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SUMMER BEACH COTTAGE TURNS INTO THANKSGIVING BY THE SEA

Welcome to Thanksgiving By The Sea!

Summer slipped away like a whisper. Along came the awesome season of Fall.

My love for both seasons is passionate.

Every fall we like to pick a decorating theme for Thanksgiving.

This has become a fun tradition we enjoy in our home.  The following article is from the year we decided to have Thanksgiving by the Sea:

Love of the changing seasons lives inside my heart.  This carries over into the decorating of our home.

HOLDING ONTO REMNANTS OF SUMMER

For the fall season of this particular year, we decided not to leave behind the beach-cottage look we had enjoyed toward the end of summer.

We wanted to hold on to some of it; yet turn the page for the new season too.  Hence, we simply let a tiny remnant of summer linger longer in the air.

With the theme of Thanksgiving in mind, we turned from summer to fall.

Because we left remnants of summer here and there we fondly called our new theme “Thanksgiving By The Sea.”

Now; (with just a little bit of creativity and imagination) our hearts can magically manage to live within two worlds at the same time.

USING IMAGINATION AND CREATIVITY

Here, behind the safe and strong walls of our home; we can enjoy all of the pleasures of the sea.  It is mixed with the inviting and seasonal luxuries of the fresh, beautiful colors of fall.

What more could a person desire?

Once the process was underway, we were surprised at how well all the things we were already using (and already owned) just seemed to meld together into pools of fall but beachy colors.

We are loving this Fall-Beach Cottage Theme.

VISIONS OF JESUS ON THE SHORE

When I say those words “Thanksgiving by the sea” I tend to have sweet visions of Jesus walking along the shoreline of The Sea of Galilee.

Thinking of this vision that the beach theme provokes in my spirit, reminds me of why I am so grateful to have such an awesome Savior.

He is One who was willing to come humbly down to this earth and walk, talk, and become as one of us in order to love us into an eternity with God The Father.

Hence; I did not find the theme of the beach totally out of order when we began to ponder a theme for Thanksgiving.

The unusual Thanksgiving theme actually fits well with the thankfulness for the many fond memories we have in our hearts.  These are family memories which are full of times we all shared visits at the seashore.

We count those days among some of our times of greatest blessings.  They are fondly recalled with thankful hearts.

THANKING GOD FOR PERFECT MEMORIES

Fall is a perfect season to lift up praise and thanksgiving for all of our awesome memories.

By using this “Thanksgiving By The Sea” decorating theme, we are now reminded of all the many ways God has blessed us with warm family gatherings.

In this season of thankfulness it is good to be offering sincere thanks for such cherished blessings from God.

NOTICING THE CHANGES OF THE SEASON IN A DIFFERENT WAY

The whole concept actually inspires my heart to sing.  Then the song brings me into a more thankful mood.  The change in décor now sets the stage for meditating on all the pure and right thoughts of this amazing season of gratitude.

God is always in total control. I am reminded of how He works everything together in order to give us this lovely time of the year.  The time is so full of reflection and awe.

Even the air is full of peace and harmony.  Also, we bask in a sense of excitement and change.

There is this mysterious feeling of the old leaving and the new waking up.  The Hebrew month of Cheshvan speaks of this as a time of transition.

Far beneath the ground there are new surprises not yet ready to appear.

KEEPING AN ANNUAL RENEWAL

An annual unseen renewal is going on behind the scenes which applies to our future well-being and happiness.

Hence; Fall reminds me of kept promises which are in the state of maturity and change.  This always provokes a fresh new type of anticipation.

The seasons change like clockwork at the beach, just the same way they do in the heartlands.  Only at the beach they come with the extra blessings of a lovely shoreline which keeps disappearing then re-appearing in the landscape.

THE RHYTHMS OF CHANGE

We don’t think about our beaches changing seasons very often.  Most of us tend to leave them in a state of constant summer as we think of them in our imaginations or speak of them in our conversations.

Lately though; I’ve been pondering the constant rhythms of change which come about in so many different ways. I suppose the changes of seasons at the beach are just as lovely as the seasonal changes to the more inward lands; only in a different way.

So; with this theme in our home this season I want to ponder some of those lovely changes God put into nature.  These are things which teach us important life lessons.

During the coming year, I wish to stop and ponder these changes more often.

I’m joyfully planning to ponder the deep blues of the morning skies.

Also; I want to recognize and enjoy the corals of every lovely sunset that begins the changing of our days from one time into another.

TRANSITIONS INTO FALL

This fall, it will be our blessing and privilege to be able to take time out for these delicious treats from heaven.  In the silent moments of our days we will remember to stop and offer up our thanks.

Hence; at our home in this season, we will begin a new page of Fall.  It will happen by coming together as a family at Thanksgiving By The Sea.

The great miracle is that here; of all places; in this humble little abode we call “home” which actually has no shore in sight; we will celebrate Thanksgiving by The Sea.

We have creative and imaginative minds.  When you mix that with praise and adoration for God Almighty for giving us each and every season in each and every place; it turns out that all things are possible!

Even Thanksgiving By The Sea can arrive in the center of this southern state called Alabama.

If you don’t believe me, just take a peak into our front door.  Maybe I can try to share some of those things right here with you

EVERY SEASON STARTS WITH A WARM WELCOME

You know all décor officially starts with the warm welcome.   You receive that feeling as you cross the threshold and enter into someone’s home.

This season, as Fall approached in all her splendor; I wanted people to feel the casualness of the beach as they crossed into the place of our abode.

More importantly, I wanted them to experience a sense of rest and relaxation.  I hoped they would know a sense of peacefulness within our walls whenever they stopped by to visit.

As in every beach setting; there should be a feeling of “slowing down” and “leisure.”

A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT APPROACH

This year our fall celebration was completely different from our usual Classic Fall Harvest approach (which I still love and will use again in some other seasons.)

You may review that other type of Thanksgiving themed article here if you like: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/classic-fall-thanksgiving-decor/ .)

In the recesses of my mind, I’m still pondering all the reasons I felt so compelled to make this unexpected change for this year’s celebrations.  They just felt appropriate for this time.

It seems that I find myself acting on instinct.  This little nudge from my spirit tells me God will reveal every reason later if I just accept the suggestion on faith and move through it with joy.

So here goes!

This is the beginning of the decorating of a living room in land-locked, central Alabama as if it were a beach cottage on a Caribbean island.

Mix the drinks and turn on the music!

We will get this celebration started. I promise we will have a blast.

MEETING THE SEA INSIDE THE FRONT DOOR

The sign saying “by the sea” is now on the outside of our front door.

After such an invitation from the outside;  I wanted to make the entrance to the inside very warm, colorful and inviting.

I think I’ve pulled that off pretty well with a modern painting of the ocean which I hung in the foyer.

The painting of cool greens and blues showing nothing but refreshing waters is anchored into its space with my simple little antique desk sitting underneath it.

FASCINATED BY BICYCLES

The small desk is holding a miniature replica of an old fashioned aluminum bicycle with a basket in the front.

This year I’ve been fascinated with bicycles; so this part of the room reflects part of real-life for me.

Bicycle canvases just seem to lend to the sea-side cottage look.  I did manage to get some bicycle pillows to work on one of our sofas.   Maybe you have more room for bicycles than I did; but I’m just loving all the bicycle art that has become so popular right now.

If this feeling continues maybe I’ll graduate to the real thing!  You never know.

I’m getting ahead of myself here; but I did take a photo of the bicycle pillows I like to use on the white sofa just inside our foyer entrance.  This sofa has its back to the foyer and the white sofa table.

With the bikes on the pillows of one sofa, and the coral on the pillows of the other sofa; I feel the sofas give off a casual, beachy vibe for sure.

To give the bicycle, the desk and the painting a bit more fall flavor; I added the little orange wooden pumpkins to the desk.

PUMPKINS AND ANCHORS

I also kept the “by the sea” look with the blue weathered anchor on the inside of the doorway; but added some fall flowers in a pretty wreath to give it that “fall” flavor.

The sky blue vase at the top of the stairway holding some pretty blue and green daises adds some pop to the stairwell.

To give these flowers a taste of the beach; I added an old branch of wood painted antique white into the mix of blues and greens.  The white wood reminded me of an old piece of driftwood you might see floating along the shoreline.

Simple, easy, free and lovely.  The recipe for perfect décor in my book.

The warm welcome of the entrance is enhanced further by the pretty shades of turquoise and blue in the beaded mat I placed under a pretty silver vase containing aqua, blue and brown colored balls.

These items seemed to be showing off as I placed them on our antique white couch table.  The blues popped out of the whites.

MAIN ROOM FURNITURE CHOICES

The right coffee tables, and the right sofa tables, are probably some of the best investments you can make for the main rooms of your home.  You will be using and looking at those two pieces of furniture a LOT; so consider them carefully.

I chose to make my table surfaces as versatile as possible so they could serve well to display the seasonal items I love to use.

My home actually contains a black coffee table and a white sofa table. The color contrasts were on purpose.

MAKE ONE UNIQUE CHOICE STAND OUT

I invested more than I usually would spend on our large black coffee table. It has been well worth every penny.  We have used this coffee table for many years, and it is still a wonderful part of the room.  The scratches that have accumulated over time all have stories, most of them involving our grand-children.

When you open up the cover of the large, black, architectural-styled table; you find hidden treasures of cards, photos and notes we’ve received from friends and relatives over the years.

We’ve instructed our grown-up kids to look inside this coffee table first if we die.  The inside of that table is like a scrapbook full of good memories of the years we’ve spent together as a family inside the rooms of our home.

REPURPOSE SOME PIECES

On the other hand; the antique white sofa table was just an old re-purposed dresser which I had originally considered junking.

I’m so glad I changed my mind.

That old chest is now one of my favorite pieces of furniture.  I’ve used it in a million different ways to say “welcome” to those entering our front door.  It has also added a lot of extra storage space to the room.

The portable bar across the foyer entryway is the first resting place for your eyes as you enter the inside our front door.  It displays a friendly little sign that says “welcome home.”

USE A FEW DECORATIVE MESSAGES

I love reading that little message each time I walk in the front door after a long day at work.

The message instantly cheers me up.

Decorative messages scattered through a house are a great idea.

RUTH VISITS THE BEACH FOR THANKSGIVING BY THE SEA

Speaking of work; I have placed my family’s heirloom statue of Ruth Gleaning Wheat on the portable bar for Fall.

This statue is recognized as a valuable heirloom among our family members simply because of all the stories it helps us to remember.  The monetary value probably isn’t much; but the family history is very significant and full of details.

Our replica of Ruth represents the bounty of a good harvest.  She helps us to remember and appreciate the results of the labor of our hands in looking after our family and our home.

This lovely statue serves to represent the fruit that God brings to us from all of those efforts.  We actually receive much more than we give in the long run.

Ruth speaks to us of our own personal harvests in the midst of a harvest season.

I doubt the real biblical character of Ruth ever made it to the sea shore; but I’m sure she would fit right in there and love it if she did.   So; I’m keeping her in the theme of this living space because of all the “harvest” logic she brings to our table in the season of Fall.

My family has many stories that evolve around this particular statue of Ruth.

REMEMBERING MY GRANDMOTHER

My grandmother Grace saw this statue in a store window probably back in the early 1930’s. She loved it; but dared not dream of buying it for herself.  The price was just too high.  My grandmother was known for being a beautiful yet wise and thrifty woman.

In those days my Grandfather owned and worked a dairy farm.  He worked hard for the money to support their household.  Though “comfortable” they were not wealthy people; just good hard-working people who were known for being very responsible.  They firmly  believed in paying their bills on time, and saving whatever they could for a rainy day.

I’m not sure what price the store owner had on this statue; but I’ve been told that it was probably equal to three month’s wages from my grandfather’s dairy.

A SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE PURCHASE

Grandmother Grace kept passing by Ruth every time she went to town to run her errands.  She kept noticing  Ruth looking out from the furniture store window.  Every time she walked down the sidewalk to purchase her groceries; there was Ruth just staring back at her.

Often she would stand in front of that store window and wonder how lovely that statue of Ruth would look sitting atop the piano in the living room of their house.

Grandmother Grace loved the story of Ruth.  Everyone thought that exquisite statue just seemed to fit and frame everything that my grandmother’s life represented.

AN IRRATIONAL PURCHASE THAT BECAME FAMILY HISTORY

Her buying the statue was a very irrational moment in time.  The logic of the whole situation during The Great Depression times would only make sense to a person thinking the same thoughts as my grandmother in that very moment.  I’m sure she must have argued with herself.

To buy that statue; she had to do something very out of character for her personality.  Yet; she knew in her heart that somehow she just had to come up with a way to obtain the money to purchase that statue of Ruth Gleaning Wheat.

So she began to glean some of her own wheat.  People have told me I inherited this “Little Red Hen” type trait from her.

Grandmother Grace worked very long and hard to do whatever she could to sell things from around the house or to save here and there in order to raise the money she needed.

She saved every penny she could on the grocery bills and the utility bills.  Grandmother Grace saved every week until she finally had enough money to walk inside that store and buy that statue of Ruth!

THE STATUE THAT DEFIED TIME

Every time she walked by that store window during the time when she was saving her money, she just knew that statue would be gone.  For months on end though, the statue of Ruth Gleaning Wheat stayed in that same spot of the window.  It must have felt as if the statue was saying; “I’m not leaving here until you come to get me.”

Finally my grandmother purchased that statue of Ruth Gleaning Wheat.  She brought it home and placed it above her other prized possession; the piano.

This purchase which might seem like nothing to us today, was probably one of the largest purchases my grandmother ever made.

Today, almost 90 years later; it is still a beautiful part of our family history.  I am pleased to have the statue representing the story of Ruth Gleaning Wheat inside my own home.  Like my grandmother; I am a fan of the story of Ruth.

THE BEAUTY OF BROKENESS

The statue is very old and weathered now; and somewhere along the way (I do not know the details of that story yet but am trying to find it out) she got broken.  I think my own mother was the culprit.

Someone very carefully glued her pieces back together.  We still have her with us, despite the tragedy of her brokenness.

For us, the brokenness only makes her better!

That part of the story just fits the old lesson which we all have learned the hard way; that broken things increase in value.  We’ve come to realize all the cracks and scars of our lives just tend to give us more character over time.

FROM ONE LABORER TO ANOTHER

So every Fall season; Ruth greets me each day as I come home from work.

Often I too feel broken and given from a long hard day.  Sometimes I even pretend she is real.  I casually speak to her of the troubles I’ve encountered from the modern-day fields where I now go to labor.

She always listens patiently.  I’m sure she relates to all of my stories.  Ruth just never stops gleaning.  I’m amazed at her constant strength and determination and her consistent work ethic.

I’m pretty sure the two of us (the three of us when I think of my Grandmother Grace) are kindred spirits.

That is the story of how I came to have the biblical Ruth’s company waiting inside the foyer of my living room beach-cottage during Thanksgiving By The Sea.

A SEQUEL TO THE STORY

To top off an already good story; one of my friends later wrote and published a beautiful story about the life of Ruth.

The novel is called “Ruth The Woman Who Found Romance In a Barley Field.”    Of course you can purchase the book from Amazon.com.  I like to keep the autographed copy I have near by when I display Ruth’s statue in one of our rooms.  The author’s name is Vona Elkins.  We have shared some writing adventures and she has taught me much.

LOVING ALL OF THOSE “RUTH” STORIES

You might say I’ve been very blessed with Ruth stories; and I’ve loved each and every one of them.  It was actually a lady named “Ruth” who inspired me to start this blog.

I’ve  also written articles and stories about the biblical Ruth.  Never was there a more lovely true-life story which paints a portrait of the love and promises of God.

My friend’s book would make an excellent bible study for any small or large group to use.  There are great questions in the back of the book which make you think hard about several of the lessons that the story of Ruth portrays.

THE COLORS OF BEACH GLASS

Life is so full of these colorful stories; and so is our house!

As we move on with the decorating of the main areas of the house; in order to bring a more nostalgic beach-like look to the portable bar; I’ve also incorporated a collection of red, green, turquoise, yellow and orange bottles made from sea glass.

These bottles like to catch the light of the sun from the windows across the room.  I love the colors that result.  It is amazing to watch them differ and change hues during the shifting moments of the day.

When the sunlight hits the bottles and their colors change; I’m again reminded of the seasonal changes that we all go through each year.

It is only appropriate that these colorful bottles get to celebrate the season of fall at the beach with us.

So with all those elements of welcome; a person comes into the living room that is flanked with splashes of turquoise, white and coral from the beach.

Those colorful splashes are complimented by splashes of oranges, browns and grays that speak of fall.

The blending of the cooler beach-like colors of tan and blue, mixed with the warmer elements of the fall colors brings the spirit of the room around to suggesting a more relaxed, celebratory and cheerful way of life.

We have really enjoyed the surprising and eclectic results of these color choices.  I’ve loved using all of these particular decorative elements together.

When you arrive and look around; you instantly feel and know that the season is fall.  Still; you begin to feel as if you are relaxing beside the sea.

In my mind; this is a perfect combination of events.

HAPPY AND CASUAL

The additional theme of the scattered bicycles help to keep a feeling of casualness inside the room.

I enjoy the lack of formality they represent.

Every little splash of cheerfulness adds to the happy, soothing feeling of this place.

A WHIMSICAL FALL ELF

Did you catch a glimpse of the little fall elf on the coffee table?

We’ve heard that  God gave him the job of painting the trees this fall.  Word on the street is that he has been quite a busy fellow!

This is the very week that the results of his efforts have started popping up everywhere.

All of the leaves in our neck of the woods are changing their dresses and bringing out their lovely colors.

They put on a new parade for us every day; and I think this little elf with the specific instructions from God may be secretly coordinating all of their steps.

He smiles knowingly from the side table at anyone who dares to question his motives.

This little guy has maintained a tiny little space on our fall end-table for years now.  The skinny little fellow has miraculously survived the love, hugs, kisses and bending and posing of all his limbs by all of our grandchildren.

The owl in the candy dish keeps him company when they are not around to play.  I order my little elves from Anna Lee; (she makes some for every season of the year.)   You can find them on-line at the Anna Lee website.

WINDOW TREATMENTS FOR THANKGIVING BY THE SEA

We changed the gray curtains of the living room windows into a refreshing shade of turquoise.

To give a different effect, we deliberately left the golden sunflower yellow color on the curtains in the dining room.

The contrast of the two sets of different window colors in the same space seems to work without any problem.  One can still feel the flow that connects the two main rooms to each other.  This combination works well for framing the foyer and the hallways too.

The color blends of the curtains hanging in the two separate, yet open and joined rooms, remind me of many of the paintings of Vincent van Gogh.

GOING FOR ALL OF VAN GOGH

Did you know we have a Van Gogh guest room?

My granddaughter is the room’s main guest.  She uses the room a lot.  It has come to be known as “her room.”  One whole wall is a mural of Stary-Stary night which was painted by our daughter when she was in her teen-aged years.   Now two generations of girls from our family have shared the loveliness of that room.

I’m sure Mr. Van Gogh would be  appreciative of us bringing the beach inside our home.  I suppose one could look at my draperies and ask the same question they asked of Vincent van Gogh; “Is she mad or just genius?”

Okay…..maybe not…..but it was a nice thought anyway.

PUMPKINS FOR THANKSGIVING BY THE SEA

For the living room widows; I let turquoise and beige pumpkins find a home at the bottom of each window.  My granddaughter loves to sit and play with these pumpkins when she comes over for a visit.

Want some turquoise and beige pumpkins too?

My dining room table is now spread with some lovely beach colors.  The pilgrims seem to be right at home at the beach.

The large white bowl full of turquoise, blue and white colored wicker balls and the light blue candles in silver holders keep the beach theme going on.

I’ve added a few fall touches here and there.

The turquoise and gray place mats were a great find; and they tied together a lot of what I was wanting to portray in the dining area for this season.

The plates are simple yet elegant.  They add that pop of color accented by a fall colored ring of brown.

The starfish on each side of the centerpiece give the table that finishing touch.  So do the colorful vintage napkins with their pretty darker blue flowers.

I always find a place to display the wicker cross I found hiding in our storage building.  I’ve loved using it inside my house.  Over the years we have used it in a million different ways.

REFLECTING ON THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS

This cross has taken on many seasonal messages within our home for many years now.

For Thanksgiving By The Sea during this season;  I sprinkled it with some fall leaves and added the sign saying “by the sea.” This is another one of those things that gives me that beautiful vision of Christ walking along the shores of the Galilee.

To add to the beach-like atmosphere of this corner of the dining room, I put a little lantern filled with sea shells at the foot of the cross.

When all the pieces came together I thought the dining area turned out pretty and cozy.  It will make for a nice fun place for our ever-growing family to gather on Thanksgiving Day.

You know the heart of the home is always the kitchen.  The piece of furniture that absolutely everyone loves and adores in my kitchen is the counter-height kitchen table with the black smoked-glass top.

HIGHLIGHTING THE KITCHEN TABLE

Hours and hours of conversations have gone on around this table.

We often like to use the table similar to how most people use a kitchen island.

It really does show off any of our food-art.  All of the seasonal decorations and dishes pop out of the black background.

This old table may be my favorite piece of furniture inside our home.   There is no better way to show off your labor of love in the kitchen.

THE FALL FAMILY TREE

Of course, my very favorite item for this fall’s seasonal kitchen decorations is our Family Fall Tree.  I display this tree each year at Thanksgiving inside our kitchen window.

Every family member who has shared any of our Thanksgivings has a leaf on the tree.

I still have warm memories of the years when our last two grandsons arrived and their Mom and Dad and Big Brother added their leaves with their names on them to our FALL FAMILY TREE.

That will always be a memory which I cherish.

The Fall Family Tree has some different company this year.

LOVE ANNA LEE FIGURINES

There are new beige and turquoise pumpkins flanked by little Anna Lee figurines which have a fall look about them.

One is an apple picker; since apple-picking is one of our family’s favorite fall activities.  Another one is a cute little fellow who is gathering in his fall pumpkins.

The figurines in the window beneath the tree are complimented by the one in the center of the beach-like centerpiece of our kitchen table.  I just filled a bowl full of shells; put the little fellow on top of them and surrounded him by larger shells that are filled with fall candies.

This little guy is gathering fall squash to feed his family this winter.  That happens in our kitchen too; so he fits right in.  I’ve given him a few pumpkins for decorations; and I’ve added some candy corn to the big sea shells that accent the large wooden bowl full of shells in the center.

Fall and Thanksgiving By The Sea are surely coming together here at this kitchen island/table.  I’ll have fun serving people on these turquoise place mats with matching napkins.

Don’t you love the seashell plates?

THE CASE FOR TURQUOISE

Soon all of the kitchen and living room turquoise will be reflected in the front yard because I’m working on painting my turquoise picnic table.  However I have not finished that project yet.

It will surely be in place by spring;.  Until then the turquoise accents inside the house will have to send out the message of hospitality.

I suppose you know that the meaning behind the word/color of “turquoise” has now become traditional for representing hospitality in our communities.

That meaning is something I learned from one of my favorite books called “The Turquoise Table.”   I’ll be official in the movement soon.  I hope to start the turquoise table fad in our local neighborhood.

In the meantime – the welcome mat is out in the kitchen.  The main parts of my house have their turquoise hospitality showing.

There is one more little elf that will be joining the fall landscape painter elf who sits on our den coffee table.

THE FALL ELF GETS A HELPER

Our chief painting elf must have needed a helper; because we have lots of fall trees.

This other one is now resting on my kitchen counter whenever he isn’t helping God to paint the landscape with his partner.  That guy is resting right now inside the living room.

We are beginning to see the results of all of their hard work everywhere!  It is quite beautiful.

Soon my cul-de-sac’s fall tree will be in a full blaze of glory.  It will probably be the brightest spot on our street.

I love that these little elves are sneaking around and helping out every chance that they get.

SAILING SHIPS

For a little finishing touch; I placed the replicas of sailing ships that I usually use every summer beside the lamp in the living room.  I think they add that final element of relaxing by the sea shore.

As you can see I’ve been a bit carried away with this beach cottage for fall theme.  So much so, that I could almost turn this article into a novel.

BEDROOMS AND BATHROOMS

I’ve even carried the theme of fall at the seashore over into the bedrooms and bathrooms of our home.

Since it is my favorite season; I want the theme to be everywhere that a person lives in the house.

I bought this lovely frame to hang some of my necklaces from.  Also; to display some of my favorite pics of all three of my grands. ( I’ve got to get those photos inside the frames before the holiday!) At least I found the frame a spot on the wall.

Photo frames are great for bringing out the seasonal themes of a room. I’ve got fall family photos scattered in beach-themed frames all over the house.

A pretty beach canvas painting and a matching basket full of towels can now be found inside the guest bath.

I think we are ready now.

You won’t find this Thanksgiving By the Sea experience anywhere else; except maybe you might want to travel to New Hampshire this year where they are doing a similar celebration.  If you are in a traveling mood; here is the link:https://www.opalcollection.com/wentworth/restaurants/holidays-resort-events/menu/thanksgiving-dinner/  .

Sounds lovely, but as for us – we will be right at home and loving every moment.

I hope your fall home is giving  you as much joy as ours has this year.  Feel free to drop in anytime and have a cup of coffee  with us beside the fireplace.

THINKING OF HOW WE WILL FEAST

I’ve got to run now and start to dream up a seafood feast for Thanksgiving.

Now what did Jesus serve those disciples after they came dragging in from a long fishing trip?

Maybe that will give me some good ideas….

If you wish to review some of the recipes I finally decided on; you can find them here:  https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/thanksgiving-by-the-sea-recipes/

May your fall be warm and cozy and your heart be filled with thankfulness for all of God’s many blessings!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!