full of thanks

Today has been a busy, fun day. Now I must admit that when it comes to the food on Thanksgiving, it's not really my specialty. My job is always the same.. setting the table, doing any jobs that my mom throws at me, & then the final clean up. This was the first year in my parents' new home & there were 19 of us, including my grandma (dad's mom). We have plenty to be thankful for this year. Her doctors are holding her cancer "at bay", she's got her appetite back & spirits are high. It was wonderful to see!

My other grandmomma was ecstatic to be surrounded by her great grand-children. Having Layla & Landon here was nice since we don't get to see them too often. I loved watching the younger ones play "Tag" & practice cartwheels. The house was packed with family, loud with catch-up conversations, & filled with delicious smells. My cup runneth over.

oyster floats

We finally got a couple of used oyster floats from a friend (Mr. Renner, who also happened to be my 8th grade teacher) of Terry's mom. We've been talking for years about how we should get at least one float since we live on the water & it would save us quite a bit of money during these "R" months. ;)

They'll need a little work before being set. There are holes that will be patched with crab netting to keep out the Chespeake Bay blue crab, which is the main predator of oysters. In the spring, we'll buy spat (oyster seed), "plant" them in the floats & set them in Winter Harbor. It's about a 70% survival rate, so hopefully a year or two later, we'll have ourselves some decent sized oysters. I'll keep ya posted.

girls day

Yesterday, I spent the day with Erica & Lilli. Our first stop was to the Yorktown Market Days. Located on the York River, the market had a variety of local artists & the usual produce, meats, cheeses, & handmade soaps for a farmer's market. Since it was such a gorgeous day, the place was packed!


Walking around, I suddenly heard a familiar bluegrass sound & found that friends of ours, Runaway String Band, were set up playing music. Lilli was happy to sit on the hill & listen to them play.

After the market, we drove on the Colonial Parkway to Williamsburg, which was chock full of autumn colors.


Our next stop was to Holly Days, a holiday bazaar & craft show.

After grabbing some lunch, hitting a thrift store & Trader Joes, we headed home. It didn't take long for the busy day to take its toll on Lilli. What a fabulous way to spend a Saturday!

meet sam

* One heck of a dancer (even dances when my cell goes off)
* Gives great face expressions (as shown)
* Likes animals
* Loves music
* Will eat anything put in front of him, including hummus & tomatoes
* Wants to be outside more than anything
* Hugs other children by laying on top of them
* Is a great listener
* Uses his pointer finger quite often

Only two short months with this little man & already he's captured my heart.
I love my "job"!

"fall"ing in love

"Nature always wears the colors of the spirit" ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Every year as autumn is in full swing, I'll make the comment that this is my favorite time of the year. However, this time around feels even more special. My soul has been feeling a rejuvenation as one might feel in spring.

Maybe it's because of the wicked hot summer we had, when we only felt like being outside if we were sitting in some body of cool water. The past few weeks have been a welcome to just be able to throw on a light sweater to take a walk or simply sit out on our porch.

Maybe it's the delicious foods that autumn brings with her.. the pumpkin, kale, & squashes. Sweet potatoes could be on my dinner plate every night & I would never tire of them. All they need is a little butter & pepper. Mmm!

Maybe it's the beauty of the changing leaves. The glow from the sun hitting the reds, oranges, & golds off the trees with the deep blue sky background keeps a smile on my face & a warmth inside.

I'm wrapping my arms around these wonderful, fall days to keep them with me for the cold winter months ahead. How have you been enjoying this time of year?

a sunday afternoon drive..in autumn

a grown up halloween

As Halloween approached this year, the feeling of excitement wasn't there like the past few years. And I think it was because I slacked on my costume. Oh, ideas came & went.. and thrift shopping days came & went. So we ended up borrowing a Little Red Riding Hood & wolf costume from my friend Gwen last minute. They were actually her parents from the 80s & boy! with that color of red, you could tell. Ha! We always get together with friends to dress up before we head out. This year Erica decided to be Jerry Garcia, taking home 1st place Saturday night at the Southwind costume contest.

Sunday, we went to a Scorpio party (in our circle of friends, there are plenty of Scorpio-s). After eating some venison chili, quiche, pumpkin dip, & other delicious foods we all headed out down the road to take the children trick-or-treating. What fun that was! And Sail Cove is quite the happening spot for it, too. We ended Halloween night with a walk through a small haunted trail. The "Jason" guy freaked me out even more than 3 yr. old Lilli.
Gotta add a picture of Carys, my little witch.