Light Painting

Some fun with a great camera, lights and a long exposure...what we like to call light painting. This was in Union Square. Fun! Fun! Fun!

The Crew: Jane, Richard, Jess, Peter (the brains behind all this), Adrienne, Zack and Linda

Hula hooping (is that a verb? it is now!)

Giddy up, cowboy!

My initials

Any guesses on what this one is??? :)

Apples, Apples Everywhere!

A few weeks ago, my roommate and dear friend Adrienne wanted to go apple picking for her birthday in true East Coast tradition. And boy did we ever pick! Four of us headed about an hour and a half outside the city (Adrienne, Sara Borg, Jess White and myself) to Lawrence Orchards Farms.

Adrienne, myself, Jess and Sara...just the beginning of the picking!

This was not just a short, morning outing like you might expect....it was a marathon of all days, but much, much more fun than a marathon. We started driving out of the city around 8:45 that chilly Saturday morning, making it to the orchards just after 10:00.

We started off pulling our wagon and picking, picking, picking. We had no idea so many different types of apples existed! And the best part was that we got to eat as much as we wanted to! My favorite of the day - Pink Ladies (thanks Annie for introducing me to them!).

Picking an apple. No, this wasn't posed at all :)

Now this was Conference weekend, so we didn't have all day at the orchards. We made our purchases - apples, squash, jams, apple butter, apple donuts, corn on the cob and pumpkins - and rushed to a nearby church that was broadcasting the session of Conference. We made it!

Some of the gourds

After hearing about the new temples (who wants to go to Rome?!) and the great talks by the leaders, we went shopping at some great outlet stores! We actually loved it so much that we had to go back after the second session of Conference! And luckily we had some coupons that helped us out a little bit. You gotta love a great deal!

On our way back to NYC, we stopped in New Jersey at Target (we are easily pleased!) to stock up and to eat at the Cheescake Factory. Sooo good! And despite Adrienne's best efforts and requests, she still was serenaded with "Happy Birthday". We got back to the city all tucked safely at home a little after 11pm. Needless to say, we had a blast!

And we carried the fun to the next day, making all sorts of goodness from our spoils - apple sauce, butternut squash soup, corn, and apple crisp (all from scratch...domestic goddesses, if you will, and I think you will). Can't wait for next year!

Le Tour de Vermont

A big thanks goes out to my brother Nate for putting together the second annual Tour de Vermont! Luckily, I was able to make it for a few days after missing the inaugural tour in 2007. This is something that I will definitely make it to every year that it happens! This year's participants: Bard and Adele Madsen; Nate, Amy, Beth and Sam Madsen; Josh, Jessy and Will Madsen; Jane Madsen; Annie Christensen. We hope to get the entire Madsen fam out next year.

One of the hillsides somewhere near Middleberry, VT

What a great time we had bicycling through the countryside (and there's a lot of it!) in Vermont, seeing all the beautiful fall colors. Seriously, we saw the peak of the colors. "It's like it was on fire!" And true, it was just like that. For anyone who has never been to New England in the Fall, you HAVE to put this on the list of places you'll go in your life. I really have never seen such beautiful changing colors. And we even all got "Le Tour de Vermont" shirts!

Amy and baby Sam

I've decided that once I move out of the city I'm buying a road bike. As much as I'd like one now, New York apartments just aren't really accommodating of luxuries like a bike (due to lack of space). And I might even be convinced to try clip-in pedals again, despite a few mishaps (Madsen clan, you know what I'm talking about).

Some of the biking crew - kiddies in being pulled behind the bikes, Nate, Jessy, Josh's arm, Annie and Bard

Besides bike riding, we had many other fun excursions! Adelee was a champ and drove the whole time - we could not have done it without the relief van! We had a blast playing Catch Phrase, even if we didn't play by the rules so much. The kids were so fun to be around! Cute little Beth just has a personality all her own, and knows just what she wants ("Jane, we're going to play...I'm going to tell you what to do, and you just do it." Gotta love that girl!). Will and Sam are great sports, too. And hopefully recovered from too much time in the car.

Beth and Gran (Adelee) "making a hike"

We also got to visit Shelburne Farms, right on Lake Champlaign. Because it doesn't have any heat (the metal that was once there was all given to help the war effort during WWII), it's only open in the summer. So we were lucky to make it just two days before it closed for the winter. We had a delicious breakfast (pancakes, apples, real Vermont maple syrup...mmmmm)! And took a little hike above the farm. It was the perfect ending to a fun, memorable week!

View of Lake Champlaign

Some silly facesWill apparently likes lemons

Annie loves her picture taken (and you can see part of our shirts here)

Love the camera, Jessy!

Beth's fish face...I think she looks more like a mouse.

Seriously, So Blessed!

If, for some reason, some of you have not heard about the seriouslysoblessed blog, PLEASE read it. It's so clever and reminds me of "Singles Ward" but for a blogging mom-to-be. Not to mention it keeps me entertained. Enjoy!

New Look

How do you like my new blog background? I am quite happy with it, if I do say so myself. Maybe I'm just more surprised that I could figure out all the ways to change everything and make it look somewhat presentable! Thanks to thecutestblogontheblock.com

Trial and Error

Just because a pair of shoes happen to be flats doesn't mean that your feet are free from blisters. Chalk this up to my lessons learned. Again.

Fall is Here!

It's true! Today is the official first day of autumn (give or take a day depending on what calendar you're looking at). Since I love fall, especially after the sticky and hot summer weather in the city, I felt the need to welcome it.

And it seems I'm not the only one greeting fall today. Google is always up with the times (just one of the reasons it's on my top five list of favorite websites), and here's what I saw today when I needed to look up something:

Thanks Google for everything! And thanks to nature for the beauty of seasons!

Summer Days Are Gone...

"Tans fade, highlights go dark, and we all get sick of sand in our shoes. But the end of summer is the beginning of a new season. So we find ourselves looking to the future." ~GG
This quote is what is keeping me positive as summer's door closes. This summer was a good one and it kept me busy (and away from my blogging). Maybe someday I'll write different memories as I need to brighten up the cold days that are sure to come in the next few months.

Montauk, Long Island, NY (the closest I'll get to a West coast sunset on the East coast)

Jane's Addiction

I've discovered my addiction: The Bubble Game. Too much of my time has been wasted on it, and I still have not won! Here's the link if you're really curious and want to try your luck:
http://www.onemorelevel.com/game/bubble_shooter

The Beehive State

About a week and a half ago, I had a few days off before I started my new job (yes, I started a new job) and decided to go to Utah for a quick trip. And it was just what I needed! It's always good to go home, be absolutely comfortable, hang out with the fam and just let people take care of me a little bit.

Some highlights (and the photos are from another trip home; I didn't take any this time.):

• Annie and I went for a hike up Big Cottonwood Canyon (Annie, it's the one with 7-11 at the mouth of the canyon). However, as we started driving up the canyon it started to rain. Our hike ended up being a nice drive up the canyon. Either way, it was beautiful! Every time I'm home, I realize how pretty of a place Utah is. (Thanks go out to Google for this pic! It really is Big Cottonwood Canyon.)
  
• Cafe Rio! Barbacoa Pork Salad. Need I say more?
• Over the past few years, our family has had the tradition of going to the driving range on holidays. Well, mostly just holidays like Memorial Day, Pioneer Day and Labor Day. It's what Adelee likes to call "Monday Holidays". This year was no different. Since it rained on Memorial Day in Utah, we countThe great, and amusing thing, is that no one in our family really golfs. Except Adelee - she won a tournament and a trophy back in the day when she was at the BY (BYU for anyone who went there after 1980). "It's all in your bottom," are her words of expertise!
• Les and I were able to take a little time and get pampered! We got manicures - one of my favorite things since coming to New York. She'd never had one before, so this was a real treat. Thanks Les for coming with me, letting me steal this picture and hanging out just like old times! I love that nothing ever changes with us, and we can just pick up right where we left off.
  
• Park City is always on my list when I go home. Not only is it a beautiful drive up there and a beautiful city, it also has great shopping! I know what you're thinking, "Doesn't New York have TONS of places to shop?" Yes. But I don't really do that much shopping due to time, too many people, etc., etc. Plus, the outlets have great deals!

Since being home makes me think of family, here are a couple random pictures of home/family:
This photo is of the banjo cake, made by special request for a special occasion. The Mad family celebrated Bard and Adelee's 60th birthdays by all of the kids flying home and surprising them! A miracle is what it was - that we actually pulled it off!

Oh, beautiful Utah sunsets (yep, the same one). I miss being able to see sunsets like this!

Celebrities, History and Randoms

In the past week (or so) I've witnessed a few things that could only happen in New York:

1. Anyone ever heard of Ferragamo? He's an Italian designer of handbags, accessories, etc. Well, I saw him at the airport going through security check. With his wife and two sons. I would not have even known if the airport employee at the check point would not have mentioned it. Now this was not Salvatore, the original designer, but it was his son Massimo (thanks Google for helping me figure this out - here he is at some event with his wife. And yes, this is the first of many pics to come!). 

2. As I was walking to the subway after work, I was near Central Park right by Columbus Circle. Clearly, a movie was being filmed. I saw John Heder (Napolean Dynamite) do a couple of takes of his new movie "When in Rome", which will also be starring Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars), Josh Duhamel and Danny DiVito.

3. Carnegie Hall! Beautiful concert hall and great company. And thanks to BYU Orchestra for letting us enjoy a free night! One of the best parts - it was called "Mormon Night at Carnegie Hall". Love it!

4. Once again, this was walking on the street on the way to the subway. Two chairs were set up on the sidewalk - the ones you sit in for a shoulder/back massage. The funniest part is that they were occupied by people actually receiving a little TLC - I guess the city is just too stressful sometimes!

These are just some of the reasons I heart NY. 

Anne Who?

Apparently, I'm an "Anne Elliot". Although I am quite the Jane Austen fan (I am her namesake after all), I've never seen "Persuasion", or at least don't remember it if I have. But for all you Austen fans, go here to see which of her heroines you are!

(And yes, this is the second picture on my blog! Yay for me! I saw this on someone else's blog - I just can't remember whose it was. But thanks anyway!)

Jane Needs...

I saw this on Lesley's (http://kyleandlesley.blogspot.com) blog and thought it was funny. You go to google and type in your first name followed by "needs" (eg, "Jane Needs"). Apparently, I need a lot of help! Here's what showed up:

1. Jane Needs...a break (how true, how true!).
2. Jane Needs...to find an introduction to alcoholism (some of my friends at work would second this. I, on the other hand, couldn't agree less.).
3. Jane Needs...a shot of adrenaline.
4. Jane Needs...YOUR help!
5. Jane Needs...her Ritalin.
6. Jane Needs...Help.
7. Jane Needs...Budget Help.
8. Jane Needs...to find herself a job (check!).
9. Jane Needs...to let it lie.
10. Jane Needs...prayers (yes, they're always welcome).

Spring Yet?

Weather in New York City is always so fickle. I remember one day in January when it was in the 70s! Now it's the middle of May and the high today is only around 60. A few weeks ago, the weather was amazing and I thought for sure we were done with the chilly weather. But it was just a tease. I am officially ready for spring. Being able to walk all around the city sans coats, scarves and gloves is such a treat after schlepping it around all winter long!

What really is getting me excited for the warmer weather is the fact that I switched out my winter clothes for my summer duds. This was a process, to say the least. And it made me realize how much crap I have. Not to worry, my mother taught me well in the area of cleaning out and giving away. Now there is a large pile of clothes and other random things sitting at the end of my bed just waiting to be taken to Utah (Kasey, I'll leave them for you so you can have first dibs on them!).

Now I must venture out in this blustery, cloudy day. Hopefully spring will come back soon!

Returning

After a long hiatus, I've decided to be more dedicated to my blogging. In fact, I realized there was a post I never finished from about a month ago. I'll update it and let you read all about it! Welcome back to my blog and my life!

On Broadway...

Here is the post that I apparently forgot about (started to be written around March 7). Enjoy!

Last week was just too good to be true! I kept quite busy, and thankfully with non-work related fun! Here goes a little recap...

On Monday, I met up with people for FHE to see the new movie "Penelope". Needless to say, this is a chick flick and I think only one or two guys showed up. BUT, I do highly recommend this movie. All the actors and actresses did a phenomenal job, especially Christina Rici (Penelope). Plus, it's refreshing to have a truly wholesome movie; I feel they're few and far between. Go see it (especially you, Adelee!).

Tuesday was so enjoyable. Fortunately I got off work early, and I had some time to kill before Hyeku, Bryndee, Helen and I were going to meet up to see "Altar Boyz" - and Off-Broadway show about a religious boy band. The off-Broadway shows were doing a 20/20 deal, where tickets were $20 20 minutes before the show started. Well, since I wasn't pressed for time, I took a little walk around the city. The weather was beautiful that night - not too cold, clear and just the perfect everything for a stroll around town. First stop was Bryant Park, one of my favs. Then I walked up Fifth Ave. past Rockefeller Center (one of my new favs), and over to Broadway. With all this being said, I completely missed Times Square, which is always fine by me (I guess too many tourists just isn't my thing, at all). When I finally made my way over to the theater, I came to find out that my nice walk was just that - a nice walk. The show wasn't playing that night! So what to do? Well, Hyeku and I met up to see "Rent" instead. (And all of my avoiding Times Square went for naught, since I had to go right through the heart of it to get to the theater.) How did I like "Rent"? Not very much. Definitely not on my "must-see" list of shows here. The characters were pretty good, but their voices weren't as strong and clear as I'd like. Most of the time it sounded like they were just screaming and ruining their vocals. In the end I'm glad I did see it, because it's closing on Broadway later this year.

"W" is for Wednesday and "WICKED"!!! One word about this: AMZAING! If you haven't heard the music, listen. If you come to New York, see it. Or if it's somewhere near you, see it. I love Elfaba, Glenda and Fiero!

"Altar Boyz" was the show of the day on Thursday. It's hilarious! How can you not love a musical about a Christian boy band? They save souls! And one of the members is Jewish. I don't think I've laughed consistently that hard in a long, long time. Thankfully the 20/20 deal was in effect this night, and it was definitely worth the $20! Go. See. Laugh. Enjoy.

Rainy, rainy Friday....that's about it.

Saturday was a much-needed day to myself. Those seem to be a rarity here in the city, and I took advantage of it to the max!

Unfortunately, this is not how life typically is for me. But I sure did love it!!!

Singing on the...Train!

So I've had some requests that I need to include more of what happens in my life in New York - I guess you all think it's pretty glamours and want to know all the details.

One thing that has been cracking me up lately are all the people on the subway who sing along to their iPods/mP3 players/discman (yes, they're still around). It's actually kind of refreshing and a comic relief to the usual quiet, don't-touch-me-if-you-can-possibly-help-it mindset that most commuters have. In fact, I have had to make a conscious effort to not bust up laughing on numerous occassions (which, I'm sure, makes my facial expressions something to get a kick out of as well). Some of these "musicians" are really not good, but some are surprisingly right on with their singing. All in all, I just want to thank these confident individuals for making the mundane just the opposite.

Slacker

I think other people check my blog more than I do. I'll try to do better!

Happy Reading

Since coming to New York, I've really gotten into reading. Mostly, I read while commuting to and from work. I guess it just makes the subway rides a little bit more interesting. The only problem is that I can get really into them. For instance, I've run into friends (well, more like they ran into me) on the subway platforms while I've been reading and can't carry on a normal conversation in my little book world. Also, I've almost missed subway stops when I can't wait to find out what's going to happen next with the characters. Here are some of the recent books that I'm a big fan of:

• The Friday Night Knitting Club
• The Infinite Atonement
• Harry Potter (any of the seven, really)
• The Kite Runner
  
• The Nanny Diaries
• Twilight (currently reading, so please don't give anything away!)
• Sense & Sensibility
• The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Summers one and two, waiting to get the next ones)
• Eat, Pray, Love (not a big fan of it, but just had to put it on the list)

There you have it! I'm always looking for a good book, so send any suggestions my way! Happy reading!

New Realization

So I had a wonderful realization this morning. As I pulled the plastic tab to unwrap a new pack of Orbit gum and opened the small box, I inhaled that fresh and minty smell. Turns out I have loved that aroma for a long time (who knows when it started), and I just realized it today. Anyone else think I should be on a commercial for Orbit?

Perfect

Have you ever had the experience when someone says just the right thing? I like those moments, regardless of how significant or not they are.

A Real Blogger???

I just figured out how to change my blog template (the background). Am I really becoming a real blogger? Maybe next on the list should be to add some photos :)

Little Miracles

Today, I was lucky enough to experience a few small miracles in my life...

• First, even though this does not directly involve me, my best friend of many years, Lesley Hallmark Colvin, had her first baby today! It's a beautiful little girl! After having been on the meds to induce labor, Lesley ended up having a C-Section. Happy to say that both Les and baby girl are doing well.
• While I was in Whole Foods after work, I got a call from my dear mother. She never ceases to amaze me with how unique she is! A few days and weeks ago (yes, both), I was telling her that I'm always freezing at my desk at work. And as she's always looking out for me, she has custom made me a fleece blanket! I think I will be the envy of the whole office!
• Those of you who don't live in the city or haven't visited here may not appreciate this last one as much as I do. I watched "Lady Hawk" at some friends' apartment tonight (not the miracle), and was walking down West 72nd St. towards the subway to go home - mind you it was 11:30 pm. Well, just before I got to the corner to cross the street, I saw my friend Fred* who was getting into his car. We hadn't seen each other since before Christmas, so we stopped to catch up for a second. He proceeded to ask me if I wanted a ride home! How grateful I am that I did not have to wait for the subway, take the train all the way up to 110th Street and then walk home. What a blessing!
  

Well, that's it. Just a few miracles from the City!

*Name changed to protect the real character. :)