Cranberries ~

Nestled among the towns on the south shore of Massachusetts are more than 14,000 acres of cranberry bogs. I'll bet you didn't know that the cranberry, along with the blueberry and Concord grape, is one of North America's three native fruits that are commercially grown.





Contrary to popular belief, cranberries do not grow in water. Instead they grow on vines in beds layered with sand, peat, gravel and clay - known as "bogs". As warmer weather arrives, growers remove the winter flood - no more ice skating - and the growing season begins. These red fields glow in the afternoon sun along the roadside....
I just had to pull over the Jeep and take a few pictures for those of you who may not be familiar with this sight.


Next blog....Cape Cod Cranberry Margaritas!

Suburban Life

....and the classic PICKET FENCE ~







A picket fence, ideally white, is seen by some as a symbol of the ideal middle-class suburban life, with a family, busy children, big dog, gas guzzling SUV, large house and peaceful living. I took all these pictures in the quiet, coastal town of Duxbury, about 35 miles south of Boston. Aren't they beautiful homes? The town itself could be a movie set!
















I'm thinking I need to add a white picket fence to (Rick's) new "Garage and Driveway" Project. What do you think?

Norwell, MA celebrates St. Patrick's Day!

How did you pay tribute? Did you wear green, eat corned beef and cabbage, share a green beverage with friends?




If you were in Norwell you could have attended the Celtic Concert at the James Library or participated in the "Pour your own Pint" contest at the Tinker's Son.....(Not sure what that game is but the Norwell Police were busy directing traffic in and out of that parking lot last night!)







Or maybe a cup of coffee and a donut with green sprinkles from our local Dunkin' Donuts would satisfy the "luck of the Irish" in you. What ever you did to celebrate, I hope you were with family and friends...
and you woke up in time to go to work this morning!

Sunglasses!!!

A beautiful crisp, sunshiny morning in search of driftwood on Cohasset beach......and maybe a cup of coffee and a Morning Glory muffin from the French bakery in town.

Mosselen, Moules, Mussels

Bruges, Brugge in Dutch, is such a great weekend spot to visit from London. It's just a few hours on the Eurostar, a scenic train ride through the Belgium countryside and the rest of the day to explore the cobble stone streets of the picturesque city. We knew we were taking chances with the weather in February.....there were plenty of brasseries, cafes, chocolate shops, and pubs along the canals to give us cover from the elements!





How do you like your mussels....with frites?

Sherlock Holmes

If we stayed inside on rainy days, we would never see anything in London! So, "brollies" up and "wellies" on girls!
Another great "London Walks" tour was the Sherlock Holmes walk through the Charing Cross and Covent Gardens area. Our guide was dramatic in his quest for proof that the fictional characters of Holmes and Watson were actually real.




The Scottish author, Sir Authur Doyle's classic literary character was best known for "drawing large conclusions from small observations"....ha! any Mother of teenagers can do that! Were Holmes and Watson more than friends? Did his genius come from his constant drug use? Did he eat fish and chips at this Pub?





Was the character in HOUSE M.D. based on the legendary character Sherlock Holmes? Think about it!

Sunday Blessing!

Assisi, the Basilica di San Francesco is the burial place of St. Francis, the revered saint who stood for poverty, chastity, and obedience. This tremendous structure was begun in 1228, two years after the saint's death and houses frescoes by Roman artists depicting the life of St. Francis. We visited at least three other beautiful churches on this mountain top, some conducting Sunday services. You just couldn't help but feel spiritual in this town so based in Christian history and Italian beauty.






Siena's Duomo is one of Italy's greatest and most spectacular cathedrals. Striped black and white marble pillars surrounded by carved busts of the Popes support the vaulted ceiling, painted a deep blue with gold stars to resemble the night sky. With works by Pisano, Michelangelo, and Donatelo, anyone who has been there would agree that the opulence is breathtaking.