Merry Christmas to all my friends and loved ones! 

 

Does anyone remember Grammy Robinson's old Hoosier cabinet?  It is now in my living room, and serves as a hutch and storage space.  My collection of Santa's and angels love to perch there during the holidays!

 

 

 

I've had this crèche set since I was a little girl.  Most of the straw is missing off the manger now - wonder if I could glue on some hay???
I think the figurines came from Newberry's or Grant's in Springfield.  I hate to bring up inflation, but most of them say 19 and 29 cents on the bottoms!

We had a wonderful "Saturday before Christmas" with my dear cousins from Vershire, VT, my sweetie and my Mom - love you all!

 



 

Wishing everyone safe travels and a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Took a vacation day today and went to Lancaster County with two of my girlfriends to see a play called Half Stitched at the Bird-in-Hand Theater.  It was really funny - about at Amish woman who teaches a quilting class to a group of crazy misfits.  Picked up my new car at the dealership last night - so it was an interesting trip - first time driving a new car and I take off on a 130 mile run - why don't I ever do things the easy way?!?!?

Wow - it's been a while!  Time sure flies, doesn't it?  Well, have been to Vermont twice in the last few weeks.  Mom had some surgery done, but got a good report last week and seems to be doing fine now.  We went to Maine for a few days last week and had a really good time.  Also just worked a weekend for our local farm show - my chance to play "Caroline Ingalls" for two days doing an 1800's cabin tour.  Hope you enjoy a couple of pictures.

Here's a look at the farm show from the cabin porch..........

 

 Stopped in Bennington, VT on my way to Mom's and got to see the 150 year old Jane Stickle quilt.  It is only on exhibit a few days a year, and I finally got there at the right time!

 

Here's a nice sunset at Drake Island, Maine - one of my favorite spots..........

 

 



Mom and me at Wells Beach, Maine.............................

 



 

And a pretty sky on the Marginal Way in Ogunquit, Maine............



Just got home last night from a wonderful vacation in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont.  We had a great time and saw a lot of beautiful places.  It was hard getting up and getting ready for work this AM - I think I need a vacation to rest up from my vacation!  Here's a bunch of photos.

Mystic Seaport & Aquarium:

Avery Point (Groton, CT) where Sam was located for a while in the Coast Guard.  It was such a beautiful place and brought back a lot of good memories for him.  The stone mansion was the officers quarters.  Avery Point is now part of UConn.

 

Next stop was Gillette Castle in Essex, CT (home of William Gillette - the original Sherlock Holmes and movie director) and the Essex Railroad.  We just missed an old friend there from my Steamtown days - it would have been nice to see him, but it wasn't meant to be.

We found a great place to eat right on the harbor in Noank, CT.  Shared our picnic table with a couple from New York and found out the woman's brother lives in Greentown, PA - about 5 miles from Sam.  What a small world it is!

On to South Sudbury, MA where we spent a wonderful night at the Wayside Inn including a beautiful dinner and Celtic concert at the Mary-Martha chapel next door.  Of course, we also spent a lot of time at the water wheel there that Sam's dad built and had a nice long visit with the miller.

 

 

On to Merrimack, NH where we toured the Anhauser-Busch factory (even though I hate beer) and to see the stables where they train the Clydesdales.  There were only a couple there since most of them were out on tour, but what a beautiful place!

 



Left Merrimack for Vermont and spent the last 3 days of our vacation with Mom.  We had a great time - went to "Spurs" for ice cream, to Windsor to the Precision Museum and to Pittsford to the Maple Museum.  Of course also did a lot of just plain visitin'!

Mini Vacation

We have been away for four days on a mini vacation to Lancaster County.  We spent Friday at a fire company benefit auction of antiques, carriages, etc.  We had very heavy rain one night with some flooding, but other than that it was just very hot.  We purchased two antique wood butter churns at the auction.  We also spent quite a bit of time with our Amish friends.  On Friday night we all went out for dinner together. It took me two trips to get everyone to the restaurant with my little car, but we had a wonderful time together.  Here's a few pictures including Sam with his little buddy "Sleepy"!

Last weekend we took a drive to Kimberton, PA to look for a waterwheel that Sam's father had made in the late 1960's or early 1970's.  We found it on the grounds of the old Kimberton Inn.  It is no longer used, and is in need of a sanding and painting, but it still turned freely (of course Sam had to give it a try)!  We were hoping someone would be at the Inn to tell us if they had any old photos or information about the mill and wheel being built, but the Inn was closed.  Maybe we'll take another trip back there someday when the Inn is open.  Here's a couple of pictures - even though the weather was nasty.

 

My boss of 22 years retired today - it just won't be the same without him there.  He was a wonderful person to work for, and we will all miss him.  He came in this morning with this beautiful bouquet of flowers and a thank-you card for me. 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and also took a moment to remember our military - past and present - and all they have done to keep us free and safe.

It was very cold and windy here, but we went to the garden centers and bought plants anyway - tomatoes, green peppers, sweet potatoes and herbs.  Also got a hanging petunia basket for my front porch.  We went to the fly-in breakfast at the local airport on Sunday.  The Rotary sponsors the event every year as a fund raiser.  It was fun seeing all the planes come and go and the exhibits in the hangars. This year the proceeds are going to the library.

Here's a visitor to the back yard last Friday!

Got home last night from 4 wonderful days in Vermont.  We got some work done for Mom and had some nice times going for drives, out for dinner and maple soft serve ice cream at "Spurs"!  I know I hasn't been called that for many years, but it will always be "Spurs" to me!

We got the 3 cemetery lots cleaned up and flowers planted.  Now hope we don't get a frost!  Mom can always go and cover them up if need be.

It was nice being off from work for a few days - back to it today, but a long weekend coming again, so something else to look forward to!

Here's Mom's lilac bush in bloom - and they smelled soooooo good!!!

These are a pictures I took a week or so ago in Jim Thorpe, PA - the wind was really blowing up there, and it was freezing!!!

Took a long drive yesterday up to Watkins Glen and Seneca Lake, NY, around the lake and back thru Ithaca.  It was a beautiful day for a drive.  I've never seen the Finger Lakes and the wine country, and it was gorgeous.  Stopped for a nice dinner on the way home - nice to spend the day just wandering the back roads.

 

We took a long hike yesterday in the Varden conservation area.  There is an old cemetery on top of the mountain where some of Sam's great great grandparents are buried.  The old chimney is over 200 years old, and we are working with a group that is trying to raise money to restore it.  It was from the original cabin of the first settlers in the area (also distant relatives of Sam's).  It was a beautiful day for a hike, but the ticks were terrible. 

Our little tiny magnolia blossomed this year too!