The Light Fantastic

Clearly I didn't settle in to regular posting about our idyllic new life as New Englanders, despite best intentions, given that my last post was over 6 months ago. I swear I had them (the best of intentions), with a camera memory card full of "before" photos of our new (and now not so new) house to prove it.  Let's hope that a lack of follow-through is not what I become known for in my decidedly "middle aged" years.

Speaking of middle age...

This is what it looks like to turn 40. It's brilliant and blinding. And I'm not just talking about the candles.





I can only hope that I can do so with as much grace and enthusiasm (I'll let you know next year!).

To show you that we are, indeed, embracing this (bracingly cold) New Hampshire life, here are a few photos from our first trip to the local sledding hill (not that this is our first time sledding, mind you - any hillock is fair game around here!):

The sledding hill is known as Wagon Hill, because it has (as you can see) a delightful old wagon parked at the top. It's apparently one of the most photographed sites in the area, for obvious charming and beautiful reasons. This view catches some of the sunset, and one of these days I'll get myself there early enough to capture the view at sunrise, too. What you can't tell from these photos is that just over the hill and down a little path is the coast. We are finding so much to love about this area - it's a stone's throw from the ocean and marvelous little cities like Portsmouth, a short drive from the mountains, and a hop, skip, and jump from one of my favorite places on earth - Maine. I must admit, I do miss Maryland (perhaps more than I thought I would) and all the people we love there, but this feels like the place where we're supposed to be. So cheers to a new year and a new decade, a new us, and a new you.