A few of my favorite shots and quotes from 2013… I can’t say thank you enough for all your support and willingness to follow along. This year has brought so many great memories, and I have you to thank for Read More

We leave tomorrow morning for Canada (we're taking the loooong way down to Kentucky) and are just about ready. The dogs have been to see the veterinarian for their health certificates (needed for border crossings). The oil has been changed and the tires rotated. The laundry is almost done, the trailer almost packed, and the RV sites are all booked. It will be exciting to see this new part of the country and visit family along the way! Last weekend we tried to fit in as many last minute things as we could because there is still so much we'd like to explore here in New England. On Saturday we drove to Portland to visit the Portland Head Lighthouse. Years ago I bought a framed picture of it when a frame shop was going out of business. I had never been to see it before but I liked the image and I loved the price. Since it's close to us now, we couldn't miss the opportunity to see it in person. You can see several lighthouses in Casco Bay by Cape Elizabeth. In fact, you can see two in this picture! See that tiny dot in front of Portland Head, out in the water? This is what Ram Island Light looks like when you zoom in. If you look to your left you'll see Spring Point Ledge. And if you look to your right you'll see Two Lights. Here are a few other sights surrounding Portland Head Light On Sunday we explored downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and drove the entire length of the NH coastline. We drive by Portsmouth every time we cross into Maine. It's a historic town full of character and has many interesting things to see, do, and taste. These are some of the sights we saw as we drove down the coast. There were some fantastic estates along that route! I imagine it must cost a pretty penny to maintain them so close to the ocean. The kids had fun by the water... New England is full of marsh land. In Massachusetts you'll see lots of cranberry bogs. Have I ever mentioned how big Dunkin' Donuts is out here? They're everywhere!! Sometimes you will see them right across the street from each other- like Starbucks in Washington... We hit Salisbury, Massachusetts and turned around, finishing the day with a true New England experience of eating at a clam shack. We had our first "eating in the rough" experience at Bob's Clam Hut in Kittery, Maine and it was cold outside! I guess Bob's is famous for being on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Boy, was it packed that day! The food was good, though. I'm sure you've heard of the Shaker style of furniture, but did you know the Shakers are actually a religious group? They got their name because of their worship practices. They would shake, dance, roll on the floor, march, and speak in tongues during worship "if The Spirit moved them". There are only two remaining Shakers left on the planet and they both live here in Maine at Sabathday Lake, the last active Shaker village. Monday my husband and I decided to drive out to tour the village and learn about their history and culture. We were only allowed to take pictures outside out of respect for the residents. This village has many apple orchards and they keep beef cattle (as pets) and sheep (who were sheered recently). In the past they made cider and hard cider. That's right! They are not teetotalers. Everything in moderation was their philosophy. In the Shaker faith, men and women live separately but are considered equal. There is an elder woman and an elder man in charge of their respective gender. Shakers never marry which made it difficult to expand their communities over the years. Married couples who joined the Shaker faith with their families became like brother and sister and lived separately. The groups took in orphans and raised them but the children were never forced into the faith. They could choose to leave when they came of age and were educated enough to support themselves in the outside world. The Shakers came up with many inventions like the spring used in clothes pins and had an eye toward making life easier. They embraced technology and worked with the outside world to sell goods to support their communities. They were mostly self sufficient but never wanted to isolate themselves. In fact, to this day they pay property tax even though they don't have to because the taxes go toward education in the local communities and they highly value education. Many of these villages across North America are maintained by trustees to ensure they will be preserved even after the last Shakers are gone. Did you know that you can become a Shaker? The process is much like becoming a priest and it takes years of training and internship. The current two Shakers would have to approve your membership, so if you're planning on this life you'd better hurry! Oh, and they're pacifists, so keep that in mind! Here are some examples of the the "fancy goods" they would make and sell from the shop. In their heyday they grew large gardens and sold medicinal herbs, teas, and seeds. After the Food and Drug Administration was established, they had to stop selling the medicinal herbs but they traveled up and down the East Coast selling other items. Shakers were extremely capable and resilient people. They paid a lot of attention to quality and detail in everything they did. When the tour was over we drove to the LL Bean Flagship Store in Freeport, which is similar to a giant Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops. We only had 15 minute parking so we had to make it a quick run though but it was still fun. I have a feeling that if we had more time there our trailer would be weighed down way more than it is right now! The next time I post, it will be from Kentucky. I'll be sure to check in from our different locations on social media, though, so be sure to check the links at the top right side of this page if you want to follow along. Wishing you a great week! - Jen

Dwarf Godetia Clarkia amoena Also known as 'Farewell-to-Spring', 'Dwarf Godetia' plants grow eight to fourteen inches tall and produce very showy clusters of lavender and pink flowers with bright red centers.Native from British Columbia to Northern California and found in coastal scrub, prairies and dry open slopes. The genus name commemorates Captain William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. A very good cut flower. Annual. Each packet contains 0.1 gram, which is approximately 250 seeds.

photo credit: Pinterest

15 favorite Fitzgerald quotes.

{Free} Party Planning Printables

I had every intention of posting about our trip to Virginia on Monday but the week slipped through my fingers- much like our whole stay here in Maine. Didn't we only just arrive?! In the two months we've been here the landscape has gone from snow drifts and mud, to lush, green, and blossoming. Maine has awoken and the summer season has begun. How do I know? Well, the traffic from Massachusetts weekenders has increased exponentially, which makes it difficult to get around on a Sunday afternoon. The "Closed for the Season" signs have all but disappeared. Shops are open and people can be seen eating "in the rough" which means they order their food and then eat it outside on picnic benches. We leave on Thursday and although we've seen so much, I don't feel quite ready to leave just yet. I love that we've been able to experience this place intimately without the hoards of tourists gumming up the landscape, but I also feel like leaving now is a bit like going to a symphony and then leaving before the climax.... This week we've been preparing for our departure. Last week was filled with celebrations as we joined our extended family in Virginia. We actually lived in Virginia for a while about ten years ago. It's gorgeous and has so much to offer. The landscape hasn't changed much since we left except for one thing. The traffic. The DC metro area traffic has DEFINITELY increased. We left Maine and what should have been a 9-10 hour drive down the coast turned into over 15 hours of slogging down 495 South through Boston, New York City, and on to Richmond, Virginia. Talk about frustrating!! Fortunately we were able to make it to my sisters nursing school graduation ceremony the next day when her class was honored. My brothers family and our parents also flew out from California, so it was wonderful to be able to share this proud moment and celebrate my sisters big accomplishment together. On Mothers Day, we drove to Northern Virginia and visited our old neighborhood and friends, as well as some Civil War (a.k.a The War of Northern Aggression) battlefields. That night we checked into the house we rented in Harpers Ferry,West Virginia, which also played a big part in the Civil War. Here are some photos we took Manassas Battlefield. Haha! My daughter took this. She told me that we needed one to show what I look like whenever we explore. ;-) The Harpers Ferry building where we stayed was on High Street, and according to the locals it was used to help the sick and wounded during the war. Legends and ghost stories surround the whole town and the owners of the house have decorated it accordingly with a picture of John Brown whose eyes move around the room with you. Personally, I don't believe in "ghosts", but there were a few strange occurrences that happened while we were there. Things like a light that randomly turned off, a door that liked to open/close on its own, and a set of keys that mysteriously moved from the lock box outside to a location in the house.... Make of that what you will. I'll just say that it was interesting. This is a view of the house from the street behind it. A view of the living room and kitchen. John Browns picture with the "moving" eyes. Harpers Ferry is also the site of Storer College which was founded after the Civil War as a school to educate the newly freed slaves and give them a brighter future. Ironically, it was named after a philanthropist from Maine named John Storer (ironic because we've been staying in Maine). The school lost funding after segregation was abolished and was closed in 1955. The second meeting of The Niagara Movement also took place in Harpers Ferry, so you can see they have a rich African American and Civil Rights history. The whole town is now a National Park and you can visit it and walk through the original buildings and displays that describe the town history. It's a very unique place and I highly recommend learning more about it! From Harpers Ferry you can see three states, West Virginia. Virginia, and Maryland. The Shenandoah and Potomac rivers converge there and so do three trails, the Appalachian Scenic Trail (which also runs through Maine!), the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath, and the Potomac Heritage Trail. You can walk on this bridge toward the train tunnel near the C&O Trail. These are the ruins of St. Johns Episcopal Church by the Appalachian Trail. This is Jefferson rock. On October 25, 1783, Thomas Jefferson stood on it and said "this scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic". I would have to agree! We spent most of the week in Harpers Ferry, which was peaceful and beautiful. Each morning school buses would bring groups of students on field trips to explore the town and just as quickly as they came, they would be gone again. We also saw other visitors but overall we mostly had the town to ourselves. It was fun to explore with my husband each morning. Then we would grab a cup of coffee and just sit together and watch the trains coming through until it was time for him to log in for work or for me to take the kids somewhere. On Tuesday, a friend who works in Washington D.C. arranged for us to take a tour of the Capitol, which was so sweet! We arrived with barely time to get our passes due to the traffic (even after we built in a generous extra hour just to be on the safe side!). That aside, the tour was amazing and we were in awe of the art, culture, and the history contained within the architectural marvel that is our nations capitol. This is "Freedom". She is a replica of the statue that sits on top of the Capitol. This is the inside of the dome. Isn't it fantastic!? Do you see George Washington at the center in purple? I bet he would have a fit if he knew he was pictured like that, even if it is a beautiful painting. He always hated being put on a pedestal and was a humble man. The Wright Brothers! The whole mural depicts important moments in American history. "The Baptism of Pocahontas" Each state is allowed to submit two statues to represent them in the Capitol. Washington State (a.k.a Home) is represented by both Marcus Whitman and Mother Joseph ( We didn't see that one). We are one of the few states who have chosen a woman for the collection. My friend also gave us passes to sit in the Senate Gallery and watch the proceedings. It was Police Week and the gentleman talking was giving examples of how our law enforcement officers were being honored and also gave examples of their heroism. I'm so glad my kids were able to be there for that. In a world where we hear so much extreme and ugly "news", it was wonderful to feel pride and hope in the seat of our nation. After we were finished, we had lunch and then traveled through the tunnel to visit the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress. It was absolutely awesome in the truest sense of the word! We traveled across town to the headquarters for the Daughters of the American Revolution which is only a few blocks away from the White House and the Washington Monument. D.C. is so large that you really need a week or two to explore it without feeling rushed. If you go, walk or take a tour...trust me. Finally we wound up at the Air and Space Museum half an hour before they closed. Hey! We stayed at the place where this thing flew!! We left on Friday for my sisters wedding in Shenandoah National Park. Skyline Drive is so peaceful and lovely and our drive in was sunny and gorgeous. This is the view from our room at Big Meadows Lodge. We saw a bear and several deer in that meadow! Fog blanketed the mountain for the rest of the weekend and it really added a special ambiance to the wedding and made for some beautiful photos. People laughed and people cried. People danced and people sang. People were reunited and people were introduced. But best of all, we all celebrated together. It was a weekend of joy, love, and laughter with family and I'm so glad we were able to be there to celebrate the wedding of my youngest sister and my new brother-in-law. Next week I'll try to get an update out before we leave, but if I can't, I'll post a quick update from the road. We'll be traveling up through Canada to see family and then down to Niagara Falls. After that, on to our final official destination in Louisville, Kentucky! Wishing you all a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! - Jen

Even though we've been in Florida for almost three months, it seems like we just got here. We leave for Maine on Wednesday and right around this time next week will be driving up the Eastern Seaboard. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. I'm not sure where we'll be or if we'll have internet access but I'll try to post a quick update if I can. If you're curious about where we are each day you can always subscribe to one of our social media feeds (links located on the right side of this screen). We've been posting one picture every day, so by the time our great adventure ends in August we'll have quite the gallery amassed. As of today we've been "on the road" for 274 days. Wow! Maine is one of those places we've always wanted to visit. We can't wait to see all the lighthouses.... and eat lobster rolls three times a day....and hang out with Stephen King.... Okay, so that probably won't happen but you can be sure we'll be seeking out at least one lobster roll! The truth is that most of the things we know about Maine are from what we've seen on TV, so we can't wait to actually live there for a while and really get a feel for our East Coast counterpart. What will we see? Who will we meet? How does it "feel" to live there? What does the local accent sound like? There is so much to learn! We're currently preparing for our departure and it's been a pretty eventful week. Last Saturday I met up with the Florida State Society Daughters of the American Revolution (FSSDAR). They were holding their annual state conference and I was invited to the Junior Membership Luncheon. Junior members are members between the ages of 18 and 35. It was great to see some old friends and meet new ones. The Florida Daughters are a fun bunch and I encourage you to take a look at some of the things they do in their communities. This morning, the older two and I drove to Epcot. The kids have been reading the Kingdom Keepers series by Ridley Pearson and today he was there for a book signing for his newest (and last?) book in the series, The Return: Disney At Last. It was an amazing experience for them to be able to meet him AT Disney World and buy the books before they're officially released! Mr. Pearson was very nice and asked questions about our adventure so we gave him a card with a link for the blog. If you're reading this, Mr. Pearson, thank you for the opportunity! The kids are pouring over the newest installment as I type. Our oldest has been working with someone to build up his swimming endurance at the National Training Center in Clermont for the past few months. Shortly after we arrive in Maine, he and my husband will be returning to Florida to meet his Boy Scout Troop for BSA Florida Sea Base. Apparently sports teams and Olympians from all over North America come to train at this facility, which we didn't know when we signed him up. It was a fun surprise! While I was waiting for him to finish his last session I had a wonderful conversation with the woman sitting next to me- who turned out to be one of the Olympians! You just never know who you may be sitting next to. Brandy Johnson, who competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea, now owns Brandy Johnson's Global Gymnastics Academy and coaches her daughter, Sydney, who is an outstanding athlete in her own right. You can see them both in action here. Brandy, if you're reading this, it was a pleasure meeting you! Thanks for the great chat! After the lesson, my oldest and I took the opportunity to visit the Citrus Tower, which is a tourist attraction that was built in the late 1950's. Originally the view showcased the surrounding orange groves but the scenery has changed quite a bit in recent years with the decline of the local citrus industry. It's still fun to ride up in the elevator and see the surrounding area, though. Of course, I couldn't resist the cheesy fun! This Citrus Tower is right next to the Presidents Hall of Fame*, which is a little roadside presidential history museum that opened in the 1960's. The kids and I visited it a few weeks ago. You can find small versions of American landmarks as well as a model of the White House during it's construction and a very detailed version of what it looks like now. Wax figures of past presidents, clothing, and other artifacts fill the museum. It was interesting to see an exact replica of the Resolute Desk and items like an actual banner that hung in the capitol during the campaign of William McKinley, 25th President of the United States. I'm not sure where we'll be when we post next but we always love your suggestions, so keep 'em coming! Until then, goodbye Florida! We enjoyed our stay and loved meeting so many new friends. Thank you for everything (especially my new/old sewing machine)!! - Jen * Note: The website needs to be updated

We leave tomorrow morning for Canada (we're taking the loooong way down to Kentucky) and are just about ready. The dogs have been to see the veterinarian for their health certificates (needed for border crossings). The oil has been changed and the tires rotated. The laundry is almost done, the trailer almost packed, and the RV sites are all booked. It will be exciting to see this new part of the country and visit family along the way! Last weekend we tried to fit in as many last minute things as we could because there is still so much we'd like to explore here in New England. On Saturday we drove to Portland to visit the Portland Head Lighthouse. Years ago I bought a framed picture of it when a frame shop was going out of business. I had never been to see it before but I liked the image and I loved the price. Since it's close to us now, we couldn't miss the opportunity to see it in person. You can see several lighthouses in Casco Bay by Cape Elizabeth. In fact, you can see two in this picture! See that tiny dot in front of Portland Head, out in the water? This is what Ram Island Light looks like when you zoom in. If you look to your left you'll see Spring Point Ledge. And if you look to your right you'll see Two Lights. Here are a few other sights surrounding Portland Head Light On Sunday we explored downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and drove the entire length of the NH coastline. We drive by Portsmouth every time we cross into Maine. It's a historic town full of character and has many interesting things to see, do, and taste. These are some of the sights we saw as we drove down the coast. There were some fantastic estates along that route! I imagine it must cost a pretty penny to maintain them so close to the ocean. The kids had fun by the water... New England is full of marsh land. In Massachusetts you'll see lots of cranberry bogs. Have I ever mentioned how big Dunkin' Donuts is out here? They're everywhere!! Sometimes you will see them right across the street from each other- like Starbucks in Washington... We hit Salisbury, Massachusetts and turned around, finishing the day with a true New England experience of eating at a clam shack. We had our first "eating in the rough" experience at Bob's Clam Hut in Kittery, Maine and it was cold outside! I guess Bob's is famous for being on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Boy, was it packed that day! The food was good, though. I'm sure you've heard of the Shaker style of furniture, but did you know the Shakers are actually a religious group? They got their name because of their worship practices. They would shake, dance, roll on the floor, march, and speak in tongues during worship "if The Spirit moved them". There are only two remaining Shakers left on the planet and they both live here in Maine at Sabathday Lake, the last active Shaker village. Monday my husband and I decided to drive out to tour the village and learn about their history and culture. We were only allowed to take pictures outside out of respect for the residents. This village has many apple orchards and they keep beef cattle (as pets) and sheep (who were sheered recently). In the past they made cider and hard cider. That's right! They are not teetotalers. Everything in moderation was their philosophy. In the Shaker faith, men and women live separately but are considered equal. There is an elder woman and an elder man in charge of their respective gender. Shakers never marry which made it difficult to expand their communities over the years. Married couples who joined the Shaker faith with their families became like brother and sister and lived separately. The groups took in orphans and raised them but the children were never forced into the faith. They could choose to leave when they came of age and were educated enough to support themselves in the outside world. The Shakers came up with many inventions like the spring used in clothes pins and had an eye toward making life easier. They embraced technology and worked with the outside world to sell goods to support their communities. They were mostly self sufficient but never wanted to isolate themselves. In fact, to this day they pay property tax even though they don't have to because the taxes go toward education in the local communities and they highly value education. Many of these villages across North America are maintained by trustees to ensure they will be preserved even after the last Shakers are gone. Did you know that you can become a Shaker? The process is much like becoming a priest and it takes years of training and internship. The current two Shakers would have to approve your membership, so if you're planning on this life you'd better hurry! Oh, and they're pacifists, so keep that in mind! Here are some examples of the the "fancy goods" they would make and sell from the shop. In their heyday they grew large gardens and sold medicinal herbs, teas, and seeds. After the Food and Drug Administration was established, they had to stop selling the medicinal herbs but they traveled up and down the East Coast selling other items. Shakers were extremely capable and resilient people. They paid a lot of attention to quality and detail in everything they did. When the tour was over we drove to the LL Bean Flagship Store in Freeport, which is similar to a giant Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops. We only had 15 minute parking so we had to make it a quick run though but it was still fun. I have a feeling that if we had more time there our trailer would be weighed down way more than it is right now! The next time I post, it will be from Kentucky. I'll be sure to check in from our different locations on social media, though, so be sure to check the links at the top right side of this page if you want to follow along. Wishing you a great week! - Jen

“@mimisplsn @Adedotttttttt Loveeee them.😩”

I had every intention of posting about our trip to Virginia on Monday but the week slipped through my fingers- much like our whole stay here in Maine. Didn't we only just arrive?! In the two months we've been here the landscape has gone from snow drifts and mud, to lush, green, and blossoming. Maine has awoken and the summer season has begun. How do I know? Well, the traffic from Massachusetts weekenders has increased exponentially, which makes it difficult to get around on a Sunday afternoon. The "Closed for the Season" signs have all but disappeared. Shops are open and people can be seen eating "in the rough" which means they order their food and then eat it outside on picnic benches. We leave on Thursday and although we've seen so much, I don't feel quite ready to leave just yet. I love that we've been able to experience this place intimately without the hoards of tourists gumming up the landscape, but I also feel like leaving now is a bit like going to a symphony and then leaving before the climax.... This week we've been preparing for our departure. Last week was filled with celebrations as we joined our extended family in Virginia. We actually lived in Virginia for a while about ten years ago. It's gorgeous and has so much to offer. The landscape hasn't changed much since we left except for one thing. The traffic. The DC metro area traffic has DEFINITELY increased. We left Maine and what should have been a 9-10 hour drive down the coast turned into over 15 hours of slogging down 495 South through Boston, New York City, and on to Richmond, Virginia. Talk about frustrating!! Fortunately we were able to make it to my sisters nursing school graduation ceremony the next day when her class was honored. My brothers family and our parents also flew out from California, so it was wonderful to be able to share this proud moment and celebrate my sisters big accomplishment together. On Mothers Day, we drove to Northern Virginia and visited our old neighborhood and friends, as well as some Civil War (a.k.a The War of Northern Aggression) battlefields. That night we checked into the house we rented in Harpers Ferry,West Virginia, which also played a big part in the Civil War. Here are some photos we took Manassas Battlefield. Haha! My daughter took this. She told me that we needed one to show what I look like whenever we explore. ;-) The Harpers Ferry building where we stayed was on High Street, and according to the locals it was used to help the sick and wounded during the war. Legends and ghost stories surround the whole town and the owners of the house have decorated it accordingly with a picture of John Brown whose eyes move around the room with you. Personally, I don't believe in "ghosts", but there were a few strange occurrences that happened while we were there. Things like a light that randomly turned off, a door that liked to open/close on its own, and a set of keys that mysteriously moved from the lock box outside to a location in the house.... Make of that what you will. I'll just say that it was interesting. This is a view of the house from the street behind it. A view of the living room and kitchen. John Browns picture with the "moving" eyes. Harpers Ferry is also the site of Storer College which was founded after the Civil War as a school to educate the newly freed slaves and give them a brighter future. Ironically, it was named after a philanthropist from Maine named John Storer (ironic because we've been staying in Maine). The school lost funding after segregation was abolished and was closed in 1955. The second meeting of The Niagara Movement also took place in Harpers Ferry, so you can see they have a rich African American and Civil Rights history. The whole town is now a National Park and you can visit it and walk through the original buildings and displays that describe the town history. It's a very unique place and I highly recommend learning more about it! From Harpers Ferry you can see three states, West Virginia. Virginia, and Maryland. The Shenandoah and Potomac rivers converge there and so do three trails, the Appalachian Scenic Trail (which also runs through Maine!), the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath, and the Potomac Heritage Trail. You can walk on this bridge toward the train tunnel near the C&O Trail. These are the ruins of St. Johns Episcopal Church by the Appalachian Trail. This is Jefferson rock. On October 25, 1783, Thomas Jefferson stood on it and said "this scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic". I would have to agree! We spent most of the week in Harpers Ferry, which was peaceful and beautiful. Each morning school buses would bring groups of students on field trips to explore the town and just as quickly as they came, they would be gone again. We also saw other visitors but overall we mostly had the town to ourselves. It was fun to explore with my husband each morning. Then we would grab a cup of coffee and just sit together and watch the trains coming through until it was time for him to log in for work or for me to take the kids somewhere. On Tuesday, a friend who works in Washington D.C. arranged for us to take a tour of the Capitol, which was so sweet! We arrived with barely time to get our passes due to the traffic (even after we built in a generous extra hour just to be on the safe side!). That aside, the tour was amazing and we were in awe of the art, culture, and the history contained within the architectural marvel that is our nations capitol. This is "Freedom". She is a replica of the statue that sits on top of the Capitol. This is the inside of the dome. Isn't it fantastic!? Do you see George Washington at the center in purple? I bet he would have a fit if he knew he was pictured like that, even if it is a beautiful painting. He always hated being put on a pedestal and was a humble man. The Wright Brothers! The whole mural depicts important moments in American history. "The Baptism of Pocahontas" Each state is allowed to submit two statues to represent them in the Capitol. Washington State (a.k.a Home) is represented by both Marcus Whitman and Mother Joseph ( We didn't see that one). We are one of the few states who have chosen a woman for the collection. My friend also gave us passes to sit in the Senate Gallery and watch the proceedings. It was Police Week and the gentleman talking was giving examples of how our law enforcement officers were being honored and also gave examples of their heroism. I'm so glad my kids were able to be there for that. In a world where we hear so much extreme and ugly "news", it was wonderful to feel pride and hope in the seat of our nation. After we were finished, we had lunch and then traveled through the tunnel to visit the Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress. It was absolutely awesome in the truest sense of the word! We traveled across town to the headquarters for the Daughters of the American Revolution which is only a few blocks away from the White House and the Washington Monument. D.C. is so large that you really need a week or two to explore it without feeling rushed. If you go, walk or take a tour...trust me. Finally we wound up at the Air and Space Museum half an hour before they closed. Hey! We stayed at the place where this thing flew!! We left on Friday for my sisters wedding in Shenandoah National Park. Skyline Drive is so peaceful and lovely and our drive in was sunny and gorgeous. This is the view from our room at Big Meadows Lodge. We saw a bear and several deer in that meadow! Fog blanketed the mountain for the rest of the weekend and it really added a special ambiance to the wedding and made for some beautiful photos. People laughed and people cried. People danced and people sang. People were reunited and people were introduced. But best of all, we all celebrated together. It was a weekend of joy, love, and laughter with family and I'm so glad we were able to be there to celebrate the wedding of my youngest sister and my new brother-in-law. Next week I'll try to get an update out before we leave, but if I can't, I'll post a quick update from the road. We'll be traveling up through Canada to see family and then down to Niagara Falls. After that, on to our final official destination in Louisville, Kentucky! Wishing you all a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! - Jen

We leave tomorrow morning for Canada (we're taking the loooong way down to Kentucky) and are just about ready. The dogs have been to see the veterinarian for their health certificates (needed for border crossings). The oil has been changed and the tires rotated. The laundry is almost done, the trailer almost packed, and the RV sites are all booked. It will be exciting to see this new part of the country and visit family along the way! Last weekend we tried to fit in as many last minute things as we could because there is still so much we'd like to explore here in New England. On Saturday we drove to Portland to visit the Portland Head Lighthouse. Years ago I bought a framed picture of it when a frame shop was going out of business. I had never been to see it before but I liked the image and I loved the price. Since it's close to us now, we couldn't miss the opportunity to see it in person. You can see several lighthouses in Casco Bay by Cape Elizabeth. In fact, you can see two in this picture! See that tiny dot in front of Portland Head, out in the water? This is what Ram Island Light looks like when you zoom in. If you look to your left you'll see Spring Point Ledge. And if you look to your right you'll see Two Lights. Here are a few other sights surrounding Portland Head Light On Sunday we explored downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and drove the entire length of the NH coastline. We drive by Portsmouth every time we cross into Maine. It's a historic town full of character and has many interesting things to see, do, and taste. These are some of the sights we saw as we drove down the coast. There were some fantastic estates along that route! I imagine it must cost a pretty penny to maintain them so close to the ocean. The kids had fun by the water... New England is full of marsh land. In Massachusetts you'll see lots of cranberry bogs. Have I ever mentioned how big Dunkin' Donuts is out here? They're everywhere!! Sometimes you will see them right across the street from each other- like Starbucks in Washington... We hit Salisbury, Massachusetts and turned around, finishing the day with a true New England experience of eating at a clam shack. We had our first "eating in the rough" experience at Bob's Clam Hut in Kittery, Maine and it was cold outside! I guess Bob's is famous for being on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Boy, was it packed that day! The food was good, though. I'm sure you've heard of the Shaker style of furniture, but did you know the Shakers are actually a religious group? They got their name because of their worship practices. They would shake, dance, roll on the floor, march, and speak in tongues during worship "if The Spirit moved them". There are only two remaining Shakers left on the planet and they both live here in Maine at Sabathday Lake, the last active Shaker village. Monday my husband and I decided to drive out to tour the village and learn about their history and culture. We were only allowed to take pictures outside out of respect for the residents. This village has many apple orchards and they keep beef cattle (as pets) and sheep (who were sheered recently). In the past they made cider and hard cider. That's right! They are not teetotalers. Everything in moderation was their philosophy. In the Shaker faith, men and women live separately but are considered equal. There is an elder woman and an elder man in charge of their respective gender. Shakers never marry which made it difficult to expand their communities over the years. Married couples who joined the Shaker faith with their families became like brother and sister and lived separately. The groups took in orphans and raised them but the children were never forced into the faith. They could choose to leave when they came of age and were educated enough to support themselves in the outside world. The Shakers came up with many inventions like the spring used in clothes pins and had an eye toward making life easier. They embraced technology and worked with the outside world to sell goods to support their communities. They were mostly self sufficient but never wanted to isolate themselves. In fact, to this day they pay property tax even though they don't have to because the taxes go toward education in the local communities and they highly value education. Many of these villages across North America are maintained by trustees to ensure they will be preserved even after the last Shakers are gone. Did you know that you can become a Shaker? The process is much like becoming a priest and it takes years of training and internship. The current two Shakers would have to approve your membership, so if you're planning on this life you'd better hurry! Oh, and they're pacifists, so keep that in mind! Here are some examples of the the "fancy goods" they would make and sell from the shop. In their heyday they grew large gardens and sold medicinal herbs, teas, and seeds. After the Food and Drug Administration was established, they had to stop selling the medicinal herbs but they traveled up and down the East Coast selling other items. Shakers were extremely capable and resilient people. They paid a lot of attention to quality and detail in everything they did. When the tour was over we drove to the LL Bean Flagship Store in Freeport, which is similar to a giant Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops. We only had 15 minute parking so we had to make it a quick run though but it was still fun. I have a feeling that if we had more time there our trailer would be weighed down way more than it is right now! The next time I post, it will be from Kentucky. I'll be sure to check in from our different locations on social media, though, so be sure to check the links at the top right side of this page if you want to follow along. Wishing you a great week! - Jen

We're celebrating the premiere of the animated adaptation on Netflix with our favorite quotes.

I had the idea for this blog post after a conversation with a friend in which she said that nearly every mother she knows has a problematic relationship with alcohol. That got me thinking about my …

Ernest Hemingway's first new book of fiction since the publication of "A Farewell to Arms" in 1929 contains fourteen stories of varying length. Some of them have appeared in magazines but the majority have not been published before. The characters and backgrounds are widely varied. "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" is about an old Spanish Beggar. "Homage to Switzerland" concerns various conversations at a Swiss railway-station restaurant. "The Gambler, the Nun, and the Radio" is laid in the accident ward of a hospital in Western United States, and so on. Ernest Hemingway made his literary start as a short-story writer. He has always excelled in that medium, and this volume reveals him at his best.

Fourteen years after Leslie Cheung’s death, the brilliant superstar is still loved and remembered by his fans in Hong Kong and across the globe. Take a walk down memory lane with some of these rarely seen images from SCMP’s archive which follow the rise of the superstar in the ’80s and ’90s.

We leave tomorrow morning for Canada (we're taking the loooong way down to Kentucky) and are just about ready. The dogs have been to see the veterinarian for their health certificates (needed for border crossings). The oil has been changed and the tires rotated. The laundry is almost done, the trailer almost packed, and the RV sites are all booked. It will be exciting to see this new part of the country and visit family along the way! Last weekend we tried to fit in as many last minute things as we could because there is still so much we'd like to explore here in New England. On Saturday we drove to Portland to visit the Portland Head Lighthouse. Years ago I bought a framed picture of it when a frame shop was going out of business. I had never been to see it before but I liked the image and I loved the price. Since it's close to us now, we couldn't miss the opportunity to see it in person. You can see several lighthouses in Casco Bay by Cape Elizabeth. In fact, you can see two in this picture! See that tiny dot in front of Portland Head, out in the water? This is what Ram Island Light looks like when you zoom in. If you look to your left you'll see Spring Point Ledge. And if you look to your right you'll see Two Lights. Here are a few other sights surrounding Portland Head Light On Sunday we explored downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and drove the entire length of the NH coastline. We drive by Portsmouth every time we cross into Maine. It's a historic town full of character and has many interesting things to see, do, and taste. These are some of the sights we saw as we drove down the coast. There were some fantastic estates along that route! I imagine it must cost a pretty penny to maintain them so close to the ocean. The kids had fun by the water... New England is full of marsh land. In Massachusetts you'll see lots of cranberry bogs. Have I ever mentioned how big Dunkin' Donuts is out here? They're everywhere!! Sometimes you will see them right across the street from each other- like Starbucks in Washington... We hit Salisbury, Massachusetts and turned around, finishing the day with a true New England experience of eating at a clam shack. We had our first "eating in the rough" experience at Bob's Clam Hut in Kittery, Maine and it was cold outside! I guess Bob's is famous for being on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Boy, was it packed that day! The food was good, though. I'm sure you've heard of the Shaker style of furniture, but did you know the Shakers are actually a religious group? They got their name because of their worship practices. They would shake, dance, roll on the floor, march, and speak in tongues during worship "if The Spirit moved them". There are only two remaining Shakers left on the planet and they both live here in Maine at Sabathday Lake, the last active Shaker village. Monday my husband and I decided to drive out to tour the village and learn about their history and culture. We were only allowed to take pictures outside out of respect for the residents. This village has many apple orchards and they keep beef cattle (as pets) and sheep (who were sheered recently). In the past they made cider and hard cider. That's right! They are not teetotalers. Everything in moderation was their philosophy. In the Shaker faith, men and women live separately but are considered equal. There is an elder woman and an elder man in charge of their respective gender. Shakers never marry which made it difficult to expand their communities over the years. Married couples who joined the Shaker faith with their families became like brother and sister and lived separately. The groups took in orphans and raised them but the children were never forced into the faith. They could choose to leave when they came of age and were educated enough to support themselves in the outside world. The Shakers came up with many inventions like the spring used in clothes pins and had an eye toward making life easier. They embraced technology and worked with the outside world to sell goods to support their communities. They were mostly self sufficient but never wanted to isolate themselves. In fact, to this day they pay property tax even though they don't have to because the taxes go toward education in the local communities and they highly value education. Many of these villages across North America are maintained by trustees to ensure they will be preserved even after the last Shakers are gone. Did you know that you can become a Shaker? The process is much like becoming a priest and it takes years of training and internship. The current two Shakers would have to approve your membership, so if you're planning on this life you'd better hurry! Oh, and they're pacifists, so keep that in mind! Here are some examples of the the "fancy goods" they would make and sell from the shop. In their heyday they grew large gardens and sold medicinal herbs, teas, and seeds. After the Food and Drug Administration was established, they had to stop selling the medicinal herbs but they traveled up and down the East Coast selling other items. Shakers were extremely capable and resilient people. They paid a lot of attention to quality and detail in everything they did. When the tour was over we drove to the LL Bean Flagship Store in Freeport, which is similar to a giant Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops. We only had 15 minute parking so we had to make it a quick run though but it was still fun. I have a feeling that if we had more time there our trailer would be weighed down way more than it is right now! The next time I post, it will be from Kentucky. I'll be sure to check in from our different locations on social media, though, so be sure to check the links at the top right side of this page if you want to follow along. Wishing you a great week! - Jen