Thanksgiving in the Frigid North

We only spent a couple of days up in Massachusetts for Thanksgiving
But I'm really glad we did.
In spite of the heinous 11 hour drive through heavy traffic and slick icy roads,
We came in near midnight to a gentle snow fall.
And that magical calm remained with us for the duration of our time there.

It was great to see my brother, for one.
We were best friends growing up.
He moved up there over a year ago now, and since then we've all missed him terribly.

For another,
my cousins live on a large strip of land in Western Massachusetts
On which my Aunt Maggie has a huge garden, and raises chickens,
and is essentially an all-around badass
{she once asked for a truckload of manure for her birthday.
How many girls do you know who would do such a thing?}

Peter and I were more than happy to help with chores around the land.
He was quite keen to get on the tractor

And I was happy to feed the chickens and collect their eggs :)

This is me with my cousin Katia.
She is a pretty hilarious and clever girl
Hence the blurry laughing photo :)

In spite of the cold, we spent  a lot of time outdoors
It was just too beautiful outside not to.

Peter and the Michelin man 

Not my boots. 

But I totally wish that they were.

My Uncle is actually Peter's Godfather.

He was kind enough to take us to the log cabin my cousins grew up in.

It's now being used to start and Orthodox Christian Mission

It was such a beautiful, peaceful place,

the perfect little spiritual home in the woods for prayer and reflection.

It was also really sweet to see my uncle, 

A high school football star,

Teach Peter a little about the sport

And of course-

The feast!

It was a lenten Thanksgiving,

Meaning turkey was replaced with fresh baked fish,

Sweet potatoes, and heaps of autumn vegetables

{A few left over from my aunt's last harvest}

Great food,

Good drink,

And the finest company West of Worcester

What more could you want?

Peter and I are both so thankful,

Not only for our weird and wonderful immediate families 

{and they are pretty darn wonderful}

But for the extended relatives who made us feel so welcome and at home this year.

We are very blessed.

Thanksgiving break

Hey Guys!

I guess it's about time I shared photos from over a month ago. Now or never, eh? ;-)

I spent most of the break in Delaware with Peter.
So these are the photos from that part of my trip.

And when I wasn't huddled under bundles of layers trying not to freeze, like this:

Yes. This is what
Florida sunshine
ultimately does to one's
humours.






I had a pretty awesome time!


We found the coolest pub in Lancaster, PA, run by two Irishmen from Cork.
They had Magners, so obviously I was a happy girl :)

 The Lancaster Market was quite impressive.
it was my first exposure to the Amish people and culture,
but had so much more than that to offer
{as evidenced by Peter's falafel and frappe from a Greek kiosque}

 Peter loved this herb and tea market

And the pub {Tellus Three Sixty}
was attached to a cute little shop
{double win!}

We ended the night with this gorgeous sunset.

It could not have been more lovely.

Next up, the Brandywine Museum...

Music Monday!

Well Hello!

and sorry for the absence on TBT! I was having way too much fun (and way too much food) on our cold Thanksgiving up North. Peter and I drove up to see our cousins and my brother, who live in rural Massachusetts. it was our first thanksgiving together, and it was lovely.

Proof of said loveliness:

Top right is my Uncle Mike (Peter's koumbaro) teaching him all about American football!

Me with my awesome brother...before he pinched me 

See how lovely it was?

Anyways, for music monday today I thought I'd throw up some Black Keys for you guys
(or just Peter, more likely.)

The two of us were just talking about how we've yet to go to a really great show together,
or at all, really, in the past few years.
The last great show I saw was Bright Eyes in 2011 in Tally,
and I missed Band of Horses when they rolled through (student tickets are free!!
I am still kicking myself for that.)

And these dudes-
they put on a great show.
I just know they do. You can tell.
Has anyone out there seen them live?

So here ya go, folks,

Happy Monday!