luluFor the next few months, the hubby and I have left Houston behind for Rockport, Maine. The two places are oh so different with a major difference being the plant life.
Arriving in Maine, the first thing I do is walk around the yard where so many varieties of blooming plants color the landscape. This year we missed the azaleas but were in time for the rhodendrons to be in full splendor.
Alongside them, the sweet smell of lilacs fills the air.
I was pleased to see the viburnum blooming more profusely than in recent years, but they also remind me how important it is to keep them trimmed or they can crowd out everything else.
Peonies are staked thanks to advanced help and are filled with tight little buds that won’t pop for another week or two. Just the thought of those beauties makes my heart race.
To my surprise, bachelor buttons had sprung up among the ferns.
Beautiful alliums are hanging in there, but it will be only a matter of days before they are done and ready to dry for fall arrangements.
It is too late in the day to do more than look around, but that’s time enough to plan what needs to happen next. And, with all this beauty, it’s impossible to resist cutting a few blooms to take inside where they add color and joy. It doesn’t take much to make me feel right at home.
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We live in a house we love. It is one that we dreamed about for years before finally building, and it is pretty near perfect except for the fact that we no longer need all the space. Our daughters are gone, I’m not working in my studio as much which means the entire second floor goes unused except for those few days a year when a relative visits.
In addition, we spend half the year in Maine where we are fortunate to have another house. Thanks to having frequent guests, its space is much more utilized, but it is not a forever home.
So, what do we do? It makes sense in Houston to downsize. To that end we’ve looked at so called luxury apartments thinking it makes sense to rent rather than buy.
We’ve looked at condos that reach high into the sky and open to either lovely views of Houston or rooftops with mechanical equipment and parking.
We’ve checked out midrises that seem a bit more intimate than the multistoried condos and apartments.
We’ve visited some lovely townhome developments, but a townhome doesn’t satisfy our desire to have a lock and leave place.
For the first time in several weeks, it’s just the hubby and me at home. That means some relaxed moments on the porch enjoying the sunset over Rockport Harbor. The days are getting shorter now, and the colors are deepening as summer begins to wane.
When it’s just the two of us, life is pretty simple. Breakfast is a bowl of cereal or a smoothie or this time of year a blueberry muffin to go with coffee. Lunch is whatever, maybe a sandwich, maybe hummus with crackers and cheese. Nothing fancy for sure.
When it comes to dinner, it’s still simple, but a bit more effort goes into making it more than a stand up meal. Always, there are flowers gathered from the garden or from the side of the road.
Whatever dishes are used are meant to complement the runner or placemats that are on the table. This night they were from Dollar Tree which is a great place for picking up new pieces inexpensively. No tears are shed when a plate gets broken!
It was a piece of cake to finish this table by adding accessories that repeated the colors in both the plates and the cloth.
As silly as my kids think it is, I always use cloth napkins. Maybe it’s my contribution to saving trees and reducing what goes to the landfill! Besides, it’s so easy to tuck them into a napkin ring which makes their presentation a bit more special.
So, that’s the table. Now, what about dinner? More often than not, we have seafood which is local and fresh. 
One of our favorites is scallops, likely to have been brought in from the sea that day. They are at their best when seared quickly on each side to preserve their sweet goodness. This night they were served over corn risotto with a simple green salad on the side. It doesn’t get better than that!
Lobster rolls
Walking on the dirt road
Tini time on the porch
Excursions on Pipe Dreams
Finding mussel heaven
Lobster boats
Rockport Harbor
Sunsets
Shortly after we married, the hubby and I bought a house in a small town that is smack dab in the middle of Houston. At the time, the neighborhood had grown old. Houses were mostly bungalows with a smattering of two story homes, most of which needed updating. The majority of lots were 50×100. 
and were replaced with big new ones.
In a matter of minutes it was rubble, and the hubby and I had moments of nostalgia as we looked at the home that held so many memories. The two of us had totally remodeled the house over a five year period. We did all the work except for the sheetrock and floor tile in the space we added. Looking back, we marvel at the energy we had and remember how proud we were of each step forward.
The house may be gone, but what didn’t come down is the sweetgum tree we planted the first year we had the house, and we laughed as we remembered its story. It was to be a birthday surprise, but it was spoiled by the assistant who answered the phone when I called the hubby. “Oh,” she said, “he’s not here. He went to get your tree.” When he came home with it, I tried to act surprised, but laughter overcame me and I had to tell him he had been foiled.
So, come on in, take a look at this year’s simple touches.
You’ll not find a Christmas tree loaded with ornaments, but inside
and out there will be one or two or maybe three trees on a tabletop.
Santa may play a holiday tune
Not all Santas are alike
which is what makes each one special.
For the season there are touches of red, some new and some borrowed from another room. 
Every room has simple touches,
some reminding of the meaning of Christmas.
Houston is big and with that comes lots of traffic. 
Right now I drive the freeways with my heart in my mouth, fearful of changing lanes and intimidated by 18 wheelers closing in urging me to speed up or waiting to pass me by. 
That is quite a contrast to Maine where most of the roads are two lanes with 50 MPH speed limit which makes driving a bit more leisurely to say nothing of being more scenic.
As different as it is, there are things I like about being in Houston. High on the list is Costco where I always come out with much more than I meant to purchase. That was especially true on this first visit when having access to so much was overwhelming!
I like that Houston winter is green with lots of blooming things, the way Maine is in summer. By the time we leave Maine, most of the color is gone and the landscape takes a break until spring when it reawakens.
Returning to Houston means going to St. Paul’s UMC, a church I’ve loved for many years. I appreciate its timeless Gothic architecture, the peacefulness I feel there, the way it provides opportunity for discovering your own faith walk and that it is open to all people.
and the sight and sound of lobster boats going out for the day’s work. The most I see upon waking in Houston is the fence that separates our and the neighbor’s property.