The Week of October 18th

I do the usual travel thing and I'm up, showered, out of the house and on the road by 5:30 a.m. I'm maybe 15 minutes later than I want to be and there is already plenty traffic on the Beltway.

Oh how I hate this drive. Please, physics and mechanical engineers - get moving on teleportation! 

After many hours, I arrive at my DD's new apartment in Massachusetts. We unload the car - lingerie dresser, nightstand, file cabinet, bags of clothes and bags of books. I get to meet her very nice landlord and scope out the apt. We drive further north to New Hampshire and have a very nice dinner with the grandparents. 

Next day - the plan is:  IKEA, the Container Store and whatever else we can manage. At IKEA, we find and purchase a sofa, coffee table, end table, mattress and foundation, desk, desk chair, dresser, and assorted other stuff. Amazingly, they will deliver everything for the low price of $99! We continue shopping and are amazed by the sight of a large tom turkey right beside our car on an off ramp in Needham. Tuesday is a long, long day. I think we ended with dinner at the Weathervane? Holy crap, my mind is going...

On Wednesday we take a day off from shopping. My sister, my daughter and I are going out to play with our respective cameras and maybe hit up some antique shops. 

I'll share some color.

Nothing like a sugar maple for beauty in October.

My heritage. Yes. I have ancestors that landed in New Hampshire within the first decade of Europeans settling there. I have relatives that were abducted by Indians and taken north to Canada. I have ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War. Of course, I also have ancestors who came down from Canada to work in the mills. I'm a mixed bag.

One of the loveliest barns in the entire state.

I have always loved this house. And if I lived here, I could see that barn every day.

 Water, pines, autumn foliage. 


Next:  Thursday, DD and I head off to the Commissary at Hanscom Field. We see roving gangs of turkeys. And spend a bundle of money on food and cleaning supplies. But at least I know she won't starve while waiting for her first paycheck to arrive. We unpack at her place and go for some Vietnamese food. We'll end this night after dinner at Newick's with a stop at Target to buy a microwave, a space heater, a step stool, and a bucket. 


I am totally exhausted and need to leave early the next morning. 

Fish chowder, native shrimp, and clam strips. It's nirvana for me!