Cape Cod in October

~Now in a cottage built of lilacs and laughter I know the meaning of the words ever after~ Frank Sinatra

On Columbus Day weekend we had few extra days off thrown in we were invited to stay in a charming town on Cape Cod in a charming house. It belongs to a teacher that Scott has worked with for years.

And I have to tell you up front that although we only stayed for one cozy night it was a world away for our little family.

In fact, I highly recommend a cottage on 'the Cape' in October. Please Scott, can we buy one?

Although I didn't know the 'story' of the house until after we got home I knew from the moment we turned the key in the door it was filled with memories. The refrigerator had pictures of family summer lobster dinners from years ago when Terry's (that's the wonderful teacher) children were really little. I could almost see and could definitely feel the love in the walls. Her father built the house years ago. That's all Scott told me. And (swoon) that's all I needed to know. I could go for years on that...

I also know that her daughter was recently married on the Cape and I was trying to hard to picture how wonderful the most recent memories in that house. Ones with a bride slipping her wedding gown on. Ones with bouquets of flowers on the kitchen table. Sigh.

This is what I saw... (house on the Cape perfection if you ask me) ready??

the living room. Cozy, peaceful, and oh so comfortable. The fireplace mantle was lined with little wooden buildings, churches, places from around the Cape.



And this... the bedroom that the girls slept in. Like a fairytale. Look at the sweetest wallpaper.



and the dresser in this room, oh so pretty.



Another bedroom with wallpaper and furniture and sweet curtains that made me want to move right in.









The perfect spot to gather, cook, and relax after a day at the beach. Oh summers here must be glorious.





We decided to spend our day in the next town up, Chatham. We were hungry and ready for an early lunch and some shopping. Abigail wastes no time in diary writing.

~Preserve your memories.  Keep them well, what you forget, you can never retell~ Louisa May Alcott 



Somehow wherever we are the girls seem to bring home a book and a stuffed animal. Boy, did she have a hard time choosing!



Lovely bookstore called "Where the Sidewalk Ends" (and yes, it was at the end of the sidewalk).



Abigail decided to take this one home (and she loved it)



And Anna and I thought this one looked interesting, so we decided to get it to work through together. (I've been learning a bit on mindfulness and was pleased to see something geared for teens and mindfulness)



This bookstore had a real 'shop around the corner' feel to it.

(from the movie, You've Got Mail)


We had the whole place to ourselves. I can imagine that in the summer the look from the childrens loft is quite different, and that the stores are jammed packed.





We had the most relaxing lunch out at the Golden Goose, a tavern attached to a beautiful inn on Main Street in Chatham.





Anna ordered cider and it came steaming hot and she was thrilled.



I was so happy with a small pot of tea, vegetable quiche and a salad.





Exactly what you would picture a town at the Cape to look like, right?

~New England has a way of doing this to people; they can be homesick for it even if they've never seen it~ Mark Van Doren 



There were such lovely shops. Anna lives in 'life is good' tees during the week. And this one we had to get her because we love adoption.



It was such a beautiful, crisp, fall day. Perfect for walking around and enjoying being outside.

I love this one of Anna.



~What one loves in childhood stays in the heart forever~ Mary Jo Putney



Such a pretty spot.







That evening at sunset we visited a beach in Dennis.



Just a day earlier there were storms from the hurricane and Florida. Although the Cape didn't see any damage there were leftover high winds at the beach.



All Anna's idea, and I love it!





And I love how happy Scott is here.



Yeah, the jean jacket over the long sweater, I know. But it was so cold, we ran to the car and grabbed and put on whatever we could to keep warm.

~Joy is not in things, it is in us~ Benjamin Franklin 









I didn't notice until I looked at these at home, our shadows together looking at our girls.



What a super cool beach! This is one I would love to visit in the summer for sure!



After this it was time to find a yummy place for lobster dinner.



We did, and we brought it back to the house to relax and eat. I'll spare you the details but our plans of getting on the ferry in the morning to spend the day in Martha's Vineyard were changed because Abigail was up 5 times that night feeling awful. We weren't sure if it was just a cold and could go on with our plans that weekend or if it was something more. But the previous month she had bronchitis and pneumonia so we didn't want to take any chances and sadly headed home.



A a wonderful breakfast out and took a few pictures in front of the house.



~I want to have a little house with sunlight on the floor, a chimney with a rosy hearth and a lilac by the door~ Nancy Bird Turner 



Thank you Terri, for sharing your house full of memories with us. We were so honored to be there. And Cape Cod that is so close we're embarrassed to say we hardly know you, we'll be back as soon as we can!