I don't know about you but I'm sooooOooooo in the mood this year! Pine smells and twinkle lights here we come!
I love November -- it's "the holiday's" without the stress of it all. I 'play house' with all of my pretty things, making vingettes here and there as I start on decorating for Christmas.
I officially start decorating on October 31st. Yes I do. And I don't care what other people think. It takes me a loooooong time to get it all set and I like to enjoy the month of December. When I'm in the 'middle' of deorating, my house is parts bare, parts decorated, and all parts messy. I don't want messy in December. I want to come home to twinkle lights and little displays ready to greet me. So I'm in full decorating now.
It's dark and cold, really cold in Connecticut, just the way I like it!
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Where I walk ~
An over-full life with demands at every point means we are being depleted with each moment.
We are all limited in time, energy, emotion, and resources.
If we overspend ourselves, symptoms of discouragement, anger, fear, critical attitudes, compromise, conflict will grow.
When we see these dark attitudes read their ugly heads, we must stop. And pay attention.
It means refueling our bodies, getting outside and breathing in cold fresh morning air.
We need to refuel our minds and souls so that we can live life from fullness and overflow from what we have taken time to store up.
It means opening the Word of God. And letting the Creator of the universe touch our souls.
It is only in refueling both spirit, mind, and body that we can change the world.
For me that means one child, {my darling daughters and the 22 sweet faces I teach each day} at a time.
Friday ~ Sometimes on a Friday we love to come home and make "snacks" for dinner, curl up on the couch, and watch a Christmas show. This Friday we watched A Charlie Brown Christmas and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (yes, in that weird order) in our cozy clothes after a long week of school for all of us. It was the best!
Saturday ~ Abigail left me some tea and a note with directions on how to get better. That was a sweet moment.
Saturday night Scott made yummy pumpkin spice tea with whipped cream for a couch date night.
Sunday ~ Anna played in a viola concert.
Simple moments, like the ones I captured are my favorite, the ones I look forward to all week.
So after that amazing experience at Sleepy Hallow Farm (my photography dream) we drove back to our hotel, parked and walked into Woodstock for breakfast. Found a sweet little breakfast place (wishing I took a picture of the outside and the menu). And everything was sooooo good!
We feasted on Vermont maple syrup (could have just had it to drink it was that good), hot cereals, breakfast sandwiches, french toast, strong hot English breakfast tea -- we ate in the attic of an old home -- so so so very quaint!
We walked back through town, took a few more {I don't want to leave this place} photos, then headed to the 'backyard' of our hotel for one last autumn by the river look and then got in our car.
Trip totally inspired by one of my favorites, Susan Branch...
It was okay because the drive back home was even more beautiful than the drive there.
We stopped at Williams college for Anna to take a look and then home - sweet - home - where our own magical autumn was just beginning.
But these moments -- one simple getaway I will hold in my heart -- until another wonderful season comes.
The next morning we woke up and headed to a place I've wanted to photograph forever. It's been in magazines, online, and in books for years as an icon to photograph. (here's a bit of the history) Not just in the fall - but year round! It was a photography dream come true for me.
I wasn't exactly sure if this little side trip would fit (since Anna and Abigail were with us) but it was really close to Woodstock - perfect!
Just the drive to Sleepy Hallow Farm was magical enough for my camera to be happy for years!
Yes, happy taking pictures on this road all fall.
I adore the fall in New England
And then we took a right - and there it was! I couldn't believe it - I'd seen it countless times in magazines for years - I was driving right up to it! Amazing!
What I had never seen was the trees that lined the street. Who knew they were just as spectacular as the farm that everyone comes to photograph.
I got out of my car - practically still moving - and set myself up - smiling ear to ear I took photograph after photograph.
I couldn't believe how it was the most perfect morning. The smoke coming from the chimney, the mist on the mountains behind...
... the fall leaves clining to the last of the season in just the right place to frame my photos.
I tried so many different settings and as beautiful as these are - they just don't capture the beauty that I saw with my eyes. But I sure tried!
One of my favorites.
I stayed quite a while as photographers left one by one - they were lined up this street - this breathtaking street -
Everything I always studied in the magazine pictures was right in front of me - that winding road that leads to the farm - the crunch of leaves that had just fallen - all right there!
I clicked as if I'd never be back. I'm only 2 hours away but it just felt so magical to me.
And then we headed back down the road - and to breakfast. Still in awe and wanting to buy a home tucked away in Vermont - I had stars in my eyes.
![TG8]](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49143130227_728bd4d903_o.jpg)
