Glorious New England Break

We took a trip last week for three days to some of our favorite locations! How I love New England in the Summer, and visiting Salem, Concord, Rockport and Marblehead sure put you in the mood for Fall and Halloween! What a great trip it was and it took careful planning and organizing due to Mom' condition but it sure worth it! Unfortunately, my son could not join us as he was working but Caitlin, my husband and I fit in as much as we could. We started off in Salem (as we always do) and visited our favorite locations from Hocus Pocus,our favorite movie. If you'd like to see the photos from that you can join my Fall/Halloween page on Facebook, Halloween at Home & More!, and I posted several. We visited our favorite sites in Salem, especially our favorite, the House of the Seven Gables. I could just spend all afternoon there. The grounds, the home~~~And I feel like Nancy Drew every time the guide reveals the hidden staircase in the fireplace!

We walked for miles because it was so beautiful out and we agreed it was perfect to park the car and just roam along the Derby Wharf. We visited the Judge's home too. He was the presiding judge during the Salem Witch Trials. We ate in Salem at the Witch's Brew for lunch and in Peabody for dinner and I had an awesome shrimp/beet & goat cheese salad! Caitlin had a big fisherman's platter and my husband had a giant prime rib he could barely finish!

Our first evening we ended in Gloucester with the famous fisherman!The water at night was gorgeous and we took a cool photo of our shadows!

The second day we still spent in Salem and then it was off to Concord where we shopped and had lunch at the Colonial Inn!

The trip would not be complete if we didn't visit the schoolhouse where the real Mary (Sawyer) "brought her lamb to school one day", and visited the beautiful grist mill.

Dinner was at Longfellow's Wayside Inn.  The Inn is a very special place to my husband and I. We had drinks before dinner in the old tavern and then onto dinner which was incredible. We had lobster bisque, scallops and steaks. I think because the weather was cooler, I was really feeling like Fall and when I went to bed that night, I was already thinking about my Fall decorating. Plus all the Salem and Hocus Pocus stuff had sent me into the whole old fashioned Halloween feeling. 

Our last day, we spent in Marblehead and Rockport. We visited the historic cemetery that they filmed in Hocus Pocus 

and then we went to the water and enjoyed the shore. More shopping, lunch and then we were on our way. Back to Home Sweet Home! Hope you enjoyed the trip with me!

Hello August!

Good Morning! August is here already and my plants are still thriving (surprisingly) with the heat we've been having! I have my sprinkler system working overtime! I hope everyone has been enjoying their Summer! I don't know about you but as soon as August rolls around, I am already dreaming of Fall! I want so badly to pull out my Fall accents and arrangements and just decorate! I will wait as I always do until the last week of the month! By Labor Day, we will be decorated for Autumn.
We have a special trip coming up and that will put me in the Halloween mood for sure! Details to follow!

I have some visitors coming today and I think I will use these great new napkins I just bought! They are under the sconce I purchased as well!

I need to get a set of black ones too. BY GRACE PRIMITIVES is the site on Facebook I bought them from and I have bought many other things as well. Great prices and she is lovely.

Caitlin and I are sewing this Summer. We both made some pillows.We are hand sewing them and its so fun. She made bandana pillows, and I made a few with an Amish couple on them.  I am  working on a table runner but my sewing machine jams and is quite frustrating.

On my Country Decorating page, I was mentioning how much I love timer candles, the battery operated ones. I have an obsession. Its the first thing I look for when I go to PA or into a country store. Some people only have them timed for the evenings. I do both day and night. I do that because I know when I go into a favorite country store to shop, I enjoy seeing them lit. So....I'm helping to keep the battery industry thriving! hahahaha

Say hello to two of my girls! This is Loretta and Delilah! They are five months old now! And they are very nosey so they enjoy seeing what goes on around them!

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Good Stuff

Always a favorite picture (above). It was originally a card my dear cousin sent me and it reminded me of the many farm stands I visit in Amish Country and even here on Long Island. And there is always a friendly cat! Come to think of it, there's always a friendly  cat at several stops I make. Lazy cats sleeping on the counter who are hesitant to move so that you can load your items or pay your bill! That's the life! I'm hoping to see this very same cousin this week if her plans work out.

So those who are part of my other pages, may know what is going on personally for Mom and our family so there have been major changes going on. Happily we have reached a period of stabilization and things are coming together quickly. The time that we have is valuable with her. Its been all encompassing but thankfully with the help of my husband and my brother and sister-in-law, things are working out well. I have so much to catch up on here at home and in the garden but I'm okay with that. It will all be here and the time with Mom is much more important.

Here is Caitlin's 8th grade graduation photo. My girl is something else. She is on the high honor roll and when she goes to high school next year she is starting a program for Deaf Interpretation which is a huge interest for her. Our celebration for her graduation is tonight at the Cheesecake Factory! That's my girl!

Speaking of girls, my chicken gals have been laying eggs and I think even one of my newbies is laying. Its hard to tell because I don't actually see it happen!

My sunflower I just love!

Have you made strawberry pretzel dessert? Some recipes call it strawberry pretzel salad. It is DELICIOUS! My family just requested it. Its one of those things I don't make more than maybe twice a year so you look forward to it!

I sure hope 4th of July has good weather! I'll be posting soon after! Enjoy your Sunday!

Summer

I love Summer; I love all the seasons actually which is why I enjoy where I live. We experience all the seasons on Long Island and not to the extreme; our Summers aren't scorching hot, our Winters are snowy but not overwhelming, etc. Summer was always a laid back time and I enjoy that. It's changing slowly though. It seems like yesterday when my kids were both celebrating the last day of school getting off the school bus. Now, although my daughter is only graduating 8th grade, my son goes off to work every morning! So the sheer excitement of "SUMMER!!!" has dwindled some.  Not for my daughter of course...but even she at 14 years old, has become more reserved about her glee that school is over. She has a Summer bucket list~she's already crossed off a few things~Summer is fun but I have to confess that whereas they are moving along I am internally shouting "NO MORE SCHOOL!! I'M FREE!!" because in my mind, I still go back to that feeling I had of happiness walking home on that last day after that last test and thinking SUMMER!I think of the family vacation we took every year, all of us driving to various destinations like St Louis or the Berkshires, staying and eating at Howard Johnsons and visiting every gift shop we passed.  My Summers were filled with reading; sitting in our backyard rocking chair and reading my favorite ~Nancy Drew. The beach and fishing off the pier, bbqs all wonderful. I hope my kids feel the same way about their Summers. They seem to have enjoyed them! They too enjoy the beach, the pool, meals on the big porch, our vacations. All I know is today is the last day of school for Caitlin and for ME :)    YAY School's out!!

So my girls have been working overtime supplying us with eggs. I'm not sure if any of the new chicks, who are now six months old, have started laying. I haven't physically seen them lay or sit on any eggs.

They have grown to be big girls now. No roosters in the bunch which is good. I use what I can and give some away. Once the new girls start laying daily, I will be giving plenty away.

Getting all the rest of my Americana out too. Although I have a lot out all year, I did have some new additions. My parlor is soon to be undergoing a renovation of new paint and carpet and I added my new Amish table so that is my inspiration to build around. We've been taking one room at a time to do fresh paint and updates. We started from the basement and worked our way up! Americana works so well in my home and I view it that way, as an Americana type home. I know Farmhouse style is everyone's current favorite of decor right now. I love it too. I've always incorporated some of that into my style but I still love the traditional country style which to me is a combination country, primitive and Americana.

That's about it for me. Hope you have a day filled with smiles.

Planting & Healing

Happy Saturday! I think it's going to be beautiful day! Hibiscus plants make even the rainiest of days cheerful! I have such good luck with mine! I have two plants and I'm looking for a white one. I have two of what they call "Hawaii Punch."

Taking care of my Mom as she is healing; happy she is at home with us. Isn't it funny how we feel better in our own surroundings? My home is my healing place; my happy place.

I continue to plant and we have expanded our garden. The lettuce is huge. My first year planting it. I planted several kinds but the butter lettuce is really loving its space and growing fast.

This weekend I have to pick up tomato plants, cabbage and the rest of my peppers. I made this tiny little garden too.

My Amish planter is on my front porch! 

Other things I've been doing are knitting and I have been tea staining flags! I want them to look as old as Betsy Ross! A lovely friend told me she uses brown shoe polish to olden up her flags or fabrics! What a great tip!

Back to the knitting, I saw a great tutorial on you tube from a young man and he really was a good teacher! I'm trying!

Well enjoy your Saturday! Thanks for keeping up with me!

Beautiful Monday!

Did you ever have one of those nights when you really sleep well? I mean in a deep sleep; a slumber! I had that last night! I woke up feeling refreshed this morning! The last two weeks have been filled with emotions both good and not so good so I think my body was just saying "time for a reboot!" I woke up ready to face the week! I haven't been home so much lately and  my house is calling me. Sounds strange, I know, but my home is my healer. Better than any prescription a doctor can offer. My mind and spirit is restored in my home. I close that front door and disappear inside and in the yard and I am able to sort out any issue or problem that comes my way. 

I've been planting and cleaning the outside in between all my Mom's appointments and other commitments. As she turns that proverbial "corner", its been hard to see her change and her health deteriorating slowly but we do everything we can to take care of her and we await the results of her latest round of tests and hope for a good treatment plan. She still enjoys a trip to the supermarket, though she sits out most of the time, because although she doesn't cook any longer, she always loved to food shop. As I do! I love to cook and food shop! Some of you are shaking your heads like "why???" I just do. Mom also enjoys being at my home and watching the crazy chickens! And who wouldn't? They're so darn cute!

 

I don't normally let them free range but I was cleaning out the coop. What a crazy bunch of girls! I got this great metal plant holder that suspends from Tractor Supply!

So in the last two weekends, I have attended two bridal showers for the two weddings I have this Fall. Thats what I mean by a rollercoaster of emotions. Sadness that some people I adore lost loved ones this week, gladness for the impending happy weddings and showers and the worry for my Mom, yet the thrill that the nice weather is here for flowers and bbqs...But back to the weddings...next year I have three weddings! Three nephews marry next year! Both showers were beautiful and both were different! One was very modern and the other very traditional! Have you noticed that? I enjoyed both. They say marriages have a 50/50 chance of survival these days. That's a little disconcerting but I am an optimist!I hope they all live happily ever after!

Back to the gardening! I planted broccoli this year and several lettuces along with my usuals. I'm really excited for the garden. My husband shares in my love for the garden and flowers. I bought another hibiscus plant too! The one I have in my kitchen blooms and blooms!

Well, time for me to get moving. I have an entrée to make for the Ladies Brunch of our Ladies Bible Study tomorrow. I became a table leader last January after nine years. It was a nice experience and depending on Mom, I hope to do it again next year.

Have a great day!

Hello Thursday!

Hello Everyone! Hope your morning started off great! I have a list a mile long of things to get done as I have fallen far behind. Mom is having difficulties and a lot of my time has been spent caring for her. Not complaining, believe me. It is upsetting though to see parents make these changes. I find myself pre-occupied and forgetful and unable to concentrate. I need a day like today to stay home and immerse myself in things here and out in the garden and chicken coop. It's how I heal and gain strength to face the next day. These changes are surely depressing and I can't let that overwhelm me so in a way YOU are my help too! I enjoy sharing on the various pages and this blog. Thank you so much for following me. 

A trip to Tractor Supply this past weekend for supplies for my chickens also yielded extra goodies for me :) 

My husband is awesome and found these two great items. A hanging rooster planter for the coop and a lovely plant holder that I have since decided to keep indoors. See the very top of this page! I added some artificial flowers. Also got a grain scoop which I had wanted for quite a while and I added a timer candle and pip berries. Now hanging in my bathroom. 

And yes, I did end up getting those chicken supplies too! 

Visited my favorite garden center and started getting more flowers. New Guinea Impatiens, Gerber daisies, and more knockout Roses so far. 

 thinking of where I should start this morning...beds made first! I also need to adjust the framed pictures on the wall in my livingroom. We got our new furniture in April but the artwork on the walls is not centered over the new stuff yet! Very unsettling. I must fix that!  Also, I want to repaint a table I have. A little drop leaf table that I think I will be painting old burgundy. How I love that color!!! Might add a black painted barn star...

I want to wish all of you Happy Mother's Day! Whether you are a mom to your own children, step children, the unofficial mother of the neighborhood, mom to fur babies, etc. have a happy day!