There’s one other thing Dale and I did last week that I haven’t told you about yet. We visited Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich. It’s about an hour from us and we borrowed the pass from the library (breaking my cardinal rule of going to work when I’m on vacation) so we got in for half price. Truthfully, it would have been worth full price – what a great place!

The gardens are stunning and this lily pond is one of the first you see. It would be a beautiful spot to sit and meditate, listening to the sound of the waterfall, and gazing at those gorgeous lilies.

Speaking of lilies – the daylilies were just about in full bloom when we were there and they were plentiful and varied. I have the customary orange ones at home but at Heritage Gardens I saw pink and yellow and so many other varieties.

I sort of wanted to steal little cuttings from all of them and bring them home for my garden.

One of the things the Cape is known for is hydrangeas. They are huge and blue and simply stunning. The Cape Cod Hydrangea Society maintains the hydrangea plants here and they do an amazing job. There are paths.

And huge blossoms.

In the most vibrant shades of blue you’ve ever seen.

I love a mixed flower bed as much as beds of all lilies or hydrangeas and Heritage Gardens has plenty of those around. The riot of colors and textures makes my heart happy.

I don’t always know what a flower is called but I know what I like. And I know when I see beautiful combinations together, like these pink spikes with blue flowers behind them.

I have to say, though, this picture of a foxglove stalk is my favorite from the day. I love the blue sky behind it and the bells on the foxglove are just perfectly aligned and lovely.

I thought of all of you as we walked around, wishing you were with me, sharing in the beauty of this place. Taking these photos and sharing them with you is the next best thing – I hope you feel like you really were almost there.

When last we talked about my vacation we were discussing food. And the stuff we had done up until Thursday. So, on Friday, we headed north to New Hampshire. Specifically, to Lake Winnipesaukee, where we went for a cruise on the Mt. Washington.

We cruised from Weir’s Beach to Wolfeboro. While cruising we saw the sites.

And enjoyed a cocktail. Or two.

The mountains are all around the lake and the scenery is just beautiful. The skies were deep blue and the sun was shining and we even saw a bald eagle fly over the ship.

In the evening we headed for the vacation home of our friends Shawn and Jo-Ann. This awesome place sits right on Lake Winnipesaukee just above Alton Bay and we truly love visiting there.

The views from the front deck are fantastic, whether you are having your morning coffee or your evening cocktail.

Jo-Ann and Shawn have a dog named Daisy who reminds me so much of Dixie. She makes me smile but she also makes my heart hurt because she makes me miss my dog. Time with her is a blessing, though, and so is time with her family.

We kayaked, we rode on Shawn’s boat, we met up with more wonderful friends, we swam and we laughed, we played games and told stories and relaxed so hard we exhausted ourselves.

I kinda can’t wait to go back.

So — that cocktail party? Terrific fun and I’m so glad we went. It was great to reconnect with old friends and make some new ones, too. We haven’t changed a bit in 20+ years, either. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Other things that happened this weekend?

I went to the gym. Twice. Yay me.

I managed to spend a ridiculous amount of money at Target. Seriously, I go in there for 2 things and I come out with a wagon full of stuff and $200 less in my bank account. Hullo, my name is Carole and I have a Target problem.

I blocked the Cactus Flower shawl. Pictures soon!

After the party Saturday night we hit up our favorite beach before we rode back over the bridge. Yes, it was dark and yes, it was very cold but I still took off my shoes and socks and stuck my feet in the water. I’m a beach lover, through and through.

I made a fantastic dinner Friday night. Filet mignon with bernaise sauce, sauteed mushrooms, oven roasted asparagus and loaded baked potatoes. We love our Friday nights at home and this night, like so many others we share, included lots of music and some dancing, too.

Sunday wound up being a lazy at-home spontaneous pajama day. Dale was nursing a cold and I was perfectly content to hang out, read, knit, play some games and just enjoy being together. Cocktails with homemade pita chips & roasted tomatoes with goat cheese by the fire was the perfect end to a November afternoon.

How was your weekend?