Good. Random. Fun. {weeks 22 & 23}

The heat of the day lingered into the early evening. As I pushed my cart around the garden center, I allowed myself to choose the tiny blooms that I liked the most. I hadn't done any research ~ which I probably should have. You see, I don't garden. I enjoy plants and flowers without knowing what they are called. I like the idea of having a garden full of loveliness, but haven't the first clue as to what it takes to actually grow the flowers that might fill said garden. So, while the sun began casting long shadows across the rows and rows of vivids and pastels, I simply allowed myself to choose whichever random plants happened to put a smile on my face. I did check to make sure that the colorful choices I made would enjoy basking in the sunshine of my second floor deck, and then I filled my cart with a rainbow of goodness.

I bought some herbs too. Because I like the idea of cooking with fresh herbs. I've never done this, but hope that I can actually incorporate this into my culinary routine. Once I had decided on a potting soil and picked out some cute gardening gloves, I headed to the cashier to make my purchase. When the total came up on the screen I thought, "Wow. This is more than just an idea. It's an investment! I better actually be able to keep this little guys alive?!?!!" This notion, if you know me at all, is not a given. I'm not known for keeping plants alive. And I can tend to like the idea of something much {much} more than I like the actual effort it takes to make it happen. I was one of those girls that liked buying the ski outfit more than I liked the skiing itself. But I digress.

Next came the loading and unloading. The cleaning of the fairly-old-but-never-used planters. The reading of the directions. And then, finally, the planting. My favorite part of this process was experiencing the warmth of the soil. There was energy...warm energy...generated by the soil. Digging my gloved hands into the bag of potting soil again and again was, well, new to me. And invigorating. It was one of those moments when you say to yourself, "Oh. This is why people like this!" I guess you could say a 'better late than never' moment. The fun came when all the planters were full and settled into their new home on my new deck....and I started snapping photos! It's always nice when you try something new and it turns out {almost} like you imagined that it would.

So, here I am. In a new house with so much light. And space. And land. It's a home that begs for plants and flowers. Here I am testing the waters. Dipping the proverbial big toe in to see how it feels. I will do my best to nurture the living. To pay attention, take my time and find joy in this new adventure.

Joining Tamar for some

Good, Random Fun

Raindrops

"Raindrops keep fallin' on my head...

...nothing's bothering me!"

B. J. Thomas

Who knew how fun skylights could be??!?

Joining Kathy for

Song-ography

Good. Random. Fun {Weeks 20 & 21}

These last few weeks have centered around two things:

Finishing up some of the last unpacking minutia

and

beginning to explore the area.

I have two old printer's trays...one for nick-nacks and one for jewelry.

I could unpack two whole rooms in the time it took me to

hang, unwrap, clean off and re-fill these two "antiques" ...

good thing I love the end result so much!

We've also begun to buy a few house plants ~ the 'finishing touch' for this otherwise empty corner of the main room.

The peach hibiscus we bought has NOT disappointed!

So many blooms already!

One of the funniest, most random and unexpected thing we've discovered at our place

is the nightly frog serenade!

I will try and get a recording that I can upload - I mean they are SO LOUD we can hear them

with the windows closed and the television on...ribbit!

I have had tons of fun beginning to explore my area.

The history is rich and I look forward to many new discoveries!

This past weekend we had our first official {non-family} dinner guests.

My boss and his wife...friends for more years than we'd like to admit...hung out Saturday night.

When the realtor first asked me to describe what I wanted in a house,

I told her that I was hoping we'd find a gathering place.

A place where family and friends are always welcome.

I so loved fixing dinner and getting everything ready for our friends...

This place is made for parties!!

Linking up with The Good. The Random. The Fun. and Life Through the Lens

Humble and Kind

First of all, I LOVE this song.

It softens my heart every time.

I'm often teary by the end of it...

not weepy, just good teary.

Keep it simple.

Boil it down.

Sing your truth.

These are lyrics I wish that I'd written.

This morning,

this is what I was looking at while eating my breakfast.

When I first saw this house back in February,

there was snow on the ground.

But I knew.

I could feel it.

I knew that waking up here would feel as peaceful as waking up in my tent

on a sunny morning in a wooded campsite.

And it does.

Rain or shine.

But most especially when the sun is shining.

Before I knew it,

there were tears falling across my cheeks.

You see, my husband and I have had a bit of a nomadic life.

Which was a life we chose, for reasons that were important to us.

But for almost a decade we've been dreaming of this house.

Of this space.

We've dreamt of a gathering place.

A quiet place.

A chosen place.

I think we've been dreaming of this place.

And it's hard to explain how hard my husband has worked these past ten years.

It's a story - a good story - for another time.

It's an especially good story now that we're living this chapter.

It's an especially good story because he would never tell it about himself....

Maybe the reason I love this song so much

is that it brings him to my mind.

"Don't take for granted the love this life gives you,

When you get where you're goin'

Don't forget - turn back around

and help the next one in line.

Always stay humble and kind."

Joining Kathy for
Song-ography

Good. Random. Fun. {Weeks 18 & 19}

The past two weeks have been full.

FULL of GOOD!

The New England weather has gone from frosty to rainy.

It's been a bit dreary, but extremely conducive to finishing up all the unpacking.

Cause that's an inside job.

And, drum roll please....it is finished!

For me, the 'bestest' of all the GOOD is that friends have journeyed north.

They have come.

Come to scrap. And to chat.

I'm elated.

And so very grateful to them and for this delicious new space we get to share!

Some came bearing gifts...

Gifts are always GOOD!

Especially when the giver knows exactly what you'd love

and delights me with our first bird feeder!

In the RANDOM department,

the road in front of our house was paved last week.

Signs went up days after we moved in,

and we feared the worst...

a long, drawn out street repair that drags on through the summer.

Bun no!

In less than two weeks the project was completed

and we now have a brand new road in front of our brand new house!

I'll bore you with a few more ball park pics.

Because going to a ball game is SO. MUCH. FUN!

Especially when the weather is perfect.

And they win.

AND you are being treated to the cushiest box seats

{suite and food included}

in all of the park!

The view of the field was outstanding and

the company was great.

Our son was able to join us for the game

and serenaded me during the traditional singing of  "Sweet Caroline."

It's a Boston thing.

The whole ball park ~ we all sing this silly song together before the bottom of the 8th.

It's a Boston thing.

To top it all off,

Mother's Day was wonderful.

We had our first family celebration in the new abode.

One daughter, one son-in-law, one pup, one son...

a chat with a grandma and an uncle...

and, as always, LOTS of laughter!

Joining Tamar for

The Good. The Random. The Fun.

Backyard Beauty

And to add to the whole we-own-a-house excitement,

said house has a flowering tree in the back yard.

Color me delighted!

The pink blooms have lured some sweet song birds to visit our humble abode...

and many enjoy hanging around with us!

Yesterday a dear friend brought me a bird feeder as a house warming gift!!

Watch out little birdies, you're about to get spoiled!

Joining Kim and Kat

Good. Random. Fun. {week 17}

The very best thing about last week?

Two angels

{otherwise known as my children}

spent the day with me and the Ikea directions

and assembled my scrapbook room furniture!!

Over the weekend I began to fill up the storage space and get set up.

This is good!

Oh. So. Good.

Workshops begin again on Wednesday!!

In the random category,

I've discovered an iced beverage that I really {really} like at Starbucks.

Shaken Iced Passion Tango Tea.

Unsweetened.

For someone who doesn't do dairy.

Or sugar.

Or much caffeine...

It's tough to find a "fun" beverage!

I'm being told, from numerous sources, that this drink is just brewed herbal tea over ice.

Since I'm enjoying it so much,

I'm choosing to believe my sources...

Yesterday was a gorgeous spring day here in New England.

So I set out to have some fun and find a new walking trail.

You see here the entrance to the "Salem Town Forest"

and a few miles of trails,

some of which border Shadow Pond.

Lovely, right?

What started so well

turned into a bit of a crazy afternoon.

You see...I got a bit lost in the woods.

I think that when I got to this point, where the trail seems to ignore this rock wall,

I should have turned around.

Let me just say that there is A WHOLE LOT of wooded acreage out here that doesn't belong to the town. 

Or, if it does, it doesn't officially connect to the marked walking trails.

Sadly, I had wandered awfully far before I realized I wasn't where I was supposed to be.

Let's just say...

if it was alone time I was looking for, I got plenty of it before I found my way back to where I belonged.

Yup. Well over an hour just me, the pines and the birds.

Note to self: next time, bring a trail map.

Joining Tamar for

The Good. The Random. The Fun.

Reflections from the Move

It's funny to look at the photos on my camera feed....how did we get stuff done and communicate details before we could text photos back and forth? Should I buy this microwave? This shower curtain? This screw is this big and this cabinet looks like this. And look! We're hanging doors! It's a hoot - when I look back to see all that we've communicated to each other as we marched through this move-in process.

I'm happy to report there are now some things hanging on the walls!!! I caught my reflection in the glass of this frame this morning... This framed sketch has been with us over thirty years! I had a local artist draw the Harvard bell towers and foot bridge for my husband as a graduation present....might need a new mat ~ I didn't realize how yellowed it is until I saw this shot. You can see our lovely patio and back yard reflected. I thought this made for a nice 'full circle' moment.

We're lucky enough to have brick in our bedroom ~ this is the back of the main fireplace. Our bedroom and the loft above it are a newer addition, and I just LOVE the feel of it! Very roomy and open and full of that amazing light that makes this house so special! Last night some of our photos went up on the brick, and I caught this reflection as I finished making the bed today.

Happiness. Yup. The to-do lists have more things crossed off than not, and this place is really beginning to feel like home.

Joining James for

Weekend Reflections

Follow the Sun

"But tomorrow may rain, so I'll follow the sun."

The Beatles

In case you were wondering how we're feeling about all the windows

and ALL THE FANTASTIC LIGHT we have

in this new house...

we love it.

And so does a certain puppy.

He basically spent the weekend following the sun from hot spot to hot spot.

Happiness is, after all, a warm puppy.

Joining Kathy for

Song-ography

Good. Random. Fun. {Week 15}

We are settling in.

I can't find the words to tell you how good it feels!

I settle by doing things like hanging a pretty wreath.

My husband settles in by caulking the tub and shower.

Mars.

Venus.

It's pretty humerous to watch us prioritize what needs to get done next!!

I have a flowering tree!

"Mars" washed allllll the windows this weekend.

And I, "Venus" took plenty of random pics through those windows of my flowering tree.

We had the grandpuppy for the weekend, which was loads of fun!

He didn't get out much,

but enjoyed all the sunshine in the main room and laid around quite patiently

while we got lots more done in the new abode!

Joining Tamar for some

Good. Random. Fun.

Good. Random. Fun. {week 14}

For any of my friends who follow me on instagram

{@scrapbookmom17}

you know this has been a crazy week!

We. Have. Moved.

It's real.

It's official!!

On Wednesday, the night before we signed all the mortgage papers,

I went to "my" pond with my big girl camera for a wander.

To breathe...and to see the mama swan on her nest.

A beautiful, peaceful sight.

Papa swan was swimming nearby ~ he never strays to far from the nest.

The golden light added magic to the scene!

I stayed at the water's edge until the setting sun painted the sky...just for me.

I lingered with my favorite, arched branches...
the leaves were just beginning to sprout and I drank in the simple silhouette.
Just the moments of peace and quiet I needed before the craziness of the next days began!
This was good. Very, very good.

Over the next three days we signed papers, got keys and moved countless carloads of little stuff to our new digs.
And then came Sunday.
Our "rent-the-big-truck" day.
We woke up in our new home to a snow covered back yard.
Thanks, spring, for the random weather!
Snow. Winds. Extremely chilly temps.
Oh well, you can plan and plan...then you just have to roll with it!

So, what's a little snow?

We're New Englanders, after all.

HOWEVER,

when you arrive at the U-Haul facility to pick up your truck

AND THEY DO NOT HAVE ONE for you,

you start to loose your marbles!!!

Thanks, U-Haul, for the random delay.

Alas.

In spite of these glitches,

a truck was found, the sky cleared and our move was completed.

Whew!

Either our old house is really small, or the truck was really big...crazy, right!?!

Thanks to one husband, one son, one son-in-law, three young friends, one boss
and my darling daughter, we got all the stuff from one place to the next!
Thanks one and all.
{also, few things look more random that lots of furniture trying to find a new place to call home!}

Through it all,

the most fun I had was standing on the 2nd floor deck directing traffic.

As everything came off the truck,

my job was to tell people where to take it.

So. Fun.

And this guy.
We had our little mascot with us all day.
May I just say,
he makes every party just a little more fun!!

Here's to a great week everyone!!




Joining Tamar for
The Good. The Random. The Fun.