A Mid Summers' Night Dream

So here we are...amidst the blazing hot days of the Summers:  no alarm clocks,  no concept of what day of the week it is...  It is pretty great.  However, we do a pretty good job of filling our time.  Sam has a garden to tend to and other things of the outside ilk.  I am taking two summer classes which keeps me pretty engrossed in books and reading as well as tethered to a computer.  I was going to take three classes, but upon reading a more detailed description of one of my classes, The Science of Hearing, I discovered it was math and science intensive (a.k.a. physics), and I knew that it would take a lot of my time as I do not think with that part of my brain very often.  I am getting along in that class, though.  The other class is Language Acquisition, and it is more up my alley...read words instead of math problems and actually understand the content. 

As I said, I have to keep a pretty close proximity to a computer because my classes meet online.  Consequently, we had a short window open at the beginning of the summer for a road trip.  We traveled up north up the east coast and did a "tour of brothers."  We set out at 3:45 am and commenced our 14 hour trek up to Connecticut.  It was a rather brutal drive, but being up that far, we had the bulk of the journey behind us; the trip back would be more segmented.  We visited my oldest brother, Scott, and his family, who live in Granby.  While there, we went for a 12 mi. bike ride (which was painful to the once a year bike riders), got to see a soccer game, and visited Mark Twain's House in Hartford.  From there we journeyed to Boston, MA.  I will let Sam take this part of the trip.  He is the history buff and can better tell of the sights we saw there.

So here we go.  Hang on to your breeches!

First up is Mark Twain's Hartford, Connecticut bungalow.  I believe it cost a pretty penny at the time.  To give you an idea of how much, it would be today's equivalent of twenty or so MILLION dollars.  Very neat house.

 While there, I was able to obtain photographic proof that I am, indeed, Uncle Sam:

 

 Next up, was Boston.  It all started with the Boston Tea Party.  Not on the Liberty Trail.  Had to hike a long way to get there.  Here's why it's not on the Trail, there's nothing there except a marker.  They should have had something cool like a "Throw your own box of tea in the sea" activity.

 Here I am on the Trail of Liberty...

 One of the most interesting stops on the Trail was the Grainery Burial Ground.  Resting place of Paul Revere, Sam Adams, victims of the Boston Massacre, and believe it or not, the real MOTHER GOOSE!

 Here's Kellie talking to a donkey.  Telling him how much fun she's having.

 This is the old Corner Bookstore.  I believe the oldest building in Boston, but I may be wrong.  Now a Chipotle Restaurant.  So lame. 

 This is the site of the Boston Massacre.

 Inside was a sweet museum with a vial of tea from the Boston Tea Party!

 Also a cool musket found at Bunker Hill.

 We got a little hungry so we stopped for Lobster Mac and Cheese!

 We then needed dessert so while on that quest we ran into the "Connah Store".  Oh those Bostonians and their accents!  Hilarious.

 We waded through the tourists at the famous Mike's Pastry and got a sweet cannoli.

 Then I went to see if Paul Revere was home so I could tell him the British were coming...and they don't like pastries!

 But I sure do!

 I found Paul Revere!

 This is the Old North Church where the "one if by land, two if by sea" phrase really took place!

 Here I am firing cannon at the British tyrants!

 The real "captain" of our voyage.  And by voyage, I mean marriage.

 Bunker Hill, where the Americans were defeated only because they ran out of ammunition.  Oh, and while this is where the battle took place, it's not really called Bunker Hill.  The action took place on Breed's Hill, the mis-naming was because Bunker Hill was the original objective, but I believed the Patriots found the defenses on Breed's Hill more preferable.

 Smoochin'!

 Havin' some New England clam chowdah!

 Where everybody knows your name...

 Hey Norm!  Cheers!

 What a pretty little lady.

 Garden roofs?  What?

 No words needed...

 The next day we drove to Harvard, where Kellie "pahked the cah on Havad Yahd!"  Oh those Bostonians and their accents.

 Where Kellie's really gettin' her education...

 Let's have a picnic on Harvard Square.

 Let's go to the Sam Adam's Brewing tour.

 Let's stop by Baltimore on our way to Washington D.C.  What's going on in the Inner Harbor?  Tall Ships?  War of 1812 Bicentennial?  Yes Please.

 We were so hungry for crab cakes....

 The wife obliged me to a stop at Manassas Battle Ground on our way to D.C.  Here I am with Stonewall Jackson.  Look at me standing like a stonewall.

 Me and the Confederate cannon line.

 Wonder what she's thinking?

 Check out this bayonet that was found on the battlefield, growing into a root many years after the battle.

 Ahhhh....

 In D.C. we went to the American History Museum.  Saw one of Abe Lincoln's guns.  It was appropriate because I was reading "Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Killer" at the time, which was a great read.

One of Sam Houston's rifles.  It was awesome because it had a cartridge that held five bullets.  Remember the Alamo!

 Above is Kellie and the real Kermit the Frog.  I think it's mean that they keep him in a glass box.

Here she is with Dorothy's Red Slippers!

At the Washington Monument.  Thumbs up.

 Thumbs up for me too!

 Went to the Hershhorn Art Museum.  Actually pretty cool.  Interactive art!

 Check out our original art in an elevator!

 And they we returned home.  To one wall of a new bathroom.  I've been learning a good deal about construction.  It now was four walls, a roof, and looks way different.  More to come...

...and continue Kellie....
From Boston, we drove to Kennett Square, P.A., to visit my next to the oldest brother and his family.  We played with the three nieces, visited a potato chip factory, and went kayaking.  From there, we made our way to Baltimore where we were lucky enough to be there during a Centennial Celebration in which they had big ships from around the world and the Blue Angels in the harbor.  It was pretty neato.  We grabbed ourselves a crab cake and then drove down to Mannassas to behold the battlefield (for Sam).  And finally, we arrived in Arlington, V.A., to visit the 3rd and youngest brother.  While in Arlington, we visited some Smithsonian museums, went to a big market, visited 2 cupcake shops (one was DC Cupcakes in Georgetown, check out their show) and 3 vineyards.  We had a fun time for sure.  We finally made our way back down to the North Cack on day 11.  The next day my classes began and returned home to a 2nd bathroom being built onto our house. 

Between everything mentioned above, we find some time for other activities which include but are not limited to (since we are so unpredictable): celebrating our 3 year anniversary, cooking (I'm trying to keep up with what is coming out of the garden!), creating a wine bottle border for the herb garden (if you would like to contribute, drink some wine!) softball, yard games, viewing an outdoor rendition of A Midsummer Night's Dream, DDR, reading, petting/brushing cats, whitewater rafting, and hiking...who knows what the rest of the summer will bring! 

Keep it cool, ya'll.  The AC is flowin' full blast!  If you are looking for fun indoor activities, we suggest a mustache dance-off!

Oh Snap! Pea

Life on the farm is all gravy boats and rainbows.  You never know when you will hear the riveting heehaw of the ole donkey down the road or grab a weed with a pesky briar.  The surprises are abounding these days.    Only nine days of school left...that is pretty ballin', I must say.  Commence the Summers' time fun!  We have had a busy spring that has made the days go by in the blink of an eye.  For one thing, I am a year older.  I had my annual pie to celebrate this year.  Sam made strawberry rhubarb! He also made me crab nachos....nachos but mine!

 












 I also cut my hair off and donated it to Locks of Love with the help of the fantastic Grace's handiwork!  I lost 12 inches and  am enjoying my new 'do for the warmer weather! 


We also took our spring break this year at St. Fernandina Beach in Florida with Sam's parents.  The weather was just right as the break sometimes falls too early, and it is just not quiet warm enough for the beach at the end of March.  We had a good trip, though.  We didn't plan too much more than just relaxin' on the beach.  We walked on the beach, read on the beach, played various games on the beach, and I finally got to bury somebody!  I have never done that before but always longed to do that.  My husband makes my dreams come true over and over again!  I turned him into a fancy mermaid!  I was also introduced to the great sport of searching for sharks' teeth.  It was a vacation of firsts for sure!



                                  


We ventured off of the beach on a few occasions.  We perused the shops in the cute, little historic downtown and ate at many tasty restaurants.  One evening, after dinner, we went on a carriage ride which was mega fun and got to learn a little bit of history.  There sure is some lovely houses and architecture around those parts.  Also, after dinner, we played at a pretty sweet mini-golf course that looked like a gigantic tree house.  I have to say that it is one of the most challenging mini-golf courses I have ever attempted.


Our last day there, we visited the state park where we saw tons of birds and saw some gators.  We also visited a fork and took a little nature hike.  It was a very relaxing trip which could have been a little longer...just one more day!

                                
We returned midway through the week, and then, I flew up to Arlington, V.A. where Mark, my brother, lives to check out his new digs.  We stayed a day there, visited the Natural History Museum, and I was bummed to find out that the Julia Child exhibit was not set to reopen until the following week.  I do have plans to check it out this summer.  Maybe I will copy Julie of Julie and Julia and pay my respects by leaving a stick of butter :).  The following day we drove up to Kennett Square, P.A., where my whole family sans Sam gathered for Easter.  It was a truly great weekend since my family very rarely is at the same place at the same time not for a wedding or a funeral.  It was so wonderful to see my nieces and nephews interact with one another, see how much they have grown, and dye and hunt Easter eggs!  Mark and I returned to Arlington Sunday for me to fly out Monday morning.  Needless to say I was exhausted when I had to return to school on Monday and could have completely done without the airport fiasco that caused me to run at a full sprint ALL the WAY across the airport and be sore for three days.  It never fails to have my connecting flight at the furthest possible terminal....

I also finished my France scrapbook which was a pretty ambitious feat.  I actually need to get a new scrapbook because I added too many pages.  It turned out really good, though.  It is available for all eager lookers to see.  To celebrate, we had a France night in which we had coq au vin, goat cheese and beet salad for dinner. To top it off, we had chocolate covered strawberries because, let me tell you, it has been a mad crazy strawberry season around here.  We have had 4 gallons of strawberries not to mention the ones we have gotten from our own garden...strawberries out the ears!  We are, however, very proud of how fruitful and pretty they have been this year.  Feast your eyes on these:
                                      


We are also currently enjoying fresh kale, lettuce of many varieties, and sugar, some snap peas!  It is really hard to stay on top of the gardening with school going on, but I have managed to somehow design/plant a herb garden as well and news paper and mulch several others.


In other news, Mark came to visit, and we got to meet his girlfriend, Cassie, for the first time which was a pleasure.  We had a fun filled weekend: LaZoom comedy tour around Asheville, messin' around town, yummy eats, people to root me on at my softball game.







Mother's Day has also come and past.  We celebrated by having a lunch for the Moms.  We got fried chicken from Rocky's Chicken Shack (you should eat there!), gouda mac and cheese for the Tupelo Honey Cookbook, salad with snap peas from the garden, dried cherry sage corn muffins, biscuits, and....a strawberry mousse cake from Southern Living which was a beast to make!  I have to say it was a success...I live to tell.  We also finally got to see The Hunger Games which was also satisfying since my softball game was cancelled due to rain.

Update from Sam:  Well, there's not much else to say.  The garden is in full swing.  About three rows unplanted.  I'd say that eventually okra, potatoes, and sweet potatoes will fill then.  It's looking pretty good.  Strung up the tomatoes today.  Kellie's dad and I re-rocked a rock wall for the herb garden.  I've had poison ivy about 3 times this summers.  Oh, one really cool thing is we tried a taco truck on Leicester highway the other night.  As they say in Spanish, "Muy deliciouso!"  Nothing much else to report.  I'm ready for Summer! I'll keep you posted.

From our cats with gingivitis to yours, we hope that everyone else is having a good time and staying out of trouble!  Come sit on the porch and listen to the donkey with us!  

P.S. We don't recommend trying the poultry flavored toothpaste your vet gives you...it definitely doesn't taste like chicken!

The Farmhouse

So, we up and sold our house and moved out to Leicester. To end the age old debate, being born and raised here, it is pronounce LES-TER. We are settling nicely into quaint country living. The house we moved into is my great-grandmother's farm house. It used to sit amid pastures grazing with cattle and old sheds, but has since been developed a bit. Sam is fulfilling his urges to work outside since we now have a workable amount of outdoor space. I am pretty sure if there was nothing to do but move around piles of dirt or grass all over the yard from here to eternity, he would do it. He loves to be outside. Since being here, he has even learned how to drive the Deere: my dad's tractor. Alas, he has only mastered the forward and reverse functions, but I have a feeling that he is on to bigger and better things.

Let me give you a tour of the new digs:

The Kitchen complete with all the necessities: running water, a stove, dishwasher, and a refrigerator. It still even has some of the original white cabinets hanging beside the sink.
There are two open entries into the dining room from the kitchen.
A window that was converted into a super-cute shelf for storage.

The dining room. This is perhaps my favorite room in the house since we didn't have one at our other house. We barely had room for a table at all! It also has pretty french doors that open into the living room. The french doors are also handy for shutting out the cats at night.
The living room is spacious enough to have a crafting corner. It also has a fire place. Unfortunately it hasn't really been cold enough to go through the trouble to use it this year.


One adaptation we have had to make is the fact that we only have one bathroom. Luckily, if there was ever an emergency, my parents are just next door. The bathroom, however, has a few cool feature. Number 1: it has a place to store linens. Number 2: double sinks!

This is our all-purpose room: Sam's office, exercise equipment, as well as home to the kitty cats. You can see one grazing now.
The only room in the house with a wall big enough to withstand our massive bookcase is the guest bedroom. This room is the smallest in the house, but it is just the right size to be cozy to visitors! The bed is ready, ya'll.



And finally, our bedroom. We had a tight squeeze with our bulky furniture, but we made it work.The house also has a front and a back porch. The washer and dryer are housed in what is called a mud room. I am having a hard time with this as the washer and dryer are out of sight, out of mind. I am pretty bad about forgetting it out there. We find that while this house is smaller than our other house, the space it in is much more usable. The upstairs at our other house was closed off and forgotten about. We also have a dirt basement with some storage room for canned goods and plants and such since it has a window. We have taken on a few projects since we have been here. I recovered our kitchen chairs. The table was my grandparents', and my dad refinished the table and gave it to us.


I also cleaned up some old windows from the house to hang on the back porch.



To celebrate our move, we had a "Farmhouse" pizza from Nona Mia and a bottle of sparkling white wine we got when we sold our house! Yum!

In other news, we have both just been working on scrapbook projects, and just this weekend, we have started reading the 2nd book in the Hunger Game series, Catching Fire. We are reading it together in preparation for the movie that is coming out this month. We also have several fun trips planned: Raleigh in March; St. Fernandina beach in April; I will travel to PA to spend Easter with my family (we will all be gathered around the same table...and it will not be for a wedding or a funeral- huzzah!), and then for our anniversary in June we are going to Charleston! So we have some exciting trips to get us through the never ending weeks of March that are apparently going to be devoid of snow. On the upside, we will be getting out of school early this year!


Sam's update: Don't have much time to type - I've got dirt to shovel. Seriously. Making a flower bed, filling in holes, digging up rocks, planting grass. Got poison ivy! Got the garden going. Planted peas, all types of greens, carrots, and beets. I need to plant another run of those. We will see what happens. We've had a good bit of rain lately, so that should help. When it's rainy out, I enjoy watching the shows Ax Men and Coal on Netflix. About lumberjacks and coal miners. One word: amazing. I'm a bit sad that they took Young Rider's off the instant queue. If you aren't familiar with that show, it was on in the 90s and about Pony Express Riders. I'm pretty torn up about it. I had just finished season 2. Well, that's about it. I'm off to do a snow dance.

Delilah says "Home is wherever I'm with you."