Hallucinating...

On the day after Thanksgiving Vermont turned to ice.  My Tommy was riding the dirt roads and took some pictures to surprise me.  He forgot that you can't take pictures into the sun. 

Baking Pies...

My late mother-in-law was a great baker so I can honestly say that I stood beside the master when learning to bake pies.  I still see her hands patting the dough and bringing it into a ball before rolling.  She taught me to roll from the middle out, then turn the dough circle and again, roll from the middle out.  She had the touch.  Her pies were a delicacy, her crust light as a feather.

My silly tradition is to always bake a baby pie.  I put a little dough aside, scraps from the others, you know, and have always been lucky enough to have a little one at my table feeling special to have their very own pie.  This year it is my great granddaughter Skylar who is 5.

 

First Prize...

Hooray, I won first prize in the "Capturing the Beauty of Windham" photo contest.  Every year I enter and not only do I not win, I do not even get any votes.  This is my big year and this is my photo:

Big Bad Bear

  

The Sea Captains Nutcracker...

My daughter and I took our granddaughter Skylar to see the Nutcracker this afternoon.  It was quite a treat!  As you can see, the scene is set on the ocean.  The dancers in blue are the waves. 

Now they are marooned on an island.  The Ice Fairy rescues them by commanding the Winds to guide them to the safety of an enchanted island. 

Taking a final bow after finding themselves back in the old boarding house on Cape Cod.  They were forever changed by the adventure of the magical Christmas that poured out of the Sea Captain's chest so many years ago.

Sea Glass...

Walking along on the beach today, I picked up a piece of sea glass.  Sea glass is glass found on beaches along oceans, bays, rivers or large lakes that has been tumbled and smoothed by the waves, water and sand, creating smooth, frosted shards of glass.

Many years ago I invented a story for my grandchildren to encourage their interest in this marvelous treasure.  I told them that you can't die until your jar of sea glass is full.  I laugh now when I think of their many reactions.  Julie, upon leaving the beach, would always try to wangle my glass away from me.  She would say, "Oh grandma, that's my favorite piece so far, can I have it?"  First thing I knew she had all my glass and I had none.  Then one day she thought I should have a much bigger jar to keep my glass in. 

I am so fortunate to have such a large family and "that many times ten" wonderful memories of them walking the beaches and paths of my life with me.

Footprints...

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed He was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from His life. For each scene He noticed two sets of footprints in the sand. One belonging to Him and the other to the LORD.

When the last scene of His life flashed before Him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of His life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of His life.

This really bothered Him and He questioned the LORD about it. LORD you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.

The LORD replied, my precious, precious child, I Love you and I would never leave you! During your times of trial and suffering when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.

Carolyn Carty, 1963

Hello Cape Cod...

We were welcomed by a gale.  Just when I had it in my mind to take a walk on the beach, the wind blew me away.

Harvest Supper...

Oh no!  There's trouble in the kitchen.  We had a wonderful evening at the meeting house celebrating autumn with our annual harvest supper followed by a square dance.  We had about one hundred diners sharing ham, scalloped potatoes, squash, baked beans, rolls and sweet breads.  How about a slice of pie for dessert?