carving jack

"The chief part of the stories, however, turned upon the favorite spectre of Sleepy Hollow, the Headless Horseman, who had been heard several times of late, patrolling the country; and, it was said, tethered his horse nightly among the graves in the churchyard." -- Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

spookie cookies

An annual tradition!

We made cookie treats for Big A's preschool Halloween party. It was a group effort -- Aidan did the stickers, Ty helped tie the ribbon, and I supervised the entire affair. ;)

exeter

Exeter, New Hampshire on a cloudy fall day.

wave runner

Hampton Beach, New Hampshire.

farm fun

October has been full of family visitors in our little corner of New England -- grandparents, aunts, and best of all (for Aidan!), Cousin Grant! It's been so great sharing our new home with our loved ones from Texas and Oregon.

Yesterday's festivities centered around driving the boys to Smolak Farms in North Andover, Mass. We shivered our way through a cold and sunny day as we soaked up some more of the sights, sounds and smells of fall ... including pumpkin patches, tractors, climbing on bails of hay, hot apple cider, iced pumpkin cookies, lobster bisque (YUMMY), chasing [fast] turkeys, apple orchards, bright leaves, Halloween witches, apple scones, and an evening in front of the fireplace.

We crammed a whole lot of autumn and some great memories into a few short hours. So much to see and do!

postcard

I had to snap (and share!) this shot in Boxford, Massachusetts.

The colors of fall up here never get old -- I can't get enough.

vampire wine society

Just in time for Halloween ... here's a club where the dues are worth every penny. The Vampire Wine Society is comprised of "enthusiasts, friends and family of Vampire Vineyards family of wines."

For $105, buyers get four shipments per year that include a combination of Vampire, Dracula, Chateau du Vampire, and Trueblood wines (plus a bunch of other fun perks).

If you've never tried a wine from Vampire Vineyards, you're missing out. I was introduced to my first bottle several years ago when Costco carried it, and I've been a fan ever since.

Deliciously vampy. :)

fall glory

We took a drive through scenic Maine on Sunday on our way to "Pumpkin Land" in beautiful Mechanic Falls, ME.

Amazing color. Amazing view. Amazing day.

sharpie liquid pencil

How great is this?

Those smart folks at Sharpie, the best pen-makers on Planet Earth, have done it again. Sharpie's latest product, the Sharpie Liquid Pencil, becomes permanent after three days exposure to air .. in the mean time, it can be rubbed out with an eraser. Some other features of this cool little gadget include:

• No. 2 lead equivalent with no breaking lead ("liquid" graphite technology ... no need to re-load lead)
• Smooth like a pen, erasable like a pencil
• Durable eraser
• Refillable

I love Sharpies.

yard work

hampton beach

Even though we live in a "beach town," we've chosen to avoid the actual sand and water for the most part, as a huge chunk of the northeast's residents descend on Hampton Beach in the summer. The result is thick traffic, loud crowds, and weekly fireworks that drive our dogs mad. I sound like an old, crusty fart, I know, but it's not exactly a calming environment.

So now that the crazy summer beach-goers have packed up their mini vans and headed home, we're planning on spending much more time on the New Hampshire seacoast. I love winter time at the beach. Yeah it's cold, but there's just something about it that makes you appreciate cozy blankets and hot drinks.

a trek to the tracks

Aidan has two loves in his life -- fire trucks and railroads. And if the truth be told, railroads probably trump the big red rescue vehicles.

So he was in total Engine Heaven today when he took a drive up north to North Conway, NH in order to ride the Conway Scenic Railroad with his Grandpa and Nana who are visiting from Texas.

It was a beautiful time of year for a day trip to the White Mountains.