Easing into Thanksgiving...

The past few days have been a balmy sixty degrees Fahrenheit.  Today we are predicted to receive 4-8 inches of snow.  Right now it is a comfortable 42 degrees. It looks like early spring out there.  It is hard to believe winter will be here later today!  My hope is that it doesn't cause a great deal of trouble for travelers.

We have taken a few rides out into the country to enjoy the weather and the beauty.  In the car, with a coffee and the the radio playing, we are on "mini vacations" from home and from the cares of the world.   Within just a few hours we can be in any of the New England states and upper state New York... or even in Boston or new York City.  Happily, we are home in time to sleep in our own beds snuggled under the down comforter and feel like we have been away!

The photos can speak for themselves...a memory of before the snow started covering it all up for winter.  I was lucky to see many Belties grazing and there were many more I didn't photograph.  They never fail to make me smile.

There is an abundance of hatred/racism/anger floating around at this time this year. This is not the abundance I wish for.  It is the time for Thanksgiving.  It would be nice if we all could see all sides of a picture without being hateful and angry.  That would be my wish for this holiday season.

With that I leave you  with gentle wishes for a happy Thanksgiving... if you celebrate it.  (People tend to forget not everybody does.)   Wishing for peace and gratitude for  all...

 as always,

enjoy the day.

 

Autumn continues to linger and awe...

Today it is a remarkable  64.7 °F !   The cold weather is around the corner but today is just plain beautiful.

This past weekend was much the same. We were on our way to Vermont and stopped off along the way at a post off ice in historic Deerfield, MA  to mail a package.   What a wonderful town and what a post office. It was like going back to a gentler time.  I hated to leave,  I fell in love with the front door and woodwork.

 

 The village is filled with old buildings and history. 

 Here is view of nearby buildings.

I should not neglect to mention our own town where most leaves were still on the trees, too.  This is a local reservoir.

Soon it will be time to celebrate Thanksgiving and winter will be here.  This autumn was one of the most beautiful in memory.  For as strange as weather can be here, sometimes the beauty is overwhelming good and I am most grateful for it. 

Next time I will share some dolls with you, I promise!  And perhaps some art work, too.  Until then.

be well

and enjoy the day!

Still here...

Yes..I am still here!

Where did the time go?  I went to many places, made a lot of art, and just plain got busy with day to day stuff.

We had a GLORIOUS autumn with the best weather I have seen in decades.  Sunny dry days!  Cool nights!  Perfect!  It is a pleasure to say that since we have had such extreme weather for several years now.

It's almost Thanksgiving in the USA!  Can Christmas be far behind?  Are you ready for the holidays?  As I get older I do less and less but seem to enjoy them more.  It's the spirit of the season...not the meal...not the gifts. The holiday season is a time of good will that I wish would extend  throughout the whole year!

Early wishes for a happy Thanksgiving...

and happy Hanukkah if you celebrate it. 

 (Hanukkah begins Wednesday evening.) 

 Hope all is well in your world, and as always,

enjoy the day!

It was a sunny day...

It was a sunny day on Saturday when we set off to Hunter Hill Alpaca Farm.  A day trip with our grands is always fun and even better when the sun is shining!

Alpacas are such sweet animals...

They are inquisitive...

Friendly...

This alpaca was a sweetie!

Lunch at a Mexican restaurantwas needed...and then...

then it was time to visit the Timexpo Museum in Waterbury, CT.  To be honest, I was so busy looking around I hardly took any photos. But this huge Mickey Mouse watch was wonderful!  It was hand painted and very impressive.

Mickey Mouse had many incarnations on various  wristwatches watches. I have four vintage watches I wear myself...two Minnie and two Mickey.

There many characters I loved...especailly the Alice in Wonderland watch...a favorite of mine as a child.

It was a fun day with happy memories.  I would love to have an alpaca as a pet, but we live in town on a small plot of land so I think it is out of the question!  But, they never fail to make me smile!

How was your holiday weekend?  We had a very relaxed weekend. We are not into shopping very much but we happened to be passing one of our favorite stores and I took a few photos...but will save that for the next post!

***

It's sleeting and snowing here today. Winter is really almost here!  Whatever your weather, sunny or not,

enjoy the day!

We gather together...

In the USA, we celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow. It is celebrated on the 4th Thursday in November every year. Families get together for a dinner which usually includes turkey and all the traditional foods that go with the meal.  There are many ways people celebrate...from religious... to watching football all day on television...to running in road races...and even going to the movies after dinner.  But, essentially it is a day to feel gratitude.

It is a beloved holiday here and also is the beginning of the holiday season--which includes Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. For a few weeks out of the year it is a time of festivity.  Hopefully, it will be a time of charity and giving...no matter how one celebrates.

Wishing you a happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Weekend!

And as always,

 enjoy the day!

 

The week that was...

We made it through the storm here in CT without any damage or loss of power. How lucky we are!  There are parts of this state without power still and other states without power, too.  So much damage, from the strangest storm ever. My thoughts and prayers are with those who are coping with the aftermath.

Thanksgiving is not very far away. But I feel very grateful right now.  So with that in mind....I post my little bear early.

Happy weekend...

be grateful...

as always...

enjoy the day!

Warm and sunny...

We had a warm and sunny holiday weekend with above normal temperatures.  New England used to be buried in snow by now.  The furnace would have been on a month or more by now.  Instead, it was tee shirt weather!

It was a great time to visit Mystic Seaport with the grands.

The Amistad is currently being worked on ...last summer we were able to board it.

See the Christmas tree on the top of the mast on this schooner?

Have you ever seen a steam yacht?  This one is spectacular and rare.

 The ship carvings were amazing...such works of art!

 They were mesmerizing!

 My favorites...

Have some more to share with you but it is time to start a new week.  Back to work, back to the gym, back to preparing for Christmas.  Hope that you had a lovely weekend and as always...

enjoy the day!

Giving thanks...

In the United States  Thanksgiving will be celebrated this week.  I am wondering how many people realize that giving thanks for the harvest occurred before the Pilgrims and was celebrated by Native Americans as well as by Spaniards in the New World? As a child growing up in Florida, we were taught this early on.  

It is a holiday I have mixed emotions about.  There are so many starving people in the world and the thought of stuffing myself really turns me off.  On the other hand, it is a family tradition that family loves to celebrate. 

If you can, consider donating to a food bank or shelter.  This year the need is great than ever. And, please, find it in your heart to be kinder and less volatile towards those in need.  I recently heard some hate speech that sickened me.  (Not everyone has boots straps that they can pull themselves up with.)  Count yourself fortunate and wish good fortune to others. Find some empathy and kindness in your heart if you possibly can...however you celebrate the day.

Best wishes for a happy holiday weekend.  I am thankful every day...I hope you are, too!

As always,

enjoy the day.

The child within...

One of the many wonderful things about grandchildren is that they bring out the child still left within us! We visited the museums here and enjoyed our visit thoroughly.




We get to go museums and do kid things with abandon and nobody think you are goofy! Grands are the reward for raising children--plus you get to be a kid again.

Here is the car of my dreams!

And these classic motorcycles
are BEAUTIFUL!

Why no photos of the grands? My policy is to protect their privacy at this point. But, I assure you they are adorable and wonderful and lots of fun to be with.

The weekend was wonderful...I hope yours was, too!

As always,

enjoy the day!

Tis the season to give thanks...

Here it is...late November. Wasn't it just the other day we were speaking of summer? Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah are all just around the corner. Autumn is transitioning to winter and time seems to fly by in a blink of an eye.

Wishing you a very happy Thanksgiving
if you celebrate it.

Travel safely
and and always,

enjoy the day!

Thoughts for Thanksgiving...

Count your blessings...

Donate to a food bank...

Don't eat too much...

Help wash the dishes...

and, as always,

enjoy the day!