Day 328 – Christmas Cards and Tree Lighting

With all the holiday activities going on around town this weekend, it was hard to choose what to do for my intention today. I came across the coolest activity going on at the Seamen’s Church Institute which is a building I literally pass every day but have never been in. I wasn’t quite sure even what it was really. When we walked in I was surprised to see a beautiful grand room with a café and tables for eating and/or activities. Upon further wandering I realized that within that building not only is there the Aloha Café, there is the “Crows Nest” lodging facility and a chapel. This building was so unique in every way and completely charming to say the least.

So they were having an event called “Christmas Cards for Mariners”. The public was welcome to drop in to warm up with hot chocolate and write a Christmas card to be delivered to men and women serving on the seas this Christmas. This is such a large Navy town and I thought this would be a magnificent intention. Although we got there just moments before they were closing, I was able to fill out my card and I truly hope it brings joy and comfort to someone this season.

Afterwards, we went over to have a cocktail at our favorite spot- The Red Parrot. Then we walked around Bowen’s Wharf to take part in the festivities for a couple of hours. There was a live band caroling for quite some time and they were really good! The crowd was singing along, kids were dancing and even Frosty the Snowman was there. Vinny and I stopped to relax a bit with some warm drinks- I got hot chocolate and he got a cappuccino. We watched the sun set over the water and with the Christmas lights, music and people- it really was quite lovely.

We stayed for the countdown of the huge Christmas tree lighting and then we were off. Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived by boat and then there were fireworks- all to end a wonderfully festive evening. #HGAL #HappyHoliday

Day 327 – Giant Gingerbread

For today’s intention, Vinny and I went to the Newport Visitors Center to see New England’s Largest Gingerbread House. When we walked in, I don’t really know what I was expecting to see as far as size but this was simply amazing! It was not just a gingerbread house….in true Newport fashion it was a gingerbread lighthouse. As we walked in the room we could smell the sweet, fragrant, delicious smell of the gingerbread. My mouth absolutely dropped open when I saw the sheer size of the 16 foot lighthouse. It is composed of 350 pounds of gluten-free organic gingerbread, 20 gallons of royal icing and 2,400 pieces of candy and giant lollipops. It was set up in a scene that included faux snow and reindeer, all quite festive indeed.

There were other activities going on as well. Santa came to see the kids and take pictures. Also, they had tables set up for kids to draw pictures and write letters to Santa and put them in the mailbox by the tree. It was such a precious scene. And to perfectly top things off, they had a large sleigh being filled with non-perishable food items to be donated to the food pantries for those in need. Vinny and I brought some canned goods to go in the sleigh as well.

This was a fun intention for sure to kick off the weekend and a good cause to support in the process. Cheers and Happy Friday!! #HGAL

Day 326 – Festival of Lights

Let the holiday festivals begin! Today for my intention, Vinny and I went to Wickford Village to kick off the season with the Festival of Lights. There were tons of people there. Santa Claus arrived by firetruck- lights and sirens going and all. There was a live chorus led by a large group of children singing Christmas hymns. Hot cider and hot chocolate were being served with snacks as well. The town was lit up with so many lights that were beautifully reflecting off the ocean waters surrounding the area.

Vinny and I walked around the town, enjoying the lights and festivities. We stopped for a hot cup of cider that perfectly warmed us right up and was super delicious as well.  We enjoyed the chorus singing live and watched the fire truck roll up. It was funny because at first we didn’t realize what was happening, we just heard the sirens and saw the lights- but the firetruck was moving slowly. Then it stopped and when Santa got out the kids went absolutely nuts with excitement. The entire scene was so nice. Apparently, tomorrow and Saturday Santa arrives by boat surrounded by elves on kayaks. It’s too bad we have other plans cause that would have been a fun sight as well.

Just a bit later, the town Christmas tree was lit. There was a countdown that everyone in the audience participated in. After the Christmas tree was lit they started playing lovely holiday music that echoed through the town. People were walking around, enjoying the shops and you could literally feel the fun in the air. People were laughing and talking and there was just a holiday buzz throughout.

This was such a nice intention and sure to be the first of many holiday festivities. I just LOVE this time of year. #HappyHolidays #HGAL

Day 325 – Recent Events

As I heard and watched the news today and saw the mayhem and madness unfolding in San Bernadino, California- I just felt overwhelmed. Another mass shooting. I feel overwhelmed with emotion and grief for those who have lost their lives as well as the families now left behind. It seems as though every week there is another mass shooting or major incident here or somewhere around the world. I cannot wrap my mind around it and although it may not have affected me or my family directly, I have a deep sense of sadness when I hear of yet another awful situation. I’m ok to allow myself a bit of sadness over these horrific scenes- it lets me know I’m not numb to the chaos of the world.

So today as Vinny and I were talking about it all after dinner I asked Vinny if for my intention we could just pray together for all of those affected. With everything off (no TV, music, etc), holding hands we prayed for those lost souls and families in San Bernadino, Paris and all around the world. We prayed for the innocence caught up in war ravaged areas- going through atrocities you and I could never fathom. We prayed for those that are homeless, hungry and sick. We prayed for our family and friends to stay safe and united in these most dangerous times. And of course we prayed for Heathers husband and children- this time of year can’t be easy for them.

I ask of you only this, dear readers, to join with me now in prayer for those victims of these awful slayings. No matter your religious preference or background- we are all human beings and in this life together. #peacetoall #HGAL

Day 324 – Gin Rummy

Originally, I had an awesome outdoor intention planned for the day. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans- so it was cancelled. It started raining this afternoon and just hasn’t stopped. We need the rain so I’m not complaining but I hope the town reschedules the outdoor event I had planned to go to…so stay tuned!

As I was trying to decide what I could do indoors as an intention, I have no idea what made me think of this but I wanted to play Gin with Vinny. This is a game that we play on every cruise we have been on. In the afternoon, we would get a couple of drinks, find a cozy spot and play for hours at least one day of our vacation. It quickly became our cruise game and we talked about it tonight and reminisced as we played.

I wrapped up with my blanket after dinner and the two of us played for a while right there on the couch. As usual, Vinny beat me but that’s ok by me- we were laughing and talking and playing cards on a rainy Tuesday night. I’m just not sure it gets much better than that, right?!?! Simple, fun and relaxing. We planned a rematch for this weekend and I look forward to it! #HGAL

Day 323 – Christmas Movies

For today’s intention I decided to say goodbye to November 2015 by getting a jump start on my Christmas Movie watching. Usually it’s December that is packed full of the fun, cheerful and sometimes corny holiday classics. But it was cold outside and in the 30’s when I woke up this morning and when I got home this evening too and you know what??? It’s a perfect evening to snuggle in and watch a movie.

To take it one step further (you know I had too!), I printed out a sheet of paper with a Christmas border. Then I wrote in the center a list of the movies I want to see this holiday season. Most I have seen, but this year I added a few to the list. I asked Vinny for his input and he listed a couple he wants to see as well.

So after dinner, I made some popcorn- we turned off all the lights except all the holiday illumination around the house and watched “White Christmas” with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. This is by far one of my favorites! The singing, dancing and lovely story line make for a holiday movie trifecta!! One of my favorite lines is when they say in a song “If you are worried and cannot sleep, just count your blessings instead of sheep and you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings.” (simply beautiful) These old-time movies are my favorite- with their corny but classic misunderstandings all to be worked out so perfectly in the end, all the while with song and dance somewhere in the middle.

I am happy to have kicked off our Christmas movie watching today. November was good to me- Cheers to December being ever more! #HGAL #goodbyeNovemberhelloDecember

Day 322 – Deck the Halls

Today after an amazing family breakfast and Sunday services, my son Micah and I went to do some shopping and put the finishing touches on our projects from day 301 at Clayground. It was such a great afternoon just having some time to hang out a bit, talk and shop. Afterwards Vinny and I decided for my intention to decorate the house for the holidays (deck the halls- lol).

We turned on Christmas music, put on our Santa hats and got to work. In total it was about 4 hours of decorative creations. We had such a great time unpacking the old and some new items and arranging them. Last year I did the house in all turquoise and silver so this year I went with sparkly gold and red. There are a few other pops of color but mostly these.

This is such a fun and festive time of year and this is one of my favorite, cherished days of the year…setting up for the holidays. It’s so different now that the kids are older and aren’t decorating the tree with us and singing and dancing around in their holiday PJs like years of past, but I surely have the memories and enjoy making the new ones we make every year.

Tomorrow I will decorate the boys rooms downstairs and we still have to hang our outside lights but today was a full and wonderful day in every way and everyone is super happy with the outcome. #HGAL #weekendsgotofast

Day 321 – Marble House

After beginning our morning slow and easy with coffee and a nice big family breakfast, we made our way to another mansion. Until the end of the year, all mansion tours are free for Newport residents so I intend to take full advantage. So, for my intention today, I wanted to tour the Marble House. The tour lasted about an hour and was so amazing. Today was rainy but fairly warm considering and every mansion was packed with people. With all the holiday décor and Christmas lights up at all the mansions- it makes them even that much more desirable to see.

After our tour, we wandered the grounds and went out back to the stand alone Chinese Tea House in the back yard. This mansion was very different from the Breakers in that it felt more like “home” inside. Each room had a distinct theme but they were vastly unique from one room to the next. Although each room had stark contrast- in my eyes, somehow it still worked. The rooms went from French Chic directly to Gothic- traditional to posh, etc. The entire inside was very fittingly all marble with grand chandeliers, statues, ceilings, walls and more. Built in 1892, this house was considered at that time to be the number one residence in the United States. Just a few years later, the Breakers was built and the Newport mansion building war was on! Everyone started building mansions and trying to out-do each other. Actually these two mansions were owned by the Vanderbilt brothers, which is just a fun fact. So much to learn and awe about in this grand gilded age and this lovely town I now call home.

It was another amazing tour, very informative and quite interesting and I was happy to have this as my intention today. Afterwards as we were driving and passed the beach, we noticed that there were so many surfers out (at least 30). I asked Vinny to pull over and we walked the beach listening to the large waves crash and it was sprinkling just a bit. Even though, you can simply never go wrong with spending time at the beach! #HappySaturday #HGAL

Day 320 – Holiday Boat Parade & Block Party

For my intention today I went to the Holiday Boat Parade with Vinny this evening just blocks from our home. Last year we just stood on our deck and watched but this year I wanted to be up close and personal. So glad I did because this year there was a block party as well! There were literally thousands of people throughout the town, at the Wharf, docks, piers and more. There was live music to set the scene. All the trees and streets are lit up at this time and you feel instantly in the holiday spirit. We got lucky because the weather was beautiful!! It was 55 degrees and a bit windy but still so nice.

We wandered the area and then found a nice spot on one of the piers to relax and watch the parade. People were in every nook and cranny…every dock, restaurant balcony, pier and bay. The parade was colorful, lively and festive. There were boats illuminated with Christmas trees, Santa’s, reindeer, and more. They were blowing their horns, singing and getting the crowds to sing Christmas songs and even firing the cannons!!

As we stood there I found myself thinking just how much I love it here. They have so many unique festivities and I am glad to take part in so many of them and eagerly look forward to the upcoming events of the season.

After the parade was over, we walked around a bit then made our walk back home as the temperature began to drop. This was a beautiful evening and fun intention for sure!! #Cheers #HGAL  

Day 319 – Thanksgiving Turkey Snack

Happy Happy Happy Thanksgiving!!! Today was an awesome day. The only thing that could have made this day any better is for my oldest son to have been here as well. I’m glad he has so many friends in NC that bring him in for Thanksgiving with their families.

Meanwhile, here we went to our family’s house in Massachusetts as we did last year. Vinny’s brothers wife, Yan- cooks a feast that is amazing every single holiday. She is the most gracious hostess and the food is always perfection. This year she cooked a 36 lb turkey! 36 pounds!! I don’t think I have EVER seen a turkey that big- and it was cooked to perfection.

For my intention, I wanted to bring something that was fun, festive and still yummy. So other than bringing soda and Sangria I decided to make a turkey shaped appetizer with cheese, crackers and salami. Vinny was right there slices cheese and helping any way he could. We were both so excited when we saw it come together just right!! And sure enough when we got to their house- everyone was super excited to see it and it got eaten right away.

Today had everything Thanksgiving was meant to have….Family, friends, food, football and time to reflect on the things that matter most. I am so grateful for my faith, family, friends, good health, true happiness and this blog! I am grateful for all of you who read this blog faithfully and thank you for your continued support. I hope everyone had a fabulous, fun, safe and yummy Thanksgiving Day!! #Cheers #HGAL