going here...

be back soon!

the mailbox is awaiting your letters!

If you missed the part about the very last, large Smith and Hawkin mailbox, the antique granite fence post found on our property, and the antique iron lantern arm that comprise the mailbox you can read about it here!

This is the view head-on, and you can see there are some natural curves to the post which made it a bit difficult to get everything level! This is the view you see when you drive down our driveway; the mailbox actually sits across the street from our properly. I am going to have our house number engraved on the granite post above the mailbox.


Side view facing North.
Isn't the antique iron lantern bracket the perfect scale for the piece?! We've received some really nice compliments from neighbors, but my favorite one is that the mailbox looks like it has always been there! Dan did a fabulous job of engineering all these disparate pieces together!


View facing South.
The antique stone wall with the row of maples is our property.

This is the entrance to our house.
It shows how the mailbox sits across the street and is now centered on our driveway. The stone walls ends in stone "beehives" at the entrance to the drive, which are very unusual here in New England. To give you some perspective, the huge maple on the left at the entrance is 75 to 80 feet tall, and probably 150-175 years old. The driveway splits at the large hemlock tree you see in the center of the driveway. If you go left it takes you down to the garage, and if you go right it takes you up to the front door. The house sits on top of a hill, and people are always surprised that there is such a great view from the house, as you wouldn't know it seeing the house from the road. I love surprises!
We are using this year to get ready to get ready to do landscaping! The driveway will be gravel. We will plant grass along the stone wall (hopefully this Fall.)

~~~~~~~

For those of you who enjoy seeing the whole process (yes, I know you crazy kids are out there!) here are some "in progress" photos. The mailbox on the right is the one we replaced. In this photo the granite post is being moved via chain and a wooden "belt" that Dan built for it's transport so that the chain wouldn't mar the granite.

I have no idea how we would survive here without Big Blue, the tractor! Here, Dan is removing the chains from the granite post as he has placed wood supports to keep the post straight while the concrete dries.



This photo shows the old mailbox and the new!


Luckily the concrete took only 30 minutes to set!


The generator was brought to the job-site by Big Blue to complete the install once the mailbox was leveled. The generator powered the electric hammer-drill that Dan had to buy (at least that's what he told me!) to drill into the granite. Hey, I'm all for any purchase that gets my projects done!! You can see the iron arm/bracket resting at it's base.


And now...here's to hoping the check's in the mail!!

lots of lobster & a little martha too!

It was a fabulous birthday and anniversary!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your well-wishes!

Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park are everything you think of when you think of Maine! It was absolutely gorgeous.

I ate lobster...... lots of lobster!

The first night in Bar Harbor we went walking through the charming town about 9pm as it was still abuzz with activity. As we approached one shop a little dog at the end of a leash came outside the shop and went berserk upon seeing Ella, then a second dog appeared and joined in.... two little French bulldogs- both wanting a piece of sweet, quiet, loves-all-dogs Ella.

Ella sat.

Then.... the person attached to the other end of the leash appeared- none other than Martha Stewart herself! Even though we were literally three feet in front of her, and Ella was only a foot in front of her tiny barking terrors she apparently couldn't see us ;), instead looking past and through us. So, unfortunately I wasn't able to tell her you said hello as I had promised to do in the last post!

Despite the tiny terrors, Ella, too, enjoyed her vacation and her dining experience at one of the many pet-friendly restaurants in Bar Harbor! She ordered a bacon/cheese/bacon/cheese burger, but got a cookie instead!

I had a lobster blt!

One of my birthday presents from Dan is that we are going to go to NYC to see Wicked! I have never been to NYC, and have always wanted to see a Broadway show. And... it just so happens that the Wizard of Oz is one of my all-time favorite classic movies, so this is perfect!


Then.......
Dan gave me a gift of a lifetime!
A gift to end all gifts.
I can say unequivocally that you do not know anyone who has been given this gift.
Ever.
Seriously, if I were to tell you now what he gave me, one- you wouldn't believe me and then you would be really, really mad at your husband, and then you would faint! I kid you not!! So, since I love you and don't want you mad at your husband today, and I worry about your health;) I can't tell you what it is right now!!! (I want to get permission first;) But please, please stay tuned..... I promise you (I even swear to you) you will NOT want to miss this.
If I haven't made myself perfectly clear- this is an off the chart, over the top, unimaginable, crazy-wonderful gift of a lifetime.

Turns out.... 50 ain't so bad after all!!!