Weekending in Maine

On Saturday we didn't have anything scheduled, so we decided to drive up the coast to Maine. We spent the afternoon at the outlet malls in Kittery which are fun even just to peruse. We did some "back to school" fall shopping if you will. On our way home we stopped along route 1A to snap some pictures by the sea before the sun went down.

Is it Fall Already?

Fall has arrived! It seems to have snuck up on us this year. I guess we were expecting it to feel like summer through September, but it feels like it went from 90 degree summer days to crisp, cool fall overnight. I really hope that doesn't mean winter is coming early this year!!! Regardless, we are not going to let the season slip away from us! Last weekend we were driving through Lexington and decided to stop at Wilson Farm. We visited this fabulous place last October and loved it. This year they have an amazing pumpkin display and I just couldn't pass by without seeing it up close!

 

 

Photo cred goes to Jeff (on the iphone, I might add). I was too busy gawking at all the fall splendor and enjoying cider donuts : ) Cheers to the best season of the year! 

Chamber of Secrets Meeting

This really is just the best time of year to be part of a Harry Potter book club. I always associate Harry Potter with Halloween and the Holiday season. Our second HP Boston Book Club meeting was on September 11 and we had a great turnout! So glad to have found some fellow Potter loving muggles here on the east coast. I realize now that I didn't even take a picture of the whole gang; major oversight. Next time I'll do better. Mary and Michelle brought some every flavor beans (jelly bellies this time, much tastier) and I tried my hand at cauldron cakes! I've always loved the details of the Harry Potter stories and reading about all of the magical sweets. Cauldron cakes have always sounded delicious to me and they were so fun to make!

Cauldron cakes full of polyjuice potion & homemade wands!

We made our own wands out of paper, hot glue, and acrylic paint. They turned out even cooler than I expected!

Mary and Dean had to test their new wands out.

Too much fun. I love it!

Now it's on to Prisoner of Azkaban and I cannot wait. It was and may still be my favorite book of the series. I'm taking the train to work this week so I'll have plenty of time to read!

Clambake at Crane Beach

As one last hurrah for summer we attended a clambake at Crane Beach in Ipswich, MA! This clambake is an Arlington Ward tradition, and I was so excited to be part of it this year. Fresh lobster and clams were prepared right there on the beach. Neither Jeff nor I are big seafood fans, but it was fun to see it prepared and we enjoyed the ambiance.

Lobstah

We braved the frigid waters of the Atlantic, boy is it cold. Even after being heated up all summer it was still as cold as ice. 

 It never fails to astonish me how few waves there are in Massachusetts. What's the point of going to the beach if there are no waves?! Seriously crampin' our boogie boarding.

 

 

It was a great sendoff to summer!