From Our Backyard

I understand why vineyards are a vacation spot.  We have a small trellis of grape vines in our backyard by the apple tree; their scent hangs heavy in the air as they gather in clusters, and picking them is almost a spiritual experience.  Vines and branches are a strong biblical metaphor, after all.  They are such a bold color, and each vine curls and coils into a unique shape as it grows.  Yesterday was a beautiful day in the midst of a week of foggy rain and mist, so I went outside to breath, and harvested a large bowl of fruit!

Shorter Days

The days are starting to get noticeably shorter - the evening lights slants into our kitchen at an earlier hour now.  The changing of the season always makes me feel excited and a little wistful at the same time.

My Letter

I've become sort of obsessed with letter-writing recently because I like the idea of taking 10 minutes out of  your day to write a note and pop it in the post, and changing an entire day for someone else!  How do I know this is true?  Because today I got a letter in the mail :)

My dear friend wrote on the back of a concert poster she got when she was 16, informing me that I should continue collecting stories until we see each other next.  And she also threw in two awesome postcards.  Sigh.  What a great day.

Backyard Garden

We have a lovely backyard garden area that we share with our neighbors!  And brainstorms for outdoor dinner parties are under way... 

Beach Picnic

 Welcome to the beautiful haven of Beavertail State Park, where the breeze is strong, the waves crash with excitement, and saltwater flies in your face!  As the weather got chillier this past weekend, we packed a fall picnic full of delicious homemade salsas and pestos (chefs pictured in the 5th photo) and went to go sunbathe on the rocks by the sea - only sailboats, fishermen, and lichen as witnesses.  Fall picnics have a very different feel from summer picnics, more exhilarating than lazy and hazy.  What a great place!

Tea Time

This is the first day where there has been a real briskness in the air!  Time to officially break out the scarves and hot beverages.  Check out our cool tea shelf :)

A special thank you...

to my mom!  Who drove with me and a van full of stuff all the way out to Massachusetts.  (That is a long way!) She stayed for a day before turning around and heading back home, so we ate breakfast at a historic diner called Miss Worcester, where we kept laughing at the new accent I would have to adjust to (people near us kept saying caaahd instead of card).  Then we drove to the coast - turns out I only live about an hour away from the Atlantic :)  She hadn't been to the ocean for a long time; it was very exciting to be greeted by the sounds and smells of the water as we stepped out of the car and started walking.

We sat and soaked in the lovely scene

while Trish napped on the sand.

Then we watched a little girl use her grandmother as a trampoline,

swam in the breakers,

and watched some boats go by.

It as a really nice day.  Thanks again, mom!  Couldn't have made the move without you!

Welcome to Woo-stah

After a summer of anticipation, I made the move to Worcester this past weekend, and am now living on the top floor of this beautiful house with my cousin!  Just some pictures of the outside right now; it's a huge house in really good condition, and includes a little, outdoor back porch and an awesome garden and patio area that we share with our neighbors (whom we like, so it's a good share).  The inside is just as great as the outside - we're getting all set up and organized, so pics will be posted along the way.  Yup, good ol' 15 Home Street; stop by and visit any time :)