Building

Yonder and Teeny are in the garage building a couch frame from some DIY plans they found online. I love that they're here! I love that they chose Massachusetts as their first post-graduate adventure. I love that they're working together to create a place to rest. They've signed a lease on a place to live on the North Shore, and I predict they will have many visitors in their new home. Living 15 minutes from Boston guarantees a stream of family and friends who will want a place to rest when they choose New England as a destination. Big things are happening for these fledglings who are building the foundation of their story along with that couch frame.

It's good to imagine "big" things happening in 2016--I'm glad that we have so many moments we think of as "big..." 

Really they're just a collection of small things that happen regardless of how we choose to categorize them. The best part of life is made up of the small things, I think, and building the small things up to be big: that's a win in the big picture.

coordinating flannel shirts = win
coming inside to assemble the frame = win
s'mores by the fire = bonus win

We're tripping along more than a week past the new year, and I'm still collecting Christmas decorations from dusty surfaces around the house. Cleaning up Christmas feels like the next big thing; besides what's for dinner and whether I'll get in a shower today.  I say in my head that if I get a shower at least four times a week, 

the tree put out before my mom's birthday (January 8th) 

and the outside wreaths taken down before Valentine's Day, 

I'm on schedule.

Good so far.

Here's to building up to BIG things in 2016.

good day Sunshine!

It's been an exceptional Winter.

We've been especially pleased of late to see the temperatures go up and the sun come out.

 We can't play IN the snow, but we've enjoyed playing ON the snow. Snowshoeing on top of several feet of snow on a sunny afternoon is pretty fantastic.

#Juno brought us three feet of snow

I got home from Texas just in time for a big snow storm.
We got the "no school" call the night before, announcing that we would have not one, but TWO snow days.
Of course we made pancakes.

We woke up to two feet of snow on the first morning, and by the time the sun went down, the snow was still falling. By the time it was done, the snow piled up over the tops of those railings you see out there around the pool.

 We shoveled and frolicked.

a LOT.

We live in Massachusetts.

We love snow in January.

Especially in large doses.

Thank you, Columbus.

Columbus Day is that holiday Monday in October that just cannot be ignored in Massachusetts. Even if it's cloudy. 

Mid October = PEAK foliage.

On Columbus Day, there's NO excuse for staying put.

You must drive. And LOOK all around you.

But, as the woman who said the prayer at church this week put it when she sent her words Heavenward, "Thank you, God, for this beautiful Fall Foliage. BUT. I would ask all the drivers: PLEASE. Keep your eyes on the road. AMEN."

Yes. AMEN. But DO look. Safely.

If you haven't visited our neck of the woods this time of year, put it on your bucket list. NOW. And call ahead for reservations. Or you might have to settle for the overflow guest accommodations in the basement. I'll be HAPPY to host a Fall foliage tour!

As we were running errands (ALL.DAY.), I would look out the window and gasp, and point, and find myself saying things like "Who gets to drive around in this colorful place doing mundane things?--Oh right.  WE DO."

And so we did.

Taxiing students, shopping for wedding apparel, repairing eye glasses, picking up contacts, visiting the barber shop and BEST of all, delivering our UMass student Enrique, back to his place in Amherst; with clean laundry, some honey crisp apples and a few tupperware containers of food.

He hadn't been home since this summer.

We love him!

 And we love his wheels.

We also love his taste in food...

He introduced us to some Syrian Falafel sandwiches.

Falafels are a traditional Middle Eastern food--they looked like mini donuts, but are deep fried balls of ground chick peas.  The man who ran the shop gave us the FULL verbal history of the Falafel, and insisted that the Syrian version is the best. He kept giving us samples with his signature cucumber yogurt dressing (with mint) that was DELICIOUS.  The Falafels were then wrapped in Syrian bread (YUM) with a choice of fresh ingredients inside.  DOUBLE YUM. If you haven't tried a Falafel, I am happy to heartily recommend the Syrian version.

 I am also happy to heartily recommend the drive home from Amherst. We stopped no less than six times to take pictures.

 And, as a reward for his patience, I took my traveling companion to Kimball's, where we purchased our LAST ice creams of the season. They always close up shop on Columbus Day. For that one tiny thing I am not so grateful, however, the whole Columbus Day package in this area is pretty fantastic.

Come SEE!!

October Photo Walk

I love my walks.

October has sure come into herself... showy bursts of color every where you turn. I'd love to have you alongside me so I could point and exclaim "Oh look! Isn't it beautiful?!?"

Yesterday I took my camera with me to preserve some of my favorite colorful spots.

 Even the poison ivy looks good in October.

 It will be good to look back at the glorious departure from summer when we're enduring the long cold winter ahead.

 Fall in Massachusetts is just stepping off.

The days are filled with mostly mundane (although important) tasks, but we can perform them for the next two months in the most glorious of settings.

 I'm grateful for the awareness that it's good to pause and acknowledge the beauty all around. 

meeting online ...and in person

In the early days of social networking, I sort of cringed at the idea of "meeting" someone online. It seemed risky. I found that as my comfort with the world wide web increased, so did my desire to expand my world. Especially when it came to friendships with strong, independent women who are living to make a difference in the world.  I met my first online friend in 2008. Then I met her in person in 2009 when I flew to Utah with Yonder, to help him get settled into his freshman year of college. It was invigorating! She was a friendly blogger with whom I had connected through my own attempt at a foray into the world of blogging, and it turns out she was even more delightful in person. We ate ice cream. We talked about the Kennedys and Boston. She has Massachusetts connections, so we met again a few years later on a sunny day in Boston when she was here for a visit. We took a walking tour of the back bay, enjoyed some time catching up, and snapped a selfie on the common before we parted.

Since then, some of my closest friends have been women I've met through online and blogging connections.

Thank heavens for the internet!

My life is fuller and richer for it.

Recently, on my trip to Idaho, I realized that I would be driving through the town of Brigham, Utah. Jody, another friend I had yet to meet in person lives there.  I become acquainted with her several years ago via an online motivational program that brought women together from all over the country (and Canada, too!) in a positive forum where we challenged ourselves to be physically fit, and also incorporated other ways to  pull our more complete and balanced lives together in a loving, supportive forum. It was called The Resolutionary Challenge.  I participated, along with Jody, for a few years, and loved the results; mainly the friendships gained as a result of encouraging one another and working towards common goals.

I called Jody as I traveled towards her town, and she was so kind to say yes to an impromptu after-nine-pm visit. 

I enjoyed meeting her husband and visiting with them for a few minutes in their home.

They were gracious about granting my wish to see the newly opened Brigham City Temple, and drove a few miles with me (so I wouldn't get  lost) to see it and bask in its beauty for a few minutes before making my way back down the highway.

I'm grateful for my friendships!

Life is SO SO much better when we enjoy meaningful relationships.

I felt like I had already met her; and then knew for certain we were meant to be friends when she slipped me a bag of chocolate on my way out the door. The chocolate didn't last long. But our friendship will.

Airboat Rides -

NOBODY regretted making air-boat rides a priority on our Florida trip.  Seeing alligators in their natural environment and experiencing this beautiful part of Florida's ecosystem was a definite highlight.