Friday catch up! ♥...and a quick question

Hello Friends! Happy Friday! ♥

It's almost the end of a busy week and I for one, am so happy it's the weekend! 

But more importantly, look at this tree at end of my road.  Last night on my walk I spied color....yay! 

The leaves are starting to change 🍁

It's only little bits poking out here and there, but it's happening and that's all the matters :)

The late summer flowers are still blooming...♥

 

...and I think I might like my hydrangeas this way than in full bloom. The colors are muted and look so pretty.  

I just remembered I brought some of these inside last year to dry and kept them on my table for a bit.  

I must do that again this weekend. 

Such pretty sights all around ♥

I know it's not Halloween/crunchy leaves/spooky time yet, but seeing and feeling this shift has me very excited.  

And after another round of heat and humidity last week (it was really baaaad) the air is finally cool and we could actually now be in the clear.  

My windows are open and the past few nights have been good sleeping weather!  

Fall baking has started.  

I made pumpkin strudel muffins.  

They were yummy! Everyone got one in their lunch ♥

There is no stopping me now : ) 

Well now that I've caught you up around the house, what else is new? 

I mentioned a busy week and it was.  

Lots of appointments (for me and my Dad - all good though - no worries) work projects, house chores, being John's personal secretary (aka mom duties) and plain old ordinary adulting has me exhausted.  I live for the weekends when Rob and I can just kick back and relax. 

He's off tomorrow and we have a special day planned.  We're going into the city for day.  I haven't done a Boston day in a while so I'm looking forward to it.  Its fun being a tourist in your own neighborhood, isn't it?! It's going to be 72 degrees and sunny tomorrow.  Perfect! 

I can't wait to get a coffee and pastry and stroll the North End. It's so fun ♥

Oh, I wanted to tell you about John.  He's doing great!  He started school the beginning of September.  It's only been a few weeks now, but so far he's loving it.  He's in the music ed program and loving the classes and professors. I'm so proud of how far he's come, and most importantly, how he's following his passion.  He has his first jazz concert in December, and we are really looking forward to that.  

Here's a few pictures from the summer that I forgot to post.  He had a great time playing with his band at the beach on July 3rd. It's their second year doing it. 

This is a really talented group of kids.  They've started writing their own songs that they hope to record soon :) 

 

So that's the John update! ♥

Otherwise, it's ordinary day around here.  Pumpkin spice and everything nice.  I'm reading like crazy and at night either watching TV shows or doing cross stitch.  I'm still working on the same one I started a hundred years ago but it's ok.  I'm enjoying the process.  I'll share the finished product - if that day ever comes : ) 

One question I've been meaning to ask you all - specifically my over 50 friends... where are you all buying clothes these days?  I've been going through my closet and am in desperate need of an update this fall and winter.  Nothing fits comfortably anymore.  I've reached that point in life when things are *changing* and I'm thicker in the middle than I used to be.  Things I used to love to wear just aren't working for me anymore.  I don't know where to go to buy clothes.  I like casual and comfortable - but not sweats...well, not all the time.  If anyone has any suggestions PLEEEEASE send them my way.  Stores, brands, links, anything. I'm desperate 😧 

I hope you all have a great weekend.  It's going to rain Sunday, so I plan to have a cozy day reading and catching up on blogs.  I look forward to seeing what you all have been up to :)

The "ber" months are here! 

From here on I plan to be as cozy as possible! ♥

(and if I can't find anything comfortable to wear I'll be in my pj's indefinitely! :) 

I'm not even kidding.

Thanks for visiting me today! ♥

Byeeeee! xx 

It's beginning to look a lot like fall....everywhere I go.... 🎶

Good morning lovely friends.  I'm back! ♥   

I didn't expect to be away from here for so long.  To be honest, I found myself in a bit of a summer slump I guess you could say, just waiting to turn the page to September and now here we are! We have arrived! It's still warm during the days but the early mornings and evenings are chilly and that air is bringing me back to life.  

Our windows are cracked open and the AC has been off for days.  It's the best feeling to have lived through the dog days of summer and then to feel that cool air on your face first thing in the morning.  

Yes please. I've been waiting for months ♥

Pumpkin spice coffee is on repeat over here (for me anyway!) and this past weekend I started decorating for fall.  

I had ordered a new garden flag because my old one was all faded.  She made her debut on Sunday.  

Now all I need are some pumpkins to go underneath ♥

Coming soon! : )

Little touches here and there remind me that summer is over.  

I've actually started thinking about Thanksgiving.  Is that crazy?! 

Yes, probably ♥

And YES I'm aware it's not officially fall yet, but once Labor Day comes and goes it's fall in my book.  We celebrated Labor Day at a cookout at my brother in laws. 

 I had my last official summer hot dog with pasta salad and now it's time to bring out the crock pot! 

I think I need a mum for this corner - right where that basket is.  I saw some the other day at the grocery store.  Another sign summer is over.  

The mums are out!  ♥

YAY! These always remind me of my mom.  She loved them.  She also loved fall as much as I do and I'm sure that's where my love for it comes from.  

Thank you mom ♥

I miss her so much.  

Away went the sea glass and summer candles - all packed up cozy until next year. Out came all things orange, yellow, and brown, apple candles, and of course Charlie Brown because everybody knows he owns the fall (and a little of Christmas too : ). 

On to downstairs where I scattered a few things about, pumpkins and such. 

I still need to do more puttering down here, but I'm off to a good start ♥

You know I live here....lol 

What I love most about our kitchen and back-room downstairs is the backdrop.  

There are several windows and once the leaves start turning, we are all aglow with color radiating from the outside in.  

My mother always had lace curtains on these windows but after our painting project this past spring I opted to not put them back on.  I like the light that comes in. And I like that I can see out to all the trees and the river. 

Also - sidenote, this lamp is one of my favorite things in life ♥

Naturally, it's way too soon to start seeing any foliage back here yet but my autumn loving heart knows it's coming.  

I'll be watching! ♥

 

I can tell by the sun shadows that there's a shift. 

 I like having my coffee out here in the wee hours of the morning.  I'll do it until it gets too cold, and even then I go out for a few sips or as long as I can stand it.  Just me and whatever wildlife decided to visit that day.  

It's the most peaceful part of my day ♥

And there you have it friends.  I've declared it.  It's happening.  Is it going to be 80 degrees today? 

Yes it is.  Do I care? No I do not.  And that's that.  

Happy Fall! ♥

So how are you all feeling? Are you ready to say goodbye to summer?  One thing I haven't done is bring Halloween candy into the house yet, even though it's readily available in EVERY store I enter.  I've resisted because let's not get toooo crazy (who? me? never!).  We'll see how long I last :) 

Well, I'm off to make another pot of coffee and get to work for the day.  We are all well over here and things are happening.  John is back to school - I'll talk about that in my next post. I hope to be here a lot more often now that I've got my "mo-jo" back!  

Have a wonderful day friends! ♥

Talk soon! xx 

Having a slow summer ♥

Hello Friends! Happy Friday and.....happy August! ♥

Where did July go?! In some ways the summer is flying by and in other ways it's going by very slow, for me anyway.  I'm having what I call a slow summer.  I'm not really doing much, taking time for myself, having quiet days and nights at home.  We haven't gone on any big trips or done anything particularly exciting - and yet, it's been a nice summer far.  

I wanted to pop in today just to say hello and confirm that yes, I'm still alive! :)  I've been feeling like I haven't had much to talk about lately (which isn't necessarily a bad thing!) so that is why I've mostly been absent on here.  Unless you want to see me wandering around the house in old shorts and a Mickey Mouse t-shirt because that's as exciting as it gets.  I'm not even kidding. 

My work has been keeping me busy this summer. It seems everyone in the world has been traveling (except me:) and I get to do all the billing for it. I'm living vicariously through others. I've become an expert avoiding the extreme heat we've been having by hibernating in my air-conditioned house, making tomato sandwiches for me and my Dad, and watching too many Family Feud episodes.  

It's a life.  But it's a good one ♥

I quietly celebrated a birthday a few weeks ago. My heart was full that day because of messages and calls from my close family and friends. That's all I needed.  My circle is small but very important to me.  I guess you could say I'm not really a birthday person.  I resist big fancy dinners and all that.  John insisted on taking me out for breakfast, which I loved. My Dad treated me to an ice cream (just him and I) on my birthday eve, and the night of Rob took me out for a fish dinner.  Very nice, very casual, and I didn't have to do dishes. Happy Birthday to me.  My favorite part was enjoying chocolate dipped strawberries that my friend sent me. They were delicious and made me feel very special.  

John on the other hand is living his summer dreams! He's been here there and everywhere you should be when you're an 18 (almost 19) year old college student. He's been to Boston, Cape Cod, and is currently spending the week in Vermont in a lake house with friends.  Ahhh, to be young again!  I'm so happy for him.  School starts in just a few weeks so big changes are coming.  It's exciting.  

Rob has the day off today and I can hear him outside mowing the lawn.  He told me he was going to do all the yard work early today because temps are going to be in the 90's today with high humidity.  I stepped outside this morning and I believe it.  It felt like a Florida morning, very tropical and sticky.  I went back inside quickly! 

Facebook and all social media outlets are telling me that pumpkin spice season is upon us.  We're practically there! I was in Walmart the other day and I was bombarded with back-to-school displays, fall decor, and seasonal baking ingredients - cinnamon, nutmeg, all things apple.  I heard some people, let's just say, not liking all that so soon. Me, on the other hand, practically jumped for joy at the prospect.  

I can't help it.  I'm a fall girlie, through and through.  

However - we're not there yet....♥

So what's up for the rest of August? Well, we will be celebrating John's birthday next Sunday with a pizza party! Just because I don't like my birthday doesn't mean I don't like celebrating others - because I do!  Other than that, I'll continue to hibernate from the heat, embrace my granny hobbies (reading, cross stitching, bird and bunny watching...) and maybe occasionally letting Rob take me out for a bite to eat or a coffee.  Iced of course! 

I've started my annual Downton Abbey rewatch.  If you are thinking "didn't she just do that??" or "jeeze, how many times has she watched that show??" the answers are YES and NEVER ENOUGH TIMES!.  At least once a year I do a rewatch of the entire series, with the movies.  Since John was away this week I decided it was good time to jump into that world again.  It's funny, I used to think of myself as Lady Mary - her demeanor, her style...I just love her.  Now when I watch it I see myself more as Mrs. Pattmore!  If you watch the show you'll know what I'm talking about! Anyway, it's been filling my nights in a very good way.  I make myself a cup of hibiscus tea and settle into 1920's England. 

Can we please let a girl dream? 

Thank you ever so ♥  

And that, in all honesty, is it my friends!  I'm plugging along and I hope you are too. I have a bowl full of garden tomatoes and zucchinis from my brother in laws garden that I must do something with today.  I'm sad to report that my tomatoes didn't do very well this summer.  Oh they grew alright, but someone or something got to them before I did.  I think the squirrels and birds in my neighborhood are feasting this season if you know what I mean! Rob needs to reassess our situation for next year! 

Time for another cup of coffee! I hope you all have a lovely weekend and are staying cool wherever you are.  I've been reading your blogs and staying updated with you all.  I'm so happy to be able to do that! 

Thanks for stopping by today ♥

I will be back soon! xoxox 

PS If anything exciting happens, I'll be sure to let you know! LOL 

Wednesday Wisdom ♥

Take note...♥

Our grandmothers knew the secrets to happiness all along....

It's all so simple! #inmygrannyera

courtesy of Cottage Whimsy 

♥

Happy Wednesday, Friends! Enjoy your day :)   

It's July! Thinking of my mom on her birthday ♥

Hello Friends! Happy July! ♥

We have officially entered the dog days of summer! It's hot, we've celebrated July 4th, we've eaten hot dogs, and gone to the beach.  We're in deep!  Some of us "autumn loving" people are already thinking about pumpkin spice, but because we don't want to get lynched, we're keeping it to ourselves...  

For now, we're living our summer dreams.  

For me that means staying nice and cool in the air conditioning: )  

But before I continue, I have to ask...did you see the Strawberry moon last week?  

She was magnificent. 

I was pleased I remembered to go outside and look for her.  So many times I fall asleep or completely forget to look at the moon.  

Not this time ♥

That made my week, but anyway, on to July...♥

To put it bluntly....it's been hotter than the equator here.  It was officially a heatwave with temps over 100 for three days straight. UGH.  I kept trying to remember how freezing cold I was in January with snow up to my eyeballs every time I wanted to complain, so I wouldn't dare : ) 

This is summer in New England. We're used to it! lol 

My hydrangeas are loving this weather btw! 

And I spotted my first tomato! Yay! 

For the 4th we were invited to our friends Dave & Lisa's house. We had burgers, hot dogs, and margaritas!  It was fun!! 

I brought ice cream sandwich cake. It's so easy to make.  All you do layer ice cream sandwiches with caramel sauce, hot fudge sauce, cool whip, and freeze.  It's sooooo good.  

I packed it in ice so it wouldn't melt on the way to their house! 

 I posted the instructions on my blog the last time I made it.  I'll link it here. 

So easy and always a hit! ♥ 

 Ice Cream Sandwich Cake 

YUMMMM! (and no baking required! :) 

The fourth of July is also my mother's birthday.  It will always be her day. She would have been 84. 

 I was missing her a lot over the weekend. 

My entire life our 4th celebrations always revolved around her.  As a kid we would have big family cookouts with fireworks and a cake for her.  When I got older, no matter where I was, my day would always end at her house (now my house) to have blueberry pie and watch the POPs on TV. 

A celebration every year, for America and her ♥

This was on July 4, 2023.  She passed only a few months later.  

I remember being upset that my blueberry pie bubbled over. She said it was perfect and tasted delicious.  

That's how she was. She was just happy I was there ♥

This year I made a blueberry cobbler for me and my Dad, just for my mom (she loved anything blueberry). 

  Yesterday I sat out on my deck with a cup of tea and the leftovers for lunch. 

I added ice cream for good measure.  

I'm sure she would have approved ♥

When she was a little girl her Dad used to tell her that all the fireworks in the world were just for her birthday - and she believed it!  I've always loved that story 🎇

  

And once again we are back to Monday and a new week.  The 4th has come and gone and now we'll try to enjoy the rest of summer before it fades away into fall.  This week I have lots of work to do, meals to make, and piles of laundry that need attention. We are expecting rain tomorrow (we desperately need it) and I'm quite excited for a rainy day.  I'll have candles lit and the coffee pot will be working overtime.

 Its finally cooling off a bit and we can breathe again.  The rain will help clear the air too.  

I hope you all had a Happy 4th and are enjoying the beginning of July.  

Can one stay cozy in July? I'm here to tell you they can!  

I do. Stay cozy my friends ♥

 

Weekend reset in Ogunquit, ME ♥

Hello Friends! Happy Monday!  ♥

Can you believe July 4th is this week?! Holiday work weeks are always a little tough because you're trying to cram 5 days of work into 4 days.  The day off will be lovely, but you work for it.  Especially me this week, because I'm coming off a three-day weekend. On Friday we made a short car journey up to Ogunquit, Maine.  It could possibly be one of my favorite places in the entire world. This is our third year visiting.  It's so beautiful and charming and a little weekend away is all I need for a summer reset.  

We stayed at The Sparhawk Resort right on the ocean (first opened in 1897!).  It's so quaint and from the moment I noticed a rotary phone with a long spiral cord hanging on the wall behind the reception desk, I knew I was in the right place.  They also still use actual keys to enter the rooms which is pretty rare these days.  My kind of place :) 

Click the link to see photos of the interior.  They recently redecorated the breakfast room to a blue and white theme and it's stunning ♥

The landscape is absolutely gorgeous and it's right on the marginal way - a breathtaking walk along the ocean.  

We didn't have much planned, and that was the whole idea.  We slept in, took long walks, shopped, ate out, had ice cream every night, and my favorite part....sat on my balcony and read my book.  

It was blisssss ♥

Sometimes just getting out of the house and having a change of scenery is just what I need to recharge my batteries. 

The smell of roses and the sound of the ocean waves help too! ♥

It was a bit foggy with a chill in the air, but you know me...I didn't mind at all. 

♥

I also had my once a year LOBSTAH ROLL!  It was delicious!!!!  

I'll be thinking about it until next year.  

The weekend was short and sweet but definitely worth it.  We arrived home Sunday afternoon (only an hour and a half ride).  I promptly jumped into clean Pj's, unpacked, put laundry on, and started thinking about dinner.  Back into the routine like nothing ever happened, yet I felt so good and rested.  Hoping that feeling takes me through this busy work week! We'll see :) 

Happy new week, friends! Xx 

I just saw that tonight is the Strawberry Moon! I'll be sure to be outside taking a peek🍓

I love the sentiment of it and it's just how I felt after my little weekend away.  

Also, this is a side note, but is it just me or is there something so cozy about drinking coffee in a hotel room early in the morning?  Rob is always in charge of getting the coffee first thing in the morning (I still drink it in bed like at home) and there is something so very cozy about that, don't you think? hee, hee....:)