Beans in the Belfry!

We put on our gypsy shoes, and went in search of stairs to photograph today. I need 2 images for a photo book collaboration, which makes for a great excuse to go wandering.

 

First stop: Brunswick, MD, where Phil hoped to visit a train museum. Although their web site promised to be open, no such luck. So, we wandered through the tiny town, just to see what thre was to see. Found "Beans in the Belfry," a church turned into a coffee shop!

 

I enjoyed this...

 

 

and this...

while listening to a jazz trio.

 

And, on the way out, I shot tons of pics, including this one:

 

Still thinking about the second image.

Turkey Day!

Our day...

 - family

 - food

 - fun!

Hope yours was as lovely...staying put today, no lines, no shopping for me!

Enjoy all that is good; we're all gifted with so much.

Shades of Autumn

Cooler crisper air with a sharp tang of autumn goodness.

Pumpkins overflowing.

Apples beckoning.

Orange caulifower!

Gourds abundant with rich color and knobby textures.

A few lingering tomatoes and peppers.

Cherry apple cider.

He'll be cooking today...stuffed cabbage rolls, smoked chicken, and freezing a few more ears of corn.

Butternut squash soup will be simmering on the stove.

Want to come over?

Satuday Morning

Hands curled around a warm mug in the early morning stillness.

Learning to take time for me, to find my voice, which sometimes means saying, "No."

Learning to live with the frowns and the unspoken words of disapproval.

Realizing that I'll never ever get it all done, never ever get to the end of the "to do list."

Realizing that sometimes relaxing into the cup of tea means so much more.

Life's A Photo Op!

Spotted these on our way to the Farmer's Market early Saturday morning, and they just made me grin. Doesn't take much to amuse me, does it?

But, for some reason, these little cheerful little cars delighted me, and I grabbed the camera, figured out where to stand to get the best shots, and snapped away. Luckily, few cars got in my way since not so many folks were out and about.

As I crouched down low in the middle of the lot, a voice came over the store intercom: "Code 217." Without missing a beat, Phil grinned and informed me, "That's the code for crazy lady in the parking lot." Darling man, don't you think?

I hope your weekend had been as lovely as mine - farmers' market goodies, homemade spaghetti sauce simmering away on the stove, a lovely casual gathering with friends, the first pumpkin spice latte of the season, working on a tiny journal, some shopping at Chico's outlet, and a whole lot of puttering around the house, doing this and that.

I love my 3 day weekends!

 

August Break 2012...Done!

So, I'm done; I did it. 31 photos posted during the month of August! And, I'm only one day late; not too shabby considering I've been back to teaching these last 2 weeks.

Ladies and gents, here's the finale:

Linking up with Focus 52, where the theme is "signs," and I'm loving the signs at the Farmers' Market this morning - they're as colorful as the produce!

Quite a few of these lovelies followed me home by the way.

 

Strange Woman in Aisle 13

So...yesterday, my hubby asked me if I'd like to head toward Westminster to check out an antique mall. Seemed like a good way to spend one of my last days of summer vacation. A sort of final hurrah...

On our way, hubby blissfully added that the fact that you can find "Alphabets" there, and we would be stopping at that store.

Now, you need to understand that the man adores "Alphabets." Adores them. Relatives and friends have been advised to check out grocery stores in their areas, as well as any vacation spots.

Darling daughter orders them from Amazon (Yes, they're available through Amazon!) for Fathers' Day and birthdays.

The adventure began...

Sure enough...only one tiny section, way on the bottom shelf, but there they stood in all their glory.

Well, I needed a photo of something "blue" for Focus 52, and this fit the bill. So, I grabbed my camera and began shooting under less than stellar conditions, but shoot away, I did.

When I finally scrambled to my feet, I met the eyes of a store worker, one with a very quizzical look on her face. Was this woman taking pictures a corporate spy? Someone from a competing store? Or possibly, a whacko? She seemed to be leaning towards the last choice.

Notice the hubby had not given me one hint that this woman was standing there. Nope, he left me to explain it all.

Smiling and babbling, I gushed out that this was a favorite childhood cereal, not to be found in Northern Virginia or anywhere nearby. I informed her that it could be found on Amazon, and that a coworker told us we could find it here, and that we were so excited.

Darling hubby (and I use that adjective loosely, mind you) still said not a word.

She escorted walked with us to the checkout. Darling hubby quietly pointed out that her shirt color varied from the everyday personnel. In other words, she had power!

As we got into the car...with 6 boxes of this troublemaking cereal....he also pointed out that "he does not do bail," a phrase our children heard frequently.

Lovely man, huh?

Want to be I was conversational fodder for several folks yesterday?

Here's to August Break, Day 19!

August Break: Day 8

Lunch today at Nobel Winery, overlooking Lake Erie...gorgeous! Wine, cheese, crackers, and playing with Ginger, the German Shepherd...and then we talked and talked and then talked some more.

 

Photo Heart Connection

Not the day we had planned...one with sunny skies, cooler temps, a wonderful tiny little farmers' market, one of the neatest used book stores around, and a wine festival.

Sunny skies? Not at all...the rain sluiced down our backs and we shivered our way through the farmers' market.

Yes to the book store; we toted out bags of books to be savored and enjoyed.

And here's where the magic began; the owner recommended a restaurant called "Magnolia," a huge converted seed factory - one of those places where we couldn't afford to do dinner, but we could enjoy a heavenly lunch.

In the middle of that cool rainy day we munched on warm rosemary bread, fried green tomatoes, and delightful sandwiches. Handmade quilts hung on weathered wooden walls and tiny informal bouquets, no two alike, dotted the tables. We chatted our way through our meal, taking a bit of time to slow down and connect.

We re-emerged into the rain, now drizzling, and decided to call it a day. There would be other wine festivals to be enjoyed. It seemed to be a day meant for relaxing rather than doing.

 

Dear Thursday,

Dear Thursday,

I just wanted to let you know that I am so darn tired of destashing in the art room. I've been at it for days...days! I'm almost there, and I'll stick it out, but honestly, I'm done mentally. Lots of bags being dropped off at Goodwill, and more have hit the trash.

I also want you to know that I really, really miss the beach. I miss walking on the pier at night, looking for shells, eating crab, and fudge. Cookie dough fudge is to die for. Mostly, I miss sitting on the deck in the wee hours of the morning, sipping coffee, and maybe eating a fresh pastry. I miss the sunsets and checking to see if Ace has jumped into the sound yet again. Have to admit that I admire Ace; he goes for it. So what if he had to spend the night on the deck? Bet it was worth every penny in Ace's book.

So, Thursday, it's time to go dry the hair and then vacuum, before I delve into the books I bought at Barney Noble's last night, and that the UPS man delivered from Amazon on Tuesday.  Thursday, I have to admit that I do love Amazon!

Love,

Paula