Adirondack Family Time™

I do love to cook. I make my own bread, yogurt and summer jams. I enjoy spending time in the kitchen with my family as we share the fun of cutting up vegetables. Doesn’t that all sound idyllic? The part that is truly a chore is doing the dishes. Good grief. No matter how many times I ask that we try to reuse the same glass those cups pile up. I am just as guilty. I put down my water or forget my coffee cup and just reach for another. Spoons seem to spring from cupboard to sink. So under the guise of community spirit, I look forward to those opportunities to dine out and let someone else share in the clean up. Tonight the Lake Placid Elementary School is holding a benefit to raise funds for a new natural playground, Paw Print Park, from 4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., at the school’s cafeteria. The Italian-styled dinner ($8 for adults, $7 for seniors, $6 for children) is from a variety of local restaurants. If you are just interested in taking a break from cooking you can even get it to go by c

By Diane Chase In Lake Placid tonight a group of Lake Placid Elementary School parents and community members will be offering an Italian Feast to support a new playground called Paw Print Park. A variety of local restaurants such as Villa Vespa, Crowne Plaza, Main Street Pizza, Hohmeyers, Paul Smiths College are providing the feast with donated items from Gauthier’s, Northwood School and Steak and Seafood Company. The menu is baked ziti, lasagna, grain salad, green salad, homemade sauce and meatballs, and a variety of yummy desserts. This is not a private endeavor. It is a huge undertaking organized by parents to replace the existing 20-year-old playground. As funds and grants are being raised for this new renovation at the public school, the public has been and always will be welcome to use and continue to use the playground. The new proposal has a school garden, composting facility as well as natural playground in a similar style as The Wild Center 's The Pines. The fee is mini

By Diane Chase Mother's Day Weekend isn't all about sitting around being served homemade French toast with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice and reading the New York Times Sunday paper undisturbed, while members of the family worship the ground you (mothers') walk on. (Yes, I do realize that is a run-on sentence but felt the sudden urge to get a menu request out there.) It's about being together. For those that have mothers... Happy Mother's Day. For a brief history surrounding Mother Day's, here is my latest post on Adirondack Almanack . For a weekend full of activities Tri-Lakes 5/8/10 all day Northern Lights School Bowl-A-Thon Saranac Lakes 7:30 p.m. Lake Placid Center for the Arts presents Bright Star 8:30 a.m. – noon Volunteer to indentify Adirondack birds by sight and sounds at the Paul Smiths VIC 10:00 a.m. Paul Smiths VIC API Friends walk 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Arts and Craft Fair at NCCC, Malone Campus where Artisans, book sale, art vendors and more. Fre

By Diane Chase May 1st is always a celebration of spring. Whether you choose to give a May Day Basket or a Tussie-Mussie, it is a wonderful way to highlight the change in seasons. The May Day basket dates back to ancient Roman festivals of spring. Pick or buy a bouquet of flowers and arrange place them in a basket. Secretly place them on the door of a neighbor. This an excellent activity for you to do with your children as it gives them a sense of doing something altruistic. It is a kind gesture and can bring a sense of community. A tussie-mussie is a nosegay of flowers and herbs bound together by a ribbon or a doily and chosen for the message it conveys. This old-fashioned nosegay or posy delivers a message to the recipient. The sentiment is entirely up to the maker of the tussie-mussie. Use roses and myrtle to express love or lavender to show happiness. Don’t forget to add a card which clearly defines the meanings of each plant included in the tussie-mussie so your sentiments will

By Diane Chase The Adirondack spring snow was unexpected. It doesn't matter if it happens every spring, I still do not expect it. I pack my children's boots away hoping that the mere act of getting the winter gear out of site will render them out of season. Well, that plan didn't work for me so back we loaded on the layers, made snow blobs (it would be too generous to call them men, women or children) and had a snow ball fight. It may not snowed lemons but we made lemonade just the same. This Saturday is May Day. If you want to resurrect the old fashioned tradition of a May Day basket, check out these tips. Also a reminder that the Wild Center reopens on May 1st after a month of putting on a new spring face! The theme of events this weekend seems to be all about recycling and reusing as everyone from town-wide rummage sales to library sales are on the docket. This weekend is supposed to be back to warm weather but we'll keep our jackets handy. Enjoy the weekly line-u

In a report from Plastiki , Adventure Ecology founder and environmentalist David de Rothschild and his intrepid crew; Jo Royle, David Thomson, Olav Heyerdahl along with National Geographic filmmaker Max Jourdan and Myoo Media’s Vern Moen set sail on the Plastiki, a 60 ft catamaran engineered from approximately 12,500 reclaimed plastic bottles and srPET, a fully recyclable material. An ‘off‐the‐grid’ vessel relying primarily on renewable energy systems, the Plastiki and her crew will journey more than 11,000 nautical miles drawing attention to the health of our oceans, in particular the colossal amounts of plastic debris, by showcasing waste as a resource and demonstrating real world solutions through the design and construction of the Plastiki. The Plastiki began her adventure nearly four years ago after taking inspiration from a report issued by UNEP called ‘Ecosystems and Biodiversity in Deep Waters and High Seas’ and Thor Heyerdahl’s epic 1947 expedition, The Kon‐Tiki. True to Adv

By Diane Chase This is a frustrating report and seems to go against everything that scouting stands for, a pin/belt for video gaming? There is a badge for computers but to gain the badge supports an outdoor lifestyle with requirements such as "using a spreadsheet program, develop a food budget for a patrol weekend camp out." The Video Gaming Belt Loop or pin is an award for the Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, and Webelos Scouts with such requirements as "Teach an adult or a friend how to play a video game." and "Choose a game you might like to purchase. Compare the price for this game at three different stores. Decide which store has the best deal. In your decision, be sure to consider things like the store return policy and manufacturer’s warranty." According to the home page of Boy Scouts of America "Scouting promises you the great outdoors. As a Scout, you can learn how to camp and hike without leaving a trace and how to take care of the land. You’ll s