Wine tasting...

During a recent visit from my dear friends Lorna and Judy, we enjoyed the "aroma and bouquet" of a wine-tasting session at Truro Vineyards. Great fun and yet another glass for my collection!

A new year's sunrise...

My friend Nancy and I went to Nauset Beach early enough this morning
to witness this most beautiful sunrise.
Surprisingly, there were quite a number of folk on the beach doing the very same.
Could this be a new year's ritual for some...watching the first sunrise of the year?
Luckily the weather was fine...mild temperature and little wind.
May this be a preview of what 2011 holds for us...beauty, splendor and awe!
Happy New Year, friends!!!

Rockin' around the Christmas tree...

Garett and I joined in the fun at his DayHab Christmas party yesterday afternoon. The festivities included dancing to a lively mix of music, sing-a-longs, and yummy chocolate cake!!

Rounding out the day....

What better way to end a girls weekend than with oysters on the half-shell. There's nothing better than a few Wellfleet oysters and a glass of wine - and a crab cake (not particularly Capeish, but delish nonetheless). Now we're off to see a movie before heading back to Canton.

Strolling with Lorna on Nantucket

Yesterday Lorna and I visited Nantucket for its annual Christmas Stroll; part of the island's month long celebration of Christmas. I find that the many Christmas trees along the streets, decorated by youth groups and school children, to be one of the most charming and welcoming parts of the stroll. Each tree dons a display themed to the island, and what could be more appropriate than whales?!
Nighttime brings another layer of ambiance to the setting...so lovely and quaint.
It was an enjoyable day with an enjoyable friend.

Happy Birthday, Chris!

The Nest was a hub of activity on Saturday as we celebrated Chris's 30th birthday. Buttons the Clown even stopped by to make balloon hats and toys and paint faces. Lots of fun, food and fellowship!

So pretty, so delicate, so pink...

No....it's not a new baby girl! It's the beautiful ATCs I have received from my dear friend Judy as we begin our third year of swapping. Such a lovely surprise when I opened my mail, to see these cards...a breath of springtime to warm my mid-winter blues. Judy wrote "This year my inspiration comes from the devastation in Haiti. It makes me think about our good fortune, with gratitude."
Thank you, Judy, for these bits of hope.

What a hoot!

Is this just the cutest little owl you've ever seen?!?!
This adorable little creature was created for me by my dear friends Nancy & Bill to honor my owl siting earlier this year - and it makes me so happy just to look at it. Nancy is a genius with fabric and her sewing machine and Bill can work wonders with a piece of wood - put it all together and you have a masterpiece.
I absolutely LOVE it!!! Thank you, dear friends!

Gobble, gobble...

Well, here it is - Thanksgiving Day - the beginning of the holiday season! I look forward to going to Worcester today to celebrate with my Mom and siblings; along with my nieces & nephews (and their significant others). And, of course, my husband and sons will all be there, too! This has got to be my favorite holiday, because it is the only time that ALL of us are able to be together. Hopefully we'll have some good photo ops today. My assignment is complete - two pans of bread stuffing, one large bowl of cole slaw, and brownies. Thankfully my sister Tina makes, totally from scratch, all the pies....and they are soooo yummy. Joe is cooking the bird and everyone else will bring the rest.
Well, off to get ready and hit the road...
My best wishes to you for a happy and blessed Thanksgiving Day!

Three owls...

While browsing at Barnes & Noble last week, I spotted this journal; and considering my owl siting of several weeks ago (see Oct. 4 posting), I just had to have it!

Happy Halloween!!! Garett and I created this J-O-L last night....

Getting back to life off-Cape...

Well...I haven't posted for a while now, but it's not because I haven't been up to anything...quite the contrary! Settling back into an off-season routine has been a challenge. (My season, as you well know, is summer...so the rest of the year, all eight long months of it, is my off-season!) Getting back to work, re-immersing myself into my church activities and adjusting to life in my "winter home" have been rather time consuming, but always interesting. Additionally, I had the pleasure of traveling to Atlanta last week for a wonderful visit with friends there.
Nevertheless, I have still maintained my dedication to ATC swaps, and present here the most recent card, created for a swap at Scrapbook Cupboard in Bridgewater. The theme was "Trees" and I knew immediately that I just had to showcase Joyce Kilmer's poem...an all time favorite of mine.

ATCs to share...

In addition to the beautiful card shown in my last post, my dear friend also sent these wonderful ATCs. Judy and I have been exchanging Artist Trading Cards each month for the past two years, many of which I have shared through blog posts. The detail in Judy's cards is exquisite...each little flower cut from fabric and arranged into a bouquet...bits of fabric cut and placed to form a delicate silhouette...bold colored felt & hand stitching creating "almost a circle"...all so lovely and uniquely "Judy"...enjoy!!!

"Evening Song"

This beautiful piece of paper cut-work was created by my dear friend Judy. The foreground, with all its fine detail, is hand cut from black cardstock and overlayed onto a beautifully hand-colored 'sunset.'

As it sits on my bedroom bureau, "Evening Song" will sing its quiet tune of beauty, peacefulness & friendship evermore. Thank you, Judy!

Fantasy destination...

Another art journal has come my way. The owner has requested participants to reveal a place they would travel if they could go anywhere in the world. Well, this was an easy one. Since forever, I have always dreamed of going to Egypt - a destination of mystery, antiquity and beauty. These are the pages I created...probably the most I will ever see of my fantasy destination.

Bye, Lorna...

I know I've said this before, but one of the greater pleasures of having a summer home on the Cape is being able to share it with friends and family. The last few days have been days of fun, fun, fun with my dear friend Lorna. We talked, ate, drank, talked, swam, sunned, talked, shopped...well, you get the idea...we did all the stuff girl-friends do! Her 'significant purchase' this visit was a Trollbeads bracelet, which is absolutely stunning! As a matter of fact, I may just have to start one of these gem collectors for myself!

Well, Lorna is gone now...the house feels strangely empty and quiet...but wait!...who's that coming up the driveway?!?!

Beach glass

Wow! It's been way too long since I have posted and I hope to be more regular from here on out...

Much to my delight, the past weeks have been busy with visits from family and friends. Whether at the beach or lounging at home, time with loved ones always passes too quickly. Fortunately, our weather is improving - lots of sunshine and less rain. Our nights continue to be cool, providing perfect sleeping conditions. Imagine, mid-July and the air conditioner hasn't even been uncovered!

A recent walk along the shore with my daughter-in-law yielded this bounty of beach glass. The piece of golden amber is especially beautiful - an uncommon find to be sure!

Secretaries' Retreat

This past weekbeginning (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday) I had the pleasure of attending the Church Secretaries' Conference/Retreat at Craigville Conference Center on Cape Cod. An annual meeting of women called to a common 'ministry', this event is an opportunity to connect with others who know my job only all too well. We all serve in differing capacities, from full-time office administration to part-time work in specific areas, but yet recognize and honor the common thread of our focus - service to God and our churches. In addition to attending an informational seminar on Safe Church Policy, we ate, played and worshiped together, strengthening our friendships and appreciation of and for one another.

A special day...

Happy birthday to a very special person...Hazey....friend, sister, aunt. We love you!

All recovered...

After yesterday's cleanup and the exhaustion that followed, we are back to normal today. G is at his day-hab program and I have a few hours to play. So off I go, but first I would like to show you the driveway I shoveled yesterday. Not only is it long, but it is probably at about a 35-40 degree angle - for the weak of heart, a bit scary to drive on at any time! Hopefully the sun, if it appears, will melt off any residual ice and I will be able to park closer to my house - thankfully my neighbors have offered the use of their driveway to me, which I have accepted!