It Was a Very Good Year - 2015

As we come to the end of 2015 I want to thank everyone who followed Morning Musings this year.  I've appreciated your comments.... I feel I truly have friends out there in Blogland.  I hope you will enjoy this condensed version of some of my favorite moments. . . .

          

"The world is round and the place 

which may seem like the end 

may also be only the beginning.”  

-Ivy Baker Priest

.•*¨`*•. ☆ .•*¨`*•
Take Joy!

Out and About - December 2015

♫White Christmas♫

I didn't get my White Christmas but because December was unseasonably warm it was nice for our two evening outings.  The first outing was the Frederick Holiday House Tour.  It is held the First Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon in December.  I especially like going to the evening tour because of all the holiday lights. . . .

MERRY CHRISTMAS

WISHING YOU A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

WITH THE MANY BLESSINGS OF THE SEASON

MAY PEACE, LOVE & JOY REIGN IN YOUR HEARTS

"Bringing Home the Tree". . . .

~ ~ 

"Night Travelers". . . .

.•*¨`*•. ☆ .•*¨`*•

Take Joy!

Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady - December

♫The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady♫

Old Bedford Village

The other evening we went with some friends to Old Bedford Village, PA's Candlelit Christmas.  Old Bedford Village is a living history village consisting of 40 log structures that, over the years, were salvaged and brought here. . . .

You can read more of the history of its making HERE.

View Outside My Window - December

♫It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas♫

This is the view outside the bay window in my living room. . . .

Out and About - November 2015

♫Thanksgiving♫

Another month for which there was much to be thankful!  I made Olivia a tent over the dining table. . . .

Historic New Castle

♫Bonny at Morn♫

Statue of William Penn

New Castle, Delaware was first settled by the Dutch in 1651.  In 1654 the Swedes seized it.  The Dutch took it back the next year.  In 1664 the English seized it, giving it its name.  The Dutch took it back in 1673 only to give it back the next year in the Treaty of Westminster.  In 1680 the Duke of York gave it, along with what is now Pennsyl- vania, to William Penn as payment on a debt the Crown owed him.

Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady - November

♫The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady♫

View Outside My Window - November

♫Getting to Know You♫

The view outside my living room side window this afternoon shows just how sunshiny it is today.  What it doesn't tell you is it's also 73° in November!. . . .

Out and About - October 2015

♫Loreena McKennitt♫

October was filled with family time.  Last month, as you will recall, ended with our mini-family reunion when Ken's older brother and his wife came for a visit.  Their RV camper needed a new engine which meant they'd need to stay an extra week.  Well, as things happen, there was a problem with the installation of the new engine which required an extra two weeks to repair.  Thankfully, they were wonderful to have around. ☺︎ The first week it rained a lot so we went to several used book sales.  Finally, we were able to do some more sightseeing.  We took them to the Rural Heritage Museum. . . .

The Brigadoon of Pennsylvania

♫Almost Like Being in Love♫

In the movie, Brigadoon, two American hunters in Scotland stumble upon a village that only appears once every century for a day.  This is so that the village would never be changed or destroyed by the outside world.  October last year I felt we'd stumbled upon such a place in the mountains of north central Pennsylvania when we spent two nights in Eagles Mere, "the village that time forgot," on our way home from my niece's wedding in Connecticut.  I did a post about it called Endless Mountains.  It was a gorgeous Autumn late afternoon when we arrived that Sunday last year.  The next day, however, it rained.  We did not let that deter us from hiking in a nearby State Park.  I knew, though, I needed to come back and explore the lake itself in Eagles Mere.  I'd tried to get my family together for a week last summer, but schedules and rental availability kept that from happening.  So this past Columbus Day weekend we were all able to gather at a house within a short walk of the lake.  Our little home away from home was named Pine Cone Cottage. . . .

Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady - October

♫The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady♫

View Outside My Window - October

♫Autumn Leaves♫

It's the time of year that change is noticeable....however, in my woods the trees still retain their leaves and very few have changed color yet.  Here's the view outside my living room window. . . .

Out and About - September 2015

♫Sail Away♫

September has just sailed away from me!  I'm very much a "routine" kind of person, but it seems that the Powers That Be are forcing me to be more flexible.  Here is what I've been doing. . . .As  you can see, our Spruce has not perked up at all this summer.  Behind it are the wild turkeys that have been visiting off and on for a few weeks now. . . .

Exploring Corgiville

♫Two Spirits Soar♫

Artists and writers often base their stories and illustrations on a real place.  So I went in search of the small village of Harrisville, New Hampshire that Tasha Tudor paid homage to in her Corgiville series.  It is off the main thoroughfare crossing southern New Hampshire, an adventure getting to in itself.  As the speed limit dropped I was greeted with this glimpse of Corgiville (aka Harrisville). . . .

Little Red Riding Hood/Pickety Place

The story of Little Red Riding Hood has been around in various forms for centuries. . . .

Catskill Mountains

♫Go Rest High on that Mountain♫

Last week we made our way up to Vermont so Ken could take baking classes at King Arthur Flour.  We've stopped in the Catskill region of New York through the years when going up to New England.  Last year we visited the painter Thomas Cole's house in Catskill, NY.  I did a post about it here.  It was there that we discovered Frederic Church's house was nearby, but unfortunately we had a tight schedule to keep and could not see it then.  So this year we planned a visit and found the Bavarian Manor Inn not too far away.  Whenever possible we choose old Inns like this one, started in 1865.  They often are in need of some renovating (especially the bathrooms) but that does not bother me when I can get loads of charm. . . .

Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady - September

♫The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady♫

View Outside My Window - September

♫You Raise Me Up♫

This is the view outside my window next to my desk where I've spent much of my time these past two weeks. . . .

Out and About - August 2015

♫For Everything There Is A Season♫

August has been all about getting ready for the Maryland Chapter of the Tasha Tudor Museum Society's Tasha Tudor 100th Birthday Celebration on the 28th.  Even my View Outside My Window post was about my plans for the upcoming celebration.  

We've been needing a new roof put on the house so we scheduled it on the 10th to get that out of the way. . . . 

Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady - August

♫The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady♫

View Outside My Window - August

♫Through the Trees♫

It was February and there was snow on the ground the last time I showed you the view out this window next to my drawing table. . . .

Out and About - July 2015

♫Can't Help Falling In Love♫

We did a lot this month that I didn't photograph so I don't have much to show you.    But this is what I do have.....a visit to Brookside Gardens where we went in the Butterfly house. . . .

MD Chapter TTMS July Gathering

♫Wonderful Summer Day♫

It was, indeed, a wonderful July summer day when several members of the Maryland Chapter of the Tasha Tudor Society gathered at Chris' to make garlic braids. . . . 

Raggedy Ann Runs Grandmommy Ragged

♫Children's Song♫

The Adventures of Raggedy Ann 

(aka Olivia June)

Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady - July

♫The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady♫

View Outside My Window - July

♫From the Heaven of My Heart♫

This is the view outside our main guest bedroom.  There are two windows and they both overlook our woods.  The boardwalk you see leads around to the back of the house up a ramp to the deck to the backdoor.  My husband built it 21 years ago for my mother's wheelchair while I cared for her during her last illness. . . .

Out and About - June 2015

♫Animals♫

The weather this month has gone from being too hot and humid to downright cold to somewhere in between.  It has expressed my mood quite well......languid to exhilarated and somewhere in between.  I shared in the first post for the month how I was feeling about my life.  Poetry captures how I felt as she lies in the window trying to catch a breeze. . . .

Summertime

 ♫Summertime♫

The lazy, hazy days of Summer.....When I think of summer now I think of the wild Ox-eye Daisies* and new-born fawns that are in my gardens. . . .

Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady - June

♫The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady♫

Finding Purpose

♫With a Little Help From My Friends♫

Yesterday when I wrote about feeling adrift because I'd lost my sense of purpose (I've always been purpose-driven!) so many of you wrote to empathize and offer encouragement.  All of your comments have been taken to heart and I'm sure helped clear the way to the point I came to this morning while journaling and reading my morning devotions.  After posting yesterday I asked my husband if I sounded like I was whining.  He assured me I didn't.  But if I did, no one made me feel like I had, so I greatly appreciate that.  Instead you let me know you understood, offered me solace, and shared your story so I could glean what I could from it.  I thank you for that.  Then the most amazing thing happened.  I looked outside my window yesterday afternoon and saw this. . . .

View Outside My Window - June

♫Somewhere in Time♫

 This view is outside a guest room window taken through the dollhouse's nursery window. . . .

Out and About - May 2015

♫New Day♫

Our son, who had been in the hospital for two weeks, was released on the first day of May and is doing very well.  I have an abundance of Olivia June pictures since besides babysitting every week this month, we saw her on Mothers Day.  Here she is playing with Gabriel's treat ball, then offering it to him. . . .

Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady - May

♫The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady♫

Beyond the Garden Gates - 2015

♫Bird Song♫

It's that time of year again....The Frederick Garden Tour. . . .

To enlarge photos, click on them

View Outside My Window - May

  ♫The House That Built Me♫

This is my morning-sun-lit view outside my livingroom window.  This room and the garage below was added to the house in the early 1970's by the second owners. . . .

Third Anniversary

This Thursday it will be three years since I did my first Morning Musing post.  It was about my garden and my children. . . .

MD Chapter TTMS May Gathering

♫Flower of Scotland♫

For May's calendar in Rosemary for Remembrance Tasha Tudor quotes Mark Twain, "Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of joy you must have somebody to divide it with."

Out and About - April 2015

♡Healing and Relaxing Music For Meditation♡

April began quite normally, but you will soon learn why I chose this music this month.  We've started babysitting Olivia June every Wednesday.  Here is a collage of those visits. . . .

Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady - April

♫The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady♫

View Outside My Window - April

♫In the Garden♫

This is the view from my dining room picture window. . . .

An Afternoon with Tasha Tudor

♫Simple Gifts♫

Several members of the Maryland Chapter of the Tasha Tudor Museum Society gathered today to hear Tasha Tudor's "Gentle Wit & Wisdom."  Even though we had to settle for Tasha's visit on a cassette tape, we felt she was sitting at the end of my dining room table talking about her life as we made cut-wool rabbits. . . .

Out and About - March 2015

♫Across the Universe♫

The month of March has been a mixture of Out and About.  I finished the painting on the 1st and was ready for the floor to be installed on the 2nd, but it turned out they weren't planning to come until the 4th.  It only took them one day to do the dining room.  Poetry immediately claimed it as her space. . . .

Maple Syrup Festival

♫Maple Sugar♫

Several members of the Maryland Chapter of the Tasha Tudor Museum Society gathered at Cunningham Falls State Park in Thurmont, Maryland last Saturday for the Park's annual Maple Syrup demonstration.   Maple sugaring was one of the things Tasha Tudor featured in several of her books:  A Time to Keep, Around the Year, Seasons of Delight.  This drawing of hers is in Mary Mason Campbell's book, The New England Butt'ry Shelf Almanac. . . .

Country Diary of An Edwardian Lady - March

♫The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady♫

"March has come in like a lamb with a warm wind and rain from the South-west," Edith Holden wrote in her 1906 diary.  On the 12th she wrote, "After a wet windy day, we woke this morning to a regular snow storm, the air was full of whirling flakes, but in the midst of it all I heard a Sky-lark singing."

View Outside My Window - March

♫A Thousand Years♫

I've come back to my kitchen window this month to show you the view.   You may notice I've rearranged the window sill knickknacks. The 10 inches of snow we had last Thursday has started to melt. . . . 

Waiting for Spring

I'm sitting here at my desk watching the snow falling outside my window. . . .

And I was thinking about Spring.  I know much of the country has had more than its fair share of winter this year and many of you are also eager for greenery and flowers!  So I wanted to send you to my very first Morning Musing's post--one of my favorites--and hope it helps tide you over until Spring does finally arrive.  Be sure to click on the link to the accompanying music. . . .

An Early Morning Walk

More favorites. . . .

Serenade to Spring

Burst of Flowers

What's in Bloom

A Foggy Morning

•*¨`*•. ☆ .•*¨`*•

Take Joy!