WEDNESDAY HODGEPODGE

I think it's been over a month since I participated with the Wednesday Hodgepodge  questions. These were fun questions so I'm taking a much needed housework break to write up my answers. To join in, head over to this blog. 

1. What does adventure mean to you? 

Adventure for me has always meant something out of the ordinary and usually somewhat spontaneous as is "let's just go on a road trip and find something fun to do". We've had a LOT of those especially when the girls were young and now that we're empty nesters, we are doing it again. But some of our adventures have needed planning (Paris, Rome, Montreal, Acadia National Park, Pittsburgh, Gettysburg National Park, Hershey, Amish country of PA, Maine,  Michigan, Albuquerque, San Francisco, most hiking trips, most Cape Cod trips, and most week long mountain/camping trips). 

2.  What are your thoughts on tipping? What businesses or service providers do you regularly tip? Do you resent being asked if you'd like to add a tip? What about when a suggested amount is presented?

I regularly tip my hair stylist. I regularly tip my  *$ barista (especially when my daughter was the barista) unless I'm ordering via the app, and we regularly tip waitresses/waiters if they do a good job, and/or the food is exceptional.  I don't resent being asked and I prefer that the tip is automatically included at restaurants. They (most) do not make a decent living wage in these horrible economic times. I never tip fast food as I don't think they accept tips. (at least when I was a kid working at Burger King we didn't get tips). We are NYers so of course our standard tip is 18% but we tend to tip at 20% if the restaurant is top notch.  For instance Olive Garden (we never go anymore though) gets 18% but MidPoint Pizza which is authentic Italian and top notch everything gets 20%. 

3. I scream you scream we all scream for ice cream...do we? Is ice cream a favorite treat at your house? What's your favorite flavor? Regular, soft serve, gelato, sherbet, or some sort of non-dairy version of ice cream...what's your pleasure? 

I can still eat cows milk ice cream if I have a lactaid tablet first.  Soft serve doesn't bother me but that's because there is a lower fat content. I love ice cream and my fave is oat milk coffee flavored ice cream or the plain chocolate. I also love the mint chip one.  My preferred brand is Oatly. I don't eat coconut milk ice cream as I find it too sweet and just kinda gritty.  At leas the brands I've tried. I'm ok with almond milk ice cream especially Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie. I basically only eat soft serve in the summer when I'm done with a hike and am near my fave soft serve stand in the southern ADK.  For home, I buy Oatley maybe once a month in the warmer months. 

My favorite soft serve flavors are chocolate raspberry and Mounds (Chocolate Coconut).  Both are available here.  I also tried chocolate orange last summer at this place which is in the eastern ADK and wowza!! SO good.  And yes, they even sell lactaid tablets for .05$!!! 

I always buy size kiddy or small.  They're big!!

4. What's your 'back in my day, we____________________ ' story or saying? 

Oh I have a lot but when I was a 12 yr old I remember my grandparents saying "back in my day we had to walk to school both ways up hill and back". (well so did I grandpa!!) But seriously, I was a teenager from 1973-1979 and I remember just never being home....meaning my parents never knew where I was. Me as a parent: "text me when you get there.  Text me when you leave", "Wear your bike helmet". "put on the sunscreen". I never did. My daughters? absolutely. I also tell them 

"Back in my day I always skipped math class and gym".  

their reponse:  "OMGOSH Mom no way could we do that now. There's hall monitors everywhere" 

5. Somehow this is our last Hodgepodge in the month of June. Next week's Hodgepodge lands in July. Wow. Sum up your June using three adjectives. 

HOT, HUMID, BUSY

6. Insert your own random thought here. Mine is a picture thought: 

Me about to plunge into the Hudson
after hiking 3.7 miles to this spot
the trail is called Blue Ledges in the central ADK
temp: 90 degrees
humidity level: 82%
my age: 65 
oldest age of hiking buddy: 70
youngest age of hiking buddy: 50s
Total in group: 5 
number of times I've hiked this trail: 5
Emotions of the group:  AWESOME but TIRED, HOT, EXCITED
ACCOMPLISHED, FIT

HAPPY WEDNESDAY AND HAPPY SUMMER!!

Seafarer Condos

 

image is courtesy of tr*padvisor site

Well, I am now hooked on Airbnb and finding superhosts!  Dave and I had never used Air BnB until we planned our trip to Albuquerque for mid-May.  We were so impressed with our superhosts and the casita, that we decided to not book a hotel in Ogunquit but instead turned to Airbnb again. After 2 places we looked at, one didn't have an opening for the dates we wanted, and the other one had a  host who was  just downright rude, we found Denise T at Seafarer Condos!  And wow, let me tell you, this condo was amazing!!  The price was perfect for our budget and in fact, we actually pay more for rougher er ...  "rustic" cottages in the Adirondacks that aren't nearly as plush as this one in Maine.   We absolutely loved it and if we ever go back to Ogunquit/Wells/York area ,we would see if this condo was available. 

Here is the link to the Seaglass Studio Condo that we stayed in for 3 wonderful nights. 

Here are some photos I took after we first checked in. By the way, the check in process is SMOOTH.  It's a keyless entry, all remote. LOVED it.  We had some difficulty with the Albuquerque condo (which had a lockbox with a key) so we weren't sure what to expect. The whole process with Denise was super smooth and so very easy.  Plus, on the website, it showed that check in was after 4 pm but we received a notifcation via the app AND my email saying we could check in anytime!!  So we arrived earlier in Ogunquit because of that message.  I'm not kidding when I say this was the easiest vacation to plan that we have ever done and we have gone on a lot of vacations including Europe twice!  We were just so impressed. 

So.....here's some pics of the studio condo.  I just loved the space.  So very peaceful, neat, organized and clean!! There wasn't a speck of dust or crumbs anywhere. 

See that pillow in the front??
that was my best friend the entire time. 
in fact, I messaged Denise, she got back to me 
with the brand, etc.  This person is the real  deal when it comes to being a superhost! I'm seriously thinking of ordering the pillow from Nectar. 
I had the best night's sleep and you know, if you're a regular reader here that I've had horrible cervical spine issues since March 2022.  I didn't have any neck pain or headaches the entire time I was in Ogunquit. 

here's a peek from the doorway into the living area 
and you can see into the kitchen area.  
If you know me, you know I'm insanely "ocd" regarding
cleanliness and organized decor. This totally made me happy. 
Look at how tidy and organized and everything matches!!
This was perfect for me. (Dave liked it too cause the bed was so comfy)

We just loved the color scheme...so beachy
the chairs were comfortable and we shared the little ottoman
I mean, you guys...look how sweet this space is!!

 

Things we loved: 

•  hooks on the back of the door for raincoats, hoodies and there was a lower hook for my purse!  Huge plus. 
• How clean the floors were!!
• How everything matched!! 
• The art work on the walls!
• The fact that we didn't need AC although it was available. 
• The fact that we didn't need to watch TV although they have Roku and all the streaming services we have but Ogunquit and surrounding area has so much to offer that we didn't need television! I loved that it was a wall unit. 
• that everything matched what we saw on the Airbnb app
• that the kitchen was CLEAN and FULLY STOCKED.  And by fully stocked I mean, you guys....it had a complete set of teaspoons and measuring cups  unlike other cottages we have stayed in; it had all kinds of pots and pans and even a slow  cooker!! The utensils all matched and were like brand new!!  Now, we were on vacation so I wasn't gonna cook, other than breakfast, but it sure was nice to have all the options just in case we didn't go out. There was even a cloth bag for grocery shopping (although we used our own). There was an ice cube tray in the freezer (not all places provide one). There was a toaster oven, a keurig (we did have to go out and buy K cups as we are coffee snobs and I had bought a bag of coffee, not thinking to check with Denise as to what kind of coffee maker it was).  BUT...she even provided 2 welcoming k cups although I don't think we used them. (we might have used one...I can't remember now). There were a couple varieties of tea bags and a full microwave as opposed to those rinky dinky ones in hotels. There were beautiful mugs and LLBean blueberry dishes!!!!  I was in heaven!!  And there were  wine glasses!!  
• Her instructions for check in and check out and how to deal with the towels and make up were simple and explicit. We appreciated this. 

The only thing we were "sad" about was that we couldn't recycle our cans, paper, cardboard, bottles,etc.  But that isn't the superhosts' fault. She explained that it was the association. Come on Maine!  Reduce, reuse, RECYCLE. I should have brought the recycling home but we didn't. sigh. Next time. OH...and there were 2 chairs and a table right outside the door for sitting in after dinner/early morning with coffee or tea. And we were in walking distance of the village which we both really loved.  Marginal Way was only like a .9 mile walk away!!  And we could even walk to Perkins Cove without being tired. It was a great spot to be for a few days. 

Here's something I was most impressed with as well: 

Fully stocked bathroom!! 
This too is unusual other than the blow dryer.
She had little containers of Q tips, hair ties, and make up remover packs
(I did use 3 of those as I had forgotten mine)
She also had a subtle incense thingy on the top shelf as you can see which was nice
since I'm allergic to most heavier scents. I was so thankful it was subtle.
And not only was there a hair dryer but there were TWO different curling irons!
AND....little washcloths and towels provided for make up removal so I didn't get her
gorgeous thick, white towels stained.  
The towels!!  They were heavenly. No strong bleach smell like in hotels.
But soft and plush. 

SPICES!!!!!!!! 
Do you know how unusual that is??
In the Adirondack cottages we rent, we always have to bring our own.
I did use the cinnamon one on my steel cut oats one morning. 

 

Little touches of sweet beachy decor were around the condo
I really liked this jar of shells...simple and perfect for the nature lover in me

There was also a lobby where a washing machine and dryer were located with instructions on how to get in if needed. We didn't need them. There is an indoor pool and an outdoor pool. Again, we didn't use them. The one day (our last full day) I wanted to use the outdoor pool,  but it rained so....we played Agricula instead and then the day cleared up in time to go out for amazing seafood and another walk on the beach...this time Ogunquit Beach itself........

If you ever find you want to head to one of my favorite New England States (Maine!), and you aren't planning on going far north to Acadia National Park, head to Ogunquit and book the Seaglass Studio Condo at the Seafarer Condo Resort via Airbnb with Denise as your super host. You won't be sorry!!  

ps  a few bloggers have  asked me why I have an "E" at the end of my first name. My middle name is Ellen. When I was a freshman in college my dear friend Marlane wrote it with the E just for fun  and so for this blog, that is how I sign posts. 😉

2025 Book Review #32: Rhapsody

 

I bought this book in a little town that's known as the Hobart book village" in the Cakstills.  My sister Joy and my two daughters Courtney and Claire and I went through last autumn on our annual autumn girls  day away. It was great fun and we all bought a book or two or three. This is  a period piece set in the 1920s-1940s and based on the life of Gershwin and his long term affair with Kay Swift, a pianist and composer who was married to James Warburg, whom she divorced in 1934.

STORY SUMMARY

It is New York City, 1924. Katherine (Kay) Swift is a restless but very devoted society wife.  She's married to the very wealthy banker named James Warburg (who later worked with FDR!).  She's also a serious pianist and composer who longs for some recognition.  She decides to attend a concert where a new piece of music is being introduced by the composer.  It is "Rhapsody in Blue" (click link to hear)  and the composer is George Gershwin who is brilliant, but elusive.  He is actually a musical genius. 

Kay is absolutely mesmerized.  She cannot resist the pull of Gershwin's talent, swagger, and charm. They begin a 10 year love affair, which is complicated by her conflicted loyalty to her husband and the twists and turns of her own career in music.  Their affair ends when Gershwin dies of a brain tumor at the age of 38.  No one, including himself, knew he had a brain tumor. 

What music did Kay and George work on together?

What music and lyrics did Kay and James work on together?

Read the book to learn some interesting piece of the music scene in 1920s-1930s New York City and points beyond. 

MY THOUGHTS

This is one of the best written historical fiction works I've read in a very long time. Probably since The Book Thief. which I read over 10 years ago! 

The book is set during the coming of the Jazz Age in NYC. It is about the timeless bond between two strong-willed, remarkable artists.  The woman (Kay Swift) was mostly unknown to me although I did know that she was the first woman to write a complete musical score that became a hit. (I took Musical Theatre and Drama Literature in high school and Musical Theatre in college 💪)

Gershwin, of course, left behind not just a body of work unmatched in popular musical history (Porgy and Bess) but a woman who loved him with all of her heart, knowing that he didn't belong just to her, but to the entire world. 

I did some research while reading this book and discovered that although many people in today's generation believe that George Gershwin was gay, he was not. Rather, he had multiple lovers at any given time. The ladies loved him and he used them on a super casual basis but did indeed love Kay. It is true that Kay helped George transcribe music.  It is also tr

ue that Kay's biggest hit was the musical "Fine and Dandy" and her biggest hit song was "Can't We be Friends?" 

The author notes in the back of the book that he did take liberties with some of the timing of things. For instance, Gershwin moved out of his parents home into his own apartment on Riverside Drive in 1929, not 1932. Also, he dated Paulette Goddard during his second trip to L. A. not his first. And the lyrics for the song "Little White Lie" have been lost, so the author made them up. (there are other facts in the back of the book, as well). 

I absolutely loved that the author included all the big musicians' and their names, works (in some cases) and a bit about their lives in this story.  People like Ravel, Stravinsky, and others). 

The book does goe into the economy and Hitler/Germany for a little bit in the middle of the story but it's an easy read and mainly I felt like it was just setting the tone for the way America was reacting to various economic and political issues and how the characters (real people!) weren't negatively affected due to their influence, wealth, reputations, etc. 

Something that stood out to me was the theme (not sure that's the correct word though) of minority cultures/races dominated by the majority, in this era, the white upper class. It is a well researched book!! 

In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 17 and older (Due to some mature content).

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 10. 

Vacation Week Faves

 

It's been a wonderful week of blessings....some small things, some big things.....all vacation things! I'm sharing FIVE of them and trying to keep the photos at a minimum. I'm linking up with Susanne's site to join other bloggers in giving thanks. 

My husband Dave and I, once the girls became older, like to vacation the week of our wedding anniversary. Our anniversary is actually 30 June but this year we had to take this past week off as he has work commitments the week of the 30th. He does get Independence Day off, though so he'll have a nice 3 day weekend the beginning of July. But for this year, since our big trip was Albuquerque in May, we decided to just rent a studio condo in Ogonquit, Maine. The last time we vacationed in Maine, we rented a cottage on Mount Desert Island/Acadia National Park and the girls were with us as they were 10 and 15. We had never vacationed in  the south of Maine.  We each had things we wanted to do. I wanted to walk on Ogunquit Beach and the Marginal Way as well as visit Fort Williams Park and Portland Head Lighthouse.  We both wanted to see Nubble Lighthouse, and Dave wanted to take in a SeaDogs game up in Portland (minor league baseball). Here are the five blessings from the vacation:

entering The Tunnel in downtown Boston
(this is the result of the "big dig")
google it if you have no idea what this means!

approaching Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge
 over the Charles River
in Boston to get over to the north shore

• SAFE TRAVELS:  We had safe travels a week ago Friday evening when we drove from our home to south shore Massachusetts.  In fact, the Mass Pike didn't have any heavy traffic which is unusual! You can read about the weekend here.  Then, Sunday afternoon we hit major traffic in Boston. Unusual for a Sunday but we think due to the protests and Pride parade or something. At any rate, we had to travel right through the tunnel which I'm not a fan of (I've driven it myself, too,when I've had to bring Claire back to UNH and I hated it then, too!) and over the Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge which I do love. (I also love the Tobin Bridge...Dave hates it but we didn't have to cross that this time). We made it safely through Boston and up into New Hampshire even though it took about an hour longer than we anticipated.  We then made it safely to Maine the next morning and there was hardly any traffic which we were most thankful for! 

beach roses 

irises

the Atlantic along the Marginal Way
Ogunquit, Maine

• SCENTS AND SOUNDS:  I'm so thankful our first day in Maine (Monday) was sunny, perfect temps (A bit cool compared to NYS), and that we had energy after unpacking and settling into the condo to walk a mile to the Marginal Way and then walk that mile one way and back.  We first went towards the village and the flowers along the way are just so heady with that amazing rose scent. I just love beach roses (we have them in some Adirondack lake towns as well!) and the resorts/hotels and homes along that walk have beautiful gardens with all kinds of flowers. I also loved hearing the surf which was particularly rough that day due to high winds. There were warnings all over but that didn't stop the surfers. If you have never been to Maine, and you plan on going, get yourself to Marginal Way in Ogunquit.  After walking all over the village and eating a delicious seafood lunch at this place, we headed north on Marginal Way to Perkins Cove and then back through that neighborhood to our  condo. I'm thankful for the sound of the ocean and the beautiful flowers.  I put in over 14,000 steps that afternoon!

Ogunquit beach in the background
only a .9 mile walk from our condo

• SIGHTSEEING:  Dave had bought tickets for the SeaDogs for Tuesday evening so we spent the day in Portland doing some sightseeing. We never did make it to the art district but we did spend most of the road trip driving on Route 1 through all the fun  towns I've always wanted to see:  Wells, Kennebec, Kennebunkport (Where President Bush's compound is located), Biddeford, Saco, and Scarborough, then South Portland to Fort Williams Park and the Portland Head Lighthouse. I'm posting some pics of the road trip when I write up a separate post.  For now, enjoy the pic of only Starbucks we ran into in Maine! We stopped for iced coffees here and had lunch from a food truck (Caprese sandwich for me) at the lighthouse. 

Scarborough, Maine! 

Portland Head Lighthouse

• GRACE OF GOD:  Driving around and through Portland was a bit insane. Lots of traffic and at one point, on the way back from finding the ball park, we had to cross over Casco Bay. Well, it was the grace of God we were not in an accident as some drivers were just crazy!  We had to have the patience of Job while the drawbridge went up to let a freighter boat through. We finally made it to Fort Williams Park (the lighthouse is pictured above) and it was also the grace of God that the day turned out to be partly sunny and no rain while we were at the park because we discovered there was a Cliff Edge Loop Hike that Dave really wanted to do. It was lovely!!  And the surf was pretty dramatic again!  I love the ocean off of Maine...much more dramatic than off of Cape Cod. Another grace of God moment:  we were able to get into the cheaper parking lot for the SeaDogs game with plenty of time to spare to grab some over priced not so great food from the vendors there (I had a very dry but spicy veggie burger and an over priced bottle of water and Dave had a beer and pretzel and we both got ice cream which was actually reasonable).  It was also the grace of God that we didn't get super soaking wet when we left at 7 pm in a downpour.  The game was delayed by 2 hours but we decided to just drive back to Ogunquit and our nice dry condo. The traffic back was minimal so we were most thankful for that. I'm thankful God worked out all the details for us! I know it sounds like just a little thing but we were thankful for His protection in all that traffic and bad weather that blew in. 

Drawbridge up! 
now we wait.....about 20 min

• TOTAL RELAXATION:  One thing about being in Maine...it tends to be somewhat slower pace of life compared to eastern NYS. New Yorkers are busy all.the.time. We even walk fast! In Maine, there's a total feeling of relaxation, even among staff in places we've been in.  Our last day in Maine was a rainy one in the morning, so we spent it sleeping in, having a leisurely breakfast, reading.  We made lunch with stuff we had brought and then took out the game Dave had brought in case of rain. We're thankful for the time to relax togethr and then in the evening, the skies cleared up in time to go out to dinner at this place. The wine and food were amazing as was the service. Dave had the mussels and linguine and I had the grilled maple glazed salmon which was so fresh and good! Then, we walked on Ogunquit Beach where parking is free in one area for 30 minutes which was all the time we needed. It was a beautiful evening just watching the waves, taking in the salty air and just totally relaxing. I'm so thankful we were able to get away! God is good. 

We tied!  My board was the fullest it's ever been!
Agricula!

Grilled FRESH from the ocean salmon!

A fave beach

That wraps up the blessings in a vacation summary style post!  Thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoy this FIRST DAY OF SUMMER!!

2025 Book Review #31:The Stranger

 

This is book 4 in the Fjallbacka series, set in Sweden and featuring Patrik Hedstrom. This has been my favorite of the 4. 

STORY SUMMARY

A local woman named Marit, mother of teenaged Sofie, and partner with Kersten, is found dead in what appears to be a single car accident after she became drunk. The only problem? She never drank alcohol! Her blood results show a very high, toxic level of alcohol but everyone who knew her said she absolutely never drank. Plus, there are strange marks around her mouth, and on the car seat is a torn page from a children's book of fairy tales. 

Meanwhile, there is a reality show being filmed in town and as the cameras watch every move the contestants make, tempers begin to flare up among the cast members and a drunken party ends with one of the more unpopular contestant's death: a young woman named "Barbie" aka Lillemor. Now all eyes are turned to the cast and production crew.  Is there a killer among them?? 

Detective Patrik Hedstrom is finding himself unable to focus on the strange circumstances of the first case as there is pressure to solve this second case. Pressure from the production team, town council, media and his boss. Meanwhile, he is also supposed to be planning the wedding of him and his fiancee, Erica who is a mostly stay at home mom to their 8 month old daughter Maja, although Erica does spend some time writing as she is an accomplished author. 

While digging into the first case and several clues, Hedstrom and his colleague Martin Molin discover that several other unsolved murders have similar details and are spread across Sweden!!  Is there a serial killer connecting all of these unsolved cases?? And of course, Hedstrom is under the lights of the media as all eyes are fixed on this reality show and the murdered young woman from the cast.  Is this case related to the others?? 

MY THOUGHTS

This is a fast paced mystery with some  amazing character development.  The only thing I don't like that this author does, is the over used "F" word and other crass words.  I get it in order to set up a character and his/her crass language, but this was over the top excessive and a huge turn off for me. I find it uncreative and low class. 

That said, the plot is fantastic and interesting! 

I also love the sub-plots of which there are three but they're not difficult to keep track of and they do appear in the other books in the Fjallbacka series. Erica is planning her wedding to Patrik and Anna has finally successfully left her abusive ex-husband who is now dead and is living with Erica, Patrik and Maja with her children Emma and Adrian. In this book, something exciting happens with Anna but I don't want to reveal what it is as I don't want to ruin it for you.

Also, the police chief, Mellburg, has something happen and with that sub-plot, I correctly guessed what would happen!  I could see it coming even though he didn't. 😜

The killer...or was it killers......is another thing I guessed correctly.  At first I thought it was going to go another way, and then I thought, "nope, it's going to end up being ________". And I was correct.

The surprise twist at the end is tense, sad and dramatic but really well done given the background of the people involved. Again I don't want to reveal anything, as I don't want to spoil it for you. 

My oldest daughter read this book as a stand alone and said it was great and she was right!  You don't have to read the series to enjoy this fast-paced, who dun it? type of crime novel. 

In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 17 and older (due to some mature content regarding alcoholism and crass language).

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 9. It would get a perfect 10 if not for the horrible over use of the F word. 

Our Father's Day Weekend

image courtesy of b*oking website

Our weekend was spent in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.  On Friday evening, we left our home in the Capital Region of NY, and drove east for 3.5 hours to check into our hotel room at the above hotel on the south shore. Saturday morning was cloudy with a slight chance of rain in my mother in law's hometown which is only about 10 min from the hotel. We helped her with some things around her home (she turned 90 in March and is doing well physically although the "old age dementia" is beginning to worsen).  After a lunch of pb and jelly sandwiches with a slice of banana bread, I took a walk while she napped and Dave helped his brother with some things. Dave's brother had to get ready for a performance that evening, so Dave and I ordered a veggie pizza and antipasto salad for the 3 of us.  We, along with our sister in law Kathy, had tickets to go see Kathy's husband, Peter (Dave's older brother) in the musical performance of this show.   It was just......ok.  The script wasn't great (although it won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama!).  I do love the painting the musical is based on.  The music was sung well by the talented cast but the score is just not that great. I know alot about shows that have been on Broadway and yet didn't know much about this one!  We all agreed it was....different. Phantom of the Opera it is not!! 😁

the painting by Seurat that the musical is based on

After the show, we headed back to our hotel for some much needed sleep.  We woke up rather early on Sunday and took my mother in law to her Unitarian church. Definitely no gospel is preached there but the people are very nice. And it made my mother in law happy that we could take her. Usually Peter is the one to take her. We had some leftover pizza and salad for lunch and then got on the road for a very long drive through Boston and up to the north-central part of New Hampshire to where Dave's younger sister Paula lives with her husband Bobby.  Her daughter Debi (our youngest niece on Dave's side) lives in the apartment next door (it's like a duplex country house) with her baby boy Callen.  He is adorable and is 2 yrs old already!  It was our first time to meet him. 

Paula showed us all around her beautiful property with the gardens she and her husband have been creating. She also made a beautiful Caesar  salad and we enjoyed Caesar Salad wraps on tomato tortillas. It was delicious. 

Paula's daisies near the front porch

a view of the main garden 

After dinner and hugs good bye, we got back in the car to drive east towards the coast and stay in Dover (near UNH where our youngest daughter went to college) and stayed in this place. We had a gorgeous studio suite.  It was heavenly and we were so very tired! We decided, since we didn't have to check out until noon, that we would just sleep in and have a leisurely breakfast in the hotel dining room and just   do some relaxing and reading and listen to our own church's sermon (available on you tube after Sunday evening). Both of our daughters texted Dave to wish him a Happy Father's Day and they have something planned for him for next Sunday the 22nd as we'll be back home by then. 

 

Homewood Suites by Hilton 
Dover, NH

We did sleep in until about 7:30 and after showering, we headed down to the dining room for  coffe, fruit and scrambled eggs.  We did some Scripture reading on our own and listened to the sermon from our church back home, and then Dave needed to deal with a work issue so I did some reading. We checked out around 11 AM and popped over to this amazing vegan donut place in Portsmouth that our youngest daughter used to go to all the time when she was at UNH. They are the best donuts we've ever had and I wish NYS would get one of these shops.  Once you have a Lovebirds donut you will never go back to Dunkin'. I had the chocolate ganache donut and Dave ordered a chai latte. 

image courtesy of website 

Then...we were finally on our way to Ogunquit, Maine!!  Air BnB had sent me a notification stating we had a message from our host, Denise, and she said we could check in anytime!  So about 40 minutes later, we were pulling into the condo association and dragging all of our luggage and the big cooler into the condo we are renting for the week.   

We were now officially on our anniversary vacation! (our anniversary isn't until June 30th but we have to celebrate early this year due to a work commitment Dave could not get out of). 

We've been having a great time so far and more pics will follow!!

ENJOY your Tuesday evening, everyone!