A Day of Rest

Up early and off to church this morning.  It was a beautiful day, we found the church easily, and arrived right on time.  I already love the Bishop--he's relaxed and funny, but still has that kind sparkle in his eye.  The music was beautiful and the speakers were great, they each spoke on "Unity," and you really got a sense that it's a subject which means a lot to this ward.  I also read in the church bulletin that they have a Book Club, which is right up my alley and sounds like a good way to make some friends :)

After church mom and I had lunch and took naps (which was freakin' sweet--the house is so cool and quiet, and the beds are sooo comfortable).  Later we got a little lost and finally settled on checking out a local park called "Day Pond."

The weather was perfect and the air smelled sweet and fresh.  We met a friendly little family whose daughter was having a blast swimming around in the wading area, and other people were fishing and just enjoying the view.  We laid down on a picnic table and had a nice conversation while staring up through the trees.  I'm so glad mom and I have had this time together.

Later when we got back to the Bevin House we bumped into Jess (the owners' girlfriend who's super sweet and chill), and we ended up talking for a couple hours and making dinner together.  I already like her and Dean so much, and I think they're going to be really cool to work for.  I'm so excited to get started!

Flowers and Fireworks

We've both had dicky bellies the past couple days, so we slept in a little this morning and got a later start than usual.  With so many things on our fieldtrip list, it's hard to plan out each day, but we headed in the direction of Hartford.  We took what was supposed to be a slight detour to check out the Webb Colonial Garden in Wethersfield, but the town was so charming we ended up spending a few hours there.

We'll definitely have to go back and spend more time there.  Everyone was super friendly, and there's so much history and beauty!

We had a possible check-in for the day, so we got lunch and headed back to the Inn.  Mom and I had the Inn to ourselves, so I went around trying to figure out the light-switches, taking pics, and brainstorming a bit, and mom spent a few hours vacuuming her brains out.

It still doesn't feel real that I'm moving here.  It feels like I'm just here for a vacation and mom and I will be leaving together next week.  I'm hoping that my room will be ready for me to move in soon, and I think having my own space set up with my own things will make it feel more like home.

The potential guest didn't end up booking, so we drove around a bit and ran errands (found the local grocery store-nice!).  Once back at the house Mom arranged a dozen roses as I nice surprise for Dean & Jess and I made a cinnamon streusel.  We have so much fun playing house together :)

I had a nice, long chat with my sister in Florida, and then mom and I remembered there were going to be fireworks in town.  After driving around a bit, we came across a bunch of people parked at the church and waiting in the cemetery, so we joined them.  We were laughing about one silly thing after another (people probably thought we were drunk, but we weren't, just giddy and enjoying ourselves).  The fireworks started about a half hour late, and we were close to leaving, but I'm so glad we didn't because they were absolutely magical!  It was such a great way to end another awesome day.

Every now and then I realize how blessed I am, and I'm so grateful for the new opportunities that have come into my life.  The past year has been filled with many ups and downs, and it's so comforting to look back and see why things work out the way they do.  I truly believe that God has closed doors and opened windows to guide me where he wants me to be, and I'm so excited to begin this new phase of my life.

Off we go!

Another day, another adventure!  This morning we waited til a "normal" time to leave.  First we went to check out the Cranberry Bog, because it's only 3 min. from Bevin House.  Turns out it's not used as a cranberry bog anymore, so it's pretty much just a pond.  But apparently in the winter it freezes over and there's hockey and ice skating.  In my head it's like the scene from "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" (Doris Day & Gordon MacRae).

We also discovered a starting point for the Air Line Trail.  We'd heard it was close by, but we didn't realize it was this close.  

We hadn't planned to walk it today, but the beginning of it was so beautiful, we couldn't resist.

We only walked for about 30 mins. or so, but we definitely plan to come back with the bikes.  The trail is nice and flat, and the scenery is incredibly beautiful.

From there we went on to find Devil's Hopyard.  It was raining by the time we got there, so we almost bailed, but I'm glad we didn't because it was awesome.  

On the way back to the Inn we stopped at Johnsonville, an abandoned town in East Haddam.  I cannot easily express the way I felt upon first seeing this property.  I have a huge, crazy, amazing idea (more details on this later...), and this seemed like the perfect place for it.

 Later I did some research and found that just last month a Filipino mega-church purchased the land for 1.8 million.  Apparently they have big plans to restore the buildings to their former glory, add new buildings, and create a resort of some kind.  Sounds awesome, and I really hope it happens.  Guess I'll have to keep looking for my own perfect spot...

Let the Adventure Begin...

The Bevin House is even more beautiful than I remember.  It was dark by the time we arrived, but I was pleased to find that the owners were as welcoming as the first time we met, and in a way they already feel like family.  They gave me and mom are our own (adjoining) rooms, which was an unexpected luxury, and we settled in to eat a late dinner and watch "This Beautiful Fantastic."

Already the first night we had a bit of excitement.  I awoke around 5 am and noticed the house was eerily quiet.  The power was out in my room, and after a bit of investigating, I discovered the power was out in the entire house, and possibly the entire neighborhood.  I checked in with the owner, and there didn't seem to be much to do about it, so we all tried to go back to bed.  I tossed and turned a little bit, and when I realized there was no way I could get back to sleep, I decided to go for a sunrise walk.  I literally cannot remember the last time I was up at sunrise, let alone eager to go for a "sunrise walk."

The house looked beautiful in the early morning sun, and the air was cool and fresh.  I didn't get far on my walk before finding the cause of the power outage...

Mom and I  headed out early to explore (I was exhilarated from my morning walk and I'm sure annoyingly peppy--which for anyone who knows me, is highly unusual--not the annoying part, but the early-morning peppiness).

I could not have a better person to explore with.  Mom notices and appreciates the beauty in everything.  We went to find the Comstock covered bridge (I have a slight obsession with covered bridges), and hiked a gorgeous little section of trail along the river.

This spot is only 8 mins from Bevin House.  I predict I'll be spending a lot of time there.  I also got the idea to leave some kind of cool trail markers, maybe a little ribbon with a bell on it or stones with a bell painted on it... Thoughts?  I also got a really exciting idea for a story (more details on that later...)

From there we continued on to the nearby town of Colchester, because we were starving.  I wish I could say we had a leisurely breakfast at a charming cafe.  But unfortunately we had McDonald's.  However, we did eat at a picnic table in the town center--a lovely, green field with a sweet little gazebo.  Afterward we spent some time at the local library and picked up some brochures.  I found a "Garden Tours & Historic Homes" brochure that looks promising...

We went back to the Inn to take naps and it could not have been more comfortable, cool, and quiet.  Later I showed mom the barn (she had only seen the first room of it on our last visit).  She couldn't believe how big and interesting it is, and we thought of some pretty cool ideas for how to use the space.  We ran a few errands and then I went back to Colchester for the "Music on the Green" Thursday night show.

It felt so wonderful outside, I'd probably have hung out for awhile even if there were no music.  The music was decent though, and the people were all so friendly and having a nice time, that the good mood was just contagious.  I think I'm going to like living here...