Vacation - Day One

I arrived into Boston without a glitch and actually managed to sleep through most of my red-eye flight which was great. I had a big day ahead of me. *The boy* was going to pick me up and we were going to head up to Rye Beach and Portsmouth, NH. It was a nice drive and the green-ness of everything was amazing. But then...New England had been experiencing a ton of rain. I was lucky too...everyone, including myself...was all worried about Tropical Storm Danny and it hit the day before I arrived. The weather was overcast and gloomy...my kind of weather! LOL But the weather stuck to 75 - 80 degrees the rest of the week. Perfect!

We took a drive through Rye Beach so that *the boy* could show me where he used to live and I can see the beach on the East Coast. Here's a shot while on the drive.
And the piece de resistance...Portsmouth, NH. Since *the boy* was slightly disabled on the vacation, we didn't really walk around but I wish I had taken the time to visit the shops. Portsmouth has a wonderful downtown area with lots of quirky shops and boutiques. We stopped at a local spot for breakfast called Colby's for a yummy start to the day and then we drove to John Paul Jones' House which is part of the Portsmouth Historical Society.

I learned of the Portsmouth Sampler exhibit from Jacqueline at Needleprint. After asking how far Portsmouth was and finding out it was close, the exhibit became the first concrete plan of the vacation. I came expressly to see the Portsmouth Needlework Samplers and the ones on display were amazing! I will let the pictures do the talking.




My favorite of the whole exhibit...Sarah Emily Currier...Age 11. Age 11 people!! With 22 years on Sarah, I have doubt in my ability that I can produce a sampler as stunning as hers. It was quite humbling to see the beauties that young ladies...basically children, back in the 1800's could produce. The samplers were all beautiful and the lady working at the "House" was very nice, informative and pleasant. If anyone is planning a trip to NH or lives closeby, this exhibit is certainly worth the trip and the $5 price of admission.

The grounds were also pretty to look at...perfectly manicured and green...

Drooping Sunflowers...
And the needlework exhibit wasn't the only items on display...there was a lot of Items on John Paul Jones and others...not being the most historically tuned person...I kind of passed everything else by but this room caught my eye...the linens and dresses were lovely...not to mention the antique furniture. So pretty!While I was ooooing and aaahhhing inside at all the lovelies, *the boy* was outside waiting and taking a million photos of this poor bee pollenating. Here is the little bumblebee in flight!
Then we headed "home" to Providence and we passed all these message board signs on the freeway like the one below that said "Thanks Ted from the People of Massachusetts". I arrived the day after Senator Kennedy's services and funeral. I thought these signs were a lovely sentiment from the people to the Senator...for all the hard work he put in for the state and the country. Day one was a great day but tiring considering a 4 hour nap on the plane and a cross-country flight. I was literally falling asleep on *the boy* by 730pm!

I still have loads more to tell you not to mention the happenings of the past week but will save it for another post(s). For now, I am off to stitch on Red Sampler and get my supplies ready for my sewing class tomorrow. Hope everyone is having a terrific weekend!

Until next time...