Fire Pit Evenings

"...fire pit evenings with friends and s'mores..." was on my summer game plan, and since our friend was here, the time had come! I love these nights with everyone gathered round the fire, the aroma of wood smoke, the happy combination of adults and kids and dog, simple food, and even a few fireflies to add to the atmosphere. But mostly I love them because they create happy memories!

Summer Fun

I've been quite absent, because I've been having some good summer fun with these two!

Colette's friend has been here visiting for a week, and we've been showing her the sights, hiking, eating gelato, roasting s'mores, and enjoying her sweet company.  I have hundreds of pictures to look through and edit, and once that's done, I'll be sharing some of our adventures with you.  Coming soon!

Small Town 4th of July Celebration

I love celebrating the 4th of July in our small, New England town!  The town goes all out to decorate with buntings and flags on the telephone poles.  And individual patriots do their part by sprucing up their homes for the holiday.

The Revere bell in the belfry of the church tolled 10:00, signaling the starting hour for the town parade.

Townspeople gathered around the center of town, for what has been dubbed "one of the best small town parades in the U.S."  And indeed, comparisons to a "slice of Americana" or "a Norman Rockwell-style parade" were words I heard often today.

Let the parade begin!

And then it was over for another year.  Hangers-on swarmed the general store for cool bottles of water, popcorn, or ice cream treats...sitting on the porch steps and chatting with neighbors.  An American tradition at its finest!

Then, for us, it was home for grilled burgers, grilled corn, and more.  And those strawberry shortcakes for dessert! Yum!

Wishing you and yours a fabulous 4th of July!

Beautiful Country Wedding in California

Under stormy skies and a tornado warning, we waited for our flight to leave Boston last week.  Headed west towards that sun and to a dear friend's wedding!

Mostly, we were there to help with the wedding, but we were able to spend a bit of time with my brother and his family.  Here's Colette and my adorable niece doing California right...poolside.

We enjoyed REAL Mexican food (a bit scarce in New Hampshire) at the little Mexican place I've been frequenting since high school.  Yum!

Then it was up to the hills to stay with our friends and a whirlwind of days getting ready for the wedding...flower arranging, mentor day, rehearsal, table decorations, and more.  And just like magic (also known as hard work!), everything came together at the last minute for a joyfully memorable day!

Colette was beyond thrilled to be a bridesmaid!

The bride, her friend since childhood, arrived by horsedrawn carriage.  A true fairy tale entrance! (For details about wedding site and wedding coordinator, see bottom of posting.)  "Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future." - Proverbs 31:25.

Her uncle piped her down the aisle.

Man and wife!  Goodness, I love this couple!

We were so blessed to be able to be there to witness their vows and share their joy!

On to the reception at the bride's parents' home. Tapas bar dinner and berry cobbler with homemade vanilla ice cream for dessert. Delicious!  And there was dancing!

Two days later, we were back in New England.  Happy to be home. Catching up on sleep and laundry. 

If you live in, or are getting married in southern California, the details to create such a beautiful and memorable wedding are as follows:

Wedding Site: Rileys at Los Rios Rancho, Oak Glen, CA.

Wedding Coordinator: Cherie Riley Weddings

Summer Game Plan

Am I the only one who doesn't like the term "bucket list"?  There's something sort of sadly morbid about it to me, even if it's something as simple as a seasonal bucket list.  So, in searching about for an alternative word or term for this posting, I wasn't having much success.  Summer Agenda?  Ugh.  Who wants an "agenda" for the summer?  And synonyms for agenda are: schedule, timetable, line-up, to-do list.  Hmm...all quite evoking the opposite of how you want summer to feel.  Then I hit on it - Summer Game Plan!

- SUMMER GAME PLAN - 

A game plan with no pressure to win, but just to savor the moments!

gardening

travel to California for a wedding

host guests several times

go to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston

gelato

hiking

outdoor concerts with picnic dinners

berry picking

homemade ice cream

sewing for the shop for Christmas

fire pit evenings with friends and s'mores

grilling

time in the hammock

4th of July parade

In-n-Out burger while in California

go to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

finish reading "Crime and Punishment"

farmers' markets

Italian sodas

What's on your summer game plan?

Details and Sweetness

We're headed out west for a wedding soon, so this week's been full of pre-vacation details...returned the first new dress after finding one I liked better, needed jewelry to go with the new dress (if you give a mouse a cookie...you understand, right?), hubby needed new tennis shoes, last minute gift buying, a mad scramble to get the gift in the mail...and on and on.

And in the midst of all these busy details, there have been such sweet moments!  Like yesterday and today when I help Felicity with the new baby and my other three adroable, stair step grandkids!

And the peonies!  The pink peonies are finally blooming!  Don't they just take your breath away?

Gardening Time

Last weekend, we powered through and got the garden all planted and ready to grow. Colette spent many, many days whacking down saplings in the lower part of the yard, stripping their leaves, and making some fine wattle fencing to border each garden bed.  We love how it looks!  All the plantings were either grown from seed by me, or purchased from local, small-scale organic farms.  Can't wait for everything to grow!

Growing this year: eating tomatoes and plum tomatoes (11 plants in all), yellow and green zucchini, butternut squash, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, lettuces, onions, carrots, eggplant, basil, chives, sage, and parsley.  And growing on the trellis beneath the deck: green beans, cucumbers, and jack-be-littles.

I'm hoping for a great harvest.  Technohubby just wants SALSA!

Exploring Rockport, Massachusetts

Yesterday, Colette and I took off for another little day of exploration!  I had to make a trip into Boston for some supplies for the shop, so we started the day at L.A. Burdick...chocolate, pastries, and hot chocolate!

Then we headed north to Rockport, Massachusetts and its charming historic district, known as Bearskin Neck.  Quaint shops and tourist traps, fudge shops and lobster shacks, ice cream stands and art galleries, beautiful homes and sailboats can all be found in Bearskin Neck.  Enjoy the views!

Welcoming a New Grandson

Walter and Felicity were blessed with their fourth child this weekend!  Our fourth grandbaby!  Welcome to the world, little Ben!  Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!