End of November Faves

 

Wow! December is here!

The month with the start of Winter season (December 21/Winter Solstice and our youngest daughter's birthday!) and holidays that have great significance: Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa. I also have a birthday this month as well as my sister Joy, her son Luke, 2 of my very best friends, and a cousin! It's a festive month and one in which we like to display the Light of Life. 

I'm joining in with other bloggers who all link up at Susanne's site to share FIVE of our very FAVE blessings from the past week. I have a lot to be grateful for.  Here are my top five from the week: 

Long Pond
Plymouth MA
24 November

Dave's brother (Peter) and his wife Kathy's summer cottage
It's a one room dwelling with a small bathroom right on Long Pond.
Most of us gathered here on Friday afternoon.
From left to right:
my husband Dave, my niece Hanna (age 32)
our two daughters Claire (24), Courtney (30)
Courtney's friend Kai (age 19)  from Kansas, 
me, and my sister-in-law Kathy 

a woods hike in the Long Pond Trail System

Gallows Pond 
along the trail
Plymouth, MA

• FAMILY FUN:  Last Friday, after a late breakfast and lots of coffee, Dave and my self, along with both daughters, our niece from Scotland (her mom, Dave's oldest sister, was fighting a cold so stayed in the hotel), our young friend, and Dave's brother Peter and his wife Kathy, all drove down to Plymouth/Long Pond so Hanna and Courtney could see the cottage. (All of us had stayed further north in Plymouth Co so we really didn't have a long drive).  They were the only ones who hadn't seen it yet in the family. It's a charming summer dwelling literally right on the beach. There are some homes there that are stunning...set further back from the pond...and are year round residences.  After oohing and aahing over the water/sand, the sunshine, the adorable cottage, we all took a long walk halfway around the pond and then 3 of us continued on to some hiking trails (Dave, Kai, and myself). We discovered a side trail that  would take us into Miles Standish State Forest  but we opted to just do the shorter 2 mile "lollipop" trail instead as it was getting late in the day. After the hike, it was nearly 4 pm so we all decided to go here for amazing burgers (Claire and I had the Impossible one) and sides/cocktails for a late lunch/early dinner. It was a blast. I'm thankful we had a day out in the fresh air, especially because the weather was just so perfect for November near the Cape. (yes, the pond is fresh water and yes the ocean is only a few minutes from there...about 10 min).

First for 2023!

• SNOW! The news likes to hype up the weather reports, don't they?  Most people I grew up with forget that I moved to eastern New York for one of many reasons: the fact that our winters here in the Capital Region aren't nearly as bad as in the central region where I grew up nor the western region where I went to undergrad college and lived for 2 years after that. Those people got a LOT of snow this week.  This was what we woke up to.  This was about 7 AM on Tuesday and folks....it wasn't even on the grass! For those of you who live down by NYC, I realize that "upstate" for you is anything north and west of Westchester County. For those of us in the capital region who were not born in the capital region, "upstate" NY is anything west of Schenectady all the way to Buffalo and north of Utica in the Tug Hill region/western ADK! And of course we have the mountains. They already have a foot of snow in one of my fave hiking areas in the central Adirondacks. I'm thankful for the amount we had and that the week has been mild with many sunny days. :)

Our new 5' tree in the living room

• DECORATING:  This makes my fave list because it's done!!  I was able to decorate early this year due to being retired. I love it. Courtney came over Sunday after choir rehearsal to help Dave move the piano and I re-arranged the sofa out of this area to put up the new tree. I decided to place it on the top of my white end table and used an old emerald green tablecloth draped over the table and then added the tree skirt my mother-in-law made us in 1993. I took my time decorating the house this week and I'm thankful it's all ready for the festive month ahead. ( no, those gifts are not for my immediate family...those are all for the families of my 3 younger sisters as we have a gift exchange party mid-December and I bought things early for this event). 

beginning of the main loop
(Red trail)
Wednesday 29 November
late morning

partly frozen pond
this is from the main trail bridge across the pond to the woods

bridge on the red trail....all the leaves are down 

looks like beavers made a pathway through the reeds
on the quiet side of the pond

the other side of the pond where the wetlands begin
looks like a beaver dammed up part of this towards the back

end of the Red trail on the lawn/picnic area
ANN LEE POND
Albany NY

• MID-WEEK HIKE!  Wednesday was cold and the sun was in and out. It was a mostly grey day but I seriously needed a good brisk hike after doing some errands/Christmas shopping. I had gone to the Shaker Museum/Historic site first (across from this nature preserve) and bought my oldest girl a gift and since I had been in hot, stuffy stores, I was craving fresh air. I decided, since it was so close to lunch time and my husband was working from home that day, to just hike the main trail.  It's known as The Red Trail. It's only .8 miles in length so super easy, all flat and the thick mud is partially frozen so easy to navigate in sneakers which was what I was wearing. I only saw 2 other hikers. As I was leaving, a group of older women were just starting out on the  trail. I'm thankful the day stayed dry and since I was wearing a hat, scarf, jacket and gloves, I was fine. In fact, since I was doing an actual power walk/hike, I had to take off the hat and scarf as I worked up a sweat. I'm so thankful for nice, safe places in our urban areas to walk. Even though the sounds of the airport are so close by, once you're in the woods, it gets super quiet. I love that. 

Fresh balsam for the front door!

• SURPRISE!  Yesterday, I had a surprise from my former preK agency boss. I had totally forgotten I had ordered (back in September) a real balsam wreath from her daughter's hockey team.  She texted that she was at my house....what a fun reunion. (I had gone on a walk as it was warmer yesterday and sunny and she had to text me that she was in my driveway! haha)   It was so good to see her!!  The wreath is very reasonably priced (less than $40!!!) and it's a fund raiser for her youngest daughter's high school hockey team. I'm thankful for this beautiful wreath and the chance to help out a good team. 

BONUS FAVE:  lunch with my spiritual mentor friend Monica!  I'm thrilled I was available to be spontaneous and meet her out at this place. YUMMY salads.  Good conversation focused on God things. So thankful for close friends!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!