We realize, of course, that there will be 100′s of posts about the royal wedding today. I just thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorite things, and maybe hear what you enjoyed most, as well.

The Dress

I mean come on, lets be real; this is what all the women are waiting to see. Right? Personally, I think it was perfect, and so very Kate. Elegant and fashionable and she didn’t absolutely swim in it. Thank goodness (Poor Diana). Also, a lovely nod to Grace Kelley’s dress. And who doesn’t think Grace Kelley wasn’t the epitome of fashion.

The Flowers

Again one can’t help but notice the similarities to Grace Kelley’s bouquet. But how sweet. I like that it wasn’t so large it overshadowed the dress. Anything more and I think it would have been too much. Also The symbolism of the Lily Of The Valley is very sweet. It is a symbol of humility and the return of happiness.

And then the Abbey. It was meant to look as a spring garden. No mean feat for a rather austere building, and it was beautifully done, don’t you think?

The Groom

A real Prince Charming! . . . . sigh

I could go on and on and on. Don’t worry I won’t, because I would love to hear from you. What did you love most about the wedding?

We are taking reservations now for our
Scottish ChristmasTeas. Join us for this

festive celebration of the season!

Autumn is in full swing here at Rose Arbour. The leaves have begun to turn and we finally got some much needed rain. The last couple of days have been perfect days for a cup of tea or hot spiced cider, or perhaps a bowl of Cream of Pumpkin Soup. This recipe is one of the most requested, so I have finally broken down and agreed to share it. It’s really actually rather simple, but “OH! So good!”.

So here it is . . .

Cream Of Pumpkin Soup

4 cups chicken stock

2 lbs pumpkin flesh, diced (I use sugar pumpkins or butternut squash)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 3/4 tablespoons corn starch mixed with 4 tablespoons water

1 cup crème fraîche

4 oz. butter, cut into small peices

In a soup pot, combine the chicken stock, diced pumpkin flesh and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and cook for 18 minutes. Cook the pumpkin quickly to avoid it becoming bitter.

After cooking, blend in a food processor or blender and strain.

Return the mixture to the pan and bring it to a boil. While stirring be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan so that the pumpkin does not burn. Skim off and scum that may form on the top of the liquid.

Blend the corn starch with cold water. Take the soup off the heat and whisk in the slurry. Put the pan back on the heat and bring to a boil again. Take the soup off the heat and add the crème fraîche. Allow the soup to boil again. Remove from heat one last time and whisk in the butter. The result should be a smooth and creamy soup.

Place the soup back on the heat to taste. Do not add salt while cooking. The salt from the chicken stock will generally suffice. You can substitute heavy cream or buttermilk for the crème fraîche but honestly its not quite as good.

Bon Appétit!

Well folks, it’s still winter here in Vermont. As much as many of us would like glorious Spring to come peaking round that corner. But all you skiers out there have another shot at some great snow. So don’t be shy, come on up and say hello.

Now for those of you who are still yearning for that bit of spring, never fear. Spring is popping up here at Rose Arbour. The end of February was about as long as I could reasonably leave that Christmas tree up, as beautiful as it was.

Time for fresh displays, with beautiful pastel colors. Time to take the wreaths off the windows, and let the strengthening sun come in. Time to enjoy the thoughts of rebirth and renewal!

Here is a peek at the shop, post Christmas.

We’re back! I am so very happy to be back on my blogs. I must apologize for those of you who came back early in 2009 and found the rather abrupt notification that we were no longer publishing.

I won’t bore you with the details, but health issues including some painful knee surgery simply required me to FOCUS on my health. But I am back, and will be with a bang.

The subjects we can cover together on Project a Better You will help us all flourish at the tasks to which we have decided to commit ourselves. I hope you will join me here at PaBY on a regular basis.

Please leave comments, suggestions, and especially questions. I will do my best to respond with useful information.

Well as you can see, the colors are coming. Almost everyone I talk to says that it looks like it’s going to be a great Foliage. Doesn’t that just make you want to come up to Vermont . . . especially to Rose Arbour . . . do some serious leaf peeping and then nourish yourself for a nice Fall Foliage scenic drive. This post suggests a wonderful scenic drive and provides links to a couple of great sites to help you plan your trip to Vermont.

Come stay with us at Rose Arbour. As our web site says so eloquently, even if I do say so myself :

“During The Foliage the warm glow of Rose Arbour’s lighted windows will welcome you home with open arms from a long day of “leaf peeping.”

“At Rose Arbour we have not forgotten that the first word in Bed & Breakfast is BED. That’s why Rose Arbour provides her guests with luxuriously comfortable beds. At the end of a long day exploring Vermont, skiing, or leaf peeping sink into bed for a great night’s sleep.”

	Scenic Drive Directions Well, we think we have just the drive for you. Follow this link to a great Vermont internet site, www.linkVermont.com. There you will find complete directions for a 58 mile loop that will take through the communities of Brattleborro, Newfane, Townshend,Jamaica,Londonderry,Chester, and Rockingham.Everyone of these towns has great shops, a variety of activities and historical sites, beautiful houses , and of course great fall color.
Here’s a couple of other links I highly recommend you bookmark. If Vermont history interests you the visit the Vermont History site. Click on Link Vermont’s Fall Foliage Report to find the latest news about how the Foliage is progressing.

Since Foliage is soon upon us, let me tell you about a great activity in southern Vermont you might like to try when you come to enjoy the fall color.

One of the best ways to see color is to catch the Green Mountain Flyer in Chester or Bellows Falls and ride on restored antique rail cars on the round trip between them. The train travels along the Williams River and the color can be wonderful. If you catch the train in Bellows Falls, it’s easy to get to Rose Arbour from Chester Depot. You can take a shuttle from Chester Depot right up into Chester Village. It swings right by Rose Arbour . Just hop off and come in for a cup of tea and some gift shopping.

If you Don’t care to take the shuttle, then drive west into Chester along Routes 103 and 11. On Route 103 in Rockingham make sure you stop at The Vermont Country Store . You’ll find wonderful souvenirs and other goods. In my opinion, this newer store is not the experience you can have at the original store, so make sure after you stop at Rose Arbour , you head on over to the beautiful village of Weston and spend at least a little time in the store there.

OK. More later.

If you have a favorite site to see in Vermont, please comment an tell us about it.

If you’re wondering how the fall colors are coming along, here’s a link to an up-to-date and reliable Foliage Report .