Last minute Charistmas touches

Had to sprinkle a few more Christmas touches....I should quit going to The Christmas Tree Shop!!

And cant forget to hang the stockings by the fire with care...as long as we remember to move them when we have a fire:)

Santa came a bit early!!

So I went to bed the other night and thought I had heard some extra noise, when I woke up I found that a little elf had worked hard to wrap my presents (such a sweet hubby I have)! I must have been a good girl this year!! Abby has already said her gifts cant arrive under the tree til Christmas morning (she wants to keep the Santa illusion going!! lol)

Smells like pine!!!!

Christmas on the Cape!!

I usually go overboard with my christmas decor but decided to try simple thisyear. We even are getting a live tree on Friday and putting on ornaments from after christmas sales last year. My usual tree was loaded down with so many different ornaments that this year, the thought of not only putting them up was exhausting but the taking them all down was not something I wanted to think about eiither. Abby has many ornaments that she loves but she is the first one to fizzle out and I end up doing it all. So we decided to forgo and if she really wanted them up we would get a little tree for her...so far she is good. I will of course keep those ornaments because they have great meaning and memories of mine and abbys many christmas's together,,sometimes just us two:) So for now I decided to spruce up our dining room with a few favorite touches and will light up our living room when our tree comes. Sometimes going simple means for me, enjoying the holidays a bit more:)
                come on in.... a smooch first:)

Christmas Tree Shop is a popular store here and I found this vintage table runner..I love it!!

Little vintage touches adorn my shelf..childhood memories...the Mr and Mrs Clause are a favorite that always find a home at christmas. My grandmother gave these to me and have been around for a very long time. The red boot is childhood favorite too..always had candy canes in them...being a kid in my family was so fun at christmas time!!

The black and white photo above always is displayed too!! Its of my mom and her sister visiting santa at Lazurus (macys now) in downtown Columbus. I look at it and smile.

below is my snow sign and above one of my favorite Susan Branch pics..poem about a small house!

I made a wreath out of brown coffee filters and needed to fill a space on the other wall..I love snowmen and had a few primitive snowman decor...perfect!!

And my bird nest needed some red too!!

Inspiration

For those that dont know me well..I love songs but love songs that move me and make me feel. I woke up this am and was somewhat down. Probably missing home and also thinking alot about my patients and over the last few weeks, the couples who have been married 60yrs and of the couple that was married 74yrs and she just lost her greatest love (he was 99 and a winner-I was in love with him too,,lol) , about my grandmother who still after not having her husband for so many years now, still the tone of her voice when we talk about him is true love. I also have seen the example in my own life with my parents, ture love even when things arent so sappy sweet and the thru sickness and health is put to the test!.So I had downloaded a new song and never heard it and was listening to it while getting ready for work. What came next was tears and chills, I am so thankful that God gave me a love that is real with someone who I know I will be with til death do us part and who I know I dont deserve on some days:). I never really thought it existed anymore and even til now was not a true believer of it, we take things for granted in life and in love. So I usually dont get deep and sappy on here but wanted to share the song and the words and let you know that sometimes even if we feel undeserving and forget, God swoops in and reminds us to Be Still and Know!

Thanksgiving Day in MA!!

So our first Thanksgiving was a success! During the day there were a few minor aches for family and hugs from little people (nephews) and shopping trips to Big lots with my sister in law, but over all we enjoyed our day of relaxtion (well really not after cooking too much food) Abby helped make the homemade rolls a success and I have to say I was a bit proud that they turned out so well...although my moms will always taste better!!! Gary was a huge help and manned the turkey!! Later with a skype visit to family back home we all crashed and watched Charlies Brown thanksgiving and called it a day!!!

So the table was started and Abbys blue plate arrived safely from Ohio. She was almost tearful when she opened it up and saw her plate!!

The homemade roll process began. All those years of being in the kitchen paid off for Abby. She gave me instructions on the proper rolling of dough and she twisted the rolls. Notice my moms bowl:) I did also realize that I dont have nearly enough of the right equipment in my kitchen to be a baker or a cook!! I dont take after my mother or my aunt Betsy of course!!! I wish I had their bake/cook gene!!

And a thumbs up from the expert. Four rolls eaten later from her, I guess they turned out good!!!

And of course Gary decided to fore go the kitchen during roll time and do computer time!

And the plate looks surprisingly just like HOME!!

And when all was said and eaten...I put my feet up in front of the fire with my glass of wine, while my wonderful (much like my father) husband, cleaned up the kitchen and then some (laundry was done and folded when I woke up for work on Friday Am) I am truly Thankful!!! and blessed beyond more than I deserve:) God is Good all the time!!!

Leaves Leaves Leaves

We live in a very wooded area and the leaves never end!!! Raking is an endless task esp with some of the winds the ocean brings! The back we dont worry about as much as we do the front but we took pics on Thanksgiving day because as I looked out the kitchen window, I was enjoying the view!! Beautiful fall sunny day!!! Even our wood pile looked inviting (cozy fires to be had:)

The front always gets a little more attention!

Fall and Cranberry Bogs:)

Driving around the Cape in the fall has been a very pleasant experience for me!! Love to enjoy the new surroundings and sometimes stop along the road during my day to snap some pics. I made a few trips to Carver, MA to see a patient and always passed this church with a cemetary and so I pulled over one day to take some pics and enjoy the beauty. I have realized that there are many old churches with very unique and beautiful steeples in MA. Might start to snap more as I drive around!!

So as I continued to drive, I also noticed many many cranberry factories and many many cranberry bogs. Yummy! And very pretty to see!

Plymouth. MA

Was driving to work, over the bridge of course, to see a patient and realized I was in Plymouth and very near the activities of Plymouth and Plymouth Rock. It was the day before Thanksgiving and so I thought it only fitting that I stop and say a prayer to the Plymouth Rock gods that my moms homemade rolls rise and are able to be eaten:) the funny thing is when you think of the rock, you think of something huge, well we joke here and call it a pebble!! There is also a replica of the Mayflower nearby and many other activities. Provincetown is the actual landing spot of the pilgrims and if you look at the map of the cape, that is the furthest tip up at the end (or the fist of the arm, we are in the muscle of the arm being flexed...hahaha:) it was fun being in MA and near the history of our country.

Veterans Day!!

Being a military wife now, you appreciate the sacrifices made by all of those who serve and their families. I have so much love for my husband of course, but more respect for him and his integrity and very high work ethic. He strives to be the best in all he does and is the most dedicated not only to his work and the military but to us, his family. So on Veterans day, I think of not only him, more because he has been away for 2 months (thanks to the military), but also all, whose loved ones have been gone longer and further away. I feel blessed.

The Cape Traffic...UGGGGHHHH

So we learned fairly quick especially during the in-season how to avoid the tourist traffic coming on and off the bridge (there are only 2..so not a lot of ways to get over to the cape)...but even now in the off season the wkends that are still sunny and warm traffic gets a little congested and when you want to get home after work you avoid this.....

I just need to get to the rotary (which is another headache esp if you are new here and not sure how they work,,I got it down now...but you can tell the new ones by the deer caught in headlights look when they come upon the rotatary, the one right as you get off this bridge to come on is the worse one just to warn any visitors) I need to turn right before the bridge to get home and on some days during the summer this traffic can be backed up 5-6 miles to get off the bridge at end of wkend or worse to get on.....but to make matters worse you get stuck behind alot of these

Alot of pricey cars...and you sit in traffic stewing about the high cost of living here and the high price in food and wonder how much they make in front of you and etc....then you snap out of it and realize how very blessed you are to have a great family that loves you and a wonderful husband and remember to just enjoy this moment in time here at a place that people come from all over to visit:)...then you get mad again cause the traffic is slow and you just want to get home....and so the cycle continues...lol...by the way...being military I have discovered that I can cut thru the base and save alot of time (my co workers are jealous)

Late Summer Entry

Am a little behind in blogging so catching up now and discovered what made me happy on a very warm summer day...

Have to say that I actually wanted to read this book long before I knew where I would be living...so ironic....so in reading the book, it was so enjoyable because the roads and bridge and places talked about throughout the book...I knew!!! Must have been meant for me to be here!! And lounging by the ocean wasnt a bad idea either...beach chairs are packed away but will return next summer:) We have have a few beaches here in our town of Sandwich (they are in every town:) and some are public but Sandy Neck beach is for residents only and you have to have a sticker on your car...it is nice because it is not as crowded

And as you can see...if you have a 4x4 or a camper..you can camp by the ocean (my kind of camping) or you can take your truck and hang by the water all day and have a fire....not bad huh?