December 17-18

 

Yesterday was a day of laundry, housework and catching up from our overnight getaway.  The picture above was taken in Kennebunkport, Maine.  We detoured there on our way home on Tuesday and took a short walk around this charming town so well decorated for Christmas.

I will post more about our getaway later, hopefully, but I want to share these beach pictures especially for my friend Pam, who had wished to see them.

You can see how we had to walk through a bit of snow to get to the actual beach.

 

Today I am hoping to send out some more Christmas cards and emails, and then work on a few kitchen gifts this afternoon.  We will see!

It's a mild day and promises to be a mild night, so Mr. T wants to stay at our cottage, so that may impact how much I accomplish here.  I will check back in tomorrow and report!

December 15-16

 I will post more about this in the next few days, but we just returned from a wonderful overnight getaway to the coast of Maine. 

We stayed in a charming seaside inn, enjoyed delightful food, Christmasy decor and lights inside and out, walked on a beach, and just had a relaxing, refreshing time.  I even got a few Christmas cards written and worked on a small handmade gift.

Tomorrow it will be back to the busyness of life and of the season, but I am coming back to it rested and refreshed.

A refreshing day by the water

 

Yesterday we took an impulsive day trip to the Maine coast, a brief interlude between the busyness of May at TWNE and a busy summer catching up with things at home & camp as well as a potential road trip in July. 

Dunkin is often a day trip essential for us.  This time it was only a box of Munchkins which I didn't bother to photograph, choosing to use this older more classic photo instead.

 We got no photos at all of the beaches or lighthouse (we have plenty of those from other times and seasons) although we did go to both places.  The beach, though nowhere near as crowded as it will be in summer, was still much too crowded to enjoy walking on, so we were glad we knew of other walking options. 

And thus we got pictures of the lovely flowers along a favorite path, the Fisherman's Walk in York Harbor. 

This path winds along the ocean at the base of a hill and there are many lovely old plantings from the mansions situated above. These lilacs were especially beautiful and fragrant. 

Other photos are of pink bush honeysuckle,

  a yellow flowering bush or tree we couldn't identify,

and a deep purple lilac in the yard of a beautiful old home at the top of a side street. 

The deep purple lilacs are our favorites.

 
We had a refreshing day by the water.  I didn't realize until today how refreshed I feel.  We got home in time for a healthy supper, went to bed while it was still light out, and slept soundly.  Today I feel ready to tackle housework and other tasks with renewed energy.  So thankful for God's kindness in giving us this lovely day away.

Couples retreat 2022

As part of our mini getaway, we spent Friday evening and an entire Saturday at The Wilds of New England for a couples retreat.  Housing for couples is limited on the campsite, so we usually get a hotel or Airbnb for that night so we don't have to be driving home late Friday night and then heading back to the retreat early on Saturday morning.

This time we stayed at the cute cottage referenced in this post: A mini getaway.  You can read more about the cottage here: Trailside Cottage, if you are interested.

Yes, that was the cottage where we had to pass this gorgeous autumnal pond coming and going:

The photo at the top of the post and the one just below were taken on the Saturday afternoon at The Wilds of New England.  Such lovely colorful trees!

We always enjoy this retreat so much.  It has become an important part of our fall.  In fact, we are at the point where we don't want to miss it.  The fact that we need to get an Airbnb or other lodging turns it into an overnight getaway, so that's even nicer.  It also gives us some time together to talk over what we have learned or are learning.  Sometimes, we even take two nights -- Thursday and Friday -- so we can spend some time exploring the area the day before the retreat.  That's how we got the photo below, last year:

 
As usual, the Bible teaching at this year's couples' retreat did not disappoint.  Our speaker was Brian Trainer, and although he spoke on Marriage 101, it was by no means too basic for us, even though we've been married for decades.  We picked up a number of really important concepts (and also a few easy but effective tips) and we will be implementing these into our marriage.  

One of the really important ones is that if both spouses are believers, then they are not only husband and wife but brother and sister in Christ.  Now, Mr. T and I understood this and have even remarked on it a few times.  But Brian expanded on this and pointed out that, as brother and sister in Christ, we are responsible for all the biblical "one another" instructions, including admonishing and encouraging one another.  Food for some deep, deep thought.  I think that many times we are prone to not treat our own spouse with the respect we would other believers.  On the other hand, I think I've sometimes hesitated to admonish my husband, wondering if it might be disrespectful.  As with so many things, balance is so important, right?

One of the smaller tips (with a potentially big impact) we picked up in the last session: if it seems like something is amiss between you, ask your spouse the question: 

"Are we okay?"

Sometimes everything is fine between you, but one spouse is dealing with some other difficulty and is coming across as if things are not okay.  In that case it opens the door for the hurting spouse to say that yes, we are fine, but I'm upset, stressed, or whatever over this other thing.  

Or sometimes things are not okay between you and need to be brought out into the open and worked through.

A related tip (it seems to me, anyway) came up in the Q&A session with Brian and his wife Sherry.  They noted that often in a marriage, one person is a night owl and another has a brain that shuts down at 9 pm.  So if a "robust discussion" looks like it will go past 9 pm, just stop right there.  Pause the discussion, pray, and make a concrete plan to continue the discussion at a specific time, over coffee, a meal, etc. at a better time for both of you.  This not only enables you to go to bed without "letting the sun go down upon your wrath"; it also moves the problem into a solution-oriented phase.  

To me these two tips are worth their weight in gold.  They are just a sample of the great things to be learned at a couples' retreat or conference.

Do you live in New England?  Why not plan to attend a retreat at at The Wilds of New England next fall?  In addition to the couples' conferences we enjoy so much, they also offer retreats for men, women, and even a one-day retreat for seniors.

Late-fall beauty at First Connecticut Lake

 

During our recent trip up north, which I hope to blog about soon in its entirety, Mr. T and I spent some good time at First Connecticut Lake.  (For those who may not know, there are four Connecticut Lakes, the headwaters of the Connecticut River, up here in the tippy-top of New Hampshire.)  First Lake, the largest of the four, covers 4.8 square miles!   The foliage is pretty much gone up north, other than yellow tamaracks, but we saw some lovely sights regardless.  We spent a long, long time just sitting on a bench and soaking in the beauty and sunshine.  Storing it up for later.

The above was one of our favorite photos from the afternoon.  We loved the red leaves up close, the water, the evergreens, and the majestic mountains in the distance.

So pretty framed by the evergreens!

Have you noticed in your part of the country that picnic tables have disappeared from parks and public areas since c*vid?   There are a lot less of them than there were in many places here in our state, and there is no viable reason for it.  But I was happy to see here in this state park that there are plenty of picnic tables in scenic spots, and even a few thoughtfully placed benches.  Wouldn't you love to picnic here by the lake?

The red leaves are such an eye-catcher!

We loved the red and yellow leaves along the stone edges of the lake.

Some pretty yellow bushes.

Another shot from our favorite vantage point ... this one shows a bit more of the mountains, I think.

Pretty gold shrubbery.  We liked the red and gold effect below also.

Hope you've enjoyed this peek at some late-fall beauty on magnificent First Lake!

A breathtaking autumn pond

 

Although I wrote a bit about our mini getaway on Columbus Day weekend, I didn't get to include these photos.  In my post about our getaway, I mentioned that we had gotten lost trying to find the right end of the dirt road where our Airbnb was located.  If you recall, a lady out walking her dog had given us better guidance.  In directing us, she noted, "You'll go by a pond ...".  What she did not mention was the breathtaking beauty of said pond.

We had stopped to snap these pictures when a mail delivery van pulled up next to us and the driver said something like, "What a picture that will make!"  He seemed as taken with the view as we were.

Here is this gorgeous pond surrounded by glorious fall trees, out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by a network of dirt roads. 

It was late afternoon, perhaps 5 pm, when we stopped to get these photos.  We might have gotten better pictures at a different time of day, but we were still pleased with the way these turned out.

We loved this view so much that, rather than try and find the way we should have gone to our Airbnb, we just came and went by this route every time.  I'm sure you can see why!

A mini getaway

This past Friday, my hubby and I  headed out for southwestern New Hampshire.  Our  ultimate destination was the couples retreat at The Wilds of New England, but we headed to our Airbnb first for a 3 pm check-in and hopefully a couple hours of unwinding before going over to TWNE.

Of course, we got lost.  You know how Maps directions often can be confusing.  This was complicated by the fact that the dirt road we were looking for begins in one town and ends up in another, and numbering starts from each end of the road.  When we finally found the road, we were at the wrong end of it!  Thankfully we were able to figure it out, with the help of a lady out walking her dog.  

We weren't delayed by too much, but it did cut into our relaxation time.  The cottage was adorable!

One of my favorite features was the porch.  There were rocking chairs out there, along with a little drop leaf table and chairs with a sweet stained glass lamp overhead.  We shared a quick snack before leaving, as supper would not be until 7:30.

Another wonderful feature of this cottage was its location right in the middle at a network of walking trails.  We took time for a walk on one of them and so enjoyed the late afternoon sunshine.  The photos below, as well as the one at the top of the post, were taken on that trail.

This mini getaway ended on Saturday morning after breakfast, when we headed back to TWNE for the rest of the retreat.  It was brief but refreshing.  We hope to stay at this cottage again, for a longer time and walk more of the wonderful trails... It truly is a relaxing place to get away.

10 Questions to Reflect on 2020

 

 

These ten questions, from Holley Gerth, have been a part of my new-year reflections for awhile now.  As to why I'm posting about them now, in mid-April?   I've mentioned a few times recently that I've been really slow musing on the year just past and am trying to do so before it's really too late.  (Pretty sad, isn't it?  It's already "really too late" in most people's thinking.)  Again, if you don't want to hear even one more word about 2020, feel free to skip this post.  I won't blame you one bit -- I'm just writing these posts for my own information and remembrance.  Here we go:

1.  What went well this year?

This was 2020, after all -- the year of the coronavirus, during which nothing went as expected.  And yet we were still able to accomplish a lot in spite of it.  While churches were closed, we developed a new Sunday routine which included a special, leisurely breakfast;  Sunday School and worship service online and an afternoon routinely spent with family.

We also managed to fulfill some responsibilities (selling land for my dad's trust and getting his home completely emptied).  We took a trip to national parks out West with family; did a lot toward making our little cottage livable; did two sugar fasts and a lot of walking; and took several lovely getaways here in New Hampshire, even including a couples' retreat.

 

From our trip to some western national and state parks in summer 2020

I was thrilled to be able to make a number of handmade gifts for birthdays and Christmas this year.  I read  over a dozen books (that's a lot for me!), kept up somewhat with my blogs, and stayed current with my Sunday School lessons and Bible study in addition to doing several Scripture writing challenges throughout the year.

From our getaway to Deering, New Hampshire in October

Cleaning and then painting the kitchen cabinets at the cottage

Kids in the rafters as we worked at renovating our little cottage

From our getaway to Pittsburg, New Hampshire in September

2.  What did not go well?

Everyday life was somewhat frustrating, with coronavirus restrictions at every turn.  Dental needs went by the wayside.  For much of the year, thrift stores were not accepting donations; transfer stations (aka town dumps) had reduced hours; hazardous waste collections and document-shredding events were canceled.  All of these factors complicated the cleaning out of my childhood home, but we were eventually able to do most of what we needed to do.  I had also thought this might be the year we would declutter our own home once and for all, and be able to get the housework on a schedule, but with all of the complications mentioned above that didn't happen.  Hopefully in 2021!  We have a good start!

3.  What do I want to do the same this year? 

 I need to sell a final piece of property for the trust.  We want to do a lot of work on our cottage and we also hope to make fasting from sugar a more regular part of our lives.  I hope to continue walking a lot.  We had planned another trip out West to see family, and have in fact already completed that trip as of April 6.

The main reason for this visit: baby Rosemary!

Family pic from the last night: local granddaughter Julia, who went with us, is at right

4.  What do I want to do differently?

I want to do more crafting and more reading.  Completely declutter the house and get the housework on a workable schedule.  Do much more blogging.  Get much more serious with my Etsy shop.  It takes time, but must be done.

5.  When did I feel most in my "sweet spot"?

Sunday School lesson preparation  and teaching; getaways with my hubby; time with family and friends; crafting, blogging, journaling, planning.

 

Getaway to Back Lake, Pittsburg, NH

View from a covered bridge while visiting friends in Vermont

 

 

Another from our getaway to Deering, NH

6.  When did I feel the most exhausted and drained?

Dealing with difficult people and restrictions concerning the virus; coping with difficulties resulting from political fallout.

7.  What did I say "yes" to that I wish I had said "no" to?

At first I couldn't think of anything.  But then I remembered that photo shoot my son-in-law talked me and my hubby into, at Coral Pink Sand Dunes.  I'm just not photogenic.  Enough said.  But the sand dunes, seen below, definitely are.

8.  What did I say "no" to that I wish I had said "yes" to?

I couldn't think of anything in that category.

9.  What helped me to stay close to God this year?

Having a consistent quiet time and prayer life.  Relying on Him for wisdom and strength to handle the "pandemic".

10.  What did God teach me that I want to live out in the coming year?

He reminded me that He is always in control -- that even when things look out of control, they never have been, and never will be, out of His control.  I can trust Him through everything.  I feel that He also taught me -- or maybe reminded me -- that relationships with Him, with my family and church family, and my friendships with fellow believers are incredibly important and take precedence over any government orders to the contrary.

 

So there you have it .. a few reflections on 2020.  I do have one more post that I'd like to write on this topic, but we will see.