Beekman 1802 ... Sharon Springs ... Harvest Festival ... Incredible Weekend!

I just came back for a fantastic weekend in Upstate New York -- Sharon Springs to be exact. (Actually I have been back a few weeks and am now just getting the time to get this posted)   Frank (my husband) and I went to the Harvest Festival in Sharon Springs.  Our first vacation with just the two of us in over 18 years!  We always took our daughter everywhere we went, now that she is in college it is just the two of us again!   Actually he has sacrificed our family vacation for the past six years so that my daughter and I could go to Disney World every February with her high school marching band.  The reason we chose (I chose actually)  the Harvest Festival in Sharon Springs was because I just love the Fabulous Beekman Boys.    Last year after I had my gastric bypass surgery and subsequent near death experience which included 3 surgeries in 4 days, respiratory failure, 12 days on a ventilator and a month in the hospital I was home bound and watched a lot of TV.  I missed the first several episodes of last fall's Amazing Race due to being in the hospital but when I did start watching

it I immediately started rooting for the Beekman Boys, then I started watching the Fabulous Beekman Boys show on Netflix.

I have to say that Sharon Springs area has to be one of the most beautiful areas I have been to.  The views are breathtaking; Sharon Springs is a quaint little town that has been reborn; it was a perfect mini vacation an I can't wait until I visit again!

I took loads of pictures.  So here they are!

Mindy Cohn Me and Brent Ridge at the Beekman 1802 Mercantile

Dinner at the Blue Mingo at the suggestion of Brent.  Food was incredible and the view was even better

me and Josh Kilmer Purcell!!!

Got my Heirloom cookbooks signed by the Boys - I am in heaven!!

The Beekman House (the back)

Farmer John - he was so nice!

Look at me! 

View from on top of the "wedding hill"

Morning has risen on our way into Sharon Springs

Sharon Springs

The American Hotel

Getting my books signed, the Boys were so easy to talk to, like talking to old friends

Dave Purcell Josh's Dad, what a great guy!

Goats!

Can you see her?  Just her eyes and ears peeking over the pile of hay?  It is the elusive Polka Spot!  What a diva!! She was not in the mood for celebrity when I was visiting!

Well hello, gorgeous!  Polkie might not want to pose but I will!

My husband getting ideas from the heirloom garden for our own little garden

A beautiful view of the pond on the Beekman farm

some pictures of the crypt

There are no words for this picture.  The view from the top of the "wedding hill" looking out away from the farm.  Just breathtaking.  

Wishie pods!  I love wishies!

A few more shots from the top of the hill

Poor little Faintly, Farmer John said some of the goats were picking on her!! Bad goats!!

Daddy goat!

Is there anything cuter than goats up against a red barn?

Just a pretty shot of the side of the barn.

Here is the entrance to the crypt.

Can't forget the Black Cat Cafe.  What an awesome little place to grab something to eat.  If you are there for lunch you MUST have the Thanksgiving Everyday sandwich, awesomely delicious.  They also have a good mocha latte!

Wow what a difference one year can make.....

February 2012                                                            September 2013

I started typing this on September 27th just two days after my one year anniversary of my gastric bypass surgery and subsequent complications.  I ended up having to have another surgery to fix two hernias and some other stuff caused by the previous surgeries, I hope that I am not making this annual tradition! So now I am home on medical leave and have plenty of time to finally put some time into my blog and get into the habit of making posts.  So anyway......

The pictures above you can see quite a difference in me.  On the left is me in the center, my daughter on the left and two of her marching band mates taken February of 2012 at Animal Kingdom in Disney World (my favorite place on earth).  I may look happy and I thought I was happy but I was killing myself!  Shortly after this trip I went to a consult for WLS and made a decision that changed my life like I could have never imagined was possible.  So September 25, 2012 I had gastric bypass surgery, quickly followed by two more emergency surgeries over the next three days, spent 12 days on a ventilator in the surgical/trauma ICU due to sepsis and respiratory failure, and then another two weeks in the hospital followed up by two months home bound, with visiting nurses and lots of therapy.  I fought my way through these terrible complications and just 5 months after coming oh so close to dying I made the annual trip with the Interboro High School Marching band to Disney World in February of 2013 - Had a great time on my final trip with the band as my daughter was a senior.

Just rode the Tower of Terror for the first time with my band mom buddies Cathryn and Norma

Katy and I with Mickey and Minnie  

So now here I am more than one  year after starting my weight loss journey, 4 surgeries behind me and 152 pounds lighter.  At 47 years old I am starting my life over and enjoying every minute.  As you can see in the picture on the left at the top of this post - I look heathier and happier (it helps that Josh is so stinkin' cute).  My husband and I traveled to Sharon Springs, New York for the Fall Festival hosted by the Fabulous Beekman Boys who I fell in love with when I was home sick last year and they competed on the Amazing Race (one of my favorite shows).  In the picture with me is Josh Kilmer Purcell.   Looking great, feeling great and loving life!!!

Hamburg Hideaway August 2013

I am finally posting some of the cards I made while I was at the Hamburg Hideaway with my Scrap Peeps in August.  Had a fabulous time as usual.  Got lots of cards done (some of these I made multiples of) and just really enjoyed my self.  I stamped and embossed and used my cuttlebug to cut out my new dies.  Very pleased with what I accomplished. 

I took some time to take a nice relaxing walk around the Hideaway, although walking on the country roads was a little nerve wracking when cars came flying by me and I had to totally step off the road into the corn fields and hoards of grasshoppers would all swarm up around me -- Yuck!  I also had a fantastic massage and hit up a local Zumba class while there!

This is the view from the back deck of the Hideaway

One room school house that was down the road

One room school house again.  I am hoping that someone is working on restoring it. 

Cow Crossing!!!

I just loved the mix of colors with the beautiful blue skies, green land and bright red hay baler. 

The view for my walk. 

This is a beautiful country church I passed on my walk.

Getting Back on Track

I started this blog in the beginning of the year with the intention of really using it to promote my love of paper crafting and as you can see it never got started.  I really intend on doing better with it.  My live is back on track after a rough year.  The weekend of August 15-18 I will be going to the Hamburg Hideaway and plan on getting a lot done and being very creative!  So check back and I hope to start posting my creations on a regular basis!

Thanks for hanging in there with me!!!

Kelly

Here is a sneak peek at some cards I made recently.