's great. Seriously, if you have the Cooking Channel, and you like to find new recipes...you NEED to check out what Jamie Oliver is cooking up! 

the 4th

Tonight, as Sarah and I walked back to her Aunt & Uncle's house from the fireworks, I was reminded of how great of a country we live in. With the sound of fireworks coming to their finale over the lake, there was still a lingering hint of charcoal in the cool summer air, country music playing softly as a family sat out in their driveway, and the smell of pool chlorine still on my skin. Just knowing that all across the country, americans were all celebrating the same thing, with the same traditions, gathering with family and waving sparklers as fireflies glitter in yards...these are some of the things that make me love this country. 

So, here's to all our Vets and service men and women who have sacrificed so much for the traditions, freedoms and celebrations we are able to enjoy every day...Thank You.

this is the song

Those of you who know me, even just a little bit, know of my great love for all things music...especially when it comes to good ol' fashioned roots/folk/americana music. On this fine Thursday morning, after  clothes shopping online over the phone with my brother, I started getting a music itch. I threw The Beatles' Let It Be on the turntable, but it didn't quite hit the spot. Then, I decided to jump on NPR's tiny desk concert site and watch the short show my old roommate (the Michigander) told me had been uploaded...and without fail, Chris Thile's lightening fast mandolin playing saved the day. 

My family and Sarah and I had the opportunity to see these two about a month ago down in Boston in a cramped Newbury Comics store...needless to say, they did not disappoint. 

If you feel like life's just a little bit crazy, you feel as if nothing is simple anymore, you need a break from the incessant thumping bass and screaming guitar riffs you hear everyday on the radio, check this video out...but prepare to have your face melted. Just click on the little NPR logo and let the music your grandpa listened to on front porches remind you that not everything moves at breakneck speeds today...except for the occasional mandolin player's fingers that is.