This post doesn't need much explanation...

Yesterday we expected a rainy day, so we chose to do something that was mostly indoors. We checked out some antique shops and craft stores along Route 4 from Chichester to Portsmouth, NH.

The photos explain it best.

I love this felt pumpkin piece above. It looks so simple. I might even be able to tackle it.

Oh, and we did see a moose! Unfortunately, it was stuffed and ready to hang on a wall.

After shopping, we ended up at the seashore, had dinner near a marina, then had an hour or so when the sun poked thru the clouds.

The neighborhood we drove thru is called Rye Beach and it had lots of similarities to Pacific Grove and the 17 Mile Drive (Pebble Beach area) in California. There was a wide range of homes. Some were tiny beach cottages and others were massive (beach) mansions that had been there for decades. So many of them had great character and charm and we were amazed at the size of some of the lots. They had to have been there for many generations to own that much land.

Today we took a chance and headed for the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, which includes Lake Winnipesaukee, Squam Lake, Mirror Lake and many more. The weather forecast was for rain only in the morning, but we did get a few sprinkles in the afternoon and some on and off cloud cover. Overall it was better than some of the previous days, but we still didn't wander too far from the car outdoors, since we never knew when it might start raining. To give you an idea of the look of the area, Squam Lake was the location for one of my favorite movies, "On Golden Pond". Henry Fonda reminds me so much of my dad in that movie and the setting was so gorgeous.

Cottages like the ones shown here are sprinkled throughout the area. They're so quaint and nostalgic. I love them!

Here are some other pictures of that area too.

One of my first acquisitions was to buy a gourd like the one I had seen in Stowe from a roadside stand for just a few dollars. I plan to take it home, dry it out and paint it like a snowman. We'll see how it goes.

Aren't these ghostly cupcakes from the Holderness General Store just adorable?

Here are some other pics of things that struck a chord with me.

Antique tools reminded me of my brother, Rusty who used to collect them.
Vintage albums and 45's reminded me of Andrew.

Vintage children's books reminded me of Amy.

Ginger beer reminded me of Kevin...wish I could ship it to you, but I don't think it would make it.

So all in all it was a day filled with reminiscing...I look forward to someday being able to take a vacation with Amy & Andrew & Kevin again. They're always a great addition to any outing. We miss having them with us.