Ancestry Antics... Lucy Larcom // Stephanie Smith

When, during a recent conversation, my father mentioned that we are somehow related to Lucy Larcom, a 19th-century poet and writer, we decided to do a bit of investigation into how exactly she fits into our family tree.  We ventured to the Beverly Historical Society to see if they could help us to piece things together, and after a little time on the internet and with the city's vital records as well as an old city directory, we were able to figure out that her oldest brother is my great-great-great grandfather, making Lucy my great-great-great-great aunt.  It was interesting to do a bit of family research and find out something about my history!

Terrifically Horticultural, Beautifully Groomed: Tower Hill Botanic Garden

On Thursday, my mother and I visited Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston, MA, for the first time ever.  This lovely place was well worth the hour-and-a-half drive it took us to get there.  We started our visit with a scrumptious lunch at the café on the premises, and our afternoon only went uphill from there.  We literally went uphill to get a few great views of Wachusett Mountain and Reservoir, and then we spent the rest of our time exploring the different gardens and pathways that Tower Hill has to offer. I liked the "Systematic Garden" because of its many exotic-seeming plants, and I liked the "Secret Garden" because of its name, but my favorite garden was the "Vegetable Garden" because of its beautiful deep-pink color theme and its creative use of ornamental garden veggies.  And I liked the whole visit because of how quiet and peaceful it was at Tower Hill.  It's definitely a place I'd like to return to.

Wachusett Mountain and Reservoir

a vibrant flower in the "Systematic Garden"

a husk tomato in the "Vegetable Garden"

one of many pretty deep-pink plants in the "Vegetable Garden"

Nifty Newburyport

Earlier this week, my mother, father, and I ventured up to Newburyport, a cute coastal town near the New Hampshire border.  Along the way, we took a scenic ride through Plum Island, an adorable beach community split between the towns of Newbury and Newburyport.  My family visits Newburyport at least once each summer, and we always have fun wandering around the downtown and rambling along the boardwalk next to the river.  Even on a weekday, there were plenty of people in town, and there's lots of interesting shopping every day of the week at this town's many small boutiques and independent retailers.  There's a great little bookstore along the main street, a nice pet supply shop, and plenty of great places to get a frozen treat!  All of these unique shops combine to give downtown Newburyport a funky, eclectic atmosphere, while its old brick buildings and historic homes remind you that you're still in a New England town.

a beach path on Plum Island

fun wall-art in downtown Newburyport

a colorful mosaic recalls Newburyport's maritime history

one of Newburyport's many eclectic shops

view of the Merimac River from the boardwalk

working fishing boats and luxury vessels docked at Newburyport

Crazy for Crochet!

I've just finished up my most recent crochet project, a big granny square afghan!  So I thought I'd share my thoughts on crochet with you.  After reading, crochet may just be my favorite hobby!  I'll be honest--part of the reason I love to crochet is that it's a pretty unusual hobby, at least for someone my age.  (Most of my friends who work with yarn are knitters.)  I also love to crochet because it goes so quickly!  I can whip up a small project, like a scarf, in the time it takes to watch a bad t.v. movie, and even bigger projects, like afghans, take only a few weeks to complete if I work on them diligently.  But I don't have to be a busy bee to complete a big crochet project, and during the school year I'll work on the same afghan over the course of a whole semester, doing a little at a time.  And crochet is a great break from schoolwork: I find it so relaxing!  The repetitive motion, the feel and colors of good yarn--what's not to love?  And perhaps most of all, I love to crochet because at the end of my art project I've made something useful!

my most recent afghan

Idyllic Ipswich

This afternoon I found time while I was running some errands to re-visit two of my favorite spots in Ipswich: Russell Orchards and Castle Hill.  Both of these lovely spots are nestled away on Argilla Road, so it's easy to visit both in one afternoon!

I always love a trip to Russell Orchard for their homemade apple cider donuts!  This little farm and orchard also has seasonal fruit picking and a small collection of farm animals that visitors can observe or feed, but remember not to bring human food near the fowl--they will chase after you and snatch your donut!

Russell Orchard

one of the porcine inhabitants

old machinery adds to the back-in-time feel

Their store sells all sorts of delicious local products...
including their own, homemade apple cider donuts, which are not to be missed!

When I want to be surrounded my man-made beauty, I head to Castle Hill.  The immaculately maintained gardens, the statues and "ruins" dotting the grounds, and the manor all make me feel like I've been transported to the European countryside.  Unless there's a concert or tour of the manor, the grounds tend not to be crowded, so I love to come here for a quiet walk or a picnic with friends.

                           the Crane Estate at Castle Hill

view from the back of the estate to the Atlantic Ocean

a bee in the estate's garden

Beginnings

I may be the last living soul born after 1980 who still turns their cell phone off at night.  (That's because I like my sleep, and I don't like it to be interrupted, but this blog is not to be primarily about my sleep patterns and preferences.)  As much as I enjoy email and Facebook and texting and blogging, I'm trying to live most of my life in the real, physical world, and this blog will be about my adventures there.