Captain John Merritt

 

I am thankful for the Veterans who have served our country. 

I live in Marblehead, MA which is a pre-revolutionary town north of Boston. My house was built for Captain John Merritt who was a captain in the revolutionary war. The Glover's Regiment out of Marblehead rowed George Washington across the icy Delaware on Christmas night in 1776 for the surprise attack at the battle of Trenton. 

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This is the view from my son-in-law's family camp where he and my daughter host Friendsgiving every year. If you look very closely along the horizon on the other side of the river you can just make out the train going by in the fog. 

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I know, I know, it's too early...but I love this green and gold together and it makes me think of this song:

Green and Gold

I love the silliness of the children I work with. They are walking around the playground with pans from the mud kitchen as hats. One of them is actually a strainer with holes which makes it even sillier! I'm not sure I could ever work with strictly grown ups again.

I happened to look down while I was under a large tree and noticed a piece of lichen that looked like a heart. I ♥  when that happens!

Friday fave fives

And their works do follow them

And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, ‘Write: ‘blessed are the dead who die in the lord from henceforth.’’ ‘Yea,” saith the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works do follow them.”

Revelation 14:13

 I am thankful for the veterans who fought for my freedoms.

Thankful Thursday

in the foggy dew

 

Nature notes

Gleaning Grace

 

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Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good

His faithful love endures forever. 

Give thanks to the God of gods,

His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords,

His faithful love endures forever. 

Psalm 136:1-3

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Memory Lane

 

In the tradition of, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus."

Yes, my friends, little boys (and girls) still play with big yellow Tonka trucks.

This one is currently hard at work in the playground where I work transporting pumpkins from the sandbox to a big pile of leaves.

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Every year at the end of October/beginning of November one of my neighbors builds a huge installation in his drive way. This year is my favorite one yet and it is called, Memory Lane. 

These are the size of a movie set and they are all of the houses he has lived in! 

Here is a link that explains.  Every little detail of it is amazing!

Memory Lane

I had an extra Chrysanthemum plant when I was finished with my Autumn window box so I popped it into a terra cotta pot and placed it on my desk. Every morning I sit down and enjoy its beauty.

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I thrifted a giant, harvest gold, vintage Tupperware bowl last summer and I brought it to our annual family camping trip. My son-in-law mentioned that it reminded him of a bowl you might have seen filled with macaroni salad at a pot-luck in the 1970s.

So I am going to fill it with my famous potato salad and bring it to the Friendsgiving that my daughter and son-in-law host! I'm sure I'll have plenty of pictures to post next week as the event is tomorrow.

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I know this is a bit crabby but I am so glad Halloween is over. I have to drive through Salem. MA to get back and forth to work and it is absolutely the worst! So. Many. People! It doubles my commute! I'm so thankful for November first!

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Friday fave fives

Blue skies

 

I looked up into the sky and noticed a heart shape in the leaves of the Beech tree.

I'm thankful for blue skies smiling at me...

Thankful Thursday

Gleaning grace

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Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life upon your altar

and wait for your fire

Psalm 5:3

Scripture and a snapshot

Hannah's house

 

My eldest daughter asked if I would come over to her house to help her arrange her pottery collection.

You can see it in the china cabinet. 

She had recently bought a sectional sofa and was in love with it but...she didn't like the way it looked because it had a very large seat. The part you sit on was extra wide...if that makes sense. When I got there part of it was in the front hall and the other part was sort of blocking the doorway into the dining room. 

We rearranged it back into a sectional and balanced out the rest of the room with a beautiful MCM chest and a large Jackson Pollack print. She loves the room now! 

I should say that her walls are not quite as bright orange as they look in the photos. Orange isn't one of my favorite colors for walls but they actually look kind of pretty in her house. It was already on the walls when she moved in.

I have always loved decorating and if I was younger I would go back to school to be an interior designer.

She and I don't always see eye to eye so the wonderful afternoon we spent together was very special. 

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Before we started decorating she made us a lovely salad with arugula, delicata squash, and a home made miso dressing. 

Then we went to a sweet little antique/thrift store and a Salvation Army store that are just around the corner from her house. 

I found a vintage dresser! I have been looking for a dresser as mine only has 3 drawers and I need more space. I think we had a chest/trunk like this when I was young. Both of my parents are gone now so I have no one to ask. I did show my sister who said it looked vaguely familiar but she didn't really remember. 

It is a very heavy bureau and my husband and I had to wrestle it up the stairs! It is very well made and in near perfect condition.

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We had our annual Fall Festival on Saturday at the school where I work. 

I volunteered for a little over an hour before I went to my daughter's house. 

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I very quickly pulled over and took a picture of the sunrise coming up over the Atlantic on my way to work on Tuesday morning. 

So beautiful. 

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I got into my car after work the other day and noticed something shiny sticking out of my seat. 

It was Hannah's ring! She bought it while we were at a charity shop on Saturday! It must have fallen off while she was in my car. If it had slipped just a little bit more it would have been lost forever under my seat. I'm so glad I found it for her.

Friday fave fives

Hitchcock

 

I spent Saturday with my oldest daughter.

We stopped into a Salvation Army charity shop and I picked up this beautiful old bureau.

I love the bureau but I am mostly thankful for the time I got to spend with Hannah.

Thankful Thursday

Gleaning Grace

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 I am sending you

John 20:21

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Puff the magic dragon

I have been eyeing this dish set in one of my favourite charity shops for quite some time. Saturday morning I finally purchased it. It is so pretty and I am in love with the way it looks on my old hutch. 

It is the fair winds pattern made in Staffordshire and it was made pre 1971. There are a few different themes but they all have to do with ships during the American Revolution. My favorite is the tea pot that pictures the U.S.S. Constitution. There are also scenes of New York harbor, Delaware, and Salem, MA.

It is extra meaningful to me because I live in Marblehead, MA that was incorporated in 1629. Soldiers from Marblehead rowed George Washington across the Delaware river on Christmas night in 1776! I live on Merritt Street and the house I live in is where John Merritt lived. He was a captain in the revolutionary war. 

I paid $125.00 for it and there are 60 pieces. It was a bit more than I had intended on spending. I thought I might have some buyers remorse when I got home but nope...not even a little bit. In fact, I love it even more every time I see it on the shelves! I did the math and it turned out to be just about $2.08 per piece and it was so worth it. 

While I was at the shop I ran into an old friend from high school and we planned to get together for a dinner party! I also invited my daughter's family and my older daughter as well! I'm so happy I bought it. 

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I purchased a new bible last week through a Christian bookstore in my area. It used to be brick and morter but has recently become an on line only place. 

The bible is called the grace laced journaling bible. It's the ESV version and there is beautiful artwork and scripture throughout. I've been enjoying it. 

On Saturday morning as I was getting into my car there was a man walking up the street carrying a large pumpkin. It looked funny so I said to him, "Have pumpkin, will travel." 

He laughed and told me that the real estate place around the corner was giving away pumpkins, apple cider donuts, and apple cider. Of course, I went right down there and soon enough I was walking back home carrying a huge pumpkin! 

This is the giant old Beech tree in our playground at work. I work at a Montessori school. The children love to be lifted into the middle of the 7 trunks and look up and be a part of the tree. I think the tree must love it as well. Suzanne Simard, who wrote Finding the Mother Tree, might even call this Beech tree a grandmother tree! 

It makes me think of Puff the Magic Dragon because so many children have loved it!

I attended the diversity, equity, inclusion, & belonging conference on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was such a moving experience. I was surrounded by so many educated and committed people. My school was generous to pay for my ticket as well as tickets for 3 of my co-workers. I am looking forward to sharing what I gleaned from all of the workshops and the entire experience at an upcoming faculty meeting. It was in Waltham, MA in a hotel with a scenic view of a giant pond that had bright beautiful autumn foliage surrounding it. I didn't get a picture because I was too busy but I am so thankful for this experience. 

Friday fave fives

The Diversity conference

 

I attended a conference for educators on diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. I am so thankful for the chance to learn so many new things and to be surrounded with like minded people. 

Thankful Thursday

Gleaning Grace

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For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.

Hebrews 4:15-16

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Pumpkin Day

 A very young boy who was captain of our high school football team and was also on the baseball team and the track team tragically and suddenly passed away last week. He was 17. He had a brain hemorrhage that had been sitting in his brain since he was born and he woke up one morning with a terrible headache. His parents brought him to the hospital and he passed away 2 weeks later. 

He was an organ donor and saved 5 other people! Each individual member of the football team wrote a paragraph or two about him and posted on social media and each writing mentioned that they would carry. him with them for the rest of their lives. They said that they were so thankful for all of the motivation tand encouragment his young man had given them. They all said, "Do it for OC" which were his initials. 

Every single person, including his peers and all of his coaches and teachers have had such high praise for this young man. The entire town has #18 everywhere as that was his football number. It's on the movie theater marquis, it's in the store fronts, it's everywhere! The local sports shop has had #18 t-shirts printed and is giving them away. All of the surrounding teams have raised money to donate to a scholarship fund in the young man's name. One school alone raised over 35,000.00 dollars! 

It is such an incredible show of support for the family. 

God must have wanted him for something very special to have taken him away from his family and friends so soon. I pray that gives his family some comfort. 

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Pumpkin Day!

During Covid when there were no field trips at the school where I work we started Pumpkin Day.

Instead of going to a farm to get a pumpkin the school brought the pumpkins to the children.

We do it every year now in October and it's my very favorite day of the school year.

The toddlers get to choose a pumpkin from the small field and then bring it into the playground where they

 enjoy an apple and a cup of cider. At the end of the day they bring their pumpkins home. 

So much fun!

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I stumbled upon this beautiful stained glass butterfly at a local second hand charity shop the other day.

It looks so pretty when the sun is shining through it...even though my windows are filthy!

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My grandson, Verne, is 10 years old! I cannot imagine that time has passed so quickly!

This year he asked for a bike that was rather expensive so his parents gave him the choice of a big backyard party or a bike. He chose the bike. 

My daughter had a small, family dinner for him on the night of his birthday.

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Tuesday evening my husband and I went out to dinner. I walked since the restaurant is just around the corner. This is the crooked, little, old street I live on. The path that meanders around the corner to the left is actually a street that is just barely big enough for one car to fit down...and it's not even a one way! The purple house on the left is one of the oldest houses in town and is owned by a couple who also own two businesses in town. 

I'll try to remember to get a better picture of it next week. 

The view as you come around the corner is of Marblehead harbour and it's so pretty.

Friday fave fives

The fallen leaves

 

I love pumpkins!!

Yesterday the school where I work had "Pumpkin Day!"

Each of the children is allowed to pick a pumpkin from the "pumpkin patch" in the field

to bring. home with them. 

We all have a picnic of apples and cider and we read short fall book.

Yesterday it was very foggy in the morning as I got to work and the pumpkins

looked so pretty nestled among the fallen Maple leaves. 

Thankful Thursday

Gleaning grace

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Pay attention, heavens, and I will speak;

listen, earth, to the words from my mouth.

Let my teaching fall like rain

and my word settle like dew,

like gentle rain on new grass

and showers on tender plants.

For I will proclaim the Lord's name.

Declare the greatness of our God!

The Rock-his work is perfect;

all his ways are just.

A faithful God, without bias,

he is righteous and true.

Deuteronomy 32:1-4

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The grateful pumpkin

 

I often walk around a little pond on my lunch break and on Friday I noticed that the autumn foliage is just beautiful this year. 

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On Tuesday evening I went to my daughter's house after work. I cooked dinner for them as my daughter is going back to school and could use a bit of a break. I brought a pumpkin with me and told them of my habit of creating a "gratefulness pumpkin." Every day you write something on it that makes you happy or that you are grateful for. My daughter sent me this picture of Natalie writing on the pumpkin Wednesday morning before school. 

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I spent the weekend at my daughter's house. We went for a "leaf walk" in the back woods.

Abby had her journal with her and found a walking stick!

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Verne will be 10 next week! 

He randomly gave his mother a big hug!

Once she started hugging him back he was ready to back up.

Ten year old boys don't give too many hugs.

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When you walk the woods with children every little mushroom is a magical fairy land.

Friday fave fives

Hickory trees

 

I walked the back wood with my daughter and grandchildren.

It was so pretty in the dappled autumn sunshine.

The hickory trees were so pretty.

Thankful Thursday

Walking Wednesday

 

Abby had her walking stick and her journal as we walked through the wood on Saturday. 

Gleaning Grace

 

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I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.

In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. 

John 16:33

Scripture and a snapshot