A Nation Comes Together

October 15, 2015 | The small plastic bag that I’ve been carrying around since we left Gettysburg reads, “Our Country’s Common Ground.” It was a turning point in the Civil War, and its bloodiest battle. We spent three days there, just like the warring armies. Robert E. Lee was in command of the Army of Northern Virginia and General George Meade led the Army of the Potomac.1 However, the casualties were not limited to the battlefield. The...

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A Ghost by Any Other Name

October 13, 2015 | I’ll admit, I’m writing this blog in between innings of game 4 of the NLDS series. The Mets – my Mets – are down 3-0 after 3 innings. Grrrr...... but, I’m already behind on blogging about our vacation so I’ll soldier on. And speaking of soldiers, yes, we’ve left Gettysburg, but I'm going to re-engage a time or two before I fully retreat. Our ride from NJ to Gettysburg was scenic, beautiful and relatively uneventful....

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Wedding Belles

October 12, 2015 | It’s now Day 4 of our 2015 Harley vacation but the first day I’ve blogged about it. Unusual, yes, but after a stopover in NJ to see the munchkins, 3 amazing days in Gettysburg and a daylong Harley ride to Elkins, West Virginia, there’s finally time to sit and put thoughts to keyboard. There’s so much to tell about our Gettysburg experience - battlefields, monuments, ghost tours and a photo shoot as a Civil War officer...

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All's Well That Ends Well

September 17, 2015 | It’s been a busy summer. I completed a very intensive genealogy research course through Boston University, which had me up to my elbows in citations for 15 weeks. We helped our daughter and son-in-law get settled in their new house in New Jersey. And, we decided that 110 inches of snow was too much, so we sold our house in Massachusetts and moved full time to our house in Virginia. As we trekked from one cradle of...

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Mary Jones: The Tavern Keeper's Wife

March 3, 2015 | One of my interests is history, and locally that includes the Golden Ball Tavern, a National Trust landmark in Weston, MA. The tavern, built in 1767 by merchant Isaac Jones, served as tavern for more than 20 years and as home to six generations of the Jones family for nearly 200 years. As a member of the Golden Ball's Education Committee, I volunteer time to give tours of the tavern, telling the remarkable story of Isaac,...

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Colonial Clothing Re-fit

March 2, 2015 | The calendar reads March, but Mother Nature clearly doesn’t care. There’s still three feet of snow on the ground and another storm in the forecast for later this week. Since I can’t do anything about the weather, I decided the best way to chase away the winter doldrums and put a little spring in my step is with a new sewing project and some bright and sunny fabric. The timing for a new sewing project is perfect. It’s school...

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Chocolate Quinoa Cupcakes

February 24, 2015 | Honestly, I have been doing more than just cooking and baking since I’ve been home. Promise. But, the luxury of being home has afforded me the opportunity to give much needed exercise to both my body and my culinary muscles. Yes, I’ve done some sewing. I’m still stitching up my new 18th century stays and recently attended a great colonial clothing workshop with Burnley & Trowbridge in Williamsburg. Yes, I’ve done...

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Mother Nature 2, Massachusetts 0

February 4, 2015 | The New England Patriots may have beat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX, but when comes to the Snow Bowl, Mother Nature is kicking New England’s butt. In less than a week, a second storm has tackled Massachusetts, and another 8-12 inches of snow threatened to sideline the Bay State. But Mother Nature pulled her own version of the Quarterback Sneak, and the 8-12 inches became 20. And there’s another potential storm...

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Honey Nut Granola

January 30, 2015 | Granola is an easy, healthy snack. Munch on it by the handful, tossed in your ice cream, yogurt or oatmeal or enjoy it with cold milk and fresh fruit. Made with rolled oats, coconut, agave nectar and nuts, not only is it good and good for you, it’s super easy to make. I like the nuts finely ground, but a combination of fine and coarse nuts will give the granola a different, crunchier texture. In less than an hour, you’ve...

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The Blizzard of 2015

January 27, 2015 | An epic blizzard is pummeling Massachusetts. Snow isn’t my cup of tea… or coffee for that matter, even when enhanced with a shot or two of Amaretto. We’re into hour 24 of the Blizzard of 2015, and the flakes just keep on flying. And flying. And flying. At last measure, 28 inches of white powder had fallen and we’ve (well, mostly Jason) made three passes up and down our 200 feet of driveway trying to keep ahead of this...

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Oatmeal Banana Muffins

The first snowfall of 2015 is gently filtering down this morning, covering the ground and trees in confectionary sugar white.   From my perch at the kitchen island, I sip my coffee and look dreamily at the beautiful, serene scene outside and determine it’s definitely a morning that calls for a warm, friendly breakfast - without the confectionary sugar.  I’m a fan of oatmeal, whether it’s a bowl of overnight oats sprinkled with...

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New Year. New Recipes.

My husband gave me the best gift this Christmas - retirement. Admittedly, I’m a bit young for a rocking chair on the front porch and my hair is certainly anything but gray, but the notion that I am now in charge of my daily routine, whether that’s crafting, sewing, writing or volunteer work, is tremendously exciting. My first week of "retirement" was a bit overwhelming and quietly chaotic. Without a regular routine, I was akin to a pinball - bouncing...

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