Adirondack Family Time™

Sometimes my children seem to forget that spring is a season. To them it seems more pit stop to summer than an event of its own. After a long winter, that seemed to want to continue with those late snowfalls, our house is a rush of summertime activity. My children want to discontinue jackets while one even attempts to boycott long pants. I am afraid to pack up the boots and coats because last time I stored the winter gear it snowed. I am just superstitious enough to believe that there is a connection. The 1st annual Daffest will be a wonderful way to really cement the idea that spring deserves celebrating on its own. Saranac Lake’s new community event will paint the town yellow in 2011. Pathways and parks will be a bloom of color. Over a million bulbs will be planted this fall out and around Saranac Lake. To find out how to help, please go to daffest.com. Bulbs are available for purchase at a variety of sponsorship and donor levels. After a long winter a million daffodils will be a wel

There is really nothing like a canoe trip to really bring out the strengths and weaknesses in a family. It requires balance; strength and teamwork some of which we are sometimes in short supply. As we transition from winter sports to summer fun our organization skills are put to the test. The children have outgrown their life jackets and the weather can’t decide whether to snow or rain. The bug spray has to be found along with my very attractive bug netting. Citronella wafts around us like a cloud sparking memories of spring. We have decided to take two cars and leave one at the end of our destination so we will only be going downstream. We are not equipped to go over the permanent rapids and decide a portage isn’t in the cards for this short outing. We start just north of the Village of Saranac Lake and spend a few moments going over the rules of the river. It may seem like common sense but my children always need to be reminded not to stand up in a canoe. The current is swift and

By Diane Chase Personally I like to see my fish on a platter with a slice of lemon but I am out voted every time. My children and husband love to fish though they mostly subscribe to the “catch and release” philosophy. Part of me thinks that it is because my children are not really successful with the catching part making the release a foregone conclusion. Read More

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